2023 Bi-Annual International Conference on Educational Leadership & Management

Keynote Speakers:

Dr Ann Lopez

Dr. Ann Lopez is a Jamaican born professor of educational leadership and policy at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto, Canada. A former public school teacher and administrator she is a leading voice and scholar on equitable and anti-oppressive approaches to education and schooling. She is the Director of the Center for Leadership and Diversity, Co-Director Centre for Black Studies in Education, and Provostial Advisor, Access Programs, and has held the position of Academic Director, Initial Teacher Education. Dr. Lopez has recently been appointed as Professor Extraordinarius at UNISA, South Africa and Visiting Professor Kwame Nkrumah University, Zambia. Her research and teaching focuses on equitable practices in education, school leadership across contexts, leadership development, and decoloniality. Dr. Lopez is the author of several journal articles and books including her most recent book entitled, Decolonizing Educational Leadership: Alternative Approach to Leading Schools. She is co-Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of School Leadership and Co-Series Editor, Studies in Educational Administration. Dr. Lopez has been honored for her work and is the recipient of the of the OISE 2020 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching, and the 2022 University of Toronto Award of Excellence and Jus Memorial Human Rights Prize – Influential Leader.

Tashni-Ann Dubroy

Dr. Tashni-Ann Dubroy serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Howard University. Her leadership responsibilities include oversight of human resources and services, auxiliary services, information technology, facilities management, environmental and emergency management, public safety, and enrollment management. Under her leadership, Howard University has experienced significant growth in its enrollment growth and in turn, its financial outlook.

Dr. Dubroy began her early career as a Research Scientist at BASF, the world’s largest chemical company. She quickly ascended to the position of Global Technology Analyst, and after two years, was appointed to serve as Chemical Procurement Manager, where she managed a strategic sourcing budget of $35 million.

She departed corporate America to explore entrepreneurial pursuits and co-founded Tea and Honey Blends, a haircare company that manufactured and retailed natural hair care products, and co-owned downtown Raleigh’s Element Beauty Bar. Her entrepreneurial success landed her on the pages of Money Magazine and Bloomberg’s Business Week.

Her passion for education led to her becoming a faculty member, and later, an administrator at her alma mater, Shaw University. The pinnacle of her tenure at Shaw was her instatement as the 17th president of Shaw University. Dr. Dubroy’s administration positioned Shaw as a resource to the City of Raleigh through entrepreneurial innovation, civic presence, and support for students and surrounding communities. Prior to her executive appointment as president, the Shaw University alumna served as Special Assistant to the President, Chair of Shaw University’s Department of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and as an Associate Professor of Chemistry.

Dr. Dubroy earned her Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry from North Carolina State University in 2007 and holds an MBA from Rutgers University.

Dr Wayne Wesley

Dr Wayne Wesley is the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC®). He is a transformational leader with over 30 years of service in education and training at the regional and international levels. As an experienced chief executive with expertise in diplomacy, corporate governance, institutional development and strengthening, and crisis management, Dr Wesley provides strategic leadership for the repositioning of CXC®, as a regional enterprise, effecting greater regional impact and global influence.

He is passionate about regional integration and development, with emphasis on fostering Human Capital Development, which is a critical pillar for economic development. Prior to joining CXC®, he was the Executive Director for the largest trust fund and training agency in the Caribbean, the Human Employment and Resource Training Trust/National Training Agency (HEART Trust/NTA) in Jamaica. He also served as the Chairman of the Caribbean Association of National Training Authorities (CANTA).

Currently, Dr Wesley sits on the CARICOM New School Model Committee and the Caribbean Community Administrative Tribunal (CCAT). A 2003 Fulbright scholar, he holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering and professional certifications in international relations, and strategic direction and leadership.

He is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, UK, a Fellow of the American Society for Quality, and a commissioned Justice of the Peace (JP) in Jamaica. He is a devout Christian and is married with three children.