Workshops and Presenters

Rebecca Henderson, Ed.D., serves as the Educational Enterprise Services Director at the Westmoreland Intermediate Unit in Pennsylvania, where she leads strategic partnerships, business development and innovative educational services to support K-12 districts. With extensive experience in curriculum and instruction, online learning, professional learning, and educational leadership, she specializes in leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), open educational resources (OER), and digital equity strategies to improve teaching and learning. Rebecca is an active leader in the #GoOpen National Network, a frequent national presenter, and a champion for initiatives that personalize learning, foster collaboration, and expand access to high-quality instructional resources for all students.

Attorney Charlie Jelley received his undergraduate and masters degree from Slippery Rock State University. Attorney Jelley received his first law degree from Duquesne Law School, and received his second law degree, an LL.M. in Health Law, from the University of Loyola School of Law, Institute for Health Law in Chicago, Illinois. Attorney Jelley was the co-editor of the Health Law Institute’s first health law journal, “The Annuals of Health Law.” Attorney Jelley’s 1991 LLM thesis focused on the application of the anti-discrimination provision in Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Action (ERISA) as applied to persons with disabilities accessing group health insurance.

From 1980–1991, Attorney Jelley worked for Westmoreland County ARC as a lay advocate, then as the Director of Educational and Legislative Advocacy, and then for a short period of time after graduating from law school as the Executive Director. 

After graduating from Loyola, Attorney Jelley worked, for a short time, as a consultant to the Chiropractic Legal Defense Fund in Englewood Colorado. Attorney Jelley’s practice, prior to becoming a hearing officer, focused on children’s issues, school law, juvenile justice, children and youth services, health law, disability law, medical assistance issues, community services, estate planning for families of persons with disabilities, civil rights litigation, ERISA litigation and legislative/policy analyses for persons with disabilities. 

Attorney Jelley served as the solicitor for the Parent Education Network, a Pennsylvania Parent Training initiative. Attorney Jelley is the past co-chairman of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Exceptional Children’s Committee. He is a past member of the Westmoreland County Academy of Trial Lawyers and the Ned Nakles Inns of Court. Attorney Jelley recently retired from the position of Special Education Hearing Officer for the Pennsylvania Office for Dispute Resolution. 

Ephraim Yoder is an experienced educator and school leader with over 16 years of experience in Pennsylvania public education. For more than 12 years, he served as a special and general education teacher across K-12 school settings, developing expertise in differentiated instruction, IEP development, and data-driven decision-making. Since 2021, he has worked as a professionally licensed school psychologist in the Ringgold School District, conducting comprehensive evaluations, providing counseling, and collaborating with staff and families to support student success. In 2024, he expanded his role to include Coordinator of Special Education, overseeing compliance, programming, and services for students with disabilities. Ephraim holds dual bachelor’s degrees in Special and Elementary Education, along with master’s degrees in English as a Second Language and School Psychology, and a post-master’s certificate in Education Specialist. He is committed to advancing best practices in special education and psychology through collaboration, leadership, and continuous professional growth.

Dr. Ray Christner is a licensed psychologist and a certified school psychologist, a nationally certified school psychologist, and a nationally registered health service psychologist. He has expertise in both clinical and school psychology. He holds a board certification in behavioral and cognitive psychology and has been named a Fellow of the Association of Behavior and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT).  Operating an independent practice in Hanover, Pennsylvania, Dr. Christner provides psychological and neuropsychological assessments, psychotherapy, and consultative services to children and adults across various psychological, developmental, behavioral, and educational continuums.

As an internationally renowned author and speaker, Dr. Christner has made significant contributions to his field through numerous books, book chapters, articles, and presentations. The Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA) awarded him the 2025 Distinguished Contribution to School Psychology Award. His book, Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions in Educational Settings: A Handbook for Practice (now in its 3rd edition), has been translated into Japanese, Korean, and Romanian. Dr. Christner is currently developing a new psychological test, the Christner Behavior and Adaptability System (C-BAAS), scheduled for publication by Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR) in 2026. Additionally, Dr. Christner shares his insights as the co-host of the podcast “Psyched to Practice” and the author of the Psychology Today blog, “Living Psyched.” His work has garnered attention from prominent media outlets, including Today, Parents, Newsweek, Lifehacker, ABC, Fox, Special Education Connection, and Authority Magazine, among others.

Attorney Carl P. Beard is President of Beard Legal Group P.C. He is a 1977 graduate of Lycoming College and a 1980 graduate of the Ohio Northern University College of Law. He is admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, and the United States District Courts for the Middle and Western Districts of Pennsylvania. Mr. Beard served as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Industrial Relations at the Graduate School of Industrial Relations at Saint Francis University for 15 years. He practices in the areas of school, special education, labor, employment and municipal law, and represents employers across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in arbitrations, defense of employment discrimination lawsuits, and in the negotiation of collective bargaining agreements. Mr. Beard has represented schools for more than 25 years on special education issues including due process hearings and in Federal Court. Mr. Beard was the President to the Pennsylvania School Solicitor’s Association in 2007 and from 1987 to 1991 Mr. Beard served as Director of Labor Relations Services and Legal Counsel for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. Mr. Beard has presented on topics of interest to school districts across the state as well as across the country and has spoken at national conferences for the Council of School Attorneys, National School Boards’ Association and as well as to the Pennsylvania Bar Association and Federal Bar Association. On June 13, 2011, Mr. Beard was honored for his distinguished contribution to law and education, and to the Dr. Samuel Francis School Law Symposium and Special Education Workshop by the Tri-State Area School Study Council, Administrative and Policy Studies School of Education and School of Law of the University of Pittsburgh. Mr. Beard was also awarded the Pennsylvania School Study Council Award for Outstanding Service to Public Education 2018 William S. Vincent Award for Excellence in Support of Public Education.  Attorney Beard was recognized by his peers in 2022 as a Super Lawyer in Pennsylvania.