Beneath the Water

By Diane Doersch

Beneath the Water is a leadership podcast hosted by Diane Doersch, a longtime education technology leader, former district technology executive, and community builder who is now in her "rewirement.

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FAQs about Beneath the Water:

How many episodes does Beneath the Water have?

The podcast currently has 12 episodes available.

Beneath the Water episodes:

September 22, 2026 Interoperability with Dr. Tim Clark
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Dr. Tim Clark started as a classroom teacher and ended up shaping interoperability at a global level. What stood out most was this: every move he made was still grounded in the classroom: English teacher, Techie teacher, District leader, Global connector. Dr. Tim Clark never stopped seeing himself as a teacher, even when his title changed. That’s why his work lands. He doesn’t talk about systems like a solution provider. He talks about them like someone who has lived the problem. Maybe that’s the real leadership lesson: stay close to the work, stay curious, and keep making room for the next reroute.
Find Dr. Clark in the real world on:
LinkedIn: Dr. Tim Clark
His Blog: byotnetwork.com
Join BTW Slack Community: HERE
Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]
Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod
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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn
Follow Friends of Friends Recording: Instagram

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40min
September 15, 2026 Lifelong Leadership with Chantell Manahan
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Diane speaks with Dr. Chantell Manahan this week as she shares her journey and the pivotal role education played in shaping her life. She reflects on the struggles of being the "new weird girl" in school and how supportive teachers made a lasting impact. "Public education saved me. It was a place where I was seen, and it was a safe place," she says, highlighting the importance of nurturing environments for young minds. Chantell shares how she became the leader she would have needed earlier in her career.
Chantell serves as the Director of K12 Strategy and Solutions. She has a consultancy called Leading, Laughing, & Learning. She wrote Capes Optional, Communication Essential: Leading Out Loud in the Era of School Choice. Listen to her podcast, Leading Out Loud with Dr. Chantell Manahan.
Connect with Chantell on Linkedin.
This episode was recorded on May 07at the Indiana CTO Council Clinic.
Join BTW Slack Community: HERE
Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]
Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod
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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn
Follow Friends of Friends Recording: Instagram

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42min
September 08, 2026 Caring for Yourself as a Leader with Sandra Paul
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Sandra and Diane talk about not only being early women in technology, but also the intersectionality of coming from another country. Sandra talks about the importance of a support system, what happened when her district was hit with a cyber attack, and how she cares for her team and herself.

This episode was recorded on June 9, 2026, at Mountain Brook High School in Alabama during the Engage conference. Special thanks to Suzan Brandt for hosting us!
Find Sandra on Linkedin: Sandra Paul
Twitter: @Spaul6414
Bluesky: @Spaul6414

Join BTW Slack Community: HERE
Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]
Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod
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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn
Follow Friends of Friends Recording: Instagram

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39min
September 01, 2026 Called Into Leadership with Nathan Davidson | Beneath the Water
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Diane is joined by Nathan Davidson, CoSN board member and Vice President of Partnerships at Five Star Technology Solutions. Nathan speaks about answering his calling, and we learn more about his leadership journey. He urges leaders to evaluate their own "why" and shows us why we can't let our egos get in the way of our leadership. Lifting others up is what Nathan does when he cares for people. What kind of leader are you? Where do you get your motivation?

This episode was recorded on May 7th at the Indiana CTO Council Clinic.
Find Nathan in the following places:
Twitter/x: @_nathandavidson
Website: fivestartech.com
LinkedIn: Nathan Davidson
Join BTW Slack Community: HERE
Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]
Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod
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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn
Follow Friends of Friends Recording: Instagram

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41min
August 25, 2026 Finding Your Voice with Marlo Gaddis
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Diane has a heartfelt discussion with dear friend and fellow inclusion champion Marlo Gaddis. Marlo shares her journey into leadership and how experiences from her past have made her the leader she is today. It's a story of strife, hope, and a conscious effort to find her voice, leading her to serve as a supportive voice for others.

