Dynamic speakers enlighten and inspire
The General Sessions are the marquee events of the Capital Conference. Don't miss these presentations by these renowned keynote speakers. Monday's General Session speaker is child advocate and chief diversity officer Steve Pemberton; public education advocate Diane Ravitch will speak on Tuesday; and comedy troupe The Capitol Steps will close the conference on Wednesday.
Steve Pemberton
Monday, Nov. 12, 10:30 a.m.
Steve Pemberton is a child advocate, motivational speaker, author and the chief diversity officer and divisional vice president for Walgreens, the first such person to hold that responsibility in the company’s 110-year history. One of America's most inspiring executives, Steve Pemberton is recognized as a leader on matters of diversity and inclusion.
Fortune Magazine named him one of the top 20 chief diversity officers in the nation and was named by Savoy as one of the top 100 most influential African Americans in corporate America. Pemberton currently serves on several boards including The Home for Little Wanderers and UCAN to provide guidance and inspiration to children in need. The Pemberton Fund for the Future has been established at The Home for Little Wanderers to assist children aging out of the foster care system.
His memoir, A Chance in the World: An Orphan Boy, a Mysterious Past, and How He Found a Place Called Home is his riveting autobiography that chronicles his difficult path through foster care. It is an inspirational story that crosses generations and cultures, but specifically reaches out to those who have had the odds stacked against them.
Click here to view a video clip of Steve Pemberton.
Monday’s General Session is sponsored by Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP; Pepple & Waggoner Ltd. and Ross, Sinclaire & Associates LLC.
Diane Ravitch
Public education advocate
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 10:30 a.m.
Diane Ravitch is a professor, historian of education and a strong advocate for public schools. She is a research professor of education at New York University and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.
Ravitch is an expert on many education topics, including student assessments and achievement. She served as U.S. assistant secretary of education from 1991 to 1993, and was responsible for the Office of Educational Research and Improvement in the U.S. Department of Education. From 1997 to 2004, Ravitch was a member of the National Assessment Governing Board, which oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress, the federal testing program. From 1995 until 2005, she held the Brown Chair in Education Studies at the Brookings Institution and edited Brookings Papers on Education Policy.
Ravitch, a graduate of Houston public schools, has lectured around the world. She is the author of numerous articles and books, including The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education. Ravitch blogs for Education Week, Politico and The Huffington Post.
Click here to view a video clip of Diane Ravitch.
Tuesday’s General Session sponsors are Baird Public Finance; Peck, Shaffer & Williams LLP; Scott, Scriven & Wahoff LLP; and Squire Sanders (US) LLP.
The Capitol Steps
Comedy troupe
Wednesday, Nov. 14, 10:30 a.m.
Inspired by the motto, “We put the ‘mock’ in democracy,” this Washington-based comedy troupe is always in top form during presidential elections years.
Members of The Capitol Steps draw on experience working on Capitol Hill to craft sidesplitting satire.
The troupe began in 1981 as a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the very people and places that employed them. In the years that followed, many of the Steps ignored conventional wisdom (“Don’t quit your day job!”) and took to the stage full time. Although some of the current members have not worked on Capitol Hill, the combined cast has worked in 18 congressional offices and represents 62 years of collective House and Senate staff experience.
These astute political observers cast a sharp eye on current events in the Oval Office, on Capitol Hill and in other centers of power, and turn them into insightful and hilarious comedy and musical skits.
The troupe has recorded dozens of albums, including “Take the Money and Run for President.” Members of the group have appeared on “Good Morning America,” the “Today Show,” “Nightline” and National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered,” among other TV and radio programs.
Click here to view a video clip of The Capitol Steps.
Wednesday’s General Session is sponsored by CompManagement Inc. and Honeywell International Inc.