Cheryl Lacey DGSJ is an accomplished education leader, author, and advisor with over three decades of experience spanning education, policy, media, and business. Known as an “enlightened educationist,” she is the creator of First Principles On Education®, a framework that challenges conventional thinking and repositions education as the foundation of thriving communities and economies.

Cheryl has worked across systems and sectors, advising leaders, leading transformation initiatives, and launching ventures that respond to emerging challenges in education. Her deliberately broad career brings a unique, cross-sector perspective to complex issues, particularly where education intersects with workforce development, civic participation, and public trust.

A qualified mediator with postgraduate study in parental alienation and certification in Onnetsu Therapy, Cheryl brings both analytical rigour and human insight to her work. As a media contributor and thought leader, she continues to provoke meaningful dialogue, asking the critical question: what if we did education differently?