The Blackburn Institute’s 2024 Annual Symposium will take place on Friday, August 23 and Saturday, August 24, 2024 at the Bryant Conference Center. Please see the schedule below for event times, dates, and audiences.
Please read each event carefully to ensure that you are included in the invited audience(s).
Friday
Advisory Board/Fellows Meet and Greet
11 – 11:45 a.m. in Sellers Lobby, Blackburn Society, Advisory Board and Fellows Only
Advisory Board/Fellows Lunch
12 – 1:15 p.m. in Rast B, Blackburn Society, Advisory Board and Fellows Only
Advisory Board Meeting
1:30 – 4:15 p.m. in Rast A, Blackburn Society and Advisory Board Only
Breakout Sessions
1:30 – 2:45 p.m., Fellows and Students
Session I: Alabama’s Latinos: Where They Are, Who They Are, And Where They’re Going
Panelists: Mrs. Andrea Hayes (Blackburn Fellow) – Project and Grants Manager, Tuscaloosa Latino Coalition, Mrs. Julia Sosa – Chairman, Tuscaloosa Latino Coalition, Mr. Carlos Javier Torres – Programs and Community Partnerships Director, Hispanic and Immigrant Center of Alabama (¡HICA!), Señora Judith Zambrano – Community Member, Señora Teresita Flores – Volunteer Leader, Alabama Coalition for Immigrant Justice
Session II: Ethical Leadership In K-12 Education: How Past Victories are Still Relevant Today
Panelists: Ms. Nancy Boyd (Blackburn Fellow) – Librarian, Percy Julian High School, Dr. Melvin Brown – Superintendent, Montgomery Public Schools, Mr. Ibrahim Lee – Principal, Percy Julian High School, Dr. Monte Linebarger – Chief Academic Officer, Montgomery Public Schools
Session III: Building Transcendent Relationships in the Affirmation Age
Presenter: Mr. Cameron Smith (Blackburn Fellow) – Senior Vice President of Operations, Thnks
Breakout Sessions
3 – 4:15 p.m., Fellows and Students
Session IV: Alabama’s Emerging Federal Contracting Economic Developer
Presenter: Mr. Mal McGhee – Executive Vice President, PCI Federal Services
Session V: Parenting as Ethical Leadership: The Influence of Blackburn Values on Future Generations
Presenters: Judge Samarria Dunson (Blackburn Fellow) – Municipal Court, City of Montgomery, Mr. Zac Riddle (Blackburn Fellow) – Senior Account Manager, Medical Properties Trust, Mrs. Julie Smith (Blackburn Fellow) – Trustee, Tuscaloosa Academy
Session VI: Unity Group: History, Impact, Future
Presenters: John Covington (Blackburn Advisory Board Member), Joe Eatmon (Blackburn Advisory Board Member)
Plenary Session with Coach Sarah Patterson and Keynote Speaker Sen. Katie Britt
5 – 6:30 p.m. in Sellers Auditorium, Open to the Full UA Community
Opening Reception with Heavy Hors d’oeuvres
6:45 – 8 p.m. in Hotel Capstone Ballroom, Members of the Blackburn Community Only
Saturday
Breakfast with Mimosas
8 – 8:45 a.m. in Rast A/B, Members of the Blackburn Community Only
Breakout Sessions
9 – 10:15 a.m., Members of the Blackburn Community Only
Session VII: Exploring the Landscape of Immigration and Asylum in Alabama and the Nation
Presenters: Mrs. Olivia Bensinger (Blackburn Fellow and Advisory Board Member) – Attorney, Shaheen & Gordon, Mrs. Catherine Alexander-Wright (Blackburn Fellow and Advisory Board Member) – Associate Director for Clinical Oversight, Global Refuge, Ms. Vel Lewis (Blackburn Fellow) Attorney Advisor, Department of Justice
Session VIII: Juvenile Justice 101: How Alabama’s System Works and How You Can Help
Panelists: Mrs. Caroline Smith Dean (Blackburn Fellow) – Associate Attorney, Baker Donelson, Ms. Shelly Hood Standridge – Referee, Tuscaloosa County Juvenile Court, Ms. Jenny Ryan – Senior Staff Attorney, The Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program, Ms. Susan Mason Donovan – Professor and Director of Mediation Law Clinic, University of Alabama School of Law
Session IX: Partnership and Advocacy for Success: The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences
Presenter: Dr. Rebecca Reamy (Blackburn Fellow)- Director, Alabama Area Health Education Program
Session X: Legislating While LGBTQ+ In Alabama
Panelists: Mr. Landon L. Nichols, Jr. (Blackburn Fellow) – Chief Advocacy Officer, Five Horizons Health Services, Hon. Patricia Todd – Southern Policy Manager, Jobs to Move America, Hon. Neil Rafferty – Member, Alabama House of Representatives
Coffee Break
10:15 – 10:35 a.m. in Balcony, Members of the Blackburn Community Only
Breakout Sessions
10:40 – 11:55 a.m., Members of the Blackburn Community Only
Session XI: Advocacy Through the Arts: The Kemba Movie Impact Campaign
Presenters: Mrs. Kemba Smith Pradia – Founder, The Kemba Smith Foundation, Mrs. Akiesha Anderson (Blackburn Fellow and Advisory Board Member) – Advocacy and Partnerships Manager, Represent Justice
Session XII: Charting the Course for the Next 30 Years: Strategies for Serving Adult Learners in a Changing Higher Education Landscape
Presenter: Dr. Matt DeMonbrun (Blackburn Fellow) – Research Director, Michigan Center for Adult College Success
Session XIII: Herding Elephants and Driving Donkeys
Presenters: Mr. Mike House (Blackburn Society and Advisory Board Member) – President, Oak Grove Strategies, and Mrs. Gina Rigby-House (Blackburn Advisory Board Member) – 2nd Vice President, Aflac
Session XIV: Finding Common Ground to Restore and Preserve Alabama’s Natural Environment
Panelists: Mr. Seth Self (Blackburn Fellow) – Juris Doctor Candidate, University of Alabama School of Law, Mr. Bradley Davidson (Blackburn Society, Fellow, and Advisory Board Member) – Principal, Boll Weevil Strategies Ms. Jilisa Milton (Blackburn Fellow) – Executive Director, GASP
Blackburn Community Lunch
12 – 1:30 p.m. in Rast, Members of the Blackburn Community Only
Closing Session: 30th Anniversary Panel Discussion
1:45 – 3 p.m. in Rast, Members of the Blackburn Community Only
Moderated by Dr. Cheree Causey, with Dr. Kathleen Cramer, Mrs. Marjorie K. Nix, Mrs. Carol Patterson, Mr. Tom Patterson, Mr. John Saxon, Mrs. Bobbi Siegal, Mr. Donald Stewart, and Mr. Pat Whetstone
30th Anniversary Black Tie Gala
6 – 9 p.m. in Sellers Auditorium, Members of the Blackburn Community Only