2018 NATIONAL CONFERENCE FEATURED FAMILY & FATHERHOOD TALK PRESENTERS
19th Annual Families and Fathers National 2018 Conference
February 19-23, 2018, at the Los Angeles Sheraton Gateway LAX Hotel
6101 West Century Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90045
2018 Speakers on Transformational Change Engaging Fathers & Child Wellness
Fathers & Families Coalition of America has started to confirm 18 featured speakers, over 50 workshop presenters and so much more for you to do more, increase your success, move to elevated results through both new and proven strategies. The choice is will you go to another level for transformational investment into yourself, agency, program and or consultant services or even as a parent. If you do they same day after day, month after month or year after year, come to the 19th Annual Families & Fathers National Conference, Greater Purpose and go deeper advancing your dream, goals and aspirations!
Transformational change requires constant effort to keep a movement or organization in the growth and prosperity phase to ensure there is momentum to affect a lasting difference in people’s lives. Charles Handy wrote about the life cycle of change in his book, “The Age of Paradox”. He outlined “The Sigmoid Curve” concept where there is a decline in the phase of experimenting or learning then it rises dramatically in a period of growth and finally declines. If you want to sustain the prosperity phase you must innovate a new curve before your present one dwindles away and declines.
We rely heavily on transformational change speakers to continue to inject new life into the father, child and family wellness area. For there to be continuous quality improvement, superior professional development of practitioners in the field and ongoing parental education there must be the torch bearers who keep the movement in high gear.
The following 12 transformational change speakers are keeping all who work with children and families inspired to aim higher, work harder and to develop cutting-edge models that adequately address community needs across the US and the world. These heavyweights will be joining forces at the 19th Annual Fathers & Families National Conference in Los Angeles from February 19 -23, 2018. (learn more here)
Innovative Conference Format
Now you all know what happens at conferences – there are so many incredible speaker sessions but you must choose which ones you will go to and feel disappointment at the many you did not get to witness. At the Fathers & Families conference we are attempting to give you a taste of everyone’s presentations so you will feel absolutely no FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out). Every morning of the conference different speakers on transformational change will deliver 18 -23-minute presentations to the entire compliment of delegates attending.
Let’s meet our 12 pioneers who keep moving boldly forward:
Director Alisha Griffin, State of California Department of Child Support Services has been working in the field for seventeen years. She came to child support with many years in public and private family services, including child welfare, child protection, rehabilitation and therapeutic service systems. She also has a strong portfolio of experience in direct service programming, policy analysis and development and advocacy focused on quality service delivery to children and families. Ms. Griffin has a Masters in both Clinical and Community Psychology.
Camille Maben, Executive Director of First 5 California is responsible for staffing the California Children and Families Commission, in addition to directing the work of the agency and its staff. First 5 California is dedicated to improving the lives of California’s young children and their families through a comprehensive system of education, health services, childcare, and other crucial programs. Since its creation, First 5 California has brought these critical services to millions of parents, caregivers, and children ages 0 to 5.
Dr. Jacquie Del Rosario, ReCapturing the Vision, is known as America’s Marriage Coach. Her mantra derives from the idea that the foundation of any society starts in the individual homes of people. In her mission to improve individuals’ likelihood for marital success, Dr. Del Rosario also founded ReCapturing the Vision (RTV), a globally recognized nonprofit dedicated to helping the youth and their families overcome negative trends that lead to generational cycles of failure and dependency, a veracity far too common within inner-city neighborhoods of America.
Anthony Mossburg, a musician with four original albums in four years. He left the stability of a full-time job to chase after the only thing that made him feel alive; music. What followed over the next four years was a series of accolades, achievements, risks, near-misses, and setbacks that indefinitely shaped him as an artist and a person. Now, he is squaring his sights on introducing his soulful voice, gutsy lyrics, and melodic tones into a new direction that will push his creative talent like never before. This is just the beginning.
Debra Samples, Regional Program Manager, US Department of Health and Human Services - Administration for Children and Families - Children's Bureau. She and her team provide oversight to States and Tribal federal Child Welfare Programs in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and the outer pacific territories. She brings over 30 years of child welfare experience and brings a wealth of knowledge about the policies and requirements needed for grantees to operate the federal welfare programs. Ms. Samples received a MA of Psychology Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
Rick Miller, Founder, Kids at Hope, Phoenix, Arizona inspires, empowers and transforms schools, organizations serving youth and entire communities to create an environment and culture where all children experience success, NO EXCEPTIONS! Kids at Hope’s vision is that every child is afforded the belief, guidance and encouragement that creates a sense of hope and optimism, supported by a course of action needed to experience success at life’s four major destinations: home & Family, Education & Career, Community & Service and Hobbies & Recreation.
Professor Thalia González, JD., Occidental College, Los Angeles, California teaches and writes in the fields of restorative justice, juvenile justice, education, civil rights, domestic human rights, law and society, and public interest practice. Professor González is a nationally recognized expert in the field of school-based restorative justice and her work on disproportionality, the school-to-prison pipeline, and restorative practices has been utilized by school districts, county safety councils, community-based organizations, academic institutions, think tanks, and bar associations.
