Plenary Sessions

Be inspired by insightful leaders who are addressing today’s most pressing issues.

Opening Plenary - Rehabilitating the Classroom: A Candid Discussion of Education Reform

Monday, September 19 - 8-9:30 a.m.

The United States is losing ground in education as peers across the globe zoom by with bigger gains in student achievement and school graduation rates. The education reform movement is challenged by many factors: lack of sufficient funding, restrictive agreements with some teachers’ unions, and alternatives to public education. Listen to a number of important voices in this dialogue: a former public school administrator, a teacher, a principal, and a parent as they share their perspectives on solutions and hear how community foundations can make a significant difference in the lives of many.

Moderator: Terry Mazany, president and CEO, Chicago Community Trust and former superintendent
Presenters: Jacqueline Edelberg, author of How to Walk to School: Blueprint for a Neighborhood Renaissance; LaRavian Battle, teacher, Oakland Unified School District; Alicia Romero, principal, Oakland High School; Carol S. Larson, board chair, Council on Foundations and president and CEO, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

Monday Lunch Plenary - Pledge to Lead by Example

Monday, September 19 - 12-1:30 p.m.

The Giving Pledge is an effort to invite the wealthiest individuals and families in America to commit to giving the majority of their wealth to the philanthropic causes and charitable organizations of their choice either during their lifetime or after their death. Hear from individuals who have taken the Giving Pledge and find out how they are fulfilling this monumental obligation.

Moderator: Nicole Taylor, president, East Bay Community Foundation
Presenters: Kat Taylor, founding director, OnePacificCoast Bank and Foundation and Thomas F. Steyer, senior managing member, Farallon Capital Management

Tuesday Breakfast Plenary - Keep Your Friends Close and Your Competitors Closer

Tuesday, September 20 - 8-9:30 a.m.

The competition for the philanthropic dollars from high-net-worth individuals is intense and ever expanding. In addition to for-profit gift funds, new players have emerged from the financial services industry, nonprofits, and even other community foundations. What can community foundations learn from others in this dynamic marketplace in order to succeed?

Moderator: John Kobara, executive vice president and COO, California Community Foundation
Presenters: Brenda Chumley, executive director, Greater Horizons and senior vice president of Administration, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation; Andrew C. Bangser, president, Foundation Source; Emmett Carson, president, Silicon Valley Community Foundation; Benjamin Pierce, president, Vanguard Charitable Endowment Program

Tuesday Lunch Plenary: Virtual Realities

Tuesday, September 20 - 12-1:30 p.m.

Community foundations are asked to tackle complex multi-sector social issues on a daily basis. What can we learn about how to think and solve these issues in a more creative way and how to harness not-your-typical-resources to solve them? Think outside the box with the leadership of Singularity University, an interdisciplinary university whose mission is to assemble, educate, and inspire leaders to better understand how exponentially advancing technologies (such as biotechnology, supercomputing, nanotechnology, robotics, and communications technologies) can address humanity’s grand challenges.

Presenters: Salim Ismail, executive director, Singularity University, Jeff Clarke, interim president and CEO, Council on Foundations, and Tully M. Friedman, chairman and CEO, Friedman Fleischer & Lowe

Wednesday Closing Brunch Plenary - Debate: A Balancing Act

Wednesday, September 21 - 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m.

In this era of deficit reduction at both the state and federal levels, what is the role of community foundations in sustaining local programs? We will discuss a national framework, which will provide a context for this debate but dig into the issues facing many on the state, regional, and local levels.

Presenters: Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher, The Rothenberg Political Report and columnist, Roll Call; Colin Lacon, president and CEO, Northern California Grantmakers; Richard Ober, president and CEO, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation; Clotilde Perez-Bode Dedecker, president and CEO, Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo; Andrew Schulz, vice president, Legal and Government Relations, Council on Foundations