Utah Association of Elementary School Principals Mid-Winter Conference
February 18-20, 2026
Dixie Center
1835 Convention Center Dr., St. George, Utah
Remember, this conference now starts at 3:00 PM on February 18! This is a different week than year's past!
Speakers:
Principal Kafele
A highly-regarded urban educator in New Jersey for over twenty years, Principal Baruti Kafele distinguished himself as a master teacher and a transformational school leader. As an elementary school teacher in East Orange, NJ, he was selected as the East Orange School District and Essex County Public Schools Teacher of the Year and New Jersey Teacher of the Year finalist.
As a middle and high school principal, Principal Kafele emerged as a turnaround school leader which included the turnaround of "The Mighty" Newark Tech, that went from a low-performing school in need of improvement to national recognition, including U.S. News and World Report Magazine recognizing it three times as one of America's best high schools and Principal Kafele being awarded the coveted Milken Educator Award.
One of the most sought-after school leadership and climate / culture presenters in America, Principal Kafele is impacting America’s schools! For over 35 years, he has delivered over 3000 conference and program keynotes, professional development workshops, parenting seminars and student assemblies. An expert in the area of “attitude transformation,” Principal Kafele is the leading authority for providing effective classroom and school leadership strategies toward closing what he coined, the "Attitude Gap.”
Allyson Apsey
Allyson Apsey is an award-winning school leader, author, and international speaker who has served as a principal at every K-12 level. With over 27 years of experience in education, she is passionate about helping educators create schools where both students and staff thrive. Allyson is the author of several books, including The Path to Serendipity, Lead with Collaboration, Leading the Whole Teacher, and What Makes a Great Principal. She now serves as Director of Client Relations with Creative Leadership Solutions, where she partners with districts across the country to deliver coaching, professional learning, and leadership development. Known for her engaging stories, practical strategies, and contagious optimism, Allyson inspires audiences to embrace growth, build strong teams, and lead with both courage and compassion.
Corbin Allred
Corbin Allred may look familiar. He has enjoyed a successful acting career in film and television since the age of twelve. Though originally from Salt Lake City, Utah, he spent much of his youth and early adulthood in Hollywood, California pursuing the entertainment arts.
He first broke through into Hollywood with a role in “Robin Hood: Men in Tights”. He later starred in the ABC comedy series, “Teen Angel” and has appeared in dozens of other mainstream film and television shows and films to include the critically acclaimed films, “Saints and Soldiers”, “The Saratov Approach”, and “Out of Liberty” and currently has three films in post-production.
Corbin has gone on to become an award winning director, writer, and filmmaker and is in the development stages of several projects.
Though his work in the entertainment industry has been his most public and noticeable contribution to the world, he tries to balance that work with other endeavors including his passion for medicine and mental health.
In 2008, Corbin left Hollywood with his family and enrolled at Southern Utah University studying Biology as a Pre-PA student. While in undergrad, Corbin worked as a Paramedic after graduating Valedictorian from Utah Tech (formerly Dixie State). After graduating Magna Cum Laude from Southern Utah University, Corbin was accepted into the prestigious Oregon Health and Science University Physician Assistant program in Portland, Oregon. Upon graduation and board certification, Corbin began practicing medicine for Legacy Health in the greater Portland, Oregon area and remained there for 4 years before returning to Utah to continue his career. Corbin is now a practicing emergency medicine PA in St. George, Utah. In addition to practicing medicine full-time and working on film, television, media projects, non-profit youth theater, and children’s books, Corbin now travels all over the country speaking to tens of thousands of people annually on the topics most relevant today and closest to his heart.
Dr. Molly Hart
Dr. Hart has more than 20 years of experience in education, serving in roles from teacher to principal across multiple states and grade levels. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Valdosta State University and has been honored with the Utah PTA Outstanding School Administrator Award. Dr. Hart is a strong advocate for student achievement and community engagement.
