KEYNOTE SPEAKER:DR. GLORIA BURGESS

GLORIA J. BURGESS, Ph.D., Senior Director of Learning at Casey Family Programs, Principal of Jazz, Inc., and Founder and Executive Director of The Lift Every Voice Foundation, engages organizations and individuals in composing and aligning their vision, values, voice, and touch. Gloria’s chargeable and pro bono clients include Microsoft, MSNBC, Qwest, Experience Arts Camp, Vulcan, Inc., Boeing, Adobe Systems, Girl Scouts of America, Providence Health Systems, First A.M.E. Church, New School Foundation, Delta Sigma Theta, Women’s International Network, Attachmate, University of Washington (UW) Medical Center, Health Care for the Homeless Network, Helene Fuld Trust, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Cingular, Noel House, Lifelong AIDS Alliance, Bastyr University’s Leadership Institute of Seattle (LIOS), Northwest Care Management, Bastyr Clinic, International Coach Federation, Valley Medical, Bainbridge Graduate Institute, Texas Department of Family and Child Protective Services, and IslandWood.

Formerly an executive in the computer software industry, Dr. Burgess has held senior leadership positions in human resources, education administration, program and product development, and computer technology with Aldus Corporation, Adobe Systems, Xerox, Citigroup, Bank of America, Honeywell, Bastyr University/LIOS, University of Washington, University of California, and University of Southern California.

A sought-after inspirational speaker, Dr. Burgess’s themes include legacy leadership, legacy living, legacy coaching, and building bridges across cultures. An author, consultant, educator, evocateur, and executive coach, Gloria is also a Distinguished Scholar in Performance Studies and an award-winning poet, director, and performer. She is one of the few speakers who integrates artistic imagination and engaging commentary into dynamic, inspirational keynotes and performances. Dr. Burgess was recently engaged by the South African Embassy in Switzerland to present a keynote honoring the 50th anniversary of the historic Women’s March on the Union Buildings in Pretoria, South Africa, a tribute to the courageous leaders who helped dismantle apartheid.

Fusing memory and presence into her poetry performances and keynotes, Gloria celebrates her deep connection to African-American oral traditions and the evocative, transformative power of language. She has performed her poetry nationally and internationally at conferences, tributes, celebrations, benefit fundraisers, and poetry festivals. A Cave Canem Poetry Fellow, Gloria has worked closely with co-founders Toi Derricotte and Cornelius Eady as well as legacy poets Robert Hayden, Sonia Sanchez, Yusef Komunyakaa, Marilyn Nelson, Nikky Finney, and Kwame Dawes.

Known internationally for her compassion, humor, and commitment to lifting up the human spirit, Gloria uses poetry and music not only to celebrate her cultural heritage and universal values, she uses the arts to encourage others to act with courage, conviction, and hope. She reminds us that as 21st century citizens our principal responsibility is to nurture and give birth to magnificent new worlds. For it is in this capacity that we are called to be stewards, to co-create a shining legacy on behalf of our children and our children’s children.

An Affiliate Professor at the University of Washington and former faculty for Leadership Tomorrow, Dr. Burgess teaches leadership, intercultural relations, and creative mastery. Gloria holds a Ph.D. in Performance Studies and an MBA in Organizational Behavior and Information Systems from the University of Southern California; she has an MA/ABS in Leadership and Consulting from LIOS and graduate and undergraduate degrees in Communication, Education, and Theater from the University of Michigan. Gloria’s diverse Board experience includes the Alliance for Education, Leadership Tomorrow, Washington State Digital Alliance, The Friends of Third Place Commons, and Antioch University.

Dr. Burgess has written three volumes of poetry and a children’s book about her father’s life-changing relationship with William Faulkner, and produced a spoken-word and music CD. Her poetry and commentary have been featured on KJLH, British Public Radio, and NPR. Gloria’s latest book is Legacy Living: The Six Covenants for Personal & Professional Excellence.

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Cal Crow

Cal Crow is a co-founder and Program Director at the Center for Learning Connections, one of the nation’s first organizations to link education and training to the changing economy and workplace. He has a long and varied background as an educator, trainer, counselor and consultant.

