NAGC 2026 Hill Day

Jennifer Madsen is Vice President-Advocacy Chair for the New Jersey Association for Gifted Children (NJAGC). Her work focuses on policy development and building relationships with legislators, government officials, and organizations at the local, state, and federal levels. Jen represents NJAGC as the state affiliate leader to NAGC and served on NAGC’s Public Policy and Advocacy Committee from 2020-2023, chairing the Legislative Outreach Subcommittee. Jen works closely with the NJ Department of Education as a Co-Chair of the Strengthening Gifted and Talented Education Advisory Council and was instrumental in inspiring, drafting, and ensuring the passage of a new law in 2020. Shortly after, she was honored with a Joint Legislative Resolution from the NJ State Legislature for her work and dedication to gifted and talented education. Jennifer was the 2021 NJAGC Parent of the Year and a member of the team that won the 2020 NAGC David W. Belin Advocacy Award.

Dr. Michelle (Shelli) Frazier Trotman Scott is the Director of Graduate Affairs and Professor at the University of West Georgia. She writes and presents on racial disproportionalities in gifted and special education, dual exceptionalities, culturally responsive teaching, and family involvement. She also serves and leads in professional organizations. Affectionately known as “Dr. FTS”, Shelli earned her Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis with an emphasis on special, gifted, and urban education, a Masters in Technology Education, and her B.S.Ed. Special Education, from The Ohio State University. Dr. Frazier Trotman Scott has conducted professional development workshops for urban school districts and been invited to engage in community dialogues regarding educational practices and professional conferences, and co-edited six books. She is also on multiple editorial boards and serves as a reviewer for multiple peer-reviewed journals.

With over 20 years of experience in non-profit and association leadership, John Segota, MPS, CAE, has dedicated his career to advancing education, supporting the needs of educators and learners, and transforming organizations. As the Executive Director of the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), John partners with the NAGC Board of Directors to advance the association’s mission to support those who enhance the growth and development of gifted and talented children through advocacy, outreach, education, and research.

Prior to his work at NAGC, John served as Associate Executive Director at TESOL International Association, a global professional association representing the field of English language teaching. In his role at TESOL, he spearheaded various strategic initiatives that led to significant organizational growth and development. His experience at TESOL includes strategic planning, advocacy and policy management, public relations and communications, standards development, governance, and organizational management.

John has presented both nationally and internationally on public policy as it relates to language education and has written extensively on issues of education policy. In addition to his work at TESOL, John has served on the Board of Directors of the National Coalition for Literacy, the Title III State Advisory Committee for the District of Columbia, and the Advisory Council for EnglishUSA.
John has a BA in Political Science with a concentration in International Studies from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA, and a Master of Professional Studies in Public Leadership from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. He has been conferred by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) as a Certified Association Executive (CAE) and was selected as a Diversity Executive Leadership Program (DELP) scholar with ASAE in 2012.

Justin Mitchell is an 8th grade Social Studies teacher and Gifted & Talented Coordinator at Franklin-Simpson Middle School in Simpson County, KY. He was named the 2021 Kentucky History Teacher of the Year, 2021 National History Teacher of the Year Finalist, and was recently named one of the 2023 Middle School Teacher Achievement Award Winners for Kentucky. In addition to his role as a classroom teacher he is the Chair for the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB), the Secretary of the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education, and is a member of the National Association for Gifted Children Public Policy and Advocacy Committee.

Bronwyn MacFarlane, Ph.D., a past NAGC Early Leader, is a doctoral professor at Arkansas State University and teaches courses in gifted education, leadership, policy, and organizational development. She has chaired over 30 completed doctoral student dissertation committees advising educational leaders in schools around the world, published 5 books, and delivered hundreds of presentations. Specializing in program and curriculum design to develop talent among students and educators, Dr. MacFarlane has diverse experience planning, evaluating, delivering, consulting, and advocating for programming at school, district, university, and community levels. She advocates for children’s creative programming as president of two non-profit boards of directors; served as a board officer of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children; and volunteers from local to international levels. She earned her doctorate at the College of William and Mary where her work in gifted education and leadership was recognized for excellence.

Julia Link Roberts, Ed.D., is the Mahurin Professor of Gifted Studies at Western Kentucky University. She is the Executive Director of The Center for Gifted Studies and The Carol Martin Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science in Kentucky. Dr. Roberts is past-president of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children and a board member of The Association for the Gifted and the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education. She is chair of the Kentucky Advisory Council for Gifted Education. She was honored with the Acorn Award which recognizes the outstanding professor at a four-year college in Kentucky. Dr. Roberts received the first NAGC David W. Belin Award for Advocacy and the NAGC Ann F. Isaacs Founding Member’s Award. She is the author and coauthor of multiple books.

Chris Rice, MA, CAS, is an experienced educator, advocate, and speaker that focuses his work on equitable access to gifted programming and meeting the needs of historically underrepresented students. Chris currently works as a school psychologist for gifted programming within a large school district in North Carolina. He also serves as the president for the North Carolina Association for the Gifted and Talented (NCAGT) and as a committee member for the Public Policy and Advocacy Committee (PPAC) for the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC). Additionally, he is an NC Education Policy Fellow for the 2025-2026 school year.

Away from education, you can find Chris with his wife, Becca, and son, Camden, or on the lacrosse field coaching.

Del Siegle is the Lynn and Ray Neag Endowed Chair for Talent Development at the University of Connecticut, where he directed the National Center for Research on Gifted Education.  He is a past-president of NAGC and recipient of their 2021 Founder’s Memorial, 2018 Distinguished Scholar, and 2011 Distinguished Service Award.

Jonathan Plucker is a Professor of Education at Johns Hopkins University. His research examines creativity and intelligence, education policy, and talent development. He received his Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Virginia. His research examines creativity, talent development, and education policy, and his books include Excellence Gaps in Education with Scott Peters and From Giftedness to Gifted Education with Anne Rinn and Matt Makel. He is a recipient of the NAGC Distinguished Scholar Award and E. Paul Torrance Creativity Award. Prof. Plucker is an NAGC Past-President.