In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized (subject to certain rules and regulations).

Bellevue High School
1601 State Street
Bellevue, Iowa, 52031
United States

Bill Decker

Chief Administrator for the Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency

Bill Decker is the Chief Administrator for the Mississippi Bend AEA, & was selected to serve in that position in the spring of 2013. He served as Superintendent of Schools in Muscatine, Harlan, & Mount Ayr, IA. He taught in South Dakota & Iowa & served as an administrator at Sioux City West High School & as the High School Principal in South Sioux City, Nebraska. In every community of service, Mr. Decker has worked to empower administrator/staff/teacher teams to create innovative cultures of learning. His desire to better prepare students for the real world led his districts to become leaders in the state of Iowa in Project Based Learning, Competency Based Education, and Technology. His commitment to innovation was evidenced in leading Mt. Ayr to become the first one-to-one computing district in the state. At the AEA, he leads an organization that serves 21 school districts. He holds his undergraduate degree from Northwestern College and pursued his graduate work at the USD and ISU.

Cale Stephens

Sr Director, Displays, Graphics, and Power Systems at Rockwell Collins

Cale has 15 years with Rockwell Collins engineering in Cedar Rapids, and has worked directly with defense and commercial customers around the world on avionics, communications, and security solutions for airplanes, helicopters, test ranges, and fire systems. Cale came to Iowa from Texas A&M University with a degree in aerospace engineering. He met his wife on his first day of work at Rockwell Collins, and they now have two boys, ages 4 and 7. If Cale is not at work or with his family, you can find him on his bike or running the country roads south of Cedar Rapids.

Dr. Trace Pickering

Assistant Superintendent of Cedar Rapids Community School District

Dr. Trace Pickering is the Associate Superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, which serves nearly 17,000 children and 2,500 staff. Dr. Pickering is responsible for innovation and technology. Pickering has a diverse set of experiences as an educator, entrepreneur and in private business. He has served as Director of Community Building, an Executive Administrator at Grant Wood AEA, a start-up business owner, college instructor, school building administrator and teacher. In response to a community-designed approach to education, Pickering founded The Iowa BIG program, a entrepreneurial high school program serving students in the Cedar Rapids and College Community School Districts. A significant amount of his work today focuses upon re-designing education to be more innovative and future-relevant.

Jim Ott

School Psychologist

Jim Ott is a school psychologist with Mississippi Bend Area Education Agency and has been serving students in rural Eastern Iowa for the past 32 years. He is a Bridges Out of Poverty national consultant for Ruby Payne's aha!Process, Inc. Jim is co-founder of the Dubuque Circles Initiative, which applies Bridges Out of Poverty concepts in addressing poverty in the community. Jim also has extensive experience working with kids through church youth work and summer camps as well as through coaching soccer and hockey and in theater. Jim is married to Teresa and they have four children ages 17 to 26.

Mike Schmidt

UW Platteville Head Football Coach

Mike Schmidt has recently been named the Head Football Coach at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Mike comes to UWL after serving as an assistant coach at UW-Platteville and the University of Dubuque. The 30 year old Schmidt was selected to lead his Alma Mater, UW-La Crosse, in February 2016, becoming one of the youngest head college football coaches in the country. He was selected as the American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division III Assistant Coach of the Year while at the University of Dubuque in 2013. While working at the UD, he also attended the UD Theological Seminary & is pursuing his masters in Missional Christianity. Mike is a native of Menomonie, WI where he grew up playing sports his entire life. He was selected as a 3 sport all-state athlete his senior year of HS & led his football team to a state championship. Mike attended UW-La Crosse where he played football & baseball for the Eagles while double-majoring in Marketing and Finance.