Dr. Crow has taught at the K-12, community college and graduate school levels, has been a counselor in private practice, and has worked with businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations in forty states, five territories, the District of Columbia, Australia, Jamaica and Canada. He holds a Ph. D. from Arizona State University

Dr. Crow was the major curriculum developer and trainer for Washington State’s WorkFirst interagency staff development project, and co-authored the revised Job Hunter Workshop curriculum for the Washington State One-Stop System. During the spring of 2004, he designed and piloted a curriculum currently being used to train employment specialists who work with ex-offenders. He was the lead author for a training guide to assist Going Home educators who work with incarcerated individuals preparing to return to the community. He was also one of three individuals selected to revise the National Career Development Guidelines, a federally funded project managed by America’s Career Resource Network.

At the request of the Washington State Secretary of State’s office, Dr. Crow developed a variety of activities that teachers can integrate into their curriculum, encouraging students to become knowledgeable and active voters when they reach adulthood.

He has designed and managed projects in economically distressed communities, in corrections facilities, in school districts, in mental health centers, and for a variety of welfare, social service and workforce development agencies. He is currently working with educators, non-profit agencies, and incarcerated individuals in New York State on projects to reduce offender recidivism rates and to help people become more successful by increasing their self-efficacy and resiliency.

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LueRachelle Brim-Atkins

LueRachelle Brim-Atkins is an internationally known consultant, trainer, published author and inspirational speaker. She is highly respected for her excellent facilitation skills, creativity and her ability to motivate people to achieve outstanding results. Her lively style, wealth of experience and deep personal commitment to living and working from the heart help people achieve clarity, a sense of purpose, and motivation to bring all of who they are to everything they do.

Since 1988, she has been owner and principal of BRIM-DONAHOE & ASSOCIATES, an organization consulting and training firm that provides services in organization improvement and human resource development to private, public and non-profit organizations. As part of her consulting practice, she helps organizations improve organization culture, actively reflect their stated values and achieve their desired vision for cultural competence, valuing and managing diversity, and building effective work teams.

LueRachelle served as Director of Staff Training and Development at the University of Washington for 15 years where she was responsible for the design and implementation of training and Organization Development for the 10,000 University of Washington staff. Her academic credentials include a B.A. in English, an M.A. in Urban Education, and an M.A. in Spiritual Psychology. She holds certificates of completion from the Dispute Resolution Center of Snohomish County, the Center for Work and the Human Spirit—Leadership Development Intensive and the Intercultural Communication Institute. She is a graduate of Leadership Tomorrow, received its Edward Carlson Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2004 and served on its Board of Directors for seven years. She is a former Commissioner for the City of Seattle Ethics & Elections Commission.

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Patricia Hughes

For the past 17 years Patricia (Pat) Hughes has helped build leadership capacity for individuals, organizations and community groups.

Pat is the principal of Trillium Leadership Consulting, where she provides customized leadership program design, leadership coaching and skills development to a variety of organizations. Pat has a deep passion for helping groups integrate their vision and values for excellence and sustainability with meaningful work.

Some of her recent clients include:
• Seattle Public Utilities
• Horizon House Continuing Care Retirement Community
• Wikimedia Foundation
• Horizon Airlines

Pat is also a Senior Affiliate with the Center for Ethical Leadership, a non-profit leadership development organization in Seattle. In 2004, Pat wrote Gracious Space: A Practical Guide for Working Better Together which prepares leaders to invite diverse perspectives and create learning organizations. The book has sold 5,000 copies and is in its second printing.

Previously, Pat directed the Leadership Institute in Redmond, Washington, where her innovative approach to leadership program design was awarded by the International Leadership Association.

Pat is also a writer, and has published numerous articles on leadership, nature and adventure travel. She has a master’s degree in Whole Systems Design from Seattle’s Antioch University and a bachelor’s in Economics and International Relations from the University of New Hampshire.

In her spare time Pat is enjoys backcountry skiing, mountaineering, bird watching and triathlons. She lives in Ballard with her husband and daughter.

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Ron Morey

Ron Morey has more than 25 years of executive experience in the fields of business development, performance management and corporate education. He is an accomplished speaker and training professional with proven skills in leadership development, strategic planning, teambuilding, customer service, business communication and quality improvement in a broad spectrum of industries. His unique expertise is in the area of organizational systems enhancement with an emphasis on aligning strategic goals, self-directed work teams, business process efficiency and accurate measurement tools for guaranteed results. Ron also works in the areas of Systems and Quality Improvement, Productivity and Human Performance.

