LeaderLife will be held at
Holiday Inn Newport News-Hampton by IHG
980 Omni Boulevard
Newport News, Virginia 23608
Registration for the full conference is closed, but you may still attend the preconference workshops, which run from 10 a.m. to noon on Friday, March 6.
Grow into the Leader Your Homeschool Community Needs
Grow Your Leadership Confidence & Skill in a Two-Day Training for
Homeschool Leaders, Co-op Organizers, and Emerging Founders
✔ Learn how to lead teams without burnout
✔ Navigate conflict, communication, and decision-making with confidence
✔ Build healthy, sustainable homeschool organizations
Not a Member? Join now and save.
Member $139 • Non-Member $159
Designed for Leaders at Every Stage
Stop leading alone.
Build confidence, clarity, and community with leaders who get it.
Whether you’re just stepping into leadership or carrying the weight of years of responsibility, this conference meets you where you are—and moves you forward.
This conference is for you if you are:
- A homeschool leader juggling vision, volunteers, and very real limits on your time
- A microschool or hybrid program leader navigating growth, policies, and parent expectations
- An emerging leader sensing a call to step up—but unsure how to lead well without burning out
- A seasoned leader who wants fresh perspective, sharper tools, and renewed confidence
You don’t need a title.
You don’t need everything figured out.
You just need a willingness to grow.
Leadership Unboxed is for leaders who want to lead with clarity, humility, and purpose—without losing themselves in the process.
Practical Tools You Can Use Immediately
This isn’t abstract leadership theory or motivational fluff. You’ll leave with tools you can put to work Monday morning.
At the LeaderLife Conference, you’ll learn how to:
- Lead with confidence instead of second-guessing—even in complex or emotionally charged situations
- Communicate clearly and set healthy boundaries with parents, boards, and volunteers
- Build and sustain strong teams without carrying everything yourself
- Navigate conflict wisely while protecting unity and mission
- Make decisions with clarity and conviction, grounded in purpose rather than pressure
You’ll gain:
- Fresh perspective from leaders who understand homeschool communities
- Practical frameworks you can adapt to your unique context
- Encouragement that reminds you why your leadership matters
You won’t just feel inspired—you’ll feel equipped.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Romans 12:2
Leaders, Edupreneurs, and Founders
You can have a thriving homeschool community – co-op, microschool, learning center, hybrid school – where families participate, leaders step up, and you have more time to spend with your family.
Your Registration Includes
- Two days of in-depth leadership training
- Practical workshops led by experienced homeschool leaders
- Conference materials and take-home resources
- Opportunities to connect with and learn from leaders across Virginia
- Encouragement, insight, and tools you can apply immediately
Special rate!
Thanks to the incredible generosity of our sponsor, we were able to reduce the price to just $139/member ($159/nonmember).*
*Need more assistance? We don’t want a sincere financial need to keep anyone from LeaderLife. Please let us know how we can help.
Lodging
The room block at the Holiday Inn by IHG in Hampton is full. Please look into some other great options nearby!
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Newport News
- Country Inn & Suites by Radisson Newport News South
- Newport News Marriott at City Center
- Hilton Garden Inn Newport News
- Hampton Inn Newport News-Yorktown
- Candlewood Suites Newport News/Yorktown
LeaderLife Conference Schedule
Friday, March 6, 2026
Preconference
9:30 a.m. | Pre-Conference Registration
10:00 a.m. | Welcome & Prayer
10:10 a.m. | What Homeschool Groups Are and How to Plan One ~ Sheri Payne
Controlled Growth ~ Cindy Bryan
10:55 a.m. | Coffee Break
11:15 a.m. | How to Start and Run a Co-op, Microschool, or Hybrid ~ Sheri Payne
How to Start and Run a Support Group or Learning Center ~ Natalie Mack
12:00 p.m. | Lunch On Your Own
1:00 p.m. | Check-In & Registration
Conference Begins
1:30 p.m. | Welcome & Introduction
1:40 p.m. | To Consider: Why Are You Here? ~ Small Group Discussion
1:55 p.m. | Spotlight Introductions
2:15 p.m. | Welcoming the Kids Who Need More ~ Dr. Amy Moore
3:00 p.m. | Coffee Break
3:30 p.m. | Convention Update ~ Catrina Jackson
Development Update ~ Dr. Angela Bartee
