TEDxRHPLibraryWomen

Speakers

Speakers may not be confirmed. Check the event website for the latest lineup.

• Andrea Walker-Leidy

  Publicity Consultant

  Walker Leidy is a publicity consultant specializing in nonprofit and small business marketing strategy, PR and social media. She also works part time as Development Director at Meadow Brook Theatre. She was named Young Professional of the Year with Rochester Regional Chamber in 2010 and Oakland County Elite 40 Under 40 in 2016. Walker Leidy serves on the Rochester Community Schools Board of Education as a Trustee, with a reelection in Nov. 2018.

• Beth Talbert

  Professor of Communication

  Talbert is a professor of Communication at Oakland University, former president of Rochester Community Schools Board of Education, recipient of OU's Phyllis Law Googasian Award for advancing women in higher education, and director of the OU Women's Leadership Institute.

• Jen Anesi-Bromback

  Writer + Editor + Multimedia Journalist

  Anesi-Bromback is chief editor of a national magazine, Plumbing & Mechanical, that serves the plumbing and mechanical trades. She worked as a reporter for the Oakland Press and Patch, and served honorably as a combat medic in the Army National Guard. Earlier this year, she received a first place award for editorial writing from the Detroit chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. She is a current member of Women in HVACR, a trade organization that supports and promotes women in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing and electrical trades.

• Jennifer Craft

  ESL Teacher

  Craft teaches English as a second language at Oakland Community College and has been there for 17 years full time. She’s been in the profession for about 25 years and has taught students from five of the seven continents and dozens of countries, some very stable and others utterly war-torn. She has served her state-wide ESL teachers organization in several roles. She currently serves several roles at OCC for discipline and for the faculty as a whole.

• Jennifer McCardell

  Rochester Hills City Council Woman + Navy Veteran

  Rochester Hills City Council Woman Jennifer McCardel is a Navy Veteran with a husband and three kids. She works as an Investigator for the FDA. She ran for city council last November (2017) for the first time and won, beating her opponent, a conservative male incumbent by 39 votes. She was awarded the Rochester Community Schools Founders day awards in 2015 for bringing a garden to her kids elementary school and starting a Facebook group devoted to informing and communicating with other parents in the RCS school district.

• Kim Russell

  Rochester Mayor Pro Tem

  Rochester Mayor Pro Tem Kim Russell is co-owner of Helro Corportation manufacturing plant and executive consultant for Rodan + Fields which fuels her Mission work.

• Maureen Thalmann

  Local Historian + Author

  Maureen Thalmann is a local historian, public speaker and writer. She has been published in MI History Magazine, the Journal of the MI Historical Society and other outlets. She’s the author of Petticoat Surgeon: The Extraordinary Life of Dr. Bertha Van Hoosen.

• Melissa Parks

  Founder of Art&Soul Dreams

  Melissa Parks is a 20+ year member of the Michigan Art Education Association acting as a Regional Liaison for three years. In addition, she founded Art&Soul Dreams, a 501(c)3 dedicated to bringing awareness revolving around children in foster care. This is done by utilizing photos taken by an extensive collective of award winning photographers in a traveling photo exhibit. The genesis for this project resulted from her professional development experience in 2016 with Leadership Oakland, Class XXVI and she was the recipient of the Personal Leadership Achievement Award in Oakland County this year.

• Roxanne Ropponen

  Nurse

  Ropponen is an RN, BSN, Family Nurse Practitioner student at OU, former oncology and trauma ICU nurse and current Hospice Nurse.

• Sheila Landis

  Jazz Vocalist + Spoken Word Poet

  Born and raised in Detroit, Landis has an extraordinarily flexible voice and an uncanny ability to use it to great advantage. She scats, sings ballads, loves Latin rhythms, and can swing. She does jazz, rock, bebop, as well as Latin with absolute equanimity. Landis also delves into the realm of jazz poetry. This multifaceted musical elasticity allows her to take part in any jazz scenario with ease and with excellent results. Landis has chosen to consider herself a Detroit artist, doing most of her work in and around the Motor City. In appreciation of this loyalty as well as for her talent, she has been the recipient of many area awards, including being named outstanding jazz vocalist for seven different years by Detroit Music Awards.

• Stella Brochado

  Manufacturing Engineering Manager

  Brochado is a manufacturing engineering manager, responsible for different vehicle launches on auto business.

• Taharah Saad

  Infotainment Engineer

  Saad is an infotainment engineer at Ford, and the VP of the Arab American Women’s Council. She founded @glassceilingbreakers on instagram to help inspire, motivate, and empower women. She’s co-chaired a large diversity and inclusion event at Ford, and taken part in multiple panel discussions for women in leadership, diversity and inclusion, working moms, and more.