Past Speakers and Panelists
“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”
– Nelson Mandela
bart hester
Arkansas Senate President Pro Tempore
Schawnee Hightower
Managing Partner for Business Sales for the state of Arkansas for Verizon Wireless and former Vice President and General Manager for Alltel Corporation. He has served on the boards of Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids, Little Rock Chamber of Commerce, and the Club 99 team of the Little Rock Rotary Club.
Elaine Odiase
Elaine is an assistant professor at UAMS and a pediatric gastroenterologist. She also co-founded Twin Missions International.
Steven Helmick
Principal at Don R. Roberts Elementary School in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has been named the Little Rock School District Teacher of the Year, a Regional Finalist for Arkansas’ Teacher of the Year, and Ghilder Lehrman’s Arkansas’ History Teacher of the Year.
Mark Pryor
United States Senator for Arkansas from 2003-2015.
Justin whitmel earley
Lawyer, author and speaker from Richmond, VA.
CJ Duvall
Former officer and executive of Alltel Corporation and former senior pastor of Theressa Hoover United Methodist Church in Little Rock. He is the founder and principal of the Duvall Family Charitable Endowment.
Mary carole young
Partner at Munson, Rowlett, Moore, and Boone law firm. She is a trial attorney who represents physicians, nurses, hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and medical clinics when they are sued for civil malpractice.
Bill Dillard III
Senior Vice President of Dillard’s Inc. He has served as a board member of Young Life Arkansas, Search Ministries, eStem Public Charter Schools and Arkansas Baptist University.
Sarah Huckabee sanders
47th Governor of Arkansas.
Jeannine Andersson
Jeanine is an orthopedic hand surgeon at OrthoArkansas.
Mark Leverett
District Judge in Little Rock since 2008 and former partner at Leverett & Watts Firm. He has served as the Public Defender for the City of Sherwood and the Special Judge in several Pulaski County Circuit and District Courts.
Millie Ward
Millie is the co-founder and president of Stone Ward, a full-service advertising, marketing and public relations agency, with offices in Little Rock and Chicago.
John Boozman
United States Senator for Arkansas since 2011.
Tim Griffin
16th Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas.
Keith Jackson
Founder and board president of Positive Atmosphere Reaches Kids (P.A.R.K.) in Little Rock. He is a former NFL player for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Camille norman
Media Director at Eric Rob & Isaac, where she leads a team responsible for paid and social media strategy, as well as website development.
Scott McLean
Founder and Executive Director of Pathway to Freedom, Inc., an organization that seeks the transformation of prisoners’ lives through educational, values-based, pre-release services, preparing them to reintegrate into society and become productive citizens.
Mitch Bettis
Owner and CEO of Arkansas Business Publishing Group — the award-winning media and marketing company founded in 1995. He has more than 30 years of experience in management and publishing.
French Hill
United States Congressman since 2015.
Rhea Lana Riner
Founder and owner of Rhea Lana’s Franchise Systems Inc, with more than 80 franchises around the country.