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.

SESSIONS:
Candice Gottlieb-Clark
Personal Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
CEO
Dynamic Team Solutions
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Exceptional at using story-telling to teach concepts and inspire, Candice Gottlieb-Clark is a sought-after speaker at leadership conferences world­wide. A renowned Business Advisor, Coach and Conflict Management Specialist, Candice distills her more than 20 years of expertise into actionable strategies, that attendees can apply to raise the functionality of their teams, leaders and organizations. 
Candice is the author of the best-selling book, FIND, FIX, FILL your LEADERSHIP GAP, and she has been published in numerous business and professional journals, including Business Insider and Forbes, where she serves as a contributing writer. Candice's passion and expertise for helping businesses raise the level of their functionality, teamwork, productivity, and performance are boundless. 

SESSIONS:
Tuesday, October 31, 2023 - 7:30am to 8:30am
Christine V. Walters, JD, MAS, SHRM-SCP
Personal Pronouns
She/Her/Hers
Independent Consultant & Author
FiveL Company
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Ms. Walters has more than 30 years’ combined experience in management, HR administration, employment law practice, and teaching.

She has presented at conferences across the country, been engaged as an expert witness, and testified before U.S. Congressional and state legislative committees on employment issues.

Her book, “From Hello to Goodbye: Proactive Tips for Maintaining Positive Employee Relations” is in its 2nd edition and was one of the SHRMStore’s “Great 8” best-sellers for eight consecutive years.

Today, Ms. Walters works as an independent consultant doing business as FiveL Company, “Helping Leaders Limit their Liability by Learning the Law.”SM

 

 

SESSIONS:
Tuesday, October 31, 2023 - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
Sara Taylor
President and Founder
deepSEE Consulting
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Sara Taylor, President and Founder of deepSEE Consulting, has 35 years of extensive experience, nationally recognized as in the practice of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion serving local, national and global clients. While her areas of specialty are in both Diversity and Leadership Development, Sara has become a thought leader particularly in the field of Cultural Competence. Her bestselling book, Filter Shift: How Effective People SEE the World, is used by numerous individuals and organizations to increase success and create greater effectiveness. Sara holds a Master's degree in Diversity and Organizational Development and, prior to founding deepSEE, held positions such as Chief Diversity Officer and Leadership and Diversity Specialist.

SESSIONS:
Wednesday, November 1, 2023 - 9:00am to 10:00am
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.

SESSIONS:
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.

SESSIONS:
Jessica Miller-Merrell, SHRM-SCP
Chief Innovation Officer
Workology
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Jessica Miller-Merrell is the Founder of Workology, a workplace resource for HR, recruiting professionals and business leaders, and host of the Workology Podcast. The site has been listed twice as a top 75 career resource by Forbes. Jessica is the president and CEO of Xceptional HR, a human capital strategy and consulting agency. Because of her industry expertise and knowledge, Jessica’s expertise is sought after and sourced by publications and media including: The Economist, Forbes, CIO Magazine, CBS, Entrepreneur Magazine, and SHRM’s HR Magazine. Her new book, Digitizing Talent: Creative Strategies for the Digital Recruiting Age was published in 2023 by SHRM.

SESSIONS:
Monday, October 30, 2023 - 1:00pm to 2:00pm
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.

 

SESSIONS:
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.

 

SESSIONS:
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.

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