3:45 p.m. | Spotlight Introductions
4:00 p.m. | Speed Networking Activity
5:15 p.m. | Workshop Breakout Sessions Building an Effective Team ~ Becky Knepp and Susan Macias
Avoiding Burnout: Called, Not Consumed ~ Ashlee and Landon Sharrett
6:30 p.m. | Dinner
8:00 p.m. | Dessert Reception
Saturday, March 7, 2026
8:30 a.m. | Welcome & Prayer
8:40 a.m. | Spotlight Introductions
9:00 a.m. | Wired to Lead: Unlocking the Neuroscience of Effective Leadership ~ Jessica Parnell
9:45 a.m. | Coffee Break
10:15 a.m. | Protecting Our Children, Protecting Our Groups ~ Darren Jones
11:00 a.m. | Legislative Update ~ Callie Chaplow
11:30 a.m. | Workshop Breakout Sessions
KISS for Success: Keep it Simple and Specific ~ Cindy Bryan
Beyond Square Pegs: Designing Co-ops Where More Students Fit ~ Ruth Cooper
1:00 p.m. | Lunch
2:15 p.m. | Activity ~ Problem Swap Brainstorming Session
3:00 p.m. | Boundaries as Leaders ~ Ashlee and Landon Sharrett
3:45 p.m. | Coffee Break
4:15 p.m. | To Consider: What Did You Learn? ~ Small Group Discussion
5:00 p.m. | Giveaways, Closing Thoughts, and Prayer
Full Session Details and Speakers Announced Soon
We’re finalizing dynamic leaders in:
Volunteer management and onboarding
Burnout prevention and boundaries
Conflict & communication
Homeschool law & policy awareness
Founding vs. maintaining leadership
Save your seat now—this event fills before speakers are announced.S
Real Words from Real Leaders
Empowered Leadership
You’ll leave with:
A strategic plan you can implement Monday morning
Practical tools for growing (or launching) your program
Templates, scripts, and leadership language you can use immediately
Confidence in your calling—and boundaries to protect it
New friendships with leaders across Virginia
No more reinventing the wheel.
No more leading alone.
Why LeaderLife Works
Relevant & Practical
Real-world tools. Real conversations. Real solutions.
Life-Changing & Dynamic
This isn’t theory. It’s discipleship applied to leadership.
Fun & Interactive
Discussions, giveaways, and connection—with laughter and joy
Ready to Step Into Your Calling?
You don’t need to be perfect.
You don’t need to have it all figured out.
You just need to take the next faithful step.
Meet Your HEAV LeaderLife Team
Anne Miller
President and Executive Director
Sheri Payne
Director of Leader Support
Guiding, equipping, and championing homeschool leaders for more than forty years.
Meet Your LeaderLife Speakers
Jessica Parnell, CEO of Edovate Learning Corp, is a national advocate for “learning without walls” and the author of the Unlocking Your Child’s Genius series. As co-founder of Bridgeway Academy and Curriculum Express, creator of Elephango, and visionary behind the Discover! K–8 curriculum, Jessica has built and scaled educational programs that serve families across diverse learning models.
LeaderLife Workshop
Wired to Lead: Unlocking the Neuroscience of Effective Leadership
Recent discoveries about the brain reveal remarkable insights into how people focus, build habits, stay motivated, and lead well. For leaders, understanding these principles can transform how teams function, how families feel supported, and how cultures of growth are built across communities. In this high-energy, interactive session, participants will explore how the brain engages attention, why timing and emotional climate influence learning and motivation, and how habits and language shape long-term outcomes for teams, volunteers, and students. Leaders will discover practical ways to strengthen focus, build encouraging cultures, and communicate in ways that increase confidence and engagement across the families they serve. You will leave with simple neuroscience-based strategies you can apply immediately to energize teams, strengthen leadership influence, and create environments where both leaders and families thrive. NOTE: This is a fun, interactive workshop.
Dr. Amy Moore is a cognitive psychologist, parent educator, TEDx speaker, and host of The Brainy Moms Podcast, with 30years of experience supporting neurodivergent children and the adults who teach them. Before becoming a psychologist, she spent 20 years as a teacher, curriculum coordinator, and teacher of teachers, specializing in supportive learning environments and challenging behaviors.
She has always been drawn to the child who needed more—because she was that child. Pairing her personal experience with deep expertise in how the brain works, Dr. Amy equips parents and educators with practical, brain-based strategies that help all learners belong and succeed.
