2025 MASE Fall Leadership Conference
CONFERENCE CENTRAL
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Minnesota Administrators for Special Education
2025 Fall Leadership Conference
October 22-24 | Madden’s on Gull Lake
Registration Is Open!
Join us at the 2025 MASE Fall Leadership Conference! We can’t wait to celebrate the anniversary of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act with the theme 50 Years of IDEA: Honoring the Past and Leading the Future of Special Education.
Stay tuned for more details and the full schedule, coming soon!
Meet the Keynote Presenters!
Opening Keynote: Kent Julian
Kent Julian is a lot of things… family man, champion swim coach, CSP* professional speaker, fish taco lover, and proud bald guy. Yet, this hasn’t always been the case. Kent started out as an at-risk child with severe learning challenges and SAT scores so low that he had to take Development Studies just to get into college—on probation.
From these humble beginnings, Kent went on to become the Executive Director of a national youth association in order to help teenagers just like him. Then, after 20 years in non-profit work, he did something crazy… he launched two successful businesses.
Along the way, Kent realized that the successes he experienced were never “his successes.” Whether working with millennial students, coaching championship swim teams, or leading businesses, the positive results came about because of the team members he was privileged to lead and the mentors who invested in his life.
Now, with his expertise in leadership, corporate culture, and employee engagement, he is privileged to speak, write, and consult with leaders and teams all over the country on what it takes to create what he calls “DREAM-to-DO” culture.
This might surprise you, but if you want to be successful, one of the best approaches you can take is to do the opposite. If the statement above leaves you scratching your head, I get it. When it was suggested to me by a mentor early in my career, I thought he was crazy. Then he explained… When facing a challenge, purposefully do the opposite of what most people do. Instead of avoiding the situation or making excuses, run directly at it. You'll be shocked at the positive results you’ll experience when you face a challenge head-on instead of running away from it.
Feel like blaming a fellow work associate for something that you had a role in too? Do the opposite of what practically everyone else does and take responsibility for the part you played. Are you about to give up on an important goal just because the journey ahead seems daunting? Do the opposite of what 99 percent of people do—refuse to quit. In fact, go one step further. Embrace the mantra: No matter how hard it is or how long it takes, I'm going to make it!
Do you lack the courage to articulate your beliefs? Do the opposite. Stand up and respectfully share your opinion. Talk too much? Again, do the opposite…be quiet and listen. (Yikes! This one hits close to home for me.) Earl Nightingale once said, “If you want to be successful in life, simply watch what most people would do in a given situation, and then do the total opposite—nine times out of ten, you'll receive greater rewards.” Those sound like pretty good odds, don't they? So, here's my challenge… This week, no matter what difficulties or opportunities come your way, ask yourself, “What would most people do?” Then…do the opposite. You are almost guaranteed to make a better decision.
Closing Keynote: Will Bowen
After decades of unprecedented sales success in insurance, broadcasting, and advertising, on July 23, 2006 Will Bowen’s life changed forever…and so did the lives of tens of millions of people (so far).
On that day, Will invited 250 people to try and break the negative habit of complaining by going 21 consecutive days without uttering a single gripe. Will gave each person a purple bracelet to be used as a mindfulness tool.
His idea: switch the bracelet from wrist-to-wrist with each spoken complaint and keep switching until you go 21 consecutive days without complaining. Will’s idea EXPLODED around the world until now, some 15 years later, the worldwide Complaint Free bracelet total is over 15 million and climbing.
Will Bowen’s 21-Day Complaint Free challenge has been recommended by Oprah, Maya Angelou, Tim Ferris, Joe Vitale, Gary Zukov, The Wall Street Journal, NBC’s Today Show, the ABC Evening News, NPR, and too many additional celebrities and media outlets to include here.
Will has written 5 International Bestselling books that have sold more than 4 million copies worldwide and have been translated into more than 35 languages.
Description: Teachers, principals, superintendents, staff, and even students suffer through a constant barrage of complaints and criticism. Social media amplifies this relentless negativity, causing once-passionate educators to become disillusioned, demoralized, and disengaged. But, there’s hope!
Thousands of schools worldwide have used Complaint Free® Schools strategies to improve morale, increase community involvement, and build bridges of positive communication.
In this engaging and inspiring presentation, you’ll learn how to:
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Channel Negative Complaints Into Positive Collaboration.
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Create Cooperative And Constructive Conversations Between Parents, Teachers, Students, and Staff.
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Respond To Every Complaint Perfectly Using Just One Simple Sentence
This presentation teaches educators how to enjoy less stress, more cooperation, and happier schools.
Registration Rates
Conference Registration includes access to all sessions, exhibits and daily lunches. If you stay at Madden's, your breakfasts and dinners are included in that reservation.
| On or Before 9/2 | After 9/2 | |
| MEMBERS | $339 | $399 |
| NONMEMBERS | $399 | $469 |
| RETIREES | $95 | $95 |
|
STUDENTS |
$95 | $95 |
| MEAL TICKETS* | $45 | $45 |
*Meal Tickets: If you are NOT staying at Madden’s, your dinners and breakfasts are not included with your conference registration fee or exhibitor booth fee. Madden's no longer sells meal tickets directly, so if you want to dine, please order them through MASE by Monday, October 6. If you are staying at Madden's, you do NOT need additional meal tickets.
Hotel and Travel
Madden's on Gull Lake
11266 Pine Beach Peninsula
Brainerd, MN 56401
P: (218) 829-2811
RESERVE ONLINE | Reserve by Phone: 1-800-642-5363
MASE has secured a special room rate of $199 per night and subject to 20% service charge, which is taxable, and applicable sales tax (7.375) available until September 24, 2025 or until the room block is exhausted, whichever comes first.
MASE Fall Leadership Package includes:
- Single or Double guestroom accommodations
- Dinner & Breakfast: Starting with dinner on day of arrival, ending with breakfast on departure day
- Use of beaches, swimming pool, sauna, whirlpool, fitness center, and business center
- Complimentary wireless internet throughout property
- Complimentary self-parking
Policies:
To receive a registration refund, cancellations must be made before or on October 6, and will be charged a $75 cancellation fee. No refunds for cancellations made on or after October 7, 2025. Participants are responsible, without exception, for abiding by Madden's cancellation policies. MASE is not responsible for any penalties associated with a cancellation or early departure. No-shows will not receive refunds. Submit a cancellation request.