Adam Krüsi-Thom is Academic Program Manager for the Central Valley Region at Aspire Public Schools, leading change across three cities–Stockton, Modesto, and his hometown of Sacramento–16 school sites, hundreds of educators, and thousands of scholars.  He contributes to organization-wide projects and leads the implementation of the 2nd Edition EL Education K-8 Language Arts Curriculum across a dozen sites. Adam began his professional journey as a middle/high school classroom teacher in New Hampshire, going on to teach semester-long expeditions and teacher education courses in the US West/Alaska as faculty for Prescott College and the National Outdoor Leadership School.  Drawn abroad by service, he implemented a university pedagogical leadership program for the Ethiopian Ministry of Education. After serving as co-founder and/or coach at three EL network schools in Arizona and California, then catalyzing the CCSS sea-change as instructional coach on the Aspire education team, he arrived as a West Region school designer on the EL Education national staff before returning to Aspire as a vice principal.  Adam is a loving husband, father of two joyful, powerful girls, ages 1 and 3, and part of a close-knit extended family.  A sixth-generation Californian raised by educators, musicians, artists, and scientists in rural New England, the Bay Area, and the Sierra Nevada, Adam works to leverage his intersectional privilege and advantages (earned and unearned) to benefit and empower historically oppressed communities.  He is a sailor, poet, and rock climber who leads from his core values of contribution, joy, adventure, belonging, justice, and family.