Dr. Diane Rivers is the President and CEO of Quality Educational Systems, Inc., a research, development, consulting, and school reform company, located in Birmingham, Alabama whose mission is to create and sustain quality schools in the public sector. Dr. Rivers earned her Ed.D. from the University of Arkansas, and has extensive experience as an elementary, secondary, and university teacher, as an educational pscyhometrist and psychologist; and sixteen years experience in a variety of system level administrative roles. She is a member of numerous professional and civic organizations, including Rotary International, and has been listed numerous times in Who’s Who in American Women, Who’s Who in American Education, and Who’s Who in the South.

She is a frequent speaker and writer, with a particular passion for creating and sustaining quality school systems. She has provided educational leadership and consultation to urban, suburban, and rural school systems, colleges and universities, professional organizations, and businesses. Dr. Rivers is the developer of QuESt – Quality Educational Systems: Tools for Transformation, a nationally recognized Comprehensive School Reform Model. Since 1997, schools in 20 states have implemented QuESt, many of whom have received state level recognition. Dr. Rivers has also designed and developed multiple Web-based technology applications to assist schools in performance management.

Dr. Rivers was recognized as one of “21 Voices for the 21st Century” by the American Society for Quality and was featured in the January 2000 issue of Quality Progress. Dr. Rivers combines her practitioner’s experience as a teacher and system level administrator with her expertise as a consultant. She is a certified Covey trainer, providing leadership training in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, 4 Roles of Leadership, and 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens to schools and districts throughout the country. Her seminars, leadership forums, and learning materials combine an interactive, developmental approach, based on adult learning theory—enabling participants to embrace the philosophy of continuous improvement and emerge prepared to lead.