LeaderLife Workshop
Welcoming the Kids Who Need More
Strategies for Attention, Behavior, and Engagement in Homeschool Groups
Homeschool groups are built on community. As more families with diverse learning needs join co-ops and group programs, leaders are often navigating attention challenges, impulsivity, emotional regulation struggles, and unexpected support needs—sometimes without clear guidance on how to respond to children who need a little more.
This live-stream workshop is designed for homeschool group leaders, co-op directors, board members, and volunteer teachers who want to create structured, welcoming environments where all learners can participate and succeed.
Dr. Amy Moore will help you understand what drives attention and behavior challenges in group settings—and why traditional classroom management approaches often miss the mark for neurodivergent learners.
In this practical and encouraging training, you will learn how to:
- Recognize common cognitive and emotional factors behind attention and behavior differences
- Design group environments that prevent problems before they escalate
- Respond to challenging behaviors with clarity and confidence—without shame or exclusion
- Equip volunteer teachers with simple, sustainable strategies
- Build a culture of belonging that strengthens the entire community
Whether you lead a large organization or a small co-op, this session will give you clear, realistic tools you can implement immediately—so children with additional needs are supported well, and leaders feel prepared rather than overwhelmed.
Darren Jones has served at HSLDA since 1996, counseling members through legal challenges, advising homeschool group leaders, and advocating for the fundamental right of parents to direct the education of their children. With decades of experience supporting groups nationwide—from formal co-ops and sports leagues to informal park-day gatherings—he understands the legal and structural questions leaders face at every stage.
Darren and his wife, Sara, homeschool together and have graduated three of their four children.
LeaderLife Workshop
Protecting Our Children — Protecting Your Group
Running a homeschool group brings real responsibility. Clear policies regarding child protection, finances, and membership expectations are not signs of distrust—they are tools that preserve unity and minimize conflict.
Drawing from years of counseling homeschool organizations across the country, Darren Jones will walk leaders through practical steps that strengthen both safety and sustainability. Whether your group is large or small, formal or informal, this session will help you think intentionally about governance, risk management, and accountability.
His guiding principle is simple: decide what kind of group you want to be—and then be that group.
Cindy Bryan serves as the executive director of Kingdom Education for Young Scholars (KEYS), which was recognized as the 2025 Homeschool Co-op of the Year. With degrees in music education from the University of South Carolina, Cindy’s career has included teaching in public and private schools, directing choirs internationally, performing with professional orchestras, and building a thriving private violin and viola studio.
But her leadership story is deeply personal. After homeschooling her two daughters through graduation, Cindy continued investing in the homeschool community she loves—first teaching strings at KEYS, then serving as Fine Arts Director, and now leading the organization as executive director since 2018.
Having grown within KEYS over many years, Cindy understands the real-life challenges homeschool leaders face: writing policies that make sense, guiding volunteers graciously, protecting unity, and building something that lasts. She brings practical wisdom shaped by experience—and a heart to encourage leaders who are figuring it out as they go.
LeaderLife Workshop
KISS for Success: Keep It Simple and SpecificWhen you lead a homeschool group, policies can feel intimidating. How much is enough? What actually protects your families—and your leadership? How do you keep things clear without becoming complicated?
In this session, Cindy shares the simple, steady principles that have guided KEYS for more than twenty years. You’ll walk away with practical tools for creating policies that are clear, specific, and aligned with your mission—so your organization can thrive without unnecessary confusion or conflict.
Because good policies are not about control. They are about clarity, unity, and peace.
Ruth is the oldest of eight and a homeschool graduate who now homeschools her three “neurospicy” sons (ages 12, 16, and 17) alongside her husband, Jason, in Portsmouth, Virginia.
She is a doctoral candidate in educational psychology at Regent University, where her dissertation explores the effects of parental math anxiety on homeschool students. Ruth holds an MBA from Heriot-Watt University (Scotland), an MEd in math instruction from Regent University, and is a Professionally Certified Educational Therapist (PCET).
LeaderLife Workshop
Beyond Square Pegs: Designing Co-Ops Where More Students Fit
Most homeschool leaders are parents who stepped up to serve their communities—not trained specialists. When more students arrive with learning differences or unique support needs, it can feel intimidating or even overwhelming.
This practical workshop explores how thoughtful design, intentional leader development, and the right team support can help your co-op serve a wider range of learners with confidence. You’ll discover how small structural shifts can prevent common challenges, how to equip volunteers without overburdening them, and how to bring in additional skills when needed.
