This conference brings together local leaders to explore the
challenges and opportunities of leading organizations in
the arts, social justice, economic development, and public education.
Seating is limited, so be sure to register early. There is no charge for the event.
LOCATION
UNION INSTITUTE & UNIVERSITY, 440 East McMillan Street, Cincinnati, OH 45206
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
8:30 am Continental Breakfast
9:00 am Welcome
9:15 am Keynote Address
10:30 am Break
10:45 am Breakout Sessions: • Arts • Economic Development
• Social Justice • Public Education
KEYNOTE SPEAKER — Larraine Matusak, Ph.D.
Credibility, empowerment, and collaboration are no longer methods for leaders in business or politics.
These theories help us develop our own leadership skills and make positive social change at the grassroots
level. Larraine R. Matusak, a noted expert on leadership development, defines leadership as a body of
knowledge that can be taught and learned. Her practical set of tools and resources provide the knowledge
and skills needed for effective leadership. In her book, Finding Your Voice: Learning to Lead... Anywhere
You Want To Make a Difference, she showcases ordinary citizens who have accepted the responsibility to
lead and demonstrates how individuals, even those without titles or positions of power, can pursue their
passions and develop leadership opportunities specific to their skills and strengths.
Dr. Matusak is president of Larcon Associates and has been a scholar and practitioner of leadership for many years in a
wide variety of leadership roles, most notably at the W. K. Kellogg National Fellowship Program. A senior scholar at the
James MacGregor Burns Academy of Leadership of the University of Maryland, she has served as a consultant and

keynote speaker to many communities, organizations, businesses, academic institutions and foundations on topics of
organizational design, leadership development, creativity, and adult learning.
Former president of Thomas A. Edison State College of New Jersey, and the dean and founder of the College of
Alternative Programs at the University of Evansville, Indiana, she is the recipient of several honorary doctorates and the
1996 International Morris T. Keeton Award recognizing her contributions in adult learning and leadership.
BREAKOUT SESSIONS:
ARTS — Jackie Demaline, Facilitator
Theater critic and arts reporter Jackie Demaline has written for The Cincinnati Enquirer since 1994, following
seven years as entertainment editor of the Albany Times Union. She was named the state's top arts reporter
by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists in 1998 and by CityBeat as influential person the arts in 1999
and 2000, credited with heightening general awareness of the arts in Cincinnati. She serves on the
Community Advisory Committee of the Junior League of Cincinnati and the Board of Directors of Caracole, Inc.
SOCIAL JUSTICE — Michael Washington, Ph.D., Facilitator
Dr. Michael Washington is professor of history and director of the Afro-American Studies Program at Northern
Kentucky University. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati's Educational Foundations
department in 1984. His publications include several monographs and articles and he has been a speaker in
Southern Africa and Japan. He received the Malone Fellowship and studied Arab history, culture, politics, and
religion at the American University at Cairo in Egypt in 1991. In 2001, he was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship
and was invited to teach at Kyoritsu Women's University and Tokyo Christian Women's University in Japan.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT — Mac Johnson, Facilitator
A community organizer and trainer, Mac Johnson teaches non-profit marketing, management, social justice
and sustainable business development at Union Institute & University and Athenaeum of Ohio. He has
developed travel seminars to the Mondragon Cooperatives complex (Spain) and village banking/ micro-
enterprise (El Salvador). His work received the Pentecost Award of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for
grassroots community development. He served on staff of the national JustFaith Program, in partnership
with Catholic Campaign for Human Development, Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services.
PUBLIC EDUCATION — Carolyn Turner, Ph.D., Facilitator
Executive director of Cincinnati Parents for Public Schools, Dr. Carolyn Turner serves as manager and local
chapter spokesperson of this national parent advocacy organization, coordinating parent and community
volunteers on issues of budget, discipline, academic standards, special education, curriculum and college
access. Formerly Bethany House Services administrative director, she earned her Ph.D. from Union Institute &
University in 2004 and experience in corporate management. She is active on the boards of several social
service organizations, and served in the military during Operation Desert Storm, achieving the rank of captain.
UNION INSTITUTE & UNIVERSITY
Union Institute & University is an independent, accredited, learner-centered university headquartered in Cincinnati.
Designed exclusively for adults, UI&U offers individualized, flexible, interdisciplinary, socially relevant studies leading to
the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degree. More than 2,800 undergraduate and graduate learners from across the
nation and around the world engage in distance studies with brief residences, or enroll through academic centers in
Cincinnati, Los Angeles, Miami, Sacramento, and Brattleboro, or at the university's Vermont College Montpelier campus.
"Leading Communities, Creating the Future"
is supported by a generous grant from
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation