MAACCE PRE-CONFERENCE: Monday
SONDRA HUEY
Bridges Out of Poverty
Sondra Huey is a lifetime certified Bridges Out of Poverty trainer and has enjoyed providing this training to audiences in Kansas and Missouri for the past 18 years. She is passionate about sharing concepts that can improve personal and professional relationships, program outcomes and community efforts. Sondra has extensive experience working with programs that serve under-resourced individuals and families, particularly in the area of employment and training. She has a BS in Social Work and is currently employed as a Staff Development Training Specialist with the Missouri Department of Social Services, Office of Workforce and Community Initiatives where she designs and delivers training for DSS staff and community partners.
KERI MCKEE
Bridges Out of Poverty
Keri McKee works with Missouri’s Department of Social Service Office of Workforce & Community Initiatives where she focuses on employment training programs and resources for Missouri’s most vulnerable citizens. She manages partnerships with non-profit organizations and state agencies to assist the business community in finding untapped pools of qualified candidates. Keri received her BS in Socio-Political Communications from Missouri State University and is a lifelong resident of the Ozarks. Keri sits on the steering committee for the Ozark and Southwest Region Employment Nexus and is a lifetime certified Bridges Out of Poverty Trainer for the State of Missouri.
RACHEL JONES
Compassion Fatigue
Rachel Jones, LPC is Director of Trauma Services at Missouri Department of Mental Health. She provides trauma informed training, consultation and technical assistance with various projects to further implement trauma-informed knowledge, practices and treatment. She also guides the department in wellness and employee mental well-being initiatives. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and received Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, Minor Degree in Black Studies, and a Master’s Degree in Educational, School and Counseling Psychology from University of Missouri-Columbia.
KEYNOTE: Tuesday
DAN MEERS
Mascot, Motivational Speaker, Author and Family
Man.
Dan Meers has been KC Wolf, the mascot of the Kansas City Chiefs, for more than 30 years. In 2006 he was selected as the first NFL mascot inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. Dan travels throughout the United States and the world entertaining thousands of people both in and out of costume. He has performed in over 40 states and 12 different countries.
He is in high demand not only as a mascot but also as a humorous and motivational speaker to audiences of all ages. His enthusiasm, optimism and love for life are contagious and make Dan an inspiration to all those he meets.
Be it young or old, executive or blue collar, his audiences walk away with a smile and a renewed spirit to live life to the fullest. Whether you’re a Kansas City Chiefs fan or not, you’ll enjoy Dan Meers as he shares his unique wit and wisdom about life.
COURAGEOUS LEADERSHIP – LIVING A LIFE OF INFLUENCE
On November 23, 2013, Dan Meers came within inches of losing his life while practicing a bungee jump and zip line stunt at Arrowhead Stadium… home of the Kansas City Chiefs. What Dan anticipated being the thrill of a lifetime ended up being the spill of a lifetime. The stunt went terribly wrong and Dan plummeted 75 feet before crashing into the stadium seats. Miraculously Dan survived. He spent 9 days in the hospital and got some really big scars. Dan smiles when he says, “Scars are just Tattoos that come with a Cool Story”. During this powerful presentation Dan shares his incredible story and the important lessons that he learned during his long road to recovery about leadership and about life.
MIDWEEK: Wednesday
Dr. JEROL ENOCH
AI For Education
Jerol Enoch holds a PhD in Education, with a focus on teaching with technology and teaching and learning processes. With over 30 years in academia, he has been a teacher, a teacher trainer, a program coordinator, and an instructional designer, teaching in the US and overseas. In his current role as instructional designer, he helps faculty with thoughtful, purposeful, and deliberate course design that makes the most of current trends in educational technology. Much of that current interest has been in the ethical implementation of AI for education, while maintaining a focus on achieving measurable learning outcomes and meeting the needs of today’s student population.
CAPSTONE: Thursday
RACHEL RUSSELL
Juneteenth Observation
Rachel is a fierce and fun nonprofit professional with a strong dedication to volunteerism
and service in both her professional and personal life. She currently serves as the
Director of Equity & Community Engagement at United Community Services of Johnson
County, where she leads the organization’s race equity and community engagement
efforts. Rachel brings nearly 10 years of non-profit experience and a passion for
equitable & systemic change to improve health outcomes for all.
Rachel also serves on the Kansas City Kansas, USD 500 Board of Education. She
currently serves as the board’s Vice President in addition to chairing the district’s Facility
and Boundary Committees. Rachel sees herself as a voice of today’s parents and an
advocate for ensuring student voices and perspectives are represented at decision-
making tables.
Outside of Rachel’s professional responsibilities, she is a proud mother of 3 children,
enjoys traveling with friends and family, and a die-heart Chiefs Football fan. A guiding
principle in Rachel’s life is summed up in her favorite quote: “Love the life you live; live
the life you love.” https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-russell-b06a971b8/