As the number of homeschoolers with special needs continues to grow, leaders do not have to choose between excellence and compassion. This session will help you build a co-op culture that is prepared—not reactive—so more students can belong, contribute, and thrive.
Ashlee and Landon are high school sweethearts and the
proud parents of nine beautiful children. After 14 years as a U.S. Navy family, their family joyfully planted roots in Virginia. They are now answering God’s calling to minister to homeschool families, connect them to Jesus and each other, and restore education to the home. Veteran homeschoolers with 16 years of experience, Ashlee and Landon have also led a Naked Apple Tribe for the past six years.
LeaderLife Workshop
Boundaries: Led, Not Distracted
- Discerning distraction versus divine appointments
- Dependency on God in seasons of leadership and calling
- When to hold firm boundaries and when to surrender your plans
- How surrender protects us from burnout more than control ever could
LeaderLife Workshop
Avoid Burnout: Called, Not Consumed
We all carry big visions for our homeschool communities, but what happens when the very thing you prayed for
begins to drain you?
Your organization isn’t crushing you, but the weight of things you were never meant to carry is. In this workshop, we’ll discuss common pressures that push us quietly beyond what God intended for us, and we’ll examine why leaders burn out doing meaningful, God-centered work.
- Together we’ll explore:
- Your identity as a leader
- Understanding ambition versus assignment
- The cost of always saying “yes”
- Telltale signs of burnout
- How to get your fire back and let God be the fuel
This session is an invitation to steward vision in a sustainable way so God’s calling
strengthens you rather than consumes you.
Becky Knepp holds a master’s degree in sports management and a bachelor’s degree in parks and recreation from Purdue University. Early in her career, she led team-building initiatives and coordinated large events serving hundreds of participants—experiences that shaped her heart for building strong, connected communities.
After moving to Newport News, Becky and her husband of 22 years, Travis, began raising their family of seven. For the past decade, she has homeschooled their children while investing deeply in the organizations that support families.
She has served as a Trail Life treasurer, American Heritage Girls unit leader and troop coordinator, and AWANA Sparks director—roles that reflect her steady, servant-hearted leadership.
For the last five years, Becky has served as president of SEEDS, walking alongside families, encouraging volunteers, and helping cultivate a culture of unity and care. She continues to reside in Newport News with Travis, a NASA scientist and assistant branch head, their five children, and their English Mastiff, Ahsoka.
Susan Macias is a US Air Force veteran and a seventeen-year homeschool veteran. After leaving a career in network administration with the USAF, she chose to invest full-time in homeschooling her seven children while continuing to freelance as a web developer and graphic designer.
She has graduated two of her children, with a third preparing to attend Regent University in the fall. For the past eight years, Susan has served on the SEEDS committee, including five years as vice president, offering steady leadership and practical support to families in the community. She brings both technical expertise and a calm, solutions-oriented mindset to her leadership.
Susan and her husband of twenty-two years, Rob—also a USAF veteran and now a platform engineer—live in Newport News with their children, two dachshunds, and four free-roam rabbits.
LeaderLife Workshop
Building an Effective Team
If you are serving on a homeschool leadership team, you cannot afford dysfunction, confusion, or quiet resentment. Strong teams do not happen by accident—they are built on clear expectations, shared responsibility, and biblical servant leadership.
In this workshop, you will examine how your team functions and identify where alignment, communication, and accountability need strengthening. Drawing from Scripture and real-world leadership experience, you will learn how to lead with humility, resolve conflict directly, support one another faithfully, and establish patterns that protect both your mission and your people.
Healthy teams are not a myth. They are the result of intentional leadership. This session will challenge you to build a homeschool leadership team that reflects Christ and is structured to last.
Natalie Mack is an author, TEDx speaker, and experienced 24-year military home educator. She is known for her words of encouragement and advocacy for homeschooling. She is also known for her motto, “Let’s Get It Done,” which encourages homeschoolers that they can succeed in college! Natalie is a retired Navy chaplain’s spouse and mom of five: four college graduates and a launched 12th grader.
Her nonprofit, Military Homeschoolers Association, hosts the podcast: Base2Base Military Homeschooling.
LeaderLife Workshop
How to Start and Run a Support Group or Learning Center
Support groups and learning centers range from simple social media groups to large groups that offer resources, multiple events, and community. They can be excellent assets to families and provide a sense of community. Natalie will address the purpose and characteristics of your group, administration, parent engagement, conflict management, time management, building teams, and more.
