LEAD FORUM SPEAKERS

For more than 30 years, Leadership Montgomery has connected its network with the best-in-class speakers and presenters who are experts in their field. For the LEAD Forum, we are excited to feature inspirational and engaging speakers who will energize forum attendees and prepare them to turn leadership into action.

KEYNOTE
SPEAKERS

Jillian Copeland (CORE 2013)
Founder, Main Street Connect, The Diener School & The Soulfull Cafe; Owner, Bethesda Magazine 

Jillian was an educator, staff trainer and technology coordinator for Montgomery County Public Schools for ten years prior to founding The Diener School in 2007. Since Diener’s inception, they have educated more than 250 students and their families.  Jillian served as the head of school from 2007 to 2013, board of trustees chair for the following 6 years and now serves on the board of trustees.

In 2014, Jillian created Teens Like Us, a weekend and summer inclusive social program designed to meet the needs of teens with disabilities in the Greater Washington area.

Jillian’s latest and greatest endeavor, Main Street, is a joint initiative with her husband Scott. Main Street is a model and a mindset, the first of its kind inclusive and affordable apartment building and community center serving people of all abilities.  Main Street opened the doors to residents in the summer of 2020 and currently provide membership opportunities to over 250 resident and non-resident members.

Jillian feels honored and humbled to work with vulnerable populations. She has volunteered in many different capacities for several organizations ─ including CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) of Montgomery County, Children’s National Medical Center, and Bullis’ 5K Buddy Run benefitting special needs children and adults in our local community.

Jillian also proudly  served on The University of Maryland’s Transition Hub, the disability inclusion committee of The Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, The Developmental Disabilities Administration Supported Living Advisory Committee and Jubilee’s Housing Task Force. Currently Jillian is a board member at The Diener School and serves as the Co-Chair of  the Maryland Inclusive Housing Montgomery County Chapter.

Jillian received the 2009 Community Leadership Award from Jewish Women International (JWI), the Abe Polin Humanitarian Award from the Bender JCC in 2016, and The 2018 Bullis School’s Community Leadership Award. Also in 2018 she and her husband Scott received the Melvin Cohen Humanitarian Award from The Jewish Foundation for Group Homes and in March of 2020, they received Adapt’s Humanitarian Leadership Award which was to be presented in New York City. She is also a proud graduate of Leadership Montgomery’s Class of 2013.

Jillian’s passion, along with service to vulnerable populations, is to help people rise. She is a highly energetic and authentic speaker motivating people of all stages, ages and backgrounds to find their purpose and passion.  Jillian and her husband Scott reside in Rockville, 2 miles from the innovative Main Street building, and are the proud parents of Danny(27), Jack(25), Nicol(23) and Ethan(21).

Scott Copeland
CEO & Owner, Bethesda Magazine; Founder, The Diener School & Main Street Connect; Principal, RST Development

Scott Copeland is the CEO and owner. In the spring of 2021, Scott and his wife, Jillian Copeland, acquired Bethesda Magazine and Bethesda Beat from co-founders Steve and Susan Hull.

Longtime residents, business owners and philanthropists in Montgomery County, the Copelands believe an informed community is an engaged community and understand that trustworthy journalism strengthens readers and empowers individuals to engage with the world around them. As stewards of the next generation of these publications, they are excited to bring together content that matters to readers on a new, reimagined website—from timely news to compelling features.

Scott Copeland is a principal of RST Development LLC, a mid-Atlantic developer of multifamily market-rate and affordable housing. Together with Jillian, they also co-founded Main Street, a unique model of inclusivity and affordability that provides housing and dynamic community engagements so people of all abilities can live their best lives; and The Diener School in North Bethesda, which supports academic and social needs for students with learning differences.

Copeland has served on several boards including Children’s National Medical Center, Green Acres School, Sunniva Super Coffee and Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE), a Chicago-based nonprofit.

The Copelands have four sons and reside in Rockville.

BREAKOUT
SESSION
PRESENTERS
& PANELISTS

More Speakers Announced Soon

Clarence Chase (CORE 2022), Managing Director – Technology, Deloitte

Dr. Kisha Davis (CORE 2020), Montgomery County Health Officer

Michael Echols, CEO of Max Cybersecurity, LLC

Scott Goldstein (CORE 2018) Montgomery County Chief of Fire & Rescue

Michael Gottlieb (CORE 2011), Principal and Founder, Momentum Law Group

Dr. Matthew Hardwick (CORE 2022), President & CEO, ResInnova Laboratories

Kaori Hirakawa, CEO of One Language, LLC

Marcus Jones (CORE 2021) Montgomery County Chief of Police

Jessica Melton, President and COO of Suburban Hospital

Karen Morgan, Esq., Lead Volunteer for Fraud Prevention for AARP Maryland

Stephanie Rosen, Executive Director of NAMI – Montgomery County

Ben Stevenson, Acting Director, Montgomery County Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation

Toni Stiefel (CORE 2009), Impact Advisor, The Fehlig Group

Professor Silvia Vargas, Cybersecurity Program Coordinator, Montgomery College

Keith Young, Chief Information Security Officer – Office of Enterprise Information Security for Montgomery County Government