{"id":7,"date":"2024-03-21T19:00:41","date_gmt":"2024-03-21T19:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/?page_id=7"},"modified":"2026-06-05T11:07:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T15:07:36","slug":"speakers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/speakers\/","title":{"rendered":"Speakers"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"7\" class=\"elementor elementor-7\" data-elementor-post-type=\"page\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-881993a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"881993a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3e33e71 elementor-toc--minimized-on-tablet elementor-widget elementor-widget-table-of-contents\" data-id=\"3e33e71\" data-element_type=\"widget\" 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.elementor-toc__list-item-text.elementor-item-active{color:var(--item-text-active-color);-webkit-text-decoration:var(--item-text-active-decoration);text-decoration:var(--item-text-active-decoration)}ol.elementor-toc__list-wrapper{counter-reset:item}ol.elementor-toc__list-wrapper .elementor-toc__list-item{counter-increment:item}ol.elementor-toc__list-wrapper .elementor-toc__list-item-text-wrapper:before{content:counters(item,\".\") \". \"}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__header\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-toc__header-title\">\n\t\t\t\tSpeaker List\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--expand\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__3e33e71\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Open table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-down\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M207.029 381.476L12.686 187.132c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941l22.667-22.667c9.357-9.357 24.522-9.375 33.901-.04L224 284.505l154.745-154.021c9.379-9.335 24.544-9.317 33.901.04l22.667 22.667c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941L240.971 381.476c-9.373 9.372-24.569 9.372-33.942 0z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__toggle-button elementor-toc__toggle-button--collapse\" role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-controls=\"elementor-toc__3e33e71\" aria-expanded=\"true\" aria-label=\"Close table of contents\"><svg aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"e-font-icon-svg e-fas-chevron-up\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M240.971 130.524l194.343 194.343c9.373 9.373 9.373 24.569 0 33.941l-22.667 22.667c-9.357 9.357-24.522 9.375-33.901.04L224 227.495 69.255 381.516c-9.379 9.335-24.544 9.317-33.901-.04l-22.667-22.667c-9.373-9.373-9.373-24.569 0-33.941L207.03 130.525c9.372-9.373 24.568-9.373 33.941-.001z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div id=\"elementor-toc__3e33e71\" class=\"elementor-toc__body\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-toc__spinner-container\">\n\t\t\t\t<svg class=\"elementor-toc__spinner eicon-animation-spin e-font-icon-svg e-eicon-loading\" aria-hidden=\"true\" viewBox=\"0 0 1000 1000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"M500 975V858C696 858 858 696 858 500S696 142 500 142 142 304 142 500H25C25 237 238 25 500 25S975 237 975 500 763 975 500 975Z\"><\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-88a3c77 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"88a3c77\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1c07d93 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1c07d93\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.20.0 - 20-03-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-afb94f2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"afb94f2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.noviams.com\/novi-file-uploads\/LF\/auto-files\/image_1773855732669.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"200\" \/><\/p><h5>Naturalization Ceremony<\/h5><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">We are delighted to share a special highlight of our upcoming Annual Meeting at Disney.\u00a0On Friday, June 12 at 10:30 a.m., with the support of Chief Judge Marcia Morales Howard of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, we will host a Naturalization Ceremony welcoming approximately 35 new citizens of the United States, and you will serve as their witnesses.\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Even better, many Leadership Florida members will play an active role in the ceremony. We will invite volunteers to meet these soon-to-be citizens beforehand and introduce them to the audience before they take the Oath of Allegiance and officially become Americans. It promises to be a powerful and patriotic moment, and one we are honored to experience together.<\/span><\/p><hr \/><h5><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-on-left alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.noviams.com\/novi-file-uploads\/LF\/auto-files\/image_1773862260238.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"188\" height=\"300\" \/><a id=\"bryant\"><\/a>John Hope Bryant<\/h5><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Founder, Chairman, and CEO Operation HOPE<\/strong><\/span><\/p><div id=\"x_x_bloop_customfont\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">John Hope Bryant is an American entrepreneur and civic leader working at the intersection of markets, public policy, and inclusive economic growth. As part of America\u2019s 250th commemoration, Forbes named Bryant one of America\u2019s 250 Greatest Living Self-Made Americans, along with Oprah Winfrey, Bill Clinton, Tyler Perry, and Serena Williams.<\/span><\/div><div>\u00a0<\/div><div><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Often described by Fortune 500 CEOs as the &#8220;conscience of capitalism,&#8221; Bryant has spent more than three decades advancing the idea that expanding opportunity is not only a moral imperative but an economic one.