Webinar: Creating a Culture of Care by Improving Teacher Wellbeing

Creating a Culture of Care by Improving Teacher Wellbeing

The "calling" to teach has never been easy. But, on the heels of the pandemic, the challenges public school educators face are even more significant. Skyrocketing attrition rates and a historically declining number of candidates getting a teaching degree have been compounded by the physical and emotional toll taken on those who serve students. More than 4 out of every 10 teachers in K-12 settings report feeling burned out "always" or "very often" at work—the highest burnout rate of all U.S. professions—according to a 2022 Gallup poll. This webinar will explore opportunities for school districts to create a culture of care by maximizing wellbeing initiatives and improving staff health without jeopardizing their already limited financial resources. Learn how employer-sponsored healthcare is helping school districts better support their staff by providing better access to quality primary healthcare, enhanced wellness offerings, and direct behavioral health services.

Key Takeaways

A deeper understanding of the challenges and needs faced by teachers and school district staff when it comes to wellbeing
How to put staff first by focusing on wellbeing without jeopardizing salary schedule funding
Ideas and strategies from school districts for implementing or enhancing healthcare and wellness initiatives
Example success stories of how school districts are improving health and wellness
A summary of the cost savings that can be realized by investing in the health and wellness of teachers and staff

Meet the Speakers

Shelly Towns
Chief Marketing Officer, Marathon Health

Doug Sumner, Ph.D
Vice President of Education Affairs, Marathon Health

Nancy L. Bolton
Director of Risk & Benefits Management, School District of Palm Beach County

Shellie Hicks
CHRO, Culver Academies

Kevin Windham
Director of Risk Management & Benefits, Escambia County Public Schools

Shelly Towns, Chief Marketing Officers | Marathon Health (Host)

Shelly Towns serves as the Chief Marketing Officer of Marathon Health, where she leads consumer marketing, B2B marketing, brand management and communications. Prior to joining Marathon Health in 2017, Shelly spent 12 years in a variety of leadership roles at Angie’s List, including brand strategy, digital marketing and product management. Shelly is a graduate of Indiana University and was named to the Forty under 40 class in 2015 and a Woman of Influence in 2016 by the Indianapolis Business Journal. Shelly has been the host of the Marathon Health webinars for a year and loves having casual conversations with thought leaders in the employer healthcare space with the hopes everyone walks away with at least one aha moment.

Nancy L. Bolton, Director of Risk & Benefits Management | School District of Palm Beach County

Nancy L. Bolton is the Director of Risk & Benefits Management for the School District of Palm Beach County. Before joining the School District in 2021, Nancy served nearly six years in the role of Assistant County Administrator for the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, following 12 years of service as the Board of County Commissioners’ Director of Risk Management. In her current role, Nancy enjoys the opportunity to provide competitive benefits to over 20,000 School District employees and their dependents, and ensures the district’s property and operations are adequately protected through a robust property and casualty risk management program. She also serves as the Vice President of the South Florida Chapter of the Public Risk and Insurance Management Association (PRIMA) and is a member of the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS). She also serves her community as a member of the Board of Directors of the Palm Beach County Food Bank.

Shellie Hicks, CHRO | Culver Acadamies

Shellie Hicks is the CHRO at Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana, where one of her key priorities for the past 5 years has been to build their well-being program to mirror Culver’s mission to nurture the whole individual – mind, spirit, and body. Culver’s well-being programming falls within 5 pillars: social/emotional, community, spiritual, financial and physical. Prevention, matching contributions and other available benefits and resources are incentivized to encourage making well-being a priority. Shellie has worked in human resources for 25 years, partnering with corporate, non-profit, and educational leaders to build team and organizational effectiveness. “In this world of never-ending priorities and distractions, what I love most is helping colleagues maximize and sustain energy and focus on what matters most so they can realize their vision and goals,” Shellie says.

Kevin Windham, Director of Risk Management & Benefits | Escambia County Public School

Kevin Windham has been the Director of Risk Management & Benefits for Escambia County Public Schools in Pensacola, Florida, for the last 21 years. Kevin's previous positions for the school included Senior Internal Auditor and Financial Analyst. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Florida Retired School Employee Benefits Program Consortium. Kevin is Past-President of the Florida Educational Risk Management Association (FERMA). FERMA is the Florida Statewide Organization representing Risk and Benefits Managers of both public school systems and the State College system. FERMA’s objective is to promote the use of risk management in educational institutions in Florida as a means of preserving assets from loss or destruction. Kevin is a Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Risk Manager and he holds the Florida Educational Risk Managers Certification.

Doug Sumner, Ph.D, Vice President of Education Affairs | Marathon Health

Prior to joining Marathon Health in October 2020, Doug Sumner, Ph.D, Vice President of Education Affairs, spent over 25 years serving students, staff, and school community members as a public-school educator. Doug’s service has included roles as a middle school and high school teacher, a middle school and high school principal, an associate superintendent for human resources and a school superintendent. Doug earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree in Secondary Education from the University of Kansas and a doctorate in Policy and Leadership from Baker University. Guided by a passion to serve, Doug enjoys the opportunity to work with colleagues and client partners to empower individuals, and the organizations that employ them, to be healthier, happier and more productive. Most especially, Doug seeks to ensure our most valuable educational resource (teachers and staff) are cared for at a level equal to the incredible service they provide students every day.

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