Gabe Hackett is the director of the PLC Center with FIRST Educational Resources. He is the former principal of Annandale Middle School in Annandale, Minnesota. He also spent 10 years as the principal of Little Mountain Elementary in Monticello, MN. Gabe and his teams have helped to develop Observable Impact tools and structures currently used by many schools across the United States and around the globe. Gabe is passionate about using the Observable Impact tools and protocols to strengthen collaborative teams by connecting action to impact. He enjoys working with schools across the United States to develop strong collaborative teams and finally answer the question, “What instructional strategies really work in our classrooms?” He is the co-author of Building PLCs from the Ground Up Laminated Guide. Gabe lives in South Haven, MN with his wife (Heidi) and two kids (Griffin and MarLee). 

Garth Larson, Ed.D is the Co-Founder and CEO of FIRST Educational Resources. Garth has previously worked as the Director of Learning for the Winneconne Community School District in northeast Wisconsin, was an elementary principal in two separate buildings and started his career in education as a high school speech and English teacher. In 2011, Garth formed Wisconsin Educational Resources (now FIRST) with a focus on improving student achievement across the United States. Since 2011, over 2000 school districts throughout the globe have become partnership districts with his company. Garth currently consults with school districts around the world and provides customized professional development around a variety of topics, mainly Professional Learning Communities 2.0, Learning-Centered Grading Practices, Leadership and School Improvement. Garth is also the author of Collaborative Systems of Support: Learning for ALL with co-authors Tom Hierck and Chris Weber, Target-Based Grading in Collaborative Teams: 13 Steps to Moving Beyond Standards with co-author Tom Hierck, Grading for Impact: Raising Student Achievement through a Target-Based Assessment and Learning System and PLC 2.0: Collaborating for Observable Impact in Today’s Schools with co-author Cale Birk.

Tony Frontier, PhD is an award-winning educator who works with teachers and school leaders nationally and internationally to help them prioritize efforts to improve student learning. With expertise in classroom assessment, student engagement, curriculum development, meaningful feedback, technology integration, and strategic planning, Frontier emphasizes a systems approach to empower leaders and teachers to serve others. His books include AI with Intention: Principles and Action Steps for School Leaders and Teachers (ASCD, 2025) with an introduction by Jay McTighe.