<\/span><\/div><div>\u00a0<\/div><div id=\"x_x_bloop_customfont\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE, the nation&#8217;s largest on-the-ground provider of financial literacy and economic empowerment services, and the Founder and CEO of Bryant Group Ventures, which houses his entrepreneurial, investment, and advisory work.<\/span><\/div><div>\u00a0<\/div><div id=\"x_x_bloop_customfont\"><div id=\"x_x_bloop_customfont\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Bryant is a contributor to CNBC and TIME and is host of iHeart\u2019s &#8220;Money &amp; Wealth with John Hope Bryant&#8221;, consistently ranked as a Top 100 podcast. His social media platforms have racked up over 1 billion video views over the past two years alone.<\/span><\/div><div>\u00a0<\/div><div id=\"x_x_bloop_customfont\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He has been recognized by TIME as part of its inaugural &#8220;40 Under 40&#8221; class and thirty years later, the inaugural TIME Closers list. In 2025, he was named by U.S. News &amp; World Report as one of its Top Leaders of 2025.<\/span><\/div><div>\u00a0<\/div><\/div><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Book signing available at the Bookseller&#8217;s Table on\u00a0Friday, June 12 from 1:30 PM &#8211; 3:00 PM. Time subject to change.\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13c1bba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"13c1bba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr \/><section data-element_type=\"section\" data-id=\"701bd9b\"><div data-element_type=\"column\" data-id=\"052867a\"><div data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-id=\"05fcf89\"><h5><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-on-left alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.noviams.com\/novi-file-uploads\/LF\/auto-files\/image_1773423833019.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"179\" height=\"300\" \/><a id=\"cogar\"><\/a>Heather Cogar<\/h5><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Statewide Director; Florida Chamber of Commerce&#8217;s Prosperity Initiative<\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Heather Cogar serves as a statewide leader with the Florida Chamber of Commerce\u2019s Prosperity Initiative, a bold effort to cut childhood poverty in half by 2030 by addressing its root causes at the ZIP code level. Her work focuses on aligning Florida\u2019s business community, law enforcement, education systems, nonprofits, and policymakers to create sustainable pathways to self-sufficiency for families.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Heather\u2019s leadership is grounded in both professional achievement and personal experience. After overcoming a childhood marked by foster care and instability, she went on to earn her bachelor\u2019s degree in business and begin her career in public service as a deputy sheriff. Her time in law enforcement provided firsthand insight into the long-term consequences of childhood poverty \u2014 from literacy gaps to workforce shortages and public safety challenges.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">She later transitioned into entrepreneurship, building a successful real estate career while remaining deeply engaged in community impact efforts. Today, she partners with leaders across Florida\u2019s 67 counties \u2014 including sheriffs, chambers of commerce, school boards, and legislators \u2014 to connect existing resources, strengthen cross-sector collaboration, and drive measurable economic mobility outcomes.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Heather\u2019s work is centered on a simple but powerful belief: strong economies require strong families. By leveraging data, engaging employers, and focusing on practical, local solutions, she is helping communities build talent pipelines, reduce dependency, and create opportunity where it is needed most.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A proud mother and advocate for Florida\u2019s future, Heather brings authenticity, strategic clarity, and contagious energy to every stage she steps on \u2014 challenging leaders to think bigger, collaborate deeper, and lead with purpose.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/section>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-56b5a6e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"56b5a6e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr \/><section data-element_type=\"section\" data-id=\"701bd9b\"><div data-element_type=\"column\" data-id=\"052867a\"><div data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-id=\"05fcf89\"><h5><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-on-left alignleft\" style=\"font-family: inherit;\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.noviams.com\/novi-file-uploads\/LF\/auto-files\/image_1776093191586.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"225\" height=\"300\" \/><a id=\"elrod\" style=\"font-family: inherit; color: #333333;\"><\/a><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Hal Elrod<\/span><\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/section><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Author and Creator of\u00a0<em>The Miracle Morning<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Hal Elrod is a family man, first and foremost. He is a loyal husband to his wife of\u00a014 years and a dedicated father to their two children.