Call for Presenters for the Annual GRIT Conference
We want to hear YOUR success story! How has your school, community, or workplace been transformed with GRIT? Share your transformative story as it relates to Workforce Development, Leadership, STEM+A(g) or Strengthening Communities through Partnerships.
Application requirements:
Complete the application (link here) by Thursday, November 15th, 2024. Each presenter will have access to a screen for a PowerPoint presentation. You may present individually or with a group. Panels of speakers are welcome. 50 minutes will be allotted (40 minutes to present and 10 minutes for questions/follow up).
Darrell “Coach D” Andrews is an internationally recognized workforce development consultant, strategist, and motivator. He is the President and Chief Passion Officer of Darrell Andrews, LLC and Associates. For the past two decades, he and his team of experts have provided consulting, motivational training, coaching, and speeches that enhance innovation at workforce development agencies and education organizations.
Coach D is regularly invited to speak at workforce development, education, corporate, and non-profit events throughout the United States, Canada, and the Caribbean. He is the author of several books, including “How To Find Your Passion And Make A Living At It,” “The Purpose Living Teen-A Teen’s Guide To Living Your Dreams,” and “Reinvention-The Pathway To Job Search Success.” His college success story, “5 Garbage Bags and a Dream,” was one of the top stories in the New York Times best seller-Chicken Soup for the African American Soul. He is writing two books, “The Self Care Movement” and “Post-Pandemic Leadership.”
Darrell Andrews LLC and Associate are former WIA Youth and Adult Providers. His HYPE (Helping Youth Pursue Excellence) Program, which had one of the highest dropout prevention and graduation rates of all WIA providers in the USA, and his adult Job Readiness Program BASIC (Building and Sustaining Internal Change), which had one of the highest job placement and retention rates in the USA, are testament to his expertise and the effectiveness of his methods.
He has been a keynote speaker at countless national, state, and local conferences. Over the past three years, due to the pandemic, he and his team have become a global force in training, consulting, and coaching systems by providing innovative solutions and impactful motivation.
Most importantly, he has been happily married for 30 years and is the proud father of four exceptional children: Darrell Jr., Sophia, Alexander, and Abigail.
Agenda [HIDDEN]
Wednesday (Day 1)
8:30 Arrival & Registration – (Collins Center Lobby)
Dr. Shannon Smith, M.D., is a dedicated physician who has focused her career on unraveling the challenges affecting children’s mental and physical well-being in today’s world of abundance. Through extensive research and clinical practice, she identified healthy communication, connection, and problem solving as the cornerstone of thriving families and communities. Driven by this revelation, she founded ‘Own Your Focus,’ a platform aimed at assisting others in enhancing their communication, connection, and problem solving skills. In her capacity as a Leadership Strategist and Communication Coach, she collaborates with individuals, families, organizations, and businesses, providing integrative strategies complemented by actionable tools and accountability measures. Dr. Shannon’s remarkable journey reflects her resilience, as she transformed past trauma into strength. Today, she thrives as a global speaker, accomplished writer, and influential social media figure, eager to share her invaluable insights with the world.
Prior to Future Plans Dr. Reading founded Global Corporate College in 2007, to build the bridge between Fortune 500 C-Suite Corporate and Higher Education Executives, helping build solutions that support worker competency and skill development through training and education. Dr. Reading was recognized as a finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young Ohio, for her founding of Global Corporate College.
Prior to GCC, Dr. Reading served as the President of Corporate College at Cuyahoga Community College, and served in numerous roles at Baldwin-Wallace University including Vice President of Student Affairs.
Some of Dr. Reading’s other social innovations include founding/co-founding/co-creating
The SPROUT Program at Baldwin Wallace University, supporting teen mothers in the completion of a college education
The Baldwin Wallace University Scholars Program preparing urban, African American, young men for college.
The Key Entrepreneurship Center at Cuyahoga Community College/Corporate College
The NIA program, helping post foster care women seek education and economic freedom through the Strategic Planning Committee of YWCA of Cleveland
Dr. Reading in the recipient of numerous awards including being recognized as Outstanding Alumna by both Bowling Green State University and Kent State University.
