Community Issues Speakers

Community Issues Speakers

Gary Baney
Top 100 IT Leader (and Dragon Boat Racer)

Gary Baney
Gary Baney

Topics include:

  • Career Management into your 60’s … and beyond (for an older crowd – encouraging, practical advice)

  • Katie Brennan
    Police Reform and Northern Ireland Expert

    Kathleen Brennan
    Kathleen Brennan

    Topics include:

    • Police reform in Cleveland
    • Northern Ireland’s police reform process (and how we in Cleveland can learn from them)humanitarian concerns, economic impact
    • Key issues in Cleveland/America and how we can learn from Ireland/Northern Ireland’s experience (namely: police reform, immigration issues, prejudice)

    Veronica Dahlberg
    Founder and executive director of HOLA

    Veronica Dahlberg
    Veronica Dahlberg

    Topics include:

    • Northeast Ohio Latino immigrants and their families
    • Immigration:  including policies, history, current trends, influence on politics, humanitarian concerns, economic impact
    • Advocacy and grassroots organizing

    Darcy Downie
    Chapter Director at Prevent Blindness

    Darcy Downie
    Darcy Downie

    Topics include:

    • Age Related Eye Diseases
    • Eye Health & Safety
    • Vision Problems In Ohio

    Sanjay Garg
    Founder of Shiksha Daan (Gift of Education)

    Sanjay Garg
    Sanjay Garg

    Topics include:

    • How to start a community volunteer effort
    • How Asian Indian community is giving back to the Greater Cleveland Community through volunteerism and service
    • Opportunities to help with education and development of youth from low income families – how you can contribute

    Wendy Hoke
    Story Teller and Survivor

    Wendy Hoke
    Wendy Hoke

    Topics include:

    • The cancer year: facing the worst fear to discover what’s possible
    • The power of story

    Ken Kovach
    Board Certified Coach 

    Ken Kovach
    Ken Kovach

    Topics include:

    • Nonprofit Board Development – How to keep your nonprofit board accountable and connected with its stakeholders; special board assessment tool – Board Rx.

    Li Li, MD, PhD
    Director, Swetland Center for Environmental Health

    Li Li, MD, PhD
    Li Li, MD, PhD

    Topics include:

    • Environmental Health
    • Health Disparities
    • Global and International Health
    • Clinical Translational Science
    • Chronic Disease Prevention Research
    • Obesity, Energy Imbalance and Cancer
    • Environmental Determinants of Health Disparities
    • Cancer, Genomics and Primary Care
    • Acculturation and Health Disparities
    • Sleep and cancer
    • Gut microbiome and health

    Jim McIntyre
    Communications and Marketing Manager
    American Red Cross

    Jim McIntyre
    Jim McIntyre

    Topics include:

    • American Red Cross services
    • Disaster Preparedness and Response
    • Home Fire Safety

    Joseph Patrick Meissner
    Attorney, Green Beret Vietnam Veteran, Author

    Joe Meissner
    Joe Meissner

    Topics include:

    • What is wrong with Chief Wahoo?
    • Why are your utility bills so high and what can you do about this?

    Erika Puussaar
    Estonian Community Leader

    Erika Puussaar from Cleveland's Estonian community
    Erika Puussaar

    Topics include:

    • Growing up as a Displaced Person in WWII in a Refugee Camp
    • Respecting the Flag and National Anthem

    Paramjit Singh
    Sikh leader promoting Peace and Non-Violence.

    Paramjit Singh
    Paramjit Singh

    Topics include:

    • Mistaken Identity – A beard and turban do not make a terrorist
    • Sikhs and Sikhism
    • Peace and Non-Violence projects
    • Making Cleveland the City of Peace and Non-Violence
    • Guns don’t Decide Who is Right, Guns Decide Who is Left

    Michael Sreshta
    Diabetes and Medication Management for Seniors

    Michael Sreshta
    Michael Sreshta

    Topics include:

    • Diabetes in Seniors
    • Medication Management in Seniors

    Chris Thompson
    Founder and president of
    Civic Collaboration Consultants, LLC

    Chris Thompson
    Chris Thompson

    Topics include:

    • Beyond CoBLABoration: What it takes for leaders to leave their logos and egos at the door so they can get things done together.
    • The Civic Superpower: How the practice of inquiry – asking new, compelling questions and listening deeply to the answers that emerge – can transform a stuck community into a vibrant community.
    • Collaboration Moves at the Speed of Trust: Why trust is essential to effective collaboration and what you can do to build trust within your community.
    • System Change: What is it? What does it take? And why our communities will remain inequitable until we accomplish it.