This episode was recorded on June 10, 2026, at Mountain Brook High School in Alabama during the Engage conference. Special thanks to Suzan Brandt for hosting us!
To keep track of what's new in Marlo's world, check her out here:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Meta
Join BTW Slack Community: HERE
Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]
Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod
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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn
Follow Friends of Friends Recording: Instagram

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31min
August 18, 2026 Donna Williamson & Sheryl Abshire | Beneath the Water
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Diane has discussions with friends Donna Williamson and Sheryl Abshire, the remaining two Savvy Sisters and co-authors of the book "The Savvy EdTech Leader." They both share sections of the book they authored and their leadership experiences that helped them form their values and the way they lead.
Recorded on April 15, 2026 following the Chicago CoSN conference, Donna, Sheryl, and Frankie were the first to volunteer to be on our podcast, even before our concept was fully realized.

Donna can be found on LinkedIn: Donna Williamson
Sheryl can be found on LinkedIn: Sheryl Abshire

Join BTW Slack Community: HERE
Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]
Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod
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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn
Follow Friends of Friends Recording: Instagram

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55min
August 11, 2026 Frankie Jackson & BTW Check-in | Beneath the Water
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This is a two-part episode - the first section is a first-of-the-series check-in between Diane and her producer daughter, DeAnna. They discuss the WHY behind the podcast and share some of the victories and gaps they've experienced along the way as they've built a podcast ecosystem.

The second part is a discussion with one of Diane's Savvy Sisters: Frankie Jackson. Along with Sheryl Abshire and Donna Williamson, they wrote a book together called The Savvy EdTech Leader. Frankie spent her early career days at NASA, and transitioned to her next big venture: the k-12 space. She shares about her mother's positive influence on her work ethic, what NASA was like, and how she overcame tough career situations.
Be sure to follow Frankie on LinkedIn: Frankie Jackson
Buy The Savvy Edtech Leader on Amazon: Book
Frankie's interview was recorded at Friends of Friends Recording in Chicago by engineer Gabriella Eugenio.
Join BTW Slack Community: HERE
Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]
Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod
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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn
Follow Friends of Friends Recording: Instagram

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1h 22min
August 04, 2026 Amy Jaeckel | Beneath the Water
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Diane is joined by her Green Bay Area School District CTIO successor, Amy Jaeckel. They reminisce over Amy's first interview and how Diane came to know her as her own leader.
Be sure to follow Amy on LinkedIn: Amy Jaeckel
Join BTW Slack Community: HERE
Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]
Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod
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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn
Follow Friends of Friends Recording: Instagram

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41min
July 28, 2026 Victoria Thompson | Beneath the Water
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Florida-based technologist and professional learning specialist Victoria Thompson joins us for a lively discussion about her views on equity and diversity, her experiences around it, and the way she uses data to teach students about social justice.

This episode was recorded during ISTE 2026 in Orlando, Florida.

Check her out on LinkedIn: Victoria Thompson

Buy her book here: Elevate Equity in Edtech: Expanding Inclusive Leadership Through the ISTE Standards - Victoria Thompson

Please subscribe to this channel and leave a 5-star rating to help others in leadership find a place to belong.
Join BTW Slack Community: HERE
Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]
Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod
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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn
Follow Friends of Friends Recording: Instagram

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50min
July 21, 2026 Pete Just | Beneath the Water
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Indiana's very own Pete Just (former CoSN chair and Executive Director of Indiana's CTO Council) joins us this week to talk about building trust, encouraging collaboration, and having integrity as a leader.
Join BTW Slack Community: HERE
Email us with any questions, comments, thoughts, or feedback: [email protected]
Follow Beneath the Water on Instagram: @Beneaththewaterpod
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Find Diane's latest adventures (podcasting, fishing, and beyond!): LinkedIn
Follow Friends of Friends Recording: Instagram

...more
43min

FAQs about Beneath the Water:

How many episodes does Beneath the Water have?

The podcast currently has 12 episodes available.