2024 Keynote Speakers

Heather McGowan
Heather McGowanStrategic Consultant, Amazon Best-Selling Author, Speaker, LinkedIn’s 2017 Top Influencer on Lifelong Learning & The Future of Work

Future-of-work strategist Heather E. McGowan helps leaders prepare their people and organizations for the Post Pandemic world of work. The last few years have forever changed where we work, who works, how we work and measure work, what we do for work, and, most importantly, why we work. McGowan is a sense maker, a dot connector, a deep thinker, and a pattern matcher who sees things that others miss. Heather gives people the courage and insight that illuminates their path forward. She’s transforming mindsets and entire organizations around the globe with her message about how the next phase of work will focus on continuous learning, rather than simply learning once in order to work. Pulitzer Prize–winning NYT columnist Thomas Friedman frequently quotes Heather in his books and columns and describes her as “the oasis” when it comes to insights into the future of work. In 2020 Heather was recognized as one of the top 50 female futurists in the world by Forbes. Heather’s sessions help employees and leaders alike prepare for and adapt to jobs that do not yet exist.

McGowan has provided keynote addresses for audiences from start-ups to government organizations to universities to publicly traded Fortune 100 companies, including AMP Financial, SAP, Abbvie, Biogen, Fidelity, FIS, Mastercard, AT&T, Financial Times, Siemens, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Kaiser
Permanente, JPMorgan Chase, Lockheed Martin, MassMutual, MetLife, Best Buy, Raytheon, The US Army, Accor Hotels, Paramount, Chevron, AARP, Zendesk, Tableau, Fidelity, de Beers, Professional Beauty Association, and The World Bank among hundreds of others. Heather addresses audiences in person from small summits for C suite executives to large events in the tens of thousands. Her virtual talks have reached hundreds of thousands. Often quoted in the media, notably in the New York Times, McGowan serves on the advisory board for Sparks & Honey, a New York–based culture-focused agency looking to the future for brands. McGowan’s academic work has included roles at Rhode Island School of Design, and Jefferson University, where she was the strategic architect of the first undergraduate college focused exclusively on innovation. In 2019 Heather was appointed as a faculty member of the Swinburne University Centre For the New Workforce in Melbourne, Australia. In 2022, McGowan was awarded an honorary doctorate from Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in addition to earning her MBA from Babson College and her BFA in Industrial Design from Rhode Island School of Design. McGowan is the co-editor and author of the book  Disrupt Together: How Teams Consistently Innovate and a Forbes contributor. McGowan’s first book on the future of work, published in 2020: The Adaptation Advantage: Let Go, Learn Fast, and Thrive in the Future of Work, reached number three in business management books on Amazon and was named one of the best business books of 2021 by Soundview. McGowan’s most recent book The Empathy Advantage: Leading the Empowered Workforce published in March 2023 and is a finalist for the Next Big Idea Book Club and identified as a top ten business book to read in 2023 by Business Chief.

Stephanie O'Connor
Stephanie O'ConnorSenior Vice President - Chief Technology & People Officer, City Utilities of Springfield

Stephanie has the unique ability to bring people and technology together! Her career began at City Utilities of Springfield, Missouri in 1992 as an intern in Information Technology. Now, she is the Senior Vice President – Chief Technology and People Officer and is responsible for Information Technology, Human Resources, and SpringNet Broadband Fiber, a division of City Utilities. In addition, she serves as a liaison to City Utilities’ Board of Public Utilities. She holds a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from Missouri State University and is active in the community, serving on the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Leadership Springfield Board of Directors, Springfield Tech Council, Human Capital Council of Southwest Missouri, Community Blood Center of the Ozarks Board of Directors, Women United as part of United Way of the Ozarks, and Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council Cyber Mutual Assistance Committee. Stephanie has a passion for helping others, and this is reflected in her establishment of the Strong Women Achieving Goals (SWAG) program. In 2021, Stephanie was named one of BIZ417’s Women Who Mean Business, Springfield Business Journal’s 20 Most Influential Women, and received the Missouri Public Utility Alliance Honor Award which recognizes employees who have significant contributions towards meeting their municipal utilities’ objectives. In 2018, she was the first woman selected as Association of Information Technology Professionals (AITP) IT Executive of the Year. She is a graduate of Leadership Springfield Signature Class 34, a member of Sunrise Rotary, and a 2001 Springfield Business Journal 40 Under 40 recipient. It’s evident that Stephanie is making a positive difference in the Springfield community and is excited to share how women can leverage technology to enhance their ability to be SWAG!

2024 Panel Speakers – To Be Announced

Thanks Again to our Amazing 2023 Panelists:

Kawanza Humphrey
Chief Human Resources Officer

Kawanza Humphrey serves as Chief Human Resources Officer for VyStar Credit Union. In her role she is responsible for leading the credit union’s human resources efforts, including talent acquisition, employee relations, organizational performance and development, compensation, benefits and culture and belonging.

Since joining VyStar in 2021, Kawanza and her team have prioritized their efforts around talent acquisition, compensation and benefits offerings, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. She has helped lead the growth of over 10 employee resource groups, called VyStar Resource Groups (VRGs). These efforts display Kawanza’s passion for creating positive change in the work environment and in the community.

