About the Presenters

Byron Adams joined Scholarus as the Vice President of Tripod, Scholarus’ survey and data analytics business. Tripod works with educators worldwide to deliver surveys and analytics from student, teacher, and family perspectives, insights from which facilitate better decision making and positive outcomes.

Prior to joining Scholarus, Byron led the K-12 Education Industry team at Qualtrics where he oversaw the development of student- and teacher-focused experience management solutions and managed strategic engagements with school districts. He was also an early team member leading professional services and outreach at Panorama Education. In addition to his experience in education technology, Byron worked directly in school systems leading talent pathways and strategy in Chicago and Boston. He started his career teaching 11th-grade US history in Los Angeles. Byron holds a BA from Pomona College and an MPA from Syracuse University.

Michael Fournier is the Superintendent of Schools with Bedford School District in New Hampshire. With over 25 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, and finally, as superintendent, Michael is passionate about the transformative power of education. He works to bridge gaps and shape successful growth pathways for students, educators, and his community.

First named the New Hampshire Middle School Principal of the Year in 2017, he was then named the Interim Superintendent of Bedford Schools in 2018. He was appointed as the permanent Superintendent the following year. Michael earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Milligan College in Tennessee and his M.Ed. in educational administration and education specialist degree from the University of New Hampshire.

Victor Cota is the Director of Equity and Inclusion at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano, California. A native of Orange County, Victor earned bachelor’s degrees in psychology and religion from USC. He earned his MBA from Rice University and administrative certification through the Rice Education Entrepreneurship Program.

From 2015 to 2018, Victor was the Director of Breakthrough SJC. During this time, the program expanded to serve students from historically underrepresented backgrounds through college graduation and launched an endowment to ensure long-term program sustainability. As the Director of Equity and Inclusion, Victor leads the school’s DEI work from preschool through grade 12, guiding the school to apply an equity lens to all aspects of the school. Through his journey as an educational leader, Victor has learned to design school systems and environments to be inclusive and equitable so all students are known and loved for who they are.