By BILL SHEA
bshea@messengernews.net
Respecting diversity while coming together in unity to create a better community will be at the heart of an upcoming conference in Fort Dodge.
The third annual Leadership, Unity & Diversity Summit will be held in-person Aug. 14-17, with an online only session on Aug. 21.
The theme of the event is Continuing Our Commitment. Organizers say it will feature conversations and training focused on culture, diversity, leadership and building relationships.
“I think it’s for any and every walk of life,” said Charles Clayton, executive director of Athletics for Education and Success and one of the organizers of the event.
“I think you will take away something that will make you a better person, a better parent, a better co-worker and a better leader,” he added.
Specific topics that will be discussed include:
• Verbal de-escalation and dealing with mental health
• Diversity
• Re-entry programming for newly released inmates
• Diverting juveniles from the criminal justice system
• Social media traps
One of the featured presenters will be Eddie Moore Jr., founder of America & MOORE and The Privilege Institute. He was at the two previous summits held in Fort Dodge. Other presenters will include Jennifer and Jeremy Pullen from the UnityPoint Health — Berryhill Center; Daniel Zinnel, the chief executive officer of Proteus Inc. in Des Moines; John Igwebuike,a professor and founder of the Lead Listening Institute; and Kameron Middlebrooks, representing the Reform Alliance, a national group working on helping former prisoners re-enter society.
The in-person portions of the summit will be held in the BioScience and Health Sciences Building at Iowa Central Community College.
To make it possible for more people to attend all the sessions, the sessions will be repeated. Clayton said the Aug. 14 and Aug. 16 agendas will be the same while the Aug. 15 and Aug. 17 agendas will be the same.
The cost is $185, with discounts provided for groups and those attending more than one day.
To register go to https://web.cvent.com/event/e1ab5ee1-5d27-44aa-aa68-4efa4ad70f7f/summary.
“The annual Diversity, Inclusion and Leadership Summit is an opportunity to have Fort Dodge leaders and agencies really put our best foot forward. It is a great opportunity to meet with people in the community and learn from each other through open dialogue. We look at both the local city issues when it comes to leadership, inclusion, diversity and unity, but also statewide and national issues that are speedbumps to our overall goals. As an African-American leader in the community it make me proud to be part of the Community Empowerment Committee that is the driving force behind the summit.”
-Charles Clayton
Executive director, Athletics for Education and Success
“For me personally, the annual Diversity, Inclusion and Leadership Summit is an opportunity to learn from professionals in the field. It is also an opportunity to gather with people in the community to address various topics related to diversity. Not only does the summit have an educational component from nationally known speakers, but it also gives the participants an opportunity to discuss topics from a local perspective. As the city manager, it allows me to provide high level training to staff in Fort Dodge and at a reasonable cost. The overall tone of the summit is to discuss topics that may be somewhat uncomfortable, but handle the topics in a growth mindset.”
-David Fierke
City manager
“I am interested in helping the Fort Dodge region become safer, more acceptable and welcoming region to a diverse population, including ex-offenders. I hope to offer my experience from my public policy, community college and service on the Iowa Department of Corrections Board of Directors to help us reach our collective goals and objectives. Working togethering locally I think can impact change much sooner than depending on the state or federal government to improve our region.”
-Jim Kersten
Vice president, Iowa Central Community College
Member, Iowa Board of Corrections