2009 Presenters

	GOVERNOR KATHLEEN SEBELIUS Governor Kathleen Sebelius has been an honored presenter at the Kansas Workforce Summit and has once again been invited to open the 2009 Summit. Click here for complete bio.


	SECRETARY DAVID KERR Kansas Department of Commerce As Secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce, David Kerr leads the state’s lead economic development organization in its mission to empower individuals, businesses and communities to realize prosperity in Kansas. Kerr oversees the state's efforts to create jobs through business recruitment and expansion, agriculture marketing, workforce development, community development, international trade and travel and tourism. Click here for complete bio.


	ANTHONY WILLIAMS Co-Author of Wikinomics nGenera Insight Senior Fellow Researcher and consultant Anthony Williams is the co-Author of the groundbreaking book Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, the breakthrough introduction to the new economics transforming business and competition with the emergence of web 2.0. For more than a decade, Anthony has researched the impacts of new technologies on social, political and economic life. He has authored numerous influential reports on strategy, innovation and intellectual property, including a global effort to understand property, including a global effort to understand how transparency is revolutionizing business and redefining the corporation's role in society. Anthony Williams is a Senior Fellow at NGenera Insight. His work has been featured in such publications as BusinessWeek, the Glove and Mail and the Times of India, and has been widely circulated in proprietary syndicated research programs. Click here for complete bio.


	RON CROUCH Kentucky Data Center As an expert demographer, Ron interprets the significant demographic changes that will affect state and local settings. He is well-known for his ability to “set the record straight” related to the demographic myths that most people hold. Ron’s insights have been featured in a major Wall Street Journal article concerning the new demographic realities facing America. He has developed census profiles for each of the 50 states that provide information beyond that available from traditional sources. Ron is the Director of the Kentucky State Data Center at the University of Louisville and presents regularly at national and state conferences.


	ROBERT STONEHILL Learning Point Associates Dr. Stonehill's 30-year career at the U.S. Department of Education covered a range of programs from managing the Regional Educational Laboratories to providing leadership for key policy objectives of No Child Left Behind. In his most recent position, he managed a portfolio of programs and initiatives with a $6.2 billion annual budget focusing on ensuring all teachers are highly qualified, implementing and evaluating school reform efforts, and providing high-quality after-school enrichment. He has extensive experience in developing, managing and evaluating national education initiatives to improve learning and teaching in high-need schools. Click here for complete bio.


	LARRY DIXON Jones Institute for Educational Excellence Larry is a consultant with the Jones Institute for Education Excellence at Emporia State University. He is working with the Geary County Unified School District #475 on several special projects which include closing the academic achievement gap that exists between black students and other subgroups, planning and implementing a Multi-Tier Support System in the area of student behavior, and building collaboration with employers, community organizations and other public and private agencies to enhance opportunities in the community for all students.


	LARRY ISAAK Midwestern Higher Education Compact Larry Isaak, President of the Midwestern Higher Education Compact, has helped lead significant expansion in MHEC activities related to student access, policy research and cost savings initiatives. MHEC’s cost savings programs have expanded rapidly, now saving states and institutions over $31 million annually. Click here for complete bio.


	STEVE MORRIS President, Kansas Senate Elected to the Kansas Senate in 1992, Steve Morris is in his fourth four-year term. He was further honored in 2004 to be elected by his Senate Republican colleagues to serve as President of the Senate. In this position, Sen. Morris assumes even greater responsibility. Sen. Morris is an active member of a number of boards, committees and commissions at the local, state and national levels. He serves on the Executive Committee of The Energy Council (a consortium of energy producing states and Canadian provinces, and the country of Venezuela). He is on the Executive Committee for both the Council of State Governments (CSG) and CSG Midwest. He is currently vice chairman of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Agriculture, Environment and Energy Committee and is a member and past chairman of the Council of State Governments (CSG) Agriculture Task Force. In the past, he has been chairman of the CSG Health Capacity Task Force and served on the NCSL Rural Policy Task Force Steering Committee. Click here for complete bio.


	MIKE O'NEAL Kansas House of Representatives Speaker-Elect Speaker-Elect Mike O’Neal is a senior member of the Kansas House of Representatives. Being first elected in 1984, he is currently in his eleventh term. Mike is currently Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and was Chairman of the House Redistricting Committee during the 2002 session. He has chaired the House Judiciary Committee three different times, totaling 13 years, and has served as Chairman of the House Education Committee. Mike has twice been elected to the office of Republican Whip, and he currently serves as Vice Chairman of the House Select Committee on School Finance. Click here for complete bio.


	ANTHONY HENSLEY Kansas Senate Minority Leader Senator Anthony Hensley has been invited to participate in the Kansas Workforce Summit Legislative Session. Hensley was first elected to the Kansas Legislature in 1976 at the age of 23. He served 16 years in the Kansas House of Representatives before being appointed to the Kansas Senate on July 1, 1992. He is a lifelong resident of the 19th Senate District comprising of eastern Topeka and Shawnee County, southern Douglas County and northern Osage County. In 1997, Hensley was elected Senate Minority Leader and is now in his third term in that office. 2008 marks Hensley's 32nd session, making him the longest serving current member of the Legislature. Click here for complete bio.


	BYRON ZUIDEMA U.S. Department of Labor Byron Zuidema was appointed as Chicago’s ETA Regional Administrator by Alexis Herman in May of 1998. As a member of ETA’s Senior Executive Service, Zuidema provides leadership to national, state and local leaders to promote workforce solutions which meet the needs of employers, workers, and communities. He recently served as ETA’s Administrative Officer while Acting Administrator of the Office of Financial and Administrative Management. Click here for complete bio.