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Speakers
for the 2008 Leadership Conference
Dr.
Samuel Betances

Dr.
Betances is a diversity consultant and trainer, with
vast experiences in facilitating workshops, delivering
standing-ovation quality presentations, and designing
curriculums to assist organizations to improve their
bottom line and achieve their mission through diversity
strategies.
He is an
educator, a published author and a media personality.
Dr. Betances is a subject matter expert in the field of
diversity, mentoring, team building, race relations and
on how seminar leaders can make presentations on
sensitive and controversial issues without causing
injuries to participants or glossing over urgent issues
that cannot be ignored.
He has also
developed media products for the resource kits of
diversity practitioners, HR and EO specialists in search
of solutions to the challenge of creating inclusive,
diverse work teams in organizations.
Dr.
Betances is a bilingual, bicultural, biracial citizen of
the world. He has worked in all fifty states, all of the
U.S. territories and the District of Columbia. He has
also worked in Latin America, Europe, Asia and the
Pacific region of Micronesia and Polynesia.
As a
consultant to the National Guard, Dr. Betances has
contributed to preparation of training tools and staff
development strategies for the both the ANG and the ARNG.
He has also consulted as a diversity-training specialist
with the USAF, and the Chaplain Service of two branches
of the military.
Dr.
Betances holds two graduate degrees from Harvard
University. He completed his postdoctoral studies at the
University of Wisconsin in the field of Urban Social
Institutions. He is the Senior Faculty Member at the
Workforce Diversity Institute of Northeastern Illinois
University in Chicago. He is an honorary Colonel, Chief
Master Sergeant and Brigadier General in the ARNG.
Bryon F. Marchant

Byron F. Marchant is the
Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Chief
Administrative Officer of BET Networks. Reporting
directly to the Chairman and CEO Debra L Lee, Marchant’s
leadership ability and experience has earned him the
role of administrator of several departments. He
successfully oversees legal affairs, human resources,
computer information systems, broadcast operations,
satellite operations, telecommunications, facilities,
real estate and corporate purchasing departments for BET
Networks (BET) and its subsidiaries.
Prior to
joining BET Networks, Byron was a Partner with Patton
Boggs, LLP. Other positions for Marchant include, Senior
Vice President and General Counsel for TeleCommunication
Systems, Inc. of Annapolis, Maryland, Senior Legal
Advisor to former FCC Commissioner Andrew Barrett and an
attorney with the law firm Sidley & Austin.
Byron is a member of the New Jersey Bar, The U.S.
Supreme Court Bar, the Federal Communications Bar
Association, and the American Bar Association. He serves
on the board of directors of TeleCommunication Systems,
Inc. of Annapolis, Maryland, Cable Positive, American
Red Cross of the Washington Metropolitan area, and the
US Naval Academy Foundation. He is also a member of the
Advisory Committee to the Sallie Mae Foundation.
Marchant was appointed in 2003 by Virginia Governor Mark
Warner to serve a four year term on the Board of
Visitors at George Mason University (2003 -2007). Byron
also serves on the University of Virginia Campaign
Executive Committee through 2011, the Board of Managers
of the UVA Alumni Association (July 2007-June 2010) and
has been an adjunct professor at the University of
Virginia School of Law.
Mr. Marchant has written numerous articles on
telecommunications and media matters. Some articles
include: “On-line on the Internet: First Amendment
and Intellectual Property Uncertainties in the On-line
World,” Howard University Law Journal, Spring 1996;
“The Federal Communications Commission of the USA,”
Encyclopedia of Telecommunications, 1992; and with Helen
Diesenhaus, “ In Search of Revenues: The Impact of
the Modification of Final Judgment on Regional Bell
Companies Abroad,” International Practice Handbook,
FCBA, 1991.
A native of Chicago, Mr. Marchant received his law
degree from the University of Virginia, and his
undergraduate degree in Engineering and Political
Systems from the United States Naval Academy.
Emmitt
J. McHenry

