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Paula Bradford
Transition Specialist and Director of the STEP Program
Madison County
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Paula Bradford serves as the Director for Madison County Transition Programs and the Special Education Administrator for Madison County ROE #41. She came to the position with 14 years’ experience as a Transition Specialist. She is a Youth Services Coordinator for Secondary Transitional Experience Program with Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS). As a Youth Services Coordinator, she is a liaison between school districts and DRS. She serves as the Chairperson of the Madison County Transition Planning Committee which brings together representatives from Madison County school districts and local agencies to discuss and coordinate transition services.
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Sharon Steed
Founder
Communilogue
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Sharon Steed is an international keynote speaker, author and founder of Communilogue, an empathy consultancy. She teaches teams and organizations the key empathy behaviors necessary to retain top talent and improve individual and team performance. A lifelong stutterer, Sharon uses her speech impediment to both teach what empathy is and to inspire audiences to engage in empathy actions daily. Sharon’s LinkedIn Learning course "Communicating With Empathy" has been translated to a dozen languages and has over 600,000 views. Her client list includes Microsoft, Google, Booking.com, LinkedIn, British Telecommunications, KraftHeinz and DraftKings.
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Willena Long
Leadership Development Coach
The Black In HR
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As an Executive Coach within The Black In HR community, Willena is dedicated to driving positive change in the HR industry. Her passion for diversity and inclusion has positioned her as a key influencer, igniting crucial conversations and spearheading actions that promote equity within organizations.
With a track record of collaboration alongside influential leaders, including CEOs and senior executives from Fortune 500 companies, Willena's expertise is a testament to her ability to navigate complex corporate environments. Her dynamic approach to leadership growth, career advancement, and personal fulfillment has inspired countless individuals to unleash their potential and embrace growth.
In her pursuit of excellence, Willena is not only a coach but a catalyst for transformation. Her presence leaves an indelible mark, and her dedication to empowering individuals to become the best versions of themselves sets her apart as a true advocate for positive change and empowerment.
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Frank King
Suicide Prevention Speaker
The Mental Health Comedian, LLC
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Frank King, Suicide Prevention speaker and Trainer was a writer for The Tonight Show for 20 years.
He’s fought a lifetime battle with Major Depressive Disorder and Chronic Suicidality, turning that long dark journey of the soul into 6 TEDx Talks and sharing his lifesaving insights on Mental Health Awareness with associations, corporations, and colleges.
Depression and suicide run in his family. He’s thought about killing himself more times than he can count.
A Motivational Public Speaker who uses his life lessons to start the conversation giving people permission to give voice to their feelings and experiences surrounding depression and suicide.
And doing it by coming out, as it were, and standing in his truth, and doing it with humor.
He believes that where there is humor there is hope, where there is laughter there is life, nobody dies laughing. The right person, at the right time, with the right information, can save a life.