Theme: Believe In

Believe in Better
Believe in the Impossible
Believe in Yourself

Highland School - Center For the Arts
597 Broadview Avenue
Warrenton, Virginia, 20186
United States

Cathleen G. Beachboard

Cathleen Beachboard is a teacher, author, and researcher. After adopting five children out of a case of extreme abuse and neglect, she has been on a mission to improve life outcomes for those who experience trauma and anxiety.

Charlotte Lorick

Charlotte is a conservationist and naturalist. She has worked for over a decade exploring human relationships with the land, developing conservation research and educational programs, and implementing regenerative land management strategies that promote resilient ecosystems and biodiversity. Her work at the Smithsonian Institution and Oak Spring Garden Foundation integrates science, art, humanities, and community outreach to inspire conservation action on public and private land. Ecology and plants are central to Charlotte’s personal and professional life. Her expertise ranges from ecological restoration, monitoring native plant, bird, and pollinator communities, to agricultural economics and food systems, foraging, nutrition, gardening, and herbalism.

Don Rheem

CEO & author Don Rheem uses neuroscience to build engaged, high-performance company cultures where employees actually look forward to work. A former science advisor to Congress, Rheem shares an empirically validated methodology to increase engagement and create a thriving work environment.

Dr. David Jeck

Dr. David C. Jeck is currently serving in his 15th year as a Virginia public school superintendent making him one of the longest tenured superintendents in the state. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Nyack College (NY) in 1988, a Master's Degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1994, and a Doctoral Degree in Educational Leadership from UVa in 2010. He has been teaching future school administrators at George Washington University since 2010. Dr. Jeck has received numerous awards including the 2018 Virginia Association of Superintendents Region IV Superintendent of the Year Award, The George Washington University "Student Choice Award," and the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals "Pathfinder Award." His first book, "Courageous School Leadership" will hit book stores in March.

Dr. Willie and Dee Taylor Jolley

Dr. Willie Jolley is a Hall of Fame speaker and recognized by Toastmasters International as "One of the Outstanding 5 Speakers in the World!" Also, he is a national radio and television personality and the author of several international best-selling books including It Only Takes A Minute To Change Your Life, A Setback Is A Setup For A Comeback, Turn Setbacks Into Greenbacks and An Attitude of Excellence. He and his wife Dee, the COO and Chief Content Officer of Willie Jolley Worldwide, have written a marriage book, Make Love, Make Money, Make It Last that is now a global best seller. They've helped couples around the world enhance their marriages and relationships. Their popular relationship program, "The Jolley Marriage Show", shares tips on how to develop loving relationships and overcome the challenges that come from the 3 big boulders that break up marriages - Sex, Money and Communication!

Jeffrey Kendall Sapp

A retired Navy Captain with 30-years of distinguished service, Jeffrey Kendall Sapp serves as a Leadership Consultant, Senior Advisor for Impetas Defense Solutions, and Motivational Speaker. He is currently leveraging his talent as a Motivational Speaker to increase awareness of Plasma Cell Leukemia and contribute to the cancer knowledge base. He is extraordinarily gifted, passionate, and versatile and has inspired and empowered thousands with insights and models for self-improvement and higher achievement. The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies credits him as "One of the Nation's finest charismatic and dynamic hands-on speakers."

John Chilton McAuliff

John McAuliff is an entrepreneur and advisor on Rural Development at the Department of Agriculture, and Chairman of Experience Old Town Warrenton, Old Town's Main Street Program and local economic development group. He owns Chilton House Suites, a small bed & breakfast in Warrenton.

Josef Martens

Josef is a recovering scientist with a PhD in physics from the University of Cambridge and several patents in high-tech fields. He has experienced first-hand what it’s like to lead a tech and engineering team and work in demanding cultures. After a distinguished journey as a tech executive, he shifted his focus to help executives become extraordinary leaders and enjoy their journey. When Josef is not working, you can find him spend time with his two awesome sons, sailing the Chesapeake Bay or hiking sections of the Appalachian Trail.

Laurie Tarpey

Laurie is an executive coach, consultant and board member for mission-driven organizations and leaders. She has been a CFO and COO of nonprofit and for-profit organizations with revenues up to $100 million. In 2013, following countless informational interviews, nonprofit training and pro bono consulting, she joyfully switched from the corporate to the nonprofit sector. Laurie earned a Harvard MBA and is a CPA with additional certifications in emotional intelligence, executive coaching and nonprofit executive management.

Mike Acker

Growing up in Mexico caused me to gain confidence in a multicultural setting and forced me to work through criticism, otherness, and bullying, eventually coming to a place of peace and belonging. Returning to the United States, I attended Northwest University in Seattle. Afterward, I led and chaired many nonprofits before transitioning into consultative sales for a Fortune 500 company. With the 2019 release of my first book, Speak with No Fear, I shifted into full-time coaching and consulting. Now an executive communication coach, corporate trainer, and author of eight books and seven workbooks, my twenty-plus years of leadership and speaking allow me to help clients from every sector and all levels of success. Outside my professional and philanthropic work, I enjoy rock climbing, skiing, building Legos with my son, and dating my wife. I strongly believe in the power of mindfulness, exercise, journaling, and real community that shapes and strengthens its members.

Prof. Dr. Christian Busch

Prof. Dr. Christian Busch is the bestselling author of The Serendipity Mindset: The Art & Science of Creating Good Luck – “a wise, exciting, and life-changing book” (Arianna Huffington) – and an internationally known expert in the areas of sustainable innovation, purpose-driven leadership, and serendipity. He is the director of the CGA Global Economy Program at New York University (NYU), and also teaches at the London School of Economics (LSE). He is a cofounder of Leaders on Purpose and the Sandbox Network, and a former director of LSE's Social Innovation Lab. His work has been featured by outlets such as the Strategic Management Journal, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, The Guardian, and the BBC. He is a member of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Expert Forum, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and on the Thinkers50 Radar list of the 30 thinkers "most likely to shape the future." Twitter: @ChrisSerendip.

Rev. Dr. Louise Stowe-Johns

Louise Stowe-Johns is an ordained elder (retired) in the United Methodist Church, serving churches in Alabama and New York. She was chaplain of prisons for women and men in Alabama. She began a program for youth offenders, “Epiphany” and a regional victim-offender reconciliation program in Alabama. She and her husband live in Virginia and have two children.

Shari Goodwin

Shari Goodwin owns Jaeger2 (www.jaeger2.com), specializes in reinvention, and helps leaders and entrepreneurs build trust, gain clarity, and optimize impact, often by way of the horse. She is an innovative strategist, leadership coach, author, speaker, and horsewoman with over 25 years of experience, including starting four businesses. As a former environmental scientist and corporate Director, she led the creation of winning proposals valued to $65 million and directed the development of science and engineering analyses for federal court litigation, including the US Supreme Court. Author of two inspirational Amazon best-sellers, "Take the Reins! 7 Secrets to Inspired Leadership," and "Reinventing Greatness: Leading Yourself & Others Through Change with Confidence & Trust," Shari holds a Master's degree in biology, undergraduate degrees in Zoology and English, and is certified in executive coaching and equine-assisted learning.