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He has also lived a life that would break most people. At 8 years old, his sister died in front of him. At 20, a drunk driver hit his car head-on at 70 miles per hour, and he was found dead at the scene. At 29, his business failed, and he found himself drowning in half a million dollars of debt. At 37, he nearly died again when he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and given a 20-30% chance of surviving.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Yet, he\u2019s found a way to turn all his adversities into perspectives and practices that have helped millions of people transform their lives.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">His mission is to elevate the consciousness of humanity, one morning and one person at a time.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He is the author of 12 books, including The Miracle Morning\u2014which has been translated into 42 languages, sold over 2 million copies, and is practiced by hundreds of thousands of people in more than 100 countries.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Book signing available on Thursday, June 11 from 6:30 PM &#8211; 7:45 PM during the Opening Reception in the Main Hall. Time subject to change.<\/em><\/span><\/p><hr \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1f51c4c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1f51c4c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5><a href=\"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/nikki-greenberg-green\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-3356\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-3356 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nikki-Greenberg-green-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"262\" height=\"262\" srcset=\"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nikki-Greenberg-green-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nikki-Greenberg-green-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nikki-Greenberg-green-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nikki-Greenberg-green-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Nikki-Greenberg-green.png 1080w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 262px) 100vw, 262px\" \/><\/a>Nikki Greenberg<\/h5><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>World Renowned Futurist<\/strong><\/span><\/p><h6 data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">JOURNEY to the FUTURE:<\/span><\/h6><h6><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Preparing Florida to Thrive in the Next Era<\/span><\/h6><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">World-renowned futurist Nikki Greenberg delivers an inspiring and future-focused keynote exploring how Florida is evolving in response to emerging technologies, shifting demographics, and the changing expectations of people, business, and society.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Drawing on her experience leading digital transformation within a multi-billion-dollar real estate organization, Nikki explores the innovations reshaping the built environment\u00a0 &#8211; from AI-enabled cities and autonomous infrastructure to resilient communities, smart mobility, and the future of work and lifestyle.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">But this keynote is about more than technology. It\u2019s about leadership. Nikki challenges audiences to think bigger, move faster, and embrace the bold ideas that will define Florida\u2019s next era of growth and competitiveness. Most importantly, she shares practical insights on how organizations, industries, and leaders can turn ambitious visions into real-world outcomes.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Delivered in Nikki\u2019s signature light-hearted, dynamic, and engaging style, this is a high-energy keynote designed to inspire action, unlock possibility, and help leaders shape the future they want to create.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">This is one of those not-to-be-missed sessions that leaves audiences energized not only about what the future holds for Florida &#8211;\u00a0 but about the role they can play in building it.<\/span><\/p><hr \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4fd176e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4fd176e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-on-left alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.noviams.com\/novi-file-uploads\/LF\/auto-files\/image_1774282747012.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"260\" height=\"300\">Rich Harwood<\/h5>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>President &amp; Founder, The Harwood Institute for&nbsp;<\/strong><strong>Public Innovation<\/strong><\/span><br><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Author, Speaker, Innovator<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Rich Harwood, President and Founder of The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, has&nbsp;devoted his career to revitalizing the nation\u2019s hardest-hit communities, transforming the&nbsp;world\u2019s largest organizations, and reconnecting institutions like newsrooms and schools to society. In 1988, after working on more than 20 political campaigns, attending Skidmore College and Princeton University, being named a Harry S. Truman Scholar, and working for&nbsp;two highly-respected non-profits, Rich founded The Harwood Institute when he was just 27 years old.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Over the past 35 years, Rich has developed a philosophy and practice of how communities can tackle shared problems, create a culture of shared responsibility, and deepen our civic faith. The Harwood practice of Turning Outward has spread to all 50 states and 40 countries. Today,&nbsp;the Harwood School makes this approach available to everyone, everywhere.