Transformational Leadership Conference
Saturday, March 26, 2022

Gina Forrest, PhD, MPH: Institutional vs Structural Racism:  How to Define, Identify, and Dismantle Systems

Dr. Gina Forrest is a native Hoosier, and wants to help Indiana to be a healthy, happy, and inclusive state!  She has earned a MPH and PhD in Health Behavior with a research focus on health inequities, from Indiana University-Bloomington, School of Public Health.  Dr. Gina has a consulting business where she helps organizations become more inclusive, efficient, and effective.  Currently, she is the Chief Diversity Officer with Indiana Supreme Court.  In her spare time, she volunteers in her community (Bloomington) and loves being a mom to her two grown sons! 

Featured speakers

Ellise Smith: Mind the Body You Occupy: A Discussion on Body Diversity in the Workplace

An exploration of body image related to the experience of those who identify outside of Eurocentric body 'norms'. In today's society, body image continues to control the experiences of many individuals and creates negative experiences. This session will disrupt the permissible hate and discrimination associated with these bodies while exploring the history, impact, and a call to action to support the differences of bodies.

Drew Stewart: Dialogue & Debate. One of these things is not like the other.....Right?

Debate is often thought of in a negative context, while dialogue is often painted in a positive context. It truly depends on the perspective of those involved. The point of this session is to alter our understanding of how each works in an effort to improve argumentation & interpersonal communication. We'll do activities where we "mini-debate" over silly topics, facilitate dialogue and work together in pairs/groups to break down debate & dialogue with live feedback.

Drew Stewart is the Director of the Marian U. Speech & Debate Team and teaches in the Dept. of Communication. He loves being with his wife & pets the most and if you ever want to talk pro basketball, anime, or southern hip-hop, holler at him.

Dr. Clif Knight: Being a Deliberate Leader: Wellness Through Connection to Purpose and Meaning

This session will focus on the importance of understanding leadership as a means of achieving improvement.  Leadership can be very satisfying when the efforts for improvement relate to something of significant value and meaning to the leader.

Clif Knight is a family physician and serves as Dean of Clinical Affairs for the Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine.  His past leadership experiences include serving as President of the Indiana Academy of Family Physicians, Family Medicine Residency Program Director, Chief Medical Officer for Community Health Network in Indianapolis, and Senior Vice President for Education at the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Featured speakers

Amanda Bell, Ph.D.: Learning From the Journey: Reframing Disability Narratives

Maqubè Reese: Loving Blackness: Dismantling Anti-Black sentiments 

Moving in the space of anti-racism means internally dismantling policies that we uphold such as onboarding, dress code, training, and much more. Anti-Black sentiments still plague our community and schools and we must address these issues. The audience will receive tangible steps to address Anti-Black sentiments with a checklist worksheet and additional tools to move from anti-Blackness to loving and embracing Blackness.

Eboné Bell: Speak Up or Forever Hold Your Peace

Eboné Bell is a business owner, speaker, and trailblazer who shines bright in the world of entrepreneurship, LGBTQ issues, media, and activism. She is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Tagg Magazine and Tagg Communication LLC. After seeing a lack of LGBTQ women represented in local publications, she decided to start a magazine and website to tell stories, provide resources, and create events. In 2018, Eboné founded the Tagg Scholarship Fund—a scholarship created specifically for young, queer, women of color who can’t afford to attend school. She was recently featured in Forbes Magazine as an “Inspiring Black Entrepreneur Changing Our World.”

In addition to running a successful business, she shares her knowledge and passion at conferences, festivals, schools, and similar events across the country. As a keynote speaker, Eboné is well known for her warm energy and transparency. She is not afraid to have tough conversations. She encourages students to discover how they show up in the world. Her humor makes her approachable to students on and off-stage. Her commitment to connection is what makes her a dynamic and unforgettable speaker.