In her spare time, Dr. Reading is a play-write who directs and performs in her own comedic and poignant one-woman shows: “The Ladies of Last Chance,” “I Am The Daughter of a Cattle Rancher Among Other Things,” and “It’s All About the Hair.”
Dr. Shannon Smith, M.D., is a dedicated physician who has focused her career on unraveling the challenges affecting children's mental and physical well-being in today's world of abundance. Through extensive research and clinical practice, she identified healthy communication, connection, and problem solving as the cornerstone of thriving families and communities. Driven by this revelation, she founded ‘Own Your Focus,’ a platform aimed at assisting others in enhancing their communication, connection, and problem solving skills. In her capacity as a Leadership Strategist and Communication Coach, she collaborates with individuals, families, organizations, and businesses, providing integrative strategies complemented by actionable tools and accountability measures. Dr. Shannon's remarkable journey reflects her resilience, as she transformed past trauma into strength. Today, she thrives as a global speaker, accomplished writer, and influential social media figure, eager to share her invaluable insights with the world.
Karen Vadino is a Motivational Speaker, Humorist, Trainer and Consultant. In her thirty-plus years as a human service professional, most of Karen’s experience has been in the field of chemical dependency, both as a licensed clinician and as a certified prevention specialist. She has considerable experience working with children and families, having served as a clinician and supervisor in Children’s Services group homes and a Children’s Psychiatric Hospital. Karen also has been a part-time instructor in Social Work, Sociology, Juvenile Justice and Human Development at Youngstown State University, Penn State University and Westminster College.
Karen draws from her extensive and varied experience to form the foundation of her unique and distinctively humorous approach to life and work. For the past twenty years, she has been a nationally recognized speaker and trainer sharing her inimitable insights with thousands of people – adults and youth – each year. Karen has been described as “one of those rare people who can make you laugh and cry in the same moment”.
Regardless of the topic, Karen’s workshops and presentations are humorous in nature, reflecting her own insightful approach to dealing with life’s daily challenges. She is well known for her “Vadinoan Theories”, including her exhortation to “release your dolphins” and her firm belief that we should never wait until we are entirely happy before we laugh.
Karen is working on finishing a book or two, including a compilation of her original workshop materials and activities.
State Representative Jay Edwards is serving his fourth term as state representative. He represents the 94th Ohio House District, which includes all of Athens, Meigs and Morgan Counties and a southwest portion of Washington County.
Representative Edwards is the Chairman of the House Finance Committee, which is responsible for producing the state’s main operating budget and capital budget. He also serves on the House Rules and Reference Committee.
Representative Edwards was born and raised in Nelsonville and attended Ohio University on a football scholarship receiving his degree in Mathematics. While in college, he started investing in local real estate. Through educated decision making, hard work, and conservatism, Rep. Edwards was able to grow that business throughout his college career and also got a real estate license to start representing buyers and sellers in the area. He is a small business owner, a realtor, and a property investor.
Recently, Representative Edwards began working in medical sales, within the drug abuse/treatment market. With an understanding about addiction and health insurance, Representative Edwards knows that this is a critical issue for Ohio’s 94th District.
Representative Edwards resides in Nelsonville and is active within the community.
1:30 Breakout 3
Descriptions
YOUTH
Creative designs for Youth Workforce Programs (Shaelynn Ballard Ashtabula CTC, Sandy Mers, & Dan Leffingwell)
Classroom 254 (Verne Rifvfe Center)
ADULT
Overcoming barriers to work (WISE Pathways, Angie Duduit; Pike- CAC, Carolyn R. Fyffe; Electrical Training Academy, Matthew Louanglath; Valley View Health Center, Flash Phipps)
Why your county needs an entrepreneurial ecosystem and how to build one (Amanda Hedrick - Panel Facilitator, Josh Lawson - Kricker HUB, Kelly Biggar - Young Entrepreneurs Institute, Kelly Gordon - Women's Business Center, Melanie Sherman - OSU)
