July 25 - 26, 2023
Kalamazoo, MI
Speakers
Dee Ann Turner
Dee Ann is a 33-year veteran of Chick-fil-A®, Inc. and served as Vice President, Talent and Vice President, Sustainability prior to her retirement. Selected as the company’s first female officer in 2001, she was instrumental in building and growing Chick-fil-A®’s well-known culture and talent systems. Turner was responsible for selecting thousands of Chick-fil-A® Franchisees and corporate staff members. Additionally, she led Talent Management, Staff Learning and Development, Diversity and Inclusion, Culture and Engagement. Prior to her retirement, she launched and led Chick-fil-A®’s Sustainability and Social Responsibility function. In 2023, Dee Ann was named to the Georgia Titan 100 which recognizes the Top 100 CEOs & C-level executives. They are the area’s most accomplished business leaders in their industry using criteria that includes demonstrating exceptional leadership, vision, and passion.
Brigadier General Bernie Banks, PhD
As a retired Army Brigadier General with expertise in leadership development and organizational change, Dr. Bernard (Bernie) Banks has presented to the U.S. Army War College, the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard, Yale, and the Welch Leadership Center, and consulted with Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, U.S. Forest Service, Amazon, Honeywell, P&G, Mercedes Benz, Wellpoint, Reckitt Benckiser, 7-Eleven, and IBM. Dr. Banks was awarded the General Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award, and as Squadron Commander of the U.S. Army, won the Lieutenant General Ellis D. Parker Award. He has earned master's degrees in public administration (Harvard), Arts and Philosophy (Columbia), MBA (Northwestern), and Strategic Studies (U.S. Army War College), and holds a Ph.D. in Social-Organizational Psychology from Columbia University. Dr. Banks is a member of the Chicago Club, Economic Club, Harvard Club, and the USO.
Damon West
With a master’s in criminal justice, Damon West is a college professor, national keynote speaker, and best-selling author. His book, The Change Agent: How a Former College QB Sentenced to Life in Prison Transformed His World, was published after his release from a Texas maximum-security prison after a 65-year sentence where he had a spiritual awakening giving him a second chance. West has also co-authored The Coffee Bean: A simple Lesson to Create Positive Change, which won Forbes “Top Twenty Books You Need to Read to Crush 2020.” As a Division I starting quarterback at the University of North Texas, West suffered a career-ending injury and had turned to drugs to cope with the disappointments of life. Over the past few years, he has been sharing inspiration with college football teams such as Clemson, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, and countless schools and businesses.
(Ret.) Sergeant Major Kyle Lamb
Retired Sergeant Major Kyle E. Lamb served 21 years in the United States Army, the majority in leadership positions in the Special Operations Community. SGM (RET) Lamb was chosen to fill key leadership positions with Special Operations Units during wartime operations across the operational continuum. He operated in positions of elevated responsibility throughout a successful military career, including Assault Team Leader, Sniper Team Leader, Troop Sergeant Major, Combat Development Sergeant Major, and Task Force Sergeant Major. He has received numerous awards throughout his military career including the Silver Star. SGM (Ret.) As Founder and President of Viking Tactics, Inc. since 2002, Kyle has developed a credible and respected company in the tactical community. Viking Tactics leadership, tactics, and firearms instruction are highly sought after to provide real-world experience to military and law enforcement students, which has developed VTAC’s outstanding reputation.
Tim Elmore
Dr. Tim Elmore is founder and CEO of Growing Leaders, an Atlanta‐based non‐profit organization created to develop emerging leaders. Since founding Growing Leaders in 2003, Elmore has spoken to over 500,000 leaders in businesses, universities, athletic teams, and non-profit organizations including The Home Depot, Coca-Cola Company, American Eagle, Chick-fil-A®, the San Francisco Giants, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ohio State University, Stanford University, and the University of Alabama Athletics. Dr. Elmore’s work grew out of twenty years serving alongside Dr. John C. Maxwell where he focused on leadership for emerging generations. Tim was listed as one of the top 100 leadership speakers in America by Inc. Magazine.
John U. Bacon
John U. Bacon has worked nearly three decades as a writer, public speaker, and a college instructor, winning awards for all three. In 1986, Bacon earned an honors degree in history from the University of Michigan, where he currently teaches, and a master's in education in 1994. He has authored ten books on sports, business, health, and history; the last six of which are national bestsellers, including Bo’s Lasting Lessons, Endzone, and The Great Halifax Explosion. Bacon has also pursued his passions for radio, television, coaching, and teaching. In 2007, he was invited to give weekly sports commentary on Michigan Radio, he also appears weekly on Michigan Radio’s Stateside, and occasionally on National Public Radio. Bacon delivers speeches on the themes taken from his books, and his coaching and teaching experiences (including leadership, diversity, motivating millennials, and creativity) to corporations, universities, and other groups around the world.
Sue Enquist
Sue Enquist is an 11-time national championship and legendary collegiate sports leader, named a “coaching legend” by ESPN. Coach Enquist is responsible for building a legendary softball program over three decades at UCLA, producing 15 Olympians, 65 NCAA All-Americans, holding the highest-winning percentage among all Division I coaches, and multiple National Coach of the Year awards. This six-time Hall of Fame inductee will share the deep beliefs, unique insights, and practices that are keys to her success. Sue is the founder of ONESoftball.com, a free online community for parents, players, and coaches. Sue owns Bruwin Enterprises, LLC., a leadership and business strategies company serving corporate and educational entities. Plus, as a former pro surfer, Sue is in the water daily.
Inky Johnson
Inky Johnson is an author, inspirational speaker, and former collegiate athlete for the University of Tennessee Volunteers. Whether the topic is leadership, teamwork, or perseverance, Inky inspires his audiences to embrace the challenges of life. With his unique talents, Inky seemed destined for the riches and glory of the National Football League, but his future was dramatically altered. Inky suffered a severe injury that threatened and ultimately altered his life in a matter of seconds, crushing the plans he had for a career in the NFL and beyond. Through it all, Inky never gave up hope or faith in the One whose plans are perfect.
Josh Looney
With seven years of prior experience as a collegiate athletic director, Looney also spent three years in a leadership role at NCAA national office and worked for two professional sports franchises from 2005-12. Looney has spent the last four years as director of athletics at Missouri Western University. Hired at MWSU in August of 2017, he was promoted to Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics in July 2019. He was then recruited to lead the University of North Alabama’s athletic department in July 2021, where he is already building a ‘next level’ culture and program for deep impact.
Join us for our annual leadership event!
Take advantage of this exciting opportunity with us in Kalamazoo, Michigan or virtually from the comfort of your workspace and learn from some of today's best leaders.
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