Plenary Session Speakers

Roger Nierenberg, conductor, Stamford Symphony Orchestra. Renowned conductor Roger Nierenberg will use the metaphor of symphony orchestra to illustrate leadership styles, organizational dynamics, communication and listening and teamwork. Nierenberg mixes music with speaking and audience interaction and offers concrete advice that attendees can put into practice right away to provide strong, clear leadership in the face of day-to-day pressures.

Martin Luther King III, Human and Civil Rights Leader Martin Luther King, III, the oldest son of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., has taken the torch lit by his father and continued the quest for equality and justice for all. A human rights advocate, community activist and political leader, Mr. King has been actively involved in significant policy initiatives to maintain the fair and equitable treatment of all citizens at home and abroad. His vision of a positive future built upon the principles taught by his father will motivate attendees with its message of hope and responsibility.

Margaret Wheatley, EdD. Margaret Wheatley is an internationally acclaimed speaker and author and President emeritus of The Berkana Institute. Her three books, Leadership and the New Science, A Simpler Way, and Turning To One Another: Simple Conversations to Restore Hope to the Future, provide fundamental strategies for organizational development and systems change. A renowned expert on leadership and the future of organizing, Wheatley will present attendees with new ideas, processes and structures that will allow them to create positive change in their communities and organizations.

Frank Sesno, Special Correspondent for CNN and Professor of Public Policy and Communication at George Washington University As an interviewer, anchor, talk show host and public event moderator in forums around the world, Emmy-award winner Frank Sesno has engaged some of the world’s leading personalities, including Jack Welch, Madeline Albright and Yassar Arafat. Sesno will bring these talents to moderate the Summit’s interactive Town Hall, where he will lead attendees in an engaging dialogue to create an Action Agenda in support of full participation. Frank Sesno’s credits include host of Sesno Reports, co-anchor of The International Hour and The World Today, host of Late Edition with Frank Sesno and CNN Senior Vice President and Washington Bureau Chief. Sesno’s experience and range of access gives him a reputation few can match.