Established in 2013, SWEL serves Minnesota's women educational leaders!

The Symposium of Women Educational Leaders was initiated in 2013 by Dr. Nick Miller, a long-time educational leader and education professor at St. Cloud State University.  Most importantly, in this context, he is the father of Dr. Amy Miller who took on her first Principal role in 2012.  During Amy's first year as a Principal, her father had a firsthand look at just how different were the experiences of men and women educational leaders.  He saw that women leaders were expected to give their schools 100%, while also giving their families 100%.  He saw that the numbers of women educational leaders were much lower than those of men, and he saw that new leaders often struggle to find mentors and colleagues to support them.  Conversations between father and daughter led to the development of the 1st Symposium of Women Educational Leaders in 2013.  

Since then, SWEL has celebrated, inspired, and created learning and networking opportunities for women educational leaders at multiple symposia, virtual convenings, conference presentations, and regional workshops and get-togethers. We have hosted events in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Arden Hills, St. Cloud, and Rochester, with the goal of increasing access for more women throughout the state of Minnesota.  Our events have included keynotes from exceptional leaders and presenters, educational and inspirational workshops, analysis of data, story circles, networking, and action planning to create a better world for more people.

In 2021, we officially changed our name from Symposium of Women Educational Leaders to Society for Women Educational Leaders to reflect our ongoing commitment to engaging with members over time, and, in 2024, we celebrated our 10th Anniversary with a symposium at St. Cloud State University, where it all began. In 2025, SWEL was honored to share videos created by Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith to welcome participants to our annual symposium. We look forward to our 2026 symposium in Minneapolis this fall!

SWEL is thankful for our many partners and supporters, and we look forward to many more years of service to the aspiring, current, and former women educational leaders of Minnesota!

Sample SWEL Keynote Presenters:

Dr. Laurie Putnam, Superintendent of St. Cloud Public Schools (2025)

Kate Gladdin, Author & Motivational Speaker (2025)

Cynthia Bauerly, Women's Foundation of Minnesota Vice President (2024)

Alex Steinman, Co-Founder & CEO of The Coven (2024)

Dr. Stacie Stanley, Trudy Arriaga, & Delores Lindsey, Authors of Leading While Female (2021)

Tracy Knofla, Author of Thriving in Chaos (2018)