Leading the Change: A Capstone Conversation with Reform Leaders
Facilitron University 5 attendees and presenters spent two full days talking about data, systems, policy, and strategy. But in this final session, the spotlight shifted from the what to the who and the leaders making it all happen.
Session 12, "Leading the Change," wasn't about dashboards or rate schedules. It was about the reality of transforming a system that wasn’t built for today’s needs and what it takes to lead that change in real time.
Facilitron’s Cheryl Galloway sat down with three governance pioneers to close out FU5 with insight, honesty, and hard-won wisdom:
- Dr. Victor Hayek, Deputy Superintendent, Conejo Valley USD (CA)
- Natalie Whisler, Director of Community Services, North Clackamas SD (OR)
- Vicente Bravo, Administrative Officer / Assistant Superintendent, Da Vinci Schools & Wiseburn USD (CA)
Their message? Governance reform is possible, but it takes clarity, consistency, and the courage to lead through the hard parts.
The Spark: “We Can’t Keep Doing It This Way”
Every change has a starting point, a moment where a leader sees the gap between current practice and what’s actually needed.
Victor: 24 Cents an Hour for Field Use
In Conejo Valley, Victor found a user group booking 16,000 hours across four fields — paying just $3,000 total. That’s 24 cents per hour.
That eye-opener became the case for change. Privileged access wasn’t sustainable. With reforms, revenue grew from $250K/year to over $800K while improving fairness and transparency across the district.
Natalie: The Audit That Changed Everything
When Natalie stepped into her role, she was handed an external scan of her department, and it wasn’t pretty. Zero cost recovery. Liability gaps. No consistent policy.
Her response was to go big. She led a full rebuild, including new tech, new policies, and new procedures, in order to bring structure to a system that had been running on legacy habits.
Vicente: When the High School Finally Needed the Fields
In Wiseburn, the rise of Da Vinci high school athletics created a sudden shift. Fields long held by community groups now had to accommodate school teams. and backlash was swift.
Rather than escalate, Vicente leaned into relationships, transparency, and data. His goal was to find the win–win, not fuel a turf war.
Governance Isn’t a System — It’s a Culture Shift
All three leaders agreed that you can’t software your way out of bad governance.
That’s why each invested in:
- Listening before acting
- Bringing stakeholders into the process
- Turning adversaries into allies
- Using data as the neutral truth
They did it all knowing the hardest part wasn’t the policy but rather the pushback.
From Resistance to Partnership
Natalie worked directly with athletic directors
- She invited them into platform demos and policy design
- She solved their problems (like calendar integrations)
- Over time, ADs became her strongest allies, not opponents
Victor faced community leagues with decades of informal access
- He stayed calm and data-driven
- He implemented small increases with long-term transparency
- Eventually, even the loudest critics became collaborators
Vicente navigated two boards, two superintendents, and one shared community
- He created formal alignment spaces (“3x3” meetings)
- He made his work visible, consistent, and grounded in facts
- Today, governance is something his boards trust — not something they have to fight
The Board Matters — But You Set the Tone
One powerful thread from the conversation: your board wants to do the right thing, but they need you to equip them.
That means:
- Giving them talking points before the pressure hits
- Making your decisions and process visible
- Helping them distinguish between public comment pressure and long-term stewardship
As Victor put it:
“There’s a difference between what board members say publicly and what they say to you privately when they trust you and have the data.”
Final Words of Advice
“Just start. And once you start — keep going.”
— Dr. Victor Hayek
“Have a bias toward change.”
— Natalie Whisler
“Be transparent. Assume someone is always watching, and lead like that.”
— Vicente Bravo
The Real Capstone: Leadership That Lasts
This closing session reminded us that governance isn’t just a framework. It’s a leadership commitment.
It allows districts to:
- Say “yes” to community use with fairness and confidence
- Protect staff from being caught in the middle
- Ensure policies match reality
- Build systems that outlast any one person
Governance reform may start with data and policy, but it only sticks because leaders like you are willing to stay with it.
That's what Session 12, and FU5 as a whole, was all about.