Kimberly Dent, Executive Director of the Ohio Commission on Fatherhood, Columbus, Ohio has more than 13 years of government service and has held various positions with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Director Dent does extensive community outreach and public speaking about the message that promoting responsible fatherhood is much less costly than paying for the consequences of father absence. When fathers acquire the skills, they need to be responsible fathers, children are better off and better positioned to build their own strong families; families are better off because of fathers' love, care and emotional and financial support; and taxpayer dollars are saved as families are more likely to be well-functioning and self-sufficient.
Lisa M. Najavits, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine - Seeking Safety Author. She is a research psychologist at Veterans Affairs (VA) Boston Healthcare System and the Bedford VA; and director of Treatment Innovations. She was on the faculty of Harvard Medical School for 25 years. Her major clinical research interests are substance abuse, trauma, co-morbidity, behavioral addictions, veteran’s mental health, community-based care, development of new psychotherapies, and outcome research. She is the author of over 190 professional publications and four books.
Executive Director Mr. Walter Simpkins, Community Fathers, Inc. is a certified Fatherhood & Healthy Relationship practitioner, and holds certificates as a NYS Domestic Violence counselor for the Batterers Association, as well as a Bridges Out of Poverty facilitator. Walter has touched many lives throughout the Capital Region. He has been instrumental in changing the way fathers are looked at and respected in family court. He has helped restore hope to the family dynamic in our area. From what began as a once per week support group, has now flourished into a full-service fathers’ program. Walter is an inspiring individual, electrifying in speech and comforting in his presence. He is single handedly helping to restore families, "One Father at A Time."
Ronald B. Mincy, Ph.D., Maurice V. Russell Professor of Social Policy and Social Work Practice, Columbia University, New York- teaches Introduction to Social Welfare Policy; Program Evaluation; Economics for Policy Analysis; and Advanced Methods in Policy Analysis, and directs the Center for Research on Fathers, Children and Family Well-Being. Dr. Mincy is also a co-principal investigator of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, and a faculty member of the Columbia Population Research Center (CPRC). He came to the University, in 2001, from the Ford Foundation where he served as a senior program officer and worked on such issues as improving U.S. social welfare policies for low-income fathers, especially child support, and workforce development policies; he also served on the Clinton Administration’s Welfare Reform Task Force.
Jeffery M. Leving, LTD, The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving, Chicago, Illinois is a Chicago divorce attorney and author who specializes in matrimonial and family law. He is known primarily for his vocal advocacy of fathers' rights, and hosts two radio shows. His television and radio commercials are well known in the Chicago area. More than 30 years ago, Leving helped pioneer the Fathers' Rights Movement when he discovered a gap in the judicial system. It was at that point that he started seeking equality and due process for fathers everywhere. Leving's accomplishments include the co-authorship of the Illinois Joint Custody Law, Illinois Virtual Visitation, Right to DNA Testing Notice, and Unlawful Visitation or Parenting Time Interference Laws. He also delivered testimony before both branches of the Illinois Legislature on Joint Custody, Grandparent's Visitation and Child Support Accountability bills.
Obie Clayton, Jr., PhD., The Edmund Asa Ware Distinguished Professor and Chair of Sociology and Criminal Justice at Clark Atlanta University in Georgia. Since 2011, he has been serving as the Donald L. Hollowell Distinguished Professor of Social Justice and Civil Rights Studies at the University of Georgia’s School of Social Work. Previously, he was director of the Morehouse Research Institute and served on the faculty at the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the University of Massachusetts at Boston. He is the editor of An American Dilemma Revisited: Race Relations in a Changing World (Russell Sage Foundation, 1996) and co-editor of Black Fathers in Contemporary American Society: Strengths, Weaknesses and Strategies for Change (Russell Sage Foundation, 2003). Professor Clayton holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in sociology from Emory University in Atlanta.
George Stewart, II, Educator, Mississippi Public Education, author and speaker. “Helping Young Black Boys Destroy Black Male Stereotypes” and “Father Engagement” are two if his education based initiatives. Author of the inspiring book, "Words of Wisdom for My Son" – a great resource for young men that don’t have positive male role models in their lives and for fathers looking who are looking to connect or reconnect with their children, especially their sons. He has dedicated his life to helping young people realize their potential and empowering them to live their best life.
Dr. Baranda Fermin's work is embedded within community development and her life experiences make her a champion for living a life of service, cultivating peace and building platforms for advocacy. As the daughter of an immigrant, an Army dependent child, first generation college student, and a woman who has lived with grace and humor through domestic violence, infertility and pregnancy loss she no stranger to navigating transitions and working through challenges until they lead to success. Her career in research, writing and training focused on issues of social identity and citizenship, navigating urban social environments and barriers, mental health and wellness access, and urban education innovation from cradle to career. Dr. Fermin is an advocate, storyteller and builder with a track record of successful system innovation, capacity building and revitalization. Her current work builds resilience and capacity in faith communities and social justice work by evaluating and designing strategic solutions for sustainability, scalability and stability. Dr. Fermin focus on the issues that immigrants and the children of immigrants face concerning persistence and completion of education is going to be a key part of her talk presentation and afternoon workshop for teachers, parents, and staff.
With these powerhouse speakers taking the helm at the morning sessions at the 19th Annual Fathers & Families 2018 National Conference Head Start teachers, family service workers, child welfare workers, fatherhood practitioners, criminal justice professionals, foster care and social policy makers that are working with children and families will greatly benefit from these transformational change innovators and experts. In the next month, we plan to add six more exciting Talk Presenters and Featured Training as well as over 40-workshops (here)
We look forward to hosting you at the conference.
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