Our Team

Founder, President and Chief Executive Officer

Judi Steele is Founder, President and CEO of the Leadership Institute of Nevada. She has served local, national, and international education and business communities as an educator, business owner, consultant, and executive coach. She is an Education Innovator and Entrepreneur and was a Co-Founder and CEO of the Public Education Foundation.

Judi has championed public education and the arts, and she is a respected thought leader guided by an entrepreneurial spirit and the courage to challenge conventional wisdom. She was active in the civil rights movement and is a champion of equal rights and human justice. She has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of teaching and learning for all children.

Judi was born and raised in New York City and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology and elementary education from Hunter College. She began her distinguished education career as a fifth grade teacher at P.S. 171 in East Harlem.

Before beginning her career with the Clark County School District (CCSD), Judi taught elementary and middle school in Providence, Rhode Island, where she began her graduate studies at Brown University. She completed her Master of Education degree in secondary and adult education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Judi’s career with CCSD began as a classroom teacher at C.V.T. Gilbert Prestige School. She also served as Integration Consultant with the Intergroup Education Department. She was a Team Leader for Teacher Corps, a Summer School Site Administrator, the first teacher of the Academically Talented Program, and the first coordinator of Child Find.

As the Director of Special Education Programs and Services for the District, Judi developed and implemented procedures and staff development activities to ensure that all students with disabilities received a free, public, and appropriate education. She was responsible for district-wide programs for the visually, aurally, and emotionally challenged, learning disabled, and academically talented students.

Judi designed CCSD’s first Individualized Education Program, established multi-disciplinary team processes, and supervised speech and language therapists, school nurses, and teachers of the academically talented.

In 1987, Judi took a leave of absence to assist with some political campaigns and became President of Steele & Associates, a management consulting firm offering executive coaching. In 1991, she returned to CCSD and served in a dual role as Manager of the Office of Development and Education Improvement and Co-Founder of the Clark County Public Education Foundation, an independent, nonprofit organization established to improve public education in Southern Nevada.

In 2001, Judi retired from the District and was named President and CEO of The Public Education Foundation. Under her leadership, the Foundation was recognized for working collaboratively with Nevada school districts and for leadership in creating and sponsoring innovative results-driven initiatives.

In 2010, during Judi’s tenure, the Public Education Foundation piloted a talent development initiative called the Leadership Institute of Nevada. Driven by her unwavering belief that people make the difference and leadership matters, the Institute’s Executive Leadership Development Programs were incubated under the umbrella of the Foundation. These programs were designed to respond to today’s education challenges and prepare for tomorrow’s opportunities.

Emerging from the pandemic, the roles of the Institute and the Foundation diverged, and Judi worked with community leaders to establish the Institute as an independent nonprofit 501(c)(3) Nevada corporation, ensuring that the Institute’s mission remains unchanged. She is committed to identifying, developing, and retaining exceptional leaders in education and to engaging public and private sector leaders to drive significant, systemic improvement in public education.

Judi has received numerous honors and awards for her lifelong service to children, families, and the community. In 2006, the Clark County Board of School Trustees honored her, as she became the namesake of the Judith D. Steele Elementary School.

Judi has been inducted into the CCSD Educational Excellence Hall of Fame. She has served on many boards of directors, advisory boards, and was the Founder and President of the Arts Council of Henderson and “Nevada Shakespeare in the Park.”

In 2014 and 2015, Judi was included among “Las Vegas’ Top 100 Women of Influence” in MyVegas magazine and, in 2014, she received the first Distinguished Endeavor Award in Education presented by Distinguished Women in Nevada. In 2021, she was listed in Women in Power Business Magazine as one of 10 Influential Women In Nevada. In March 2022, she was recognized by the Nevada State Treasurer’s Office Women’s History Month, Celebrate Women in Nevada.

Judi has a daughter, Elyse, a son, Arthur, and two granddaughters, Taylor and Haley. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, photography, and writing.

With vision, passion and boundless energy, Judi has lived by the Talmudic philosophy: “If not now, when? If not me, who?”

Senior Vice President

Dr. Brian Myli, Senior Vice President, has three decades of experience in public education.

Originally from Iowa, Brian came to the Clark County School District (CCSD) in Las Vegas in 1994. He spent ten years serving students as a High School Counselor and Counselor Department Chair. In 2004, Brian joined the CCSD Guidance and Counseling Department as a College Counselor Specialist and was later appointed Coordinator of College Readiness Programs and Initiatives.

Brian joined The Public Education Foundation in 2010 to participate in the Executive Leadership Residency. From 2012 to 2021, he served as Vice President of Leadership and Innovation to coordinate all leadership programming for the Leadership Institute of Nevada, an initiative of The Public Education Foundation.

In 2021, Brian retired from the Clark County School District after 30 years of service. He was named Senior Leadership Fellow by the Leadership Institute of Nevada to continue work in leadership programming across the state and region.

Brian holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Arizona State University, a master’s degree in educational counseling psychology from the University of Denver, a Nevada administrative endorsement in educational leadership, and a doctor of education (Ed.D.) degree in educational leadership from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Chief Academic Officer

Dr. Michele Robinson has been a school superintendent for 13 years successfully leading districts in Nevada, Massachusetts and New Jersey. She has extensive experience in engaging community partnerships, improving educational outcomes for students, and providing for student and adult social emotional foundations. Michele has engaged community partners to develop employee wellness programs that support the social emotional development of students and the wellbeing of staff caring for children and schools.

