Reimagining District Leadership: How AI is a Catalyst for Expeditious, Trust-Based Change & Culture

Big systems move slowly-but today's superintendents need to engage and exchange information with communities in faster, more dynamic ways. In this session, Superintendent Jeff Horton shares how he led a large-scale organizational and cultural transformation at SouthWest Metro to better support staff and students using an AI-powered survey and engagement platform. In just 8 months, the district increased community engagement by approximately 3,700% and reduced workflow timelines by up to 500%. Facing fractured trust, the district replaced traditional planning cycles with community-wide listening, repeated touchpoints, and real-time insights while closing feedback loops. By leveraging generative AI to surface actionable feedback from tens of thousands of thoughts, they made faster, more inclusive decisions. Walk away with practical strategies and replicable engagement models to accelerate strategic planning, strengthen culture, and drive efficient, lasting change in your own district.