EXPERT ON:
◉ Overcoming Adversity
◉ Leadership Development
◉ Inspirational Life Story
◉ Team Building & Collaboration
◉ Motivation & Mindset
EXPERIENCE:
◉ Award-winning educator, principal, and internationally recognized speaker with nearly four decades of experience inspiring resilient teachers, leaders, and school communities.
◉ Nationally acclaimed teacher and chess coach whose students became eight-time National Chess Champions, demonstrating the power of high expectations and supportive school culture.
◉ Best-selling author and media contributor, featured on Dr. Oz, CNN, NPR, C-SPAN, and Good Morning America, known for delivering practical, passion-driven leadership strategies that help students and educators thrive against the odds.
Dr. Salome Thomas-EL is a K–8 principal in Wilmington, Delaware, and gained national recognition as a teacher and chess coach at Vaux Middle School in Philadelphia, where his students became Eight-Time National Chess Champions.
He is the best-selling author of I Choose to Stay (movie rights optioned by Disney Films), The Immortality of Influence, and co-author of three books on leadership and teacher retention. His newest book, Meet Their Needs and They’ll Succeed, was released in April 2025.
Dr. EL is a nationally sought-after speaker who has appeared on CNN, NPR, C-SPAN, Good Morning America, and the Oprah Radio Network. He holds a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Wilmington University and has studied leadership internationally.
His honors include the “Marcus A. Foster Award for Outstanding School Leadership,” the University of Pennsylvania’s Martin Luther King Award, and recognition by Reader’s Digest as an “Inspiring American Icon.
