elite
weekend
Advisers looking to take your yearbook up to that award-winning level — bring a few key staff members to Elite Weekend and work with some of the finest instructors in the yearbook world. Develop your theme package and learn all the latest trends!
Curriculum Highlights
- Design trends
- Theme copy
- Leadership
- Storytelling
- Secondary coverage
- Photography
“What makes Elite Weekend a must-do is how this weekend of immersive and intensive training meets your staff where they are and takes them for a wild ride of everything yearbook. Whether your staff is crazy experienced or a bunch of newbies, everyone leaves with new skills, fresh ideas and certainly a clear path to creating a great book.”
How to Register
To register for the Mike Taylor Elite Weekend Experience, visit the official registration page for the city you choose below.
Kansas City, Sept 11-13
Sheraton Crown Center
Sept. 11-13
Dallas/Fort Worth, Sept 18-20
Hilton Ft. Worth
Sept 18-20
Orlando, Sept 25-27
Caribe Royale
Sept. 25-27
Anaheim, Oct 2-4
Great Wolf Lodge
Oct. 2-4
Need a Letter?
Want to attend but need help getting your school to cover the cost? Here’s a Professional Development letter you can use.
Host
Sabrina Cady, CJE
Sabrina Cady, CJE, is a Journalism Education Strategist and former Yearbook Sales Representative. Prior to joining Walsworth, she was an award-winning publications adviser at J.W. Mitchell High School in Trinity, Florida.
Host
Jim Jordan
Jim Jordan is the former yearbook adviser at Del Campo High School in Fair Oaks, California, and is now a special consultant for Walsworth Yearbooks. He was an adviser for 35 years, earning numerous Pacemakers and CSPA Gold Crowns.
Alyssa Boehringer, CJE
Alyssa Boehringer is the UIL Journalism Director and ILPC Director in Texas. She is a former award-winning adviser at McKinney High School and JEA named her the National Broadcast Journalism Teacher of the Year.
Renee Burke, MJE
Renee Burke, MJE, taught at William R. Boone High School, in Orlando, Florida for almost 23 years. Renee is JEA's 2015 H.L. Hall Yearbook Adviser of the Year and FSPA's 2011 Journalism Teacher of the Year.
Makena Busch, CJE
Makena Busch, CJE, advises the national award- winning Pantera yearbook at Mead High School in Spokane, Washington, where she teaches digital media, graphic design, and yearbook. JEA named Busch a Distinguished Adviser in 2023.
Crystal Kazmierski
Renee Burke, MJE, taught at William R. Boone High School, in Orlando, Florida for almost 23 years. Renee is JEA's 2015 H.L. Hall Yearbook Adviser of the Year and FSPA's 2011 Journalism Teacher of the Year.
Yary Lira
Yary Lira is the journalism, photojournalism teacher and Lion yearbook adviser at McKinney High School in McKinney, Texas. Yary was chosen as a 2025 JEA Rising Star and a 2024 TAJE Pathfinder because of her and her students' work to continue a tradition of excellence in McKinney High journalism.
Tucker Love
Tucker Love is the national award-winning journalism teacher and publications adviser at Shawnee Mission South High School in Overland Park, Kansas. He was selected as a JEA Distinguished Adviser of the Year in 2024.
Liz Luna, NBCT
Elizabeth Luna, NBCT, is a Graphic Design instructor at Wake Technical Community College and a former award-winning yearbook adviser at Athens Drive Magnet High School in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Gary Lundgren
Gary Lundgren is the Associate Director of NSPA. He focuses on critiques and contests, as well as programming and innovative services.
Leland Mallett, CJE
Leland Mallett is a former award-winning adviser at Legacy High School in Mansfield, Texas. He is now an education specialist and yearbook representative for Walsworth.
Vanessa Martinez, M.Ed., CJE
Vanessa Martinez, M.Ed., CJE, advises The Legend Yearbook and AGO News at El Dorado High School in El Paso, Texas. The Legend has earned multiple national awards, including an NSPA Design of the Year in 2020.
Susan Massy
Susan Massy retired in 2023 after advising publications at Shawnee Mission Northwest High School in Shawnee, Kansas. Her staffs have been demonstrating excellence in writing and design for the past two decades.
Jim McCrossen
McCrossen is a JEA Distinguished Yearbook Adviser, an NSPA Pioneer Award recipient, a Ball State University Marilyn Weaver Scholastic Journalism Award winner and a former Kansas journalism teacher of the year.
Susan McNulty, CJE
Susan McNulty has been yearbook adviser at J.W. Mitchell High School in Trinity, Florida since 2014. In that time, The Stampede has been recognized as a Sunshine Standout and received All-Florida rankings for 11 consecutive years from FSPA.
Mark Murray
Mark Murray is the executive director for the Association of Texas Photography Instructors. He has been honored with the TAJA Texas Treasure Award among others from JEA/NSPA.
Christina Porcelli
Christina Porcelli advises the award-winning Panther yearbook at H.B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida, where she teaches journalism and also advises the newspaper and literary magazine.
Lindsey Shirack, CJE
Lindsey Shirack, CJE, advises the Lone Star yearbook at James Bowie High School in Austin, Texas. Her staffs have won NSPA Pacemakers, CSPA Crowns and Texas Stars.
Clint Smith
Clint Smith teaches at Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas, where he co-advises the student newspaper and the yearbook. Smith teaches journalism, digital media, commercial photography and a convergent media class.
Ronna Woodward-Sparks, MJE
Ronna Sparks-Woodward, MJE, advises the Ayrie yearbook at Liberty North High School in Liberty, Missouri. Ronna has advised 28 yearbooks and her students’ work have earned Pacemaker nominees from NSPA and Gold and Silver Crowns from CSPA.
Becky Tate
Becky Lucas Tate has spent 35 years advising the newspaper and yearbook at her alma mater, Shawnee Mission North High School in Overland Park, Kansas. She's deeply involved in scholastic journalism through roles with KSPA and NSPA.
Dow Tate
Dow Tate is the journalism teacher at Shawnee Mission East High School in Prairie Village, Kansas. He was named the 2023 H.L. Hall National Yearbook Adviser of the Year.
Brit Taylor, CJE
Brit Taylor is a yearbook, newspaper and website adviser in Oviedo, Florida, at Hagerty High School. He has advised yearbook for 32 years and newspaper for 27.
Bradley Wilson, MJE, Ph.D.
Award-winning publications adviser and instructor at Leander High School in Leander, Texas. He is also the editor of the national magazine, "Communication: Journalism Education Today" for JEA.
Andrew Young, CJE
Andrew Young, CJE, advises The Round-Up at Woodland Junior High School in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Young was named 2022 Special Recognition Adviser and 2024 Distinguished Yearbook Adviser from JEA.
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