Our guest, Dr. Jacqueline Rodriguez, serves as the Chief Executive Officer at the National Center for Learning Disabilities, where she leads a team at the forefrontof the learning disabilities rights movement. Her unwavering passion for promoting learning accessibility and equitable assessments drives the center’s efforts in developing impactful strategies, forging partnerships, making policy recommendations, and conducting research to improve the lives of individuals with learning disabilities and attention disorders. As an esteemed educator and professor, Jackie has taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels,and served as a special education faculty member at the School of Education at William & Mary. Jackie has prepared countless educators in equity-driven assessment practices and progress monitoring based on each student’s individual needs.

At NCLD, Jackie continues to passionately advocate for increased access to high-quality education and policies that support diverse and exceptional learners.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences. Register for the 2026 2.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF.

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferences include: CXO 2.0, Education 2.0, Health 2.0, Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.

Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Resources:

EDUPThe Experience

⁠

Greeting: Curtis Valentine

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY #NCLD

Our guest, Xiomara J. Giordano, is Assistant Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Chief Diversity Officer at SUNY Empire. Xiamara holds a Master of Science in Educational Policy and Leadership with a focus on Higher Education from the State University of New York at Albany and received her BA in Spanish and Portuguese Literature from Smith College.

Previously, Xiomara worked at Bennington College, where she made significant contributions to the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). In her role as Director of the Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion and as the College’s Deputy Diversity Officer, she led transformative initiatives aimed at fostering a more inclusive campus environment. This included developing and implementing comprehensive DEI strategies, organizing workshops and training programs for faculty, staff, and students, and creating partnerships with local organizations to further promote diversity and inclusion in the broader community.

In her free time, Xiomara has volunteered as a guiding scholar with the Adirondack Diversity Initiative, where she playeda pivotal role in collaborating on the creation of a comprehensive DEI curriculum tailored specifically for small businesses. Her dedication to promoting diversity and inclusion extends beyond her professional roles, reflecting her commitment to creating lasting change.

Xiomara's work in DEI extends her influence beyond academia, making a meaningful impact on both educational institutions and the wider community. Her dedication to these principles is a testament to her passion for addressing issues related to culturally relevant pedagogy, equitable access to higher education, and incorporating alternative resolution systems into institutions of learning, all with a strong emphasis onpromoting diversity and inclusion.

Your Host: ⁠⁠Jacob Easley II, PhD, PMP⁠⁠

Sponsor: The 2.0 Conferences.

Register for the 2026 2.0 Conferences in Las Vegas, Nevada and receive a discount courtesy of EDUP Xcelerated Excellence with the code EDUPXE15OFF.

Your choice of the 2.0 Conferencesinclude: CXO 2.0, Education 2.0, Health 2.0, Founders 2.0, and the Fueld Conference.

Resources:

EDUP The Experience

⁠Xcelerated Excellence Consulting⁠

Greeting: Curtis Valentine

#EDUPXE #EDUCATIONALEXCELLENCE #EDUCATIONALEQUITY