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">His experience working on the ground to build capacity and coalitions for change gives him a unique, powerful perspective on bridging divides and creating resilient communities. In Newtown, CT, after the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Rich led the process for the community to collectively decide the fate of the school building. Currently, Rich is working deeply in iconic communities across the country to prove that Americans have the public will and ability to come together to get things done amid our real differences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">An inspiring and sought-after speaker, Rich regularly keynotes major conferences and events. He has written nine books, including Unleashed: A Proven Way Communities Can Spread Change and Make Hope Real for All and two Amazon bestsellers: Stepping Forward and The Little Field Guide for Sparking Community-Led Change. He has appeared on major media outlets, including NPR, the PBS Newshour, MSNBC, CNN, the Washington Post, the New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal. And he has authored scores of articles, numerous reports, and is a regular contributor to both the The Fulcrum and the Christian Citizen.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2024, Rich ran a nationwide civic campaign called &#8220;Enough. Time to Build.&#8221; Amid another contentious election cycle, Rich believed the country needed a new civic path, not more divisive politics, and that real change will start in our local communities. His campaign called on community leaders and active citizens to reclaim the public square from the most divisive voices and unleash our capacity as builders and doers. In 2025, Rich and the Institute are doubling down with the Campaign for the New Civic Path, anchored by Rich\u2019s latest book The New Civic Path: Restoring Our Belief in One Another and Our Nation. This new campaign is all about supporting communities in getting on the new civic path to prove we can create real, substantive change in our communities and the country.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Rich Harwood will be available for booksigning at the close of Saturday morning&#8217;s session.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b9c5b07 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b9c5b07\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f9b1717 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f9b1717\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<hr \/><section data-element_type=\"section\" data-id=\"701bd9b\"><div data-element_type=\"column\" data-id=\"052867a\"><div data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-id=\"05fcf89\"><h5><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-on-left alignleft\" style=\"font-family: inherit;\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.noviams.com\/novi-file-uploads\/LF\/auto-files\/image_1773423510965.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"301\" height=\"226\" \/><a id=\"liu\" style=\"font-family: inherit; color: #333333;\"><\/a><span style=\"font-family: inherit;\">Eric Liu<\/span><\/h5><\/div><\/div><\/section><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>CEO, Citizen University &amp; Civic Evangelist<\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Eric Liu is the co-founder and CEO of Citizen University, which works to build a culture of\u00a0powerful and responsible citizenship in the United States. He is the author of numerous\u00a0acclaimed books, including most recently Become America: Civic Sermons on Love,\u00a0Responsibility, and Democracy \u2014 a New York Times New &amp; Notable Book \u2014 and Live Like a\u00a0Citizen: 8 Ways to Change Your Mindset and Our Country, to be published in October 2026. He is\u00a0featured in the PBS documentary American Creed and is a contributing writer at The Atlantic.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Liu served as a White House speechwriter for President Bill Clinton and as the President\u2019s\u00a0deputy domestic policy adviser. He was later appointed by President Barack Obama to the\u00a0board of the Corporation for National and Community Service. In 2020, Liu was elected to the\u00a0American Academy of Arts and Sciences, where he now serves on its Trust and is co-chair of its Our Common Purpose commission on democratic citizenship. Liu founded and for nine years led\u00a0the Aspen Institute Citizenship and American Identity Program. He is a graduate of Yale College\u00a0and Harvard Law School, and a member of the Yale University Council. Liu lives in Seattle, where\u00a0he has served on the boards of the Seattle Public Library and the Washington State Board of\u00a0Education, and co-founded the Alliance for Gun Responsibility. His work as a civic innovator was\u00a0recognized in 2020 with an Ashoka Fellowship.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Topics:<\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Live Like a Citizen: Activating Character in Service of Community<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Renewing Our Common Purpose<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Become America: How to Revive Our Belief in Democracy<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Racial Discrimination Against Asian Americans: It Needs to Stop<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Citizen Power: You\u2019re More Powerful Than You Think<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Corporate Citizenship: The Secret to Reinvigorating Culture and Employee Engagement<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Civic Health: The Health of Our Communities Depends on It<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Making the Case for Civics Education<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 The Civic Purpose of College<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 Who Is Us? The New Omnicultural American Identity<\/span><br \/><span style=\"color: #000000;\">\u2022 From Isolation to Community: A Commitment to Rehumanize<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em>Eric Liu will be available for booksigning on Sunday, June 14 at 10:00 AM.