Past Keynote Speakers 2011

Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr.

Dr. Eddie Moore, Jr. currently serves as Director of Diversity at The Bush School in Seattle, Washington. He earned his B.A. in Political Science from Cornell College, his M.A. in Education Administration from Loras College, and his Ph.D. in Education: Social Foundations from the University of Iowa. An ex-student-athlete, Eddie remains committed to the influence of athletics and academics in the lives of all students. He is the founder of America & MOORE, LLC, which offers comprehensive diversity and cultural competency training for schools, community groups and businesses. He is a dynamic and personable diversity consultant and public speaker with interactive, fun, challenging, informative and practical presentations.

Alberder Gillespie is an entrepreneur, strategy consultant and speaker/facilitator who has developed a reputation as a truth-teller, change agent, and strategic problem solver. Ms. Gillespie's many clients in multiple industries have benefited from her action- and result-oriented approach. Her ability to design and implement strategic action plans that deliver results led to the successful launch of her consulting firm, Collaborative Connections, which includes a client list of Minnesota's top corporations and organizations such as Target Corporation, Data Recognition Corporation, INROADS, Apple Valley-Rosemount-Eagan Independent School District, and St. Paul Public Schools. Through her unique perspective and diverse professional history, Ms. Gillespie excels in assisting organizations with moving beyond the symptoms to diagnosing the problem to developing a treatment to cure what ails their organization. A champion in diversity and inclusion matters, Ms. Gillespie's cultural sensitivity is an important component of her many accomplishments. Having worked extensively with other cultures, her ability to perform outreach and strategically connect with diverse individuals and organizations has been invaluable for her clients. Ms. Gillespie's innate talent to overcome cultural barriers has earned her the trust and respect from colleagues and clients alike.

Professor Joe Martin is a nationally known, award-winning speaker, respected university professor, author, and educational consultant. At the age of 24, Joe became the youngest faculty member ever hired to teach at a state university in Florida. He also has the distinct honor of being the youngest professor at his institution to ever be nominated twice for the "Distinguished Teacher's Award." Professionally, Joe has worked as a top sales trainer for a Fortune 500 company and as a public relations professional for both the state and federal government, including a position as Communications Director with the Florida Governor's Office. He is also the founder and president of "RealWorld University" (www.RWuniversity.com), an award-winning college success web site designed to help students meet the personal and professional challenges of college and life as well as the creator of NewTeacherUniversity.com ,a web site designed to motivate, inform, and retain new and beginning teachers. Joe has successfully hosted regional television and radio talk shows, and has made several guest appearances on both television and radio. The author of nine books, he also serves as a guest columnist for three national educational publications. Currently, Joe serves as an educational consultant in the Tallahassee area.

Noura Erakat is a Palestinian human rights attorney and activist. She is currently an adjunct professor of international human rights law in the Middle East at Georgetown University and is the US-based Legal Advocacy Coordinator for Badil Center for Palestinian Refugee and Residency Rights. Most recently she served as Legal Counsel for a Congressional Subcommittee in the House of Representatives, chaired by Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich. She has helped to initiate and organize several national formations including Arab Women Arising for Justice (AMWAJ) and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN). Noura has appeared on Fox's "The O' Reilly Factor," NBC's "Politically Incorrect," MSNBC, and Al-Jazeera Arabic and English. Her publications include: Litigating the Arab-Israeli Conflict: The Politicization of U.S. Federal Courts" in the Berkeley Law Journal of Middle Eastern and Islamic Law, Arabiya Made Invisible: Between the Marginalization of Agency and the Silencing of Dissent in a Syracuse Press anthology, and BDS in the USA: 2001-2010, in the Middle East Report.

Ngô Thanh Nhàn, Ph.D is a linguist, musician and expert on Vietnamese and Vietnamese American culture, history and contemporary issues and is also known for playing and teaching the dàn tranh- a traditional Vietnamese 16-string zither. He has performed nationwide at dozens of colleges and universities as well as museums like the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC and the Lincoln Center in New York. Dr. Nhàn has lectured and written extensively about Vietnamese and Vietnamese American culture, history and contemporary issues. A visiting scholar at the New York University Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences (CIMS), Dr. Nhàn specializes in preserving and making accessible through computer technology the endangered ancient Vietnamese script of Nom and is currently one of 100 scholars in the world who can read the script. He has served as Director of the Vietnam Heritage Institute and was Assistant Editor for Vietnam Culture Journal.