Conference Speakers – NAES Biennial Conference 2026

Conference Speakers

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Dr. Lisa Miller

Clinical Psychologist
Author of The Spiritual Child and The Awakened Brain
Professor at Teachers College, Columbia University

Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiritual Child and a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the Founder and Director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program and research institute in spirituality and psychology, and has held over a decade of joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical School. Her innovative research has been published in more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Cerebral Cortex, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Dr. Miller is Editor of the Oxford University Press Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality, Founding Co-Editor-in-Chief of the APA journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice, an elected Fellow of The American Psychological Association (APA) and the two-time President of the APA Society for Psychology and Spirituality. A graduate of Yale University and University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her doctorate under the founder of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, she has served as Principal Investigator on multiple grant funded research studies. Dr. Miller speaks and consults around The Awakened Brain and The Spiritual Child for the US Military, businesses (including tech, finance, HR and sales), personal development, faith based organizations, schools and universities, and for mental health and wellness initiatives.

EUCHARIST SERMON PREACHER

The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe

Presiding Bishop and Primate of The Episcopal Church

The Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe was elected presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church in June 2024 and took office on Nov. 1 for a nine-year term. In this role, he serves as the church’s chief pastor and CEO. Known for his expertise in organizational learning and adaptive change, Rowe is committed to strengthening support for local ministry and mission.  

He was ordained bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania in 2007 after serving as rector of St. John’s in Franklin, Pennsylvania, for seven years. From 2014 to 2018, he served as bishop provisional of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem, and from 2019 to 2024, he led a partnership between the Episcopal Dioceses of Northwestern Pennsylvania and Western New York. 

Rowe holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Grove City College, a Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary, and a doctorate in organizational learning and leadership from Gannon University. He has served as a leader of many civic and churchwide organizations and governance bodies, and as parliamentarian for the House of Bishops. 

EARLY CHILDHOOD DAY SPEAKER

Dr. Sonia Yoshizawa

Early Childhood School Assistant Director and Pedagogista
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, CA

Dr. Sonia Yoshizawa is the Early Childhood School Assistant Director and Pedagogista at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, California, where she leads professional learning through coaching, collaborative inquiry, and emergent curriculum. With over 30 years of experience in early childhood education, her work is grounded in constructivist philosophy and deeply aligned with the Episcopal tradition of educating the whole child—nurturing curiosity, relationships, and a profound sense of belonging.

She holds a Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education and has served as a researcher and instructor at the university level, where her work focused on STEM learning in early childhood and the Reggio Emilia approach. She is the co-author of three books on creativity and STEM learning (NAEYC; Teachers College Press), contributing to a growing body of research that bridges inquiry-based science and mathematics with the realities of early childhood classrooms. A sought-after speaker and professional learning facilitator, she presents regularly at national and international conferences and leads workshops for educators across the United States, Japan, and Hong Kong. She currently serves on the Board of the Association for Constructivist Teaching.

NAES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A smiling clergyman in a gray suit with a white clerical collar, set against a bright blue background.

The Rev. David A. Madison, D.Min.

The Rev. David A. Madison, D.Min., Executive Director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) joined the staff in 2021, and began his tenure as Executive Director on July 1, 2022. Prior to his work with NAES, Fr. Madison was the Executive Director of the Southwestern Association of Episcopal Schools (SAES).

ELEA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

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Cory Newman

Cory Newman is Executive Director of the Evangelical Lutheran Education Association (ELEA), the organization that advocates for 1,400 ELCA Schools and early learning centers. ELEA actively supports 18,000 staff and 150,000 children during closure of our Lutheran schools and sheltering in place orders. Cory is an experienced early childhood educator and mother to two girls, one in high school and the other an elementary age student.