<\/em><\/span><\/p><hr \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4b22fbb elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"4b22fbb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-on-left alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.noviams.com\/novi-file-uploads\/LF\/auto-files\/image_1773423347353.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"306\" height=\"237\" \/><a id=\"meltzer\"><\/a>Brad Meltzer<\/h5><p><strong>Emmy nominated, #1\u00a0<em>New York Times\u00a0<\/em>Bestselling Author<\/strong><\/p><p>Brad Meltzer is the Emmy-nominated, #1\u00a0<i>New York Times<\/i>\u00a0bestselling\u00a0author of\u00a0<i>The Viper<\/i>\u00a0and thirteen other bestselling thrillers. He also writes non-fiction books like\u00a0<i>The JFK Conspiracy<\/i>, and the Ordinary People Change the World kids book series, which inspired the TV show on PBS KIDS,\u00a0<i>Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum<\/i>.<\/p><p>In addition to his fiction, Brad is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list for Non-Fiction, Advice, Children\u2019s Books, and even comic books, for which he won the prestigious Eisner Award.<\/p><p>Brad is also the host of\u00a0<i>Brad Meltzer\u2019s Decoded<\/i>\u00a0on the History Channel, and is responsible for helping find\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/bradmeltzer.com\/TV-Kids-and-More\/Work-and-Videos\/LostHistoryNews\" href=\"https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbradmeltzer.com%2FTV-Kids-and-More%2FWork-and-Videos%2FLostHistoryNews&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ckjones%40leadershipflorida.org%7Ca224034a4d824e5222b808de7582ebec%7C2568889ba4fa410396a95d67cf417816%7C0%7C0%7C639077402372525643%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=WUJd6mBZEr5mNxTh2riBhxtPqwVZv1QYQ6EyewPyka8%3D&amp;reserved=0\">the missing 9\/11 flag<\/a>\u00a0with his show,\u00a0<i>Brad Meltzer\u2019s Lost History<\/i>.<\/p><p>His books have been read by multiple U.S. Presidents. The Hollywood Reporter put him on their list of the 25 Most Powerful Authors. And his recent\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=D1c_UCoRV7Q\" href=\"https:\/\/nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DD1c_UCoRV7Q&amp;data=05%7C02%7Ckjones%40leadershipflorida.org%7Ca224034a4d824e5222b808de7582ebec%7C2568889ba4fa410396a95d67cf417816%7C0%7C0%7C639077402372549892%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=OkFUkx%2FJYVZZxecOHAwWZub6DMN%2B0jVSPPK4xXCGDCE%3D&amp;reserved=0\">commencement address<\/a>\u00a0at the University of Michigan has been called \u201cone of the best of all time.\u201d<\/p><p><em>Book signing available at the Bookseller&#8217;s Table on Friday, June 12 from 7:45 AM &#8211; 8:15 AM. Time subject to change.\u00a0<\/em><\/p><hr \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2f111b1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2f111b1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h5><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"img-on-left alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.noviams.com\/novi-file-uploads\/LF\/auto-files\/image_1773423758225.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"222\" height=\"300\" \/><a id=\"yaeger\"><\/a>Don Yaeger<\/h5><p><strong>President of Greatness, Inc<\/strong><\/p><p><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">As a Hall of Fame keynote speaker, business leadership coach, a thirteen-time New York Times Best-selling author, host of the top-rated Corporate Competitor Podcast, Publisher of Forbes Books, National Geographic\u2019s \u201cStoryteller in Residence,\u201d and longtime Associate Editor for Sports Illustrated, Don Yaeger has fashioned a career as one of America&#8217;s most provocative thought leaders.<\/span><\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>As a speaker, he has worked with audiences as diverse as Fortune 500 companies and cancer survivor groups, where he shares his personal story. He is primarily sought to discuss lessons on achieving greatness, learned from first-hand experiences with some of the greatest sports and business legends in the world. Additionally, Don has been retained by companies and organizations to coach their leaders on building a culture of greatness by looking at Great Teams in sports and discerning the business lessons we can learn from them.<\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>Throughout his writing career, Don has developed a reputation as a world-class storyteller and has been invited as a guest to every major talk show &#8211; from Oprah to Nightline, from CNN to Good Morning America. Few journalists can lay claim to as exciting and colorful a career as Don Yaeger.