CONNECTING PASSION AND PURPOSE
The 2010 Statewide Nonprofit Management Conference
Speaker Biographies

Keynote Speaker:

Vangela M. Wade provides consulting and training diversity and cultural competency as well as fair employment practices to corporations, governmental agencies, education and health care institutions, nonprofit organizations and coaching to individuals. She has extensive education and experience in the areas of diversity management and cross-cultural communications and provides client education and services in:

• Diversity Awareness
• Diversity Management
• Diversity Initiatives
• Cross-Cultural Communication
• Cultural Competency in Health Care
• Leading Diverse Teams
• Performing Successfully in a Diverse Organization
• Team Building
• Conflict Resolution
• Coaching

When designing training, Ms. Wade considers the nature and size of each business, organizational structure, organizational culture, prior diversity interventions and programs along with current diversity, workplace and litigation issues that may impact company.  Her interactive training is not based on judgmental or blame-game tactics. She combines lecturetts and experiential activities to create a safe and engaged learning community.   Ms. Wade’s goal is to align the training approach with that of the client's business objectives.

Ms. Wade served as an Assistant District Attorney with the Madison County District Attorney's Office. Immediately following law school, she clerked at the Mississippi Court of Appeals for the current Chief Judge Leslie D. King.

Lillie Bender

Ms. Bender is an advocate for affordable housing with experience in developing strategic community partnerships, social service and training programs.  She established the HOPE VI Community Services program, and served as Mississippi Operations Director of Unity Homes, a project of The Health Building Network.  She has also served as panelist and presenter at local, regional and national conferences on housing and environmental issues.

Doug Boone

Mr. Boone serves as Treasurer of the Mississippi Association of Grantmakers, on the Advisory Board of the Else School of Management at Millsaps and as Past President of the Board of Operation Shoestring.  He was recently recognized by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation as a Volunteer Service Award recipient.

Mary Ellen Calvert

Ms. Calvert is an adult educator and consultant.  She works with organizations in the areas of Management Development, Leadership, Strategic Planning, Collaboration and many other areas.  She has developed a curriculum and training modules for the Mid-South Collaborative for Nonprofit Development, a three state nonprofit collaborative, and trained over 250 others to deliver training to grassroots organizations across the Mid-South.

Norman Collins, Ph.D.

Dr. Collins is a former pastor who is currently serving as program director for the Alcohol and Drug Services division at Southwest Mississippi Mental Health complex.  He supervises three program components consisting of nineteen employees.

Jan Eastman

Ms. Eastman is the Director of Development for the CREATE Foundation, which serves sixteen counties in northeast Mississippi.  She has 46 years of work experience including management, consulting, education, information technology, and marketing, and has established a consulting practice that worked with more than 65 nonprofits for over thirteen years including grant research and writing, strategic planning, and financial management.

Jackie Hall

For over 15 years Jackie has worked with organizational leaders to address external challenges, strengthen internal systems and implement lasting changes.  She is an ASQ Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence, and has published articles in the Journal for Quality and Participation and McGraw-Hill Team and Organization Development Sourcebook.

Mark Jones

Mr. Jones is the Divisional Director of Public Relations for the Salvation Army Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.  He also serves as the Public Information Officer for all disaster responses in the division, and in 2005 served as the national PIO for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.  He is also the Public Information trainer for the Salvation Army’s Southern Territory, covering 15 states and Washington D.C.

Julie Laperouse

Ms. Laperouse is Founder and Chief “Peacock” of Screaming Peacock, LLC.  Her organization is a professional speaking and training company dedicated to helping others put their best “feather” forward.  She has conducted several workshops and delivered keynote speeches, and has worked for employers such as St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and Parkway Properties.  She has been named by the Mississippi Business Journal as a “Person to Watch.”

Bob Litro

Over the past three years Mr. Litro has presented workshops at seven conferences conducted by either the MS Commission for Volunteer Service or the MS Center for Nonprofits.  His past workshops included such topics as Making Meetings Meaningful, Getting Your Message Across the First Time, Goal Setting, Quality Life Management and Stress Management.  His experience as a teacher, consultant and author provides him with insights into human behavior, motivation and the role of attitudes in our lives.

Bob Lowery

Mr. Lowery is a licensed social worker with 20 years experience in the field of public health and served as Ryan White Title II Grant Coordinator for the state of Mississippi.  He is currently with Lutheran Episcopal Services in Mississippi (LESM) where he is responsible for the submission of Federal, State and private grants.  He is a current member of the MS Human Services Coalition and has won awards for his work following Hurricane Katrina.

Jerold L. Meadows, Ph.D.

Dr. Meadows has over thirty years of experience leading private higher education, consulting, and government organizations.  He is especially skilled at blending financial, human resources and organizational behavior concerns.  He has helped organizations transform strategies into actionable operational plans.

Stephanie Meincke

Ms. Meincke has more than 25 years of experience in managing all types and sizes of nonprofit organizations.  She received her Master’s Degree from Florida State University in administrative social work.  She is currently working on developing an online business as well as providing consulting and training on nonprofit management.

Robert Scucchi

Mr. Scucchi is the first Director of Volunteer Services for the new Volunteer Services Program at Methodist Specialty Care Center in Flowood, MS.  He has served on the boards of several healthcare organizations including The March of Dimes and The American Cancer Society.  He has also conducted workshops to include the ABC’s of Volunteer Services and Recruiting and Retaining Volunteers in the Healthcare Industry.