Thank You To Our Sponsors!
Thanks to the generosity of these sponsors who have invested so highly in homeschooling families and leaders across the nation.
Eliminate the Guesswork
Start your year with clarity.
Lead with purpose.
Find your people.
Eliminate the Guesswork
If you’re in homeschool leadership—or thinking about it—there’s no need to reinvent the wheel. HEAV’s LeaderLife Conference equips you with proven tools, practical strategies, and seasoned insight from leaders who have been there–so you can lead with confidence from day one.
Homeschooling is a great way to unleash your creativity—but we know starting from scratch can be daunting. Don’t reinvent the wheel! Learn from others who have gone before. Learn the difference between a co-op and support group and discover what you need to know to get started!
No matter how big of a team we have, leaders take on large burdens when running a group. Challenges in our private lives, complaints from our members, and simply having too big of a burden will lead to burnout in even the best leaders. We’ll help you mitigate burnout with tips on how to maximize the skills of your team members and manage your own schedule.
A cooperative can be as simple as parents working cooperatively together with little to no money changing hands, to a complex drop-off, multi-day, academic program that functions like a private school. No matter where you begin on this spectrum, there are important guiding principles that are common to all homeschool co-ops.
Support groups range from simple social media groups to large groups that offer resources, multiple events, and community. Support groups can be excellent assets to families and provide a sense of community. Craig will address the purpose and characteristics of your group, administration, parent engagement, conflict management, time management and building teams, and more.
Homeschooling is a great way to unleash your creativity—but we know starting from scratch can be daunting. Don’t reinvent the wheel! Learn from others who have gone before. Learn the difference between a co-op and support group and discover what you need to know to get started!
No matter how big of a team we have, leaders take on large burdens when running a group. Challenges in our private lives, complaints from our members, and simply having too big of a burden will lead to burnout in even the best leaders. We’ll help you mitigate burnout with tips on how to maximize the skills of your team members and manage your own schedule.
Most of us are just homeschool moms and while some of us have children with special needs, the skills to handle children with disabilities in our co-op can be beyond our expertise. We have tips on how to train our leaders and bring in people with the right skill set so we can support the growing population of homeschooled students with special needs.
A cooperative can be as simple as parents working cooperatively together with little to no money changing hands, to a complex drop-off, multi-day, academic program that functions like a private school. No matter where you begin on this spectrum, there are important guiding principles that are common to all homeschool co-ops.
Support groups range from simple social media groups to large groups that offer resources, multiple events, and community. Support groups can be excellent assets to families and provide a sense of community. Craig will address the purpose and characteristics of your group, administration, parent engagement, conflict management, time management and building teams, and more.
Do you know what to do to keep your group’s meetings and events safe and secure for all involved? Not just from outside threats, but also from internal concerns. Policies, training, risk management, and Virginia law will be discussed.
Feel like you’re flying blind in your leadership?
You’re not alone! Many of us
- stumbled into leadership by necessity, without considering our particular talents and abilities,
- focus on filling gaps and fixing weaknesses, and
- use brute strength to just “get the job done.”
Stop struggling and stop trying to reinvent the wheel. Join us at the DoubleTree by Hilton for two days of training, encouragement, and fellowship at Virginia’s conference just for homeschool leaders.
Empower Yourself and Revitalize Your Team!
Come to LeaderLife.
Prices Increase After March 5.
March 6 – March 15, 2024: $89/member; $109/non-member
HEAV member? Be sure to access your member benefits page to grab your discount code before you register.
Not a member? You can join or renew right on your convention registration! You’ll get your member discount right away and get great benefits all year long.
Grounded in timeless principles of wisdom and service, Leadership Unboxed equips today’s leaders with practical skills and fresh perspectives to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
Eliminate the Guesswork.
- Grow in your leadership potential.
- Gain confidence as a leader.
- Create a team you can count on.
- Work more efficiently.
- End burnout.
- Connect with other leaders.
- Reach your diverse community.
Each year, we hear how this leadership conference has changed leaders’ lives and made THE difference in their leadership style, in their groups, and in their own families. Leaders sacrifice so much, and we want to support you. We’re in this together. Come find your community. Come find your tribe.
Leadership is not so much about technique and methods as it is about opening the heart. Leadership is about inspiration — of oneself and of others. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program; it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the heart of others. It is an attitude, not a routine.