Emmit J.
McHenry is the founder, chairman and CEO of NetCom
Solutions International, Inc. NetCom Solutions is a
Total NetWorks solutions provider that focuses on
deploying next generation networks for their
client-partners. Their service offerings include
engineering,installation, repair and maintenance of
wireline, wireless, and optical network infrastructures.
NetCom Solutions also provides logistics and material
management services in support of supply chain
management requirements.
NetCom Solutions
has over $260 million in sales and more than 225
employees, with facilities in Chantilly, Virginia and
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NetCom Solutions is ranked #10
on Black Enterprise magazine’s list of the most
successful Black-owned firms in the United States.
Recommended by
AT&T Corporation for NMSDC’s Corporate Plus Program,
NetCom Solutions has proven capable of doing business on
a national basis. The company’s clients include AT&T
Corporation, GE Medical Systems and International
Business Machines Corporation.
Prior to founding
NetCom Solutions International, Inc. in 1995, Mr.
McHenry was a founder of Network Solutions, Inc., the
Internet domain name service provider. Mr. McHenry has
held management positions with IBM, Connecticut General,
Union Mutual and Allstate Insurance Company, where he
served
in several
positions including regional vice president for five
northwestern states (Idaho, Oregon, Washington, Alaska
and Hawaii).
NetCom Solutions
has been recognized for outstanding quality and
technical excellence through awards and recognition such
as AT&T's 1995 Business Partner of the Year Award;
Lucent Technologies' 1997 Partner in Excellence Award;
NMBC's 1999 Outstanding Technology Firm Award; and the
FastTrack 2000 Award for being one of the fastest
growing companies in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan
area.
Emmit McHenry
currently serves on the Executive Committee for the
Council on Competitiveness and the Board of Directors
for James Martin Government Intelligence and Global
Technology, L.L.C. He is the Chairman of the Board for
NetCom Solutions South Africa.
Mr. McHenry has a
B.A. in communications from the University of Denver,
passed the qualifying exam for a Ph.D. after receiving
his M.A. in communications from Northwestern, and holds
an honorary Ph.D. from Shaw University.
Colonel Arthur J. Athens, USMCR

The Superintendent
of the United States Naval Academy appointed Colonel
Athens as the Interim Dean for the Academy’s Vice
Admiral James B. Stockdale Center for Ethical Leadership
on 2 July 2007.
Born and reared in
Huntington, New York, Colonel Athens attended the U.S.
Naval Academy where he served as Brigade Commander,
lettered
on the varsity
lacrosse team, and received both the Alumni Association
Award and the Coaches’ Calvert Award. He graduated with
distinction in 1978 and was commissioned in the U.S.
Marine Corps. During his active duty career, he held
significant staff and command positions in the 1st, 2nd,
and 3rd Marine Aircraft Wings.
Colonel Athens
also served as the Antiair Warfare Instructor and
Academic Dean at Marine Aviation Weapons and Tactics
Squadron-l and taught Computer Science at the U.S. Naval
Academy where he received the Clements Award as the
outstanding military educator. While assigned to the
Naval Academy, he became a White House Fellow and served
at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Colonel Athens
earned a master’s degree in Information Systems from the
Naval Postgraduate School, where he stood first in his
graduating class, as well as a master’s in Military Arts
and Sciences from the U.S. Army’s School of Advanced
Military Studies.
Colonel Athens
left active duty in 1994 to serve as the Executive
Director of OCF, a worldwide organization assisting
military officers integrate their personal faith and
professional responsibilities. After leading OCF for
five years, Colonel Athens assumed responsibilities as
the Commandant of Midshipmen
at the U.S.
Merchant Marine Academy, one of the Nation’s five
federal service academies. He remained as Commandant
until his selection as the Naval Academy’s first
Lakefield Family Foundation Distinguished Military
Professor of Leadership. Colonel Athens continues to
serve in the Lakefield Chair while he executes his
duties at the Stockdale Center.
When Colonel
Athens resigned his active duty commission, he
transferred to the Marine Corps Reserves and has been a
Space Operations Officer for the U.S. Space Command, the
Commanding Officer of Marine Air Control Squadron 24,
and a Strategic Analyst at Headquarters Marine Corps.
His current reserve assignment is Special Assistant to
the President, Marine Corps University.
In 2005, Colonel
Athens volunteered to coach the Northern High School
Boys’ Lacrosse Team and led the team to their first
Regional Championship and a third place finish in the
state of Maryland. The
Washington Post selected Colonel Athens as their
Coach of the Year.
Panel
Participants
Michael L. Holmes

Michael L. Holmes
is the general manager
of L-3 Flight International Aviation LLC and retired
rear admiral from the U.S. Navy.
Holmes manages the
activities of Newport News, Va.-based L-3 Flight
International Aviation, a subsidiary of L-3
Communications Integrated Systems (L-3/IS). The company
provides commercial air services to various government
agencies, aerospace companies, and other commercial
clients. It is also an authorized FAA Repair Station
specializing in service and modification of Learjet
aircraft. L-3 Flight International has operating
elements located throughout the United States and Europe
and its flight operations span the globe.
Holmes is a Native
American Indian born and raised in Lumberton, North
Carolina. He attended Pembroke State University
graduating in 1972 with a degree in mathematics.
After graduation,
he entered the Navy through the Aviation Officer
Candidate program. He was commissioned an Ensign on
December 20, 1973. He went on to earn his Navy pilot
wings on November 15, 1974.
During his 32
years in the Navy, he accumulated more than 6,500 pilot
hours while assigned to various operational squadrons.
He commanded five aviation commands throughout his
career in the Navy. He served two years as the
Communications Officer onboard the aircraft carrier USS
America (CV 66). In his final tour he served as
Commander, Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Group,
charged with leading a force of over 11,000 military
and civilian men
and women.
He retired from
active duty on October 1, 2005 after attaining the rank
of Rear Admiral, Upper Half.
Michael and his wife, Viola,
reside in Yorktown, Va. They have three sons, Michael
and Jared, who are both currently serving in the U.S.
Marine Corps, and their youngest, Justin, a sophomore at
East Carolina University.
Dr. Harris Sussman

