GSLT Virtual Summit Presenter Bios

Featured Speakers and Presenters

Billy Boughey – Elevate Experiences

Billy is the Founder and President of the Atlanta-based company, Elevate Experiences. His talents include keynote speaking, culture coaching, and consulting groups on how to make their team members smile and their customers rave. 

His first book titled Culture Reconstructed is a start-where-you-are guide to building a remarkable team dynamic. Billy also hosts his own podcast titled Created for Experience, sharing how experience shapes your future. 

Billy and his team have emceed the GSLT Summit for many years as well as facilitated learning sessions. After graduating from Berkmar High School, Billy attended Auburn University where he played baseball.

Dr. Mike Rutherford

Dr. Mike Rutherford provides high-value training and development experiences for educators and business professionals through his work as a teacher, speaker, author, and consultant. Mike’s work focuses on high-performance teaching and learning, leadership development, creating and leading team-based organizations, and results-based organizational improvement.

Formerly a high school chemistry teacher, coach, and middle school principal, Mike received his BA in Education from Indiana State University, his MA in Educational Administration from Fayetteville State University, and his Doctor of Education degree from Morehead State University.

Considered one of the nation’s foremost authorities on adult learning, Dr. Rutherford has worked with GSLT since 2001. He has taught at all previous sixteen summits and has recently designed a new student leadership curriculum for GSLT.

Dr. Tim Elmore

Dr. Tim Elmore is the Founder and President of Growing Leaders, a non-profit organization created to develop emerging leaders. He and his team equip secondary school students, college students and recent graduates from thousands of campuses across the US and around the world to think and act like authentic leaders.

Tim’s expertise on the emerging generation and generational diversity has led to media coverage in The Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes.com, USA Today and The Washington Post. He has also appeared on CNN’s Headline News, and Fox and Friends to discuss Generation iY. Most recently, Kevin Kruse named Tim as one of the Top 100 Leadership Speakers of 2018 in an article for Inc. magazine.

Tim is the author of more than 30 books, including the best-selling Generation iY: Our Last Chance to Save Their Future, Habitudes®: His latest book, Generation Z Unfiltered, was released in the fall of 2019.

Scott Backovich

Featured on TV, radio, newspapers and the like, Scott Backovich is an internationally demanded youth motivational speaker who presents to hundreds of thousands from coast to coast around the US and Canada.

Witty by nature, caring at heart: for youth speaker Scott Backovich, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Scott’s quirky yet powerful style and message speak to students at their own level, helping them to understand the true potential they hold.

Scott recognizes the monotonous cycle that students can undoubtedly fall into while in high school. By the age of 21, the youth motivational speaker had already presented to thousands upon thousands of students, appeared as a guest on international radio and television, and had gained positive recognition around the globe for his compelling message.

Still currently in his 20‘s, Scott understands that students today need to be reached in new and innovative ways. From cell phones to Twitter updates, Facebook to YouTube, teens have both grown up in and created a culture that has redefined what it means to connect. Scott understands. He has dedicated his life to connecting with and empowering students everywhere. On any given day, he can be found not only speaking on stages around North America, but also answering questions as a highly sought-after teen help advocate. For Scott, it’s not about talking at students; it’s about connecting with them where they are.

When listening to Scott, your students will find themselves laughing and actively participating from start to finish, all while learning valuable lessons along the way.

Today, Scott resides in Southern California amongst friends and family who inspire him daily. When not speaking onstage, he can be found exploring Disneyland, relaxing with friends, or sampling food at Costco.