Past Conventions and highlights

Chad Thompson – From Strangers to Family: The Rotary Youth Exchange Journey
Chad Thompson is the Youth Exchange Chair for District 5160. What happens when a teenager goes to another country for a year? Hear directly from Inbound students, a Roterix and a host family as they share moments that changed their lives forever. Youth Exchange brings far-flung people from all over the world together and builds life-long families. Those students who traveled from the U.S.A. to other countries have similar moments in many other lands. Experience all their feelings in this engaging session.

The Rotary Four-Way Test provides a powerful ethical compass for how we lead, communicate, and make decisions. But in the workplace, challenges often arise when colleagues have different communication styles, expectations, and approaches to conflict and are from a different generation. Using insights from the DISC working style assessment, participants will gain a deeper understanding of how different personality styles influence communication, decision-making, and conflict.

Focused on Intergenerational Communication, this highly insightful session will look at the role perspective plays in effective communication. Drake will talk about speaking mindfully and with intention, emphasizing the importance of expressing ideas in a way that invites dialogue rather than division. In addition, exploring practical listening skills, and genuinely hearing others is important in understanding viewpoints different from our own.  Discussions will include how leaders can create environments where every individual feels valued, seen, and comfortable contributing, regardless of age or background. The goal is to provide attendees with tools to strengthen mutual respect, deepen connection, and foster more thoughtful and inclusive conversations. Understanding how young and more mature adults can hear and understand each other builds bridges for communication between all concerned.

Carryn Barker is a detective, former SWAT operator, doctoral candidate and Medal of Honor recipient who speaks on resilience, leadership, and allyship. As a keynote speaker, she draws from her lived experiences to inspire and empower others — helping individuals, teams, and organizations push past barriers and build stronger, more supportive cultures. Her journey led to a landmark legal settlement, but more importantly, it highlighted the power of standing up and standing together. Today, she shares her story to help others navigate challenges, cultivate trust, and lead with courage. Whether in the workplace, in leadership, or in life’s toughest moments, Carryn’s message is clear: resilience is built, allyship is action, and change begins with the courage to speak up.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the ways organizations lead, communicate, and serve. Val and Rob Reddemann bring their expertise to discuss how AI is influencing Rotary’s mission and operations.

In this timely session, Val and Rob will delve into practical applications of AI within Rotary, focusing on how clubs can integrate this technology to increase engagement and overall impact. The presentation will also address the ethical considerations surrounding AI, guiding clubs to adopt responsible technological practices that align with Rotary’s values and mission

PRESENTER BIO

Kerri Schillinger is an entrepreneur and small business owner. Her interest in right-brained versus left-brained thinking began while working as a professional organizer. Kerri began to notice similarities in people who were chronically disorganized. After research and testing, she concluded that the chronically disorganized were quite often right-brained thinkers. This led her to a quest to learn and understand the differences and how they affect people at home, at school, and at work. Over the last 20 years, Kerri has given many lectures on the subject, including to businesses and their employees, to PTA meetings, to Psychology students, to the staff and volunteers of groups that work with children, and to foster parents. In Kerri’s spare time, she is the owner of Bull’s-Eye Bookkeeping, is CEO of Eras Natural Sciences, which manufactures a natural wound care topical, is a board member and CFO of three other corporations and two other non-profits, runs two Volkswagen car clubs, and does lectures on various historic topics.

WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION

This workshop is designed to