Dr. Robinson presents a versatile background that encompasses both the traditional public-school environment and forward-thinking approaches to learning which include the integration of technology and 21st Century learning skills into instructional practices. She developed and founded a successful private K-6 school in Las Vegas, Nevada as well as Odyssey Charter High School, an innovative blended learning charter school. She co-founded the Charter School Association of Nevada, a non-profit organization designed to support new and aspiring charter schools in the state. She was appointed by Nevada’s Governor to the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force. She was appointed to serve on the Nevada Department of Education Common Core Standards (CCA) Steering Committee and acted as co-chair for the CCA Communications Committee. Having participated in numerous legislative roundtables and presentations, Michele worked extensively with state and federal legislators advocating for innovation and educational reform in the state. She co-founded the Bergen County Women in Educational Leadership and Bergen County School Support Network designed to provide support, networking, and professional development in social emotional learning for school districts in New Jersey. Michele has spoken nationally and internationally on topics related to educational innovation and reform, and leadership and wellbeing.

​Michele earned her Ed.D from Nova Southeastern University in the area of Educational Leadership in which she gained an expertise in providing quality professional development and onboarding programming to educational professionals and leaders. She holds an M.ED. in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University, and a B.S. in Elementary Education from the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Finance & Grants Manager

Harry Gustafson is the Finance, Business, and Programs manager for the Leadership Institute of Nevada.

Prior to his role with the Leadership Institute, Harry worked a variety of jobs during his high school and college years ranging from maintenance to customer service where he was able to practice teamwork, collaboration, time management, and various other skills vital for a young professional.

Harry lived in Fairfax, Virginia until 2019, when he started his college career at Utah State University. During his time at USU, he engaged in many campus activities and organizations, most notably was his membership in the Sigma Chi fraternity. He graduated from Utah State University in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in finance.

Director, Design and Communication

Thomas Zimmerman is the Leadership Institute’s Director of Design and Communications for various multimedia events, web and print projects. In 2022 he transitioned to LION from The Public Education Foundation where he served as Vice President of Design and Technology.

Prior to joining the Public Education Foundation in 2007, Thomas served as a project manager for the Clark County School District, developing and managing projects for educational technology and distance education. Thomas also developed the information architecture and user-interface design for the school district’s website and Internet applications. Additionally, he taught visual art and design for 11 years in CCSD.

Thomas holds a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Illinois and a bachelor’s degree in Art Education from Illinois State University. He has taken master’s level classes in educational technology from Western Governors University.

Executive Assistant to the CEO &
Special Projects Manager

Bio coming soon.

Alumni Engagement Coordinator

Facilitator, Executive Leadership Program

Marinna has spent her entire career in Education, initially as a Head Start Pre- K teacher in Las Vegas through Teach for America. She continued her teaching career at Google's Children’s Center in Mountain View, California and returned to Las Vegas to teach in the Clark County School District before transitioning to work at The Public Education Foundation, running Early Learning and Family Engagement initiatives.

Marinna then spent nearly four years as an Assistant Principal in the Clark County School District. Currently, Marinna serves as the Director of School Support at the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority. Marinna has two children, ages 6 and 7, who keep her busy outside of work and always keep her laughing.

Facilitator, Executive Leadership Program

Sarah Popek retired from the Clark County School District (CCSD) in August 2026 after 25 years of service. Most recently, she was the principal at Myrtle Tate Elementary School for 14 years. She also was a member of the Design Team for the Aspiring School Principal Program (ASPP) and was a mentor for new principals and aspiring administrators enrolled in the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) educational leadership programs. In 2017, she was named as Nevada’s Distinguished Elementary Principal of the year. She also completed the Public Education Foundation's (PEF) Executive Leadership program in 2018. Outside of her work in education, she is an avid distance runner and enjoys traveling with her husband, Chris (also a recently retired principal), and being a mom to her son, Trystan, who is a senior at Shadow Ridge High School.

Director of Finance

Rachelle Porter is the Director of Finance for the Leadership Institute of Nevada through her firm, Diversity Financial Services LLC.

Originally from the Philippines, Rachelle moved to Hawaii in 2004 and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from the University of Hawaii-West Oahu. She later earned her Master of Science in Accounting from Southern New Hampshire University and is currently pursuing her CPA license.

With over 16 years of accounting experience, Rachelle has built her career across multiple industries. She previously served as a Sta Accountant at Gaming Partners International in Las Vegas before founding Diversity Financial Services LLC in 2016, where she provides bookkeeping, tax preparation, and financial advisory services to small businesses. During her college years, she volunteered with the VITA program and the FAFSA Service Learning Project, where she enjoyed giving back to her community.

Special Projects Assistant

Bio coming soon.

Senior Resident Fellow Emeritus

Jeremy Hauser joined the Leadership Institute of Nevada in 2016 and served as the nonprofit organization’s Senior Resident Fellow until 2023. Jeremy brought a wealth of experience to his work at the Institute.

Prior to joining the Leadership Institute, he worked for the Clark County School District for three decades in a variety of roles: in the classroom as a teacher, in school leadership as a principal and as a district-wide administrator.

His passion and deep understanding for the work related to school empowerment led to his appointment as Special Assistant to the Deputy Superintendent to implement school empowerment reform district wide through the “Empowerment Schools” program.

Jeremy began as a 4th grade elementary teacher in the Clark County School District in 1986, then moved on to become a special assignment teacher, assistant principal and eventually a principal at Matt Kelly Elementary School, Edythe & Lloyd Katz Elementary School and Linda Rankin Givens Elementary School.

He served as the academic manager over a variety of CCSD programs, such as School Improvement, Turnaround Schools, Professional Practice Schools, Dual Language Schools and Empowerment Schools. He also was associate superintendent over the Operational Service Division and was responsible for Maintenance, Operations, Food Service and Transportation.