In addition to her role at VyStar, Kawanza is passionate about volunteerism and economic development. She is a member of the Board of Directors for READ USA, Inc. and the University of North Florida’s Foundation Board. She has volunteered with several nonprofit organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Sisters Hospital Foundation and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation’s Program Committee. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and the Bold City (FL) Chapter of The Links, Inc. Kawanza was named to Buffalo Business First’s Power 200 Women and has been recognized as a Woman of Influence, a 40 under 40 recipient and a Black Achiever in Industry.

Kawanza has more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry. Most recently, she served as the Senior Vice President of Corporate Responsibility for the Eastern Region of KeyBank. Prior to joining KeyBank, Kawanza held several leadership positions at HSBC Bank USA, including Retail Management, after completing the organization’s Executive Development Program.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in English/African American Studies from the University at Buffalo and a master’s degree in Executive Leadership and Change from Daemen University. She is a Phi Beta Kappa.

Wyman Winbush
President and Partner of WRW International, LLC

Wyman Winbush is the President and Partner of WRW International, LLC, a company specializing in leadership training, high-performance coaching, and DE&I enablement.  As a former 31-year sales leader/instructor with IBM and a 30-year retired naval officer, Wyman leverages his extensive military experience, volunteer service, fortune 50 corporate savvy, and spiritual insights to inspire thousands to exceed their natural abilities and to “Think & Act Big” while enjoying their journey to success. While in the Navy, he served as a helicopter pilot, flight instructor, leadership instructor, and Commanding Officer, among other roles. As a community steward, Wyman served as a Trustee at Florida Community College at Jacksonville (2 yrs. as chairman), a Director at JEA (Jacksonville Electric Authority), and as an Elder in his church.

Wyman continues to serve his country as a member of the Yellow Ribbon Cadre of Speakers, where he is a featured speaker at Pre/Post deployment briefings for our nation’s reservists and National Guard. As at 25+ year member of the National Speakers Association, Wyman has been able to share his professional speaking abilities with recognized companies across the nation.

A native of Kissimmee, Florida, Wyman is a 1982 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and a 1989 MBA graduate of Jacksonville University. He has also earned a Certified in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University and is a Certified EQ-I 2.0 Assessor/Evaluator.

Wyman and Rosemary have been married for 34 years and have three adult children.

Angela Williams
Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of CSX Corporation

Angie Williams is Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of CSX Corporation, a leading supplier of rail- based freight transportation. She is responsible for overseeing all of the company’s corporate accounting functions, including financial and regulatory reporting; billing and collections; payroll and other labor services; as well as other accounting areas.

Since joining CSX in 2003, Williams has held various roles of increasing leadership responsibility, including Director of Technical Accounting and Reporting and, prior to her current position, Assistant Vice President and Assistant Controller. Prior to CSX, she worked in the accounting and internal audit departments at Winn-Dixie Stores and was a senior auditor at the accounting firm KPMG.

As a senior leader on the CSX Finance team, Williams played a key role in many of the company’s most- critical initiatives. She was pivotal in the successful integration of two acquired companies — Pan Am Railways in 2022 and Quality Carriers in 2021, leading a cross-functional team that facilitated essential activities including the employee transition; sales and marketing processes; operations and technology integration; as well as purchase accounting and reporting. Williams was named to the 2022 Railway Age Women in Rail for her contributions to the Pan Am and Quality Carriers integrations as well as modernizing financial-related systems and leading the accounting and reporting on the sale of property and property rights in three states worth more than $1.2 billion.

An advocate and influencer of emerging talent, Williams prioritizes employee development and diversity, equity and inclusion. At CSX, she started a coffee series to seek employee input from all levels of the organization, and she serves as executive sponsor of CSX’s Asian Professionals for Excellence business resource group.

In the community, Williams has served on a wide range of professional panels, using her voice to advocate for women and people of color. She has participated on panels for the National African American Women’s Leadership Institute, Women’s Leadership Network Institute of CFOs, and the CSX African American Inclusion Group, among others. Williams is also a member of the United Way Tocqueville society.

Williams is a graduate of Florida State University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting and is a certified public accountant. She also attended the Harvard Business School Executive Development Program. Outside of the office, she enjoys traveling and spending time with her husband, Brant, and her two teenaged sons, Hayden and Hudson.

Theodore B. “Ted” Phillips
JEA Chief Financial Officer

Theodore B. “Ted” Phillips joined JEA as Chief Financial Officer in August 2021 and has served in the not-for-profit utility sector for more than 30 years.

Before joining JEA, Mr. Phillips worked for 10 years with Huntsville Utilities, (Huntsville Alabama) leading teams in Finance/Accounting, MIS, Technical Services, Purchasing, Stores & Warehousing, Fleet, and Facilities. Previously, Mr. Phillips spent 20 years in the public sector in North Carolina and Missouri working for the City of Shelby, the City of Monroe and Mecklenburg County, N.C., and the State Auditor’s office in Missouri.

Mr. Phillips earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Southeast Missouri State University. He is an active member in his community, currently serving on The Salvation Army advisory council and has served on the boards of the United Way and The Schools Foundation in Huntsville, Ala., and was a long-term leader in the Boy Scouts of America.

Ted has been married to his lovely wife Carol Rhea Phillips for 25 years.  The have two son Ryan (24) and Evan (20).