Ron has served in such key roles as Director of Learning Systems for Premera Blue Cross, a Northwest provider of quality insurance products & services, Director of Quality and Service for Thousand Trails, a national hospitality company; Manager of Associate Development for Eddie Bauer, a leading international retailer; Manager of Training and Organizational Development for King County & Metro, a major government agency in the Pacific Northwest, and Manager of Training and Management Development for both Westin Hotels & Resorts, a premier international hotel chain and The Alaska Air Group & Horizon Air, an award winning west coast airline.

Ron’s areas of expertise include strategic planning, executive and leadership coaching, leadership and management training, customer service training, team development and performance management, quality improvement systems, managing change, performance appraisal design, performance management systems, Myers-Briggs and Social Styles, Vision and Values Clarification, business process improvement, leading effective meetings, organization renewal.

Ron’s greatest strength is his ability to help teams generate a commitment of personal accountability, trust and mutual cooperation in order to achieve profound organizational improvement. Clients report increased effectiveness and consistent results as a lasting outcome of Ron’s creative programs. He has trained internationally and was interviewed about his innovative ideas for effectively Leading and Partnering in today’s organizations on KSER’S FM radio talk show, “Creating Success: Mystery or Mastery?”. Ron is the author of several leadership, team development & customer service training programs, and he is currently collaborating on a book titled “The Champion Within”. More depth about the focus of Ron’s work can be discovered at his website: www.ProfoundResults.com

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Susan L. Secker

Susan L. Secker, former provost of Seattle University, is a consultant in leadership development with SLS Consulting, LLC. Dr. Secker has held senior leadership positions that include responsibilities for strategic planning, team building, diversifying the workforce, and cultivating ethical leadership.

Dr. Secker came to Seattle University in 1989 as an assistant professor of ethics, having completed her doctoral studies in ethics at the University of Chicago. As a professor, she taught ethics to graduate and undergraduate students, was a member of the Society of Christian Ethics, an elected board member of the Catholic Theological Society of America, and a consultant for ethics to the Washington State Conference of Catholic Bishops. After being tenured and promoted to associate professor of ethics, Dr. Secker was appointed to leadership positions at Seattle University that include: department chair, associate dean, associate provost, vice president for planning and provost.

Prior to coming to Seattle, Dr. Secker taught in elementary and secondary schools, served on the leadership team of a secondary school in Wisconsin, and led a 12 member pastoral team in Montana. Her resume includes service as a campus minister at Montana State University as well as work among Native Americans, establishing a street ministry program in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood, while earning a Master of Divinity degree at Loyola University of Chicago’s Hyde Park campus. During her Master’s program, Susan interned as a prison chaplain at a federal prison in Lexington, Kentucky and as a hospital chaplain with the University of Chicago hospitals. Her career includes experience in pastoral counseling, retreat work, and spiritual direction.

Dr. Secker understands organizations, how they work, and the challenges and opportunities that their respective missions offer. She believes that authentic leadership results when persons lead from their own inner compass. The inspiration to be a leader in one’s life does not depend on roles or positions; it depends on being grounded in one’s deepest values and living with integrity, guided by those values. Her passion lies in urging others, especially women and persons of color, to unleash their potential for the common good.

Currently, Dr. Secker serves on the Board of Directors for Northwest Harvest and the Women’s Funding Alliance, and on the Board of Trustees for Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.

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Yvonne Freitas McGookin

Yvonne Freitas McGookin considers herself to be in the "development business". For over fifteen years, she has been an active and progressive practitioner of human resources development, organizational development and career development. She has brought her "passion for possibilities" to her work with nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies by helping individuals and organizations create clarity and alignment, and reach their fullest potential.

Yvonne is currently the Director of Staff Development & Retention for the YMCA of Greater Seattle, where she provides strategic leadership in creating development opportunities that build a diverse, creative, high-performing work culture. Committed to lifelong learning, Yvonne served as part-time faculty at Bellevue Community College delivering career development courses. She was also on the faculty of Cambridge College School of Management, where she delivered leadership development courses. She enjoys conducting workshops introducing the power of coaching as a management tool to area nonprofits and educational institutions.

Yvonne holds a Master's degree in Education, with an emphasis on Organizational Development and a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. She serves on the board of the Executive Services Corps of WA and volunteers with several other area nonprofits.

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