Dr. Harris Sussman is a specialist on the
changing challenges of leadership and the future of
diversity. As a college student, he met Malcolm X and
Martin Luther King.
From 1991-2004 he wrote the most widely-read monthly
column on cultural diversity in the United States. He
won the award for Commentary from College Services
magazine in 2003 and 2004. He was keynote speaker for
the "Diversity is for Everyone" conference at James
Madison University in 2007. He has been guest speaker
at 40 colleges, universities, and professional
institutes.
As chief workforce analyst and resident futurist at
Digital Equipment Corporation, he was the most-requested
internal resource in the world for that company. He
designed the first course on diversity offered by the US
Fire Administration, "Leading Diverse Communities Beyond
Conflict." His work has been featured in Business Week,
The New York Times, the NBC "Today" Show and PBS "News
Hour."
He is co-director of the only project in the US helping
blind students in Russia. He lives in Boston. His
email is
harris@sussman.org
Dr. Sussman advises you to take a
look at the following links before attending the
Leadership Conference
"Diversity is for Everyone"--Sussman--
http://sussman.org/jmu/
"Getting Older"--Sussman--
http://sussman.org/resources/
Talking about Race in Classrooms--
http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/ed/2007/fall/features/race.html
Interracial Friendship--
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/print/friendship-1228-print.html
Truth and Reconciliation Commissions--
http://www.usip.org/library/truth.html and
http://www.trinstitute.org/ojpcr/4_2recon.pdf
You and World Population--
http://www.ined.fr/en/everything_about_population/play_population/population_me/
Women/Front-Runners--
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/opinion/08steinem.html?pagewanted=print
Stay Away from Race--
http://egan.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/01/16/race-bait/index.html
M GEN
Charles F. Bolden Jr. USMC (Retired)

A 1968 graduate of the United States
Naval Academy, Charles F. Bolden received his commission
as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
Over the course of his military career, he has logged
more than 6,000 hours of flight time. He is a former
NASA astronaut as well as the former commanding general
of the Third Marine Aircraft Wing. MGEN Bolden is
currently serving as the Senior Vice President of
TechTrans International, Inc.
Dr. Mady W. Segal

Mady Wechsler Segal earned her Ph.D. at
the University of Chicago. She is currently serving as a
Professor of Sociology at the University of Maryland,
and Associate Director of the Center for Research on
Military Organization. Her recent research has focused
on military personnel issues, with particular attention
to military women and military families.
Dr. Gama Perruci

A native of Brazil, Gama Perruci has his
doctorate in political science from the University of
Florida's Center for Latin American Studies, and a
master's degree in international journalism (1986) from
Baylor University in Texas. His main teaching and
research area is the impact of globalization on
leadership education. Dr. Perruci is a member of the
Board of Directors of the International Leadership
Association and Director of the McDonough Center for
Leadership and Business at Marietta College, Ohio.
CMDCM (AW/SW) Evelyn "Vonn"
Banks, USN

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Master Chief
Evelyn Banks enlisted in the United States Navy on
January 28, 1984. During her 24 years of service, she
earned an Associates of Arts in General Studies
Management from the University of Phoenix and is a
graduate of both the Air Force Senior Non-Commissioned
Officer Academy as well as the Navy Senior Enlisted
Academy. Master Chief Banks is currently assigned as the
Command Master Chief for the United States Naval
Academy.
RADM Marsha Evans, USN (Retired)

Rear Admiral Marsha Evans was a career
officer in the United States Navy, retiring as a Rear
Admiral in January 1998. She headed the Navy's worldwide
recruiting organization from 1993 to 1995 and served as
the superintendent for the Naval Postgraduate School in
Monterey, California from 1995 to 1998. RADM Evans
served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the
American Red Cross from August 2002 to December 2005.
She also serves on the Advisory Boards for the Ladies
Professional Golf Association and the Pew Partnership
for Civic Change.
LT Daniella Kolodny, CHC, USN

Chaplain Daniella Kolodny was born on 16
January 1966 in Jerusalem, Israel. She was ordained as a
rabbi in 2004 at the Jewish Theological Seminary in New
York City. Chaplain Kolodny was commissioned as a
Chaplain Candidate Program Officer in 2000 and entered
the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps in 2004 as the first female
Rabbi. Rabbi Kolodny served at the National Naval
Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland from 2004-2007 and
is currently a member of the Chaplain Corps at the
United States Naval Academy .
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