SHAPE America and the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education Present: State Leader Connections, Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 7:00 PM ET: The Power of State Advocacy!
The SHAPE America State Affiliate Advisory Council and the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education are pleased to co-host this event on The Power of State Advocacy! This event is free for anyone to attend and will feature state leaders who have impressive stories and examples to share of how they have successfully been advocates for HPE within their states. Speakers include:
- Tracy Stefano (Moderator) is the K–12 Supervisor of Health & Physical Education for East Hartford Public Schools and the LEA Project Lead for the CDC-funded Connecticut WSCC Partnership. She serves as President of the Connecticut Association of Administrators of Health & Physical Education and is a member of SHAPE America’s Inclusive Practices in Health Education Task Force, with a focus on policy-driven leadership and coordinated state advocacy.
- Laurie Bechhofer is a consultant in the Office of Health and Safety at the Michigan Department of Education, where she has focused on adolescent health, HIV/STI prevention, and LGBTQ+ student support for nearly three decades. A Fellow of the American School Health Association, she is Past President of the Society of State Leaders of Health and Physical Education and serves on the National Health Education Standards Task Force.
- Michelle Rawcliffe is the Curriculum and Content Manager at CATCH Global Foundation and a highly accomplished health educator with more than 25 years of experience across school, district, state, and national levels. A former Connecticut Middle School Health Education Teacher of the Year, she brings deep expertise in skills-based health education, social and emotional literacy, and coordinated school health.
- Diana Bruce is a nationally recognized school health leader, speaker, and consultant with more than 25 years of experience advancing health and education equity through policy and systems change. Known for pairing radical empathy with sound public policy, she currently leads her own consulting practice and serves on the boards of Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington and the National Inclusion Committee of Zeta Tau Alpha.
- Jamie Sparks is the Executive Director of Kentucky SHAPE and the National School Health Program Manager for ETR, where he champions quality health and physical education and school health initiatives. A former Coordinated School Health Director for the Kentucky Department of Education and Past President of SHAPE America, he brings extensive state and national leadership experience to advancing school wellness and HPE policy.
ZOOM LINK (Please register in advance!)
When: Jan 14, 2026 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.