<\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><ul type=\"disc\"><li>In three decades of reporting, the breadth of his assignments has been astounding. He has traveled the world in pursuit of stories as diverse as:<\/li><li>Walking into Afghanistan with the Mujahadeen in 1988 as they fought the Soviets<\/li><li>Going into Baghdad in 2003 with the victorious Iraqi soccer team as the battle between insurgents and the US Military waged around them<\/li><li>Visiting China in pursuit of underworld characters counterfeiting American golf clubs<\/li><li>Heading to Damascus to find the last living PLO terrorist from the 1972 Olympics<\/li><li>Living with football legend Walter Payton and his family as Payton was dying<\/li><li>Roaming the Middle East interviewing Iraqi athletes tortured by Saddam Hussein&#8217;s son Uday, chairman of the Iraqi Olympic Committee<\/li><li>Covering the first free national elections in El Salvador<\/li><li>Traveling with candidates from both US parties during several Presidential campaigns<\/li><\/ul><p>Yaeger began his career as a reporter for the San Antonio Light where he rose through the ranks to pen investigative features for the daily. He later moved on to the Dallas Morning News. Following his stint in Dallas, Yaeger worked as a political editor for the Florida Times-Union. After four years, he decided to dedicate himself to the pursuit of writing books.<\/p><p>\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p><p>Yaeger&#8217;s first book, Undue Process: The NCAA&#8217;s Injustice For All, was published in 1990. In the 30+ years since, he has penned 41 more books, including an incredible THIRTEEN New York Times Best-sellers with more than 7 million books sold.<\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>Among his Best-sellers are:<\/p><ul type=\"disc\"><li>Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton<\/li><li>Ya Gotta Believe: My Roller-Coaster Life As a Screwball Pitcher, Part-Time Father and My Hope Filled Fight Against Brain Cancer with Tug McGraw<\/li><li>It&#8217;s Not About the Truth: The Untold Story of the Duke Lacrosse Case and the Lives It Shattered<\/li><li>I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness, to the Blind Side, and Beyond with Michael Oher<\/li><li>Play Like You Mean It: Passion, Laugh, and Leadership in the World&#8217;s Most Beautiful Game with Rex Ryan<\/li><li>George Washington&#8217;s Secret Six: The Spy Ring that Saved the American Revolution with Brian Kilmeade<\/li><li>Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates: The Forgotten War that Changed American History with Kilmeade<\/li><li>Teammate: My Journey in Baseball and a World Series for the Ages with David Ross<\/li><li>Andrew Jackson and the Miracle of New Orleans with Kilmeade<\/li><li>Elevate and Dominate: 21 Ways to Win On and Off the Field with Deion Sanders<\/li><li>Born Lucky: A Dedicated Father, A Grateful Son and My Journey With Autism with Leland Vittert<\/li><\/ul><p>Don also wrote A Game Plan For Life, with legendary UCLA coach John Wooden. It was published on Coach&#8217;s 99th birthday in October 2009.<\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>A book he wrote in 2007 about a 59-year old college football linebacker was made into a major motion picture, The Senior, released to theatres in September 2025. Movie rights to both the Duke book and Turning of The Tide, a book about a 1970 football game between the last all-white team at the University of Alabama and the fully-integrated team from the University of Southern California, have recently been sold. Both movies have been scripted and are in production.<\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>After several years of freelancing for Sports Illustrated, Don joined the magazine&#8217;s staff full-time in July 1996. Two years later he was promoted to Associate Editor, where his work was to cover not just sporting events but the off-the-field happenings which affect the world of sports. He took an early retirement from full-time work at SI in 2008 and continued to freelance for the magazine for several years. He also is Forbes.com&#8217;s most-read leadership columnist.<\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>Yaeger and his SI colleague William Nack were finalists for the prestigious National Magazine Award in the public interest category for their cover story &#8220;Who&#8217;s Coaching Your Kid?: The frightening truth about child molestation in youth sports.&#8221; This important piece triggered Don&#8217;s appearances on programs such as Dateline, 20\/20, and The Oprah Winfrey Show. It also resulted in changes to the law in several states and several youth sports organizations, including Little League of America, to require background checks of coaches and volunteers.<\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>Born and raised in Hawaii, Yaeger has traveled extensively through his career. The Dominican Republic, Honduras, Japan, and Great Britain can be counted among the countries in which he has resided. A 1984 graduate of Ball State University (where he was selected as one of the university&#8217;s \u201c50 Graduates of Distinction\u201d over its first century), Yaeger currently lives in Tallahassee, FL. He and his wife Jeanette have a son and a daughter.<\/p><p>\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p><em>Don Yaeger will be available for booksigning at the close of Saturday morning&#8217;s session.<\/em><\/p><hr \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c32b48a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"c32b48a\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Speaker List Naturalization Ceremony We are delighted to share a special highlight of our upcoming Annual Meeting at Disney.\u00a0On Friday, June 12 at 10:30 a.m., with the support of Chief Judge Marcia Morales Howard of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida, we will host a Naturalization Ceremony welcoming approximately 35 new&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-7","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7"}],"version-history":[{"count":440,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3517,"href":"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7\/revisions\/3517"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/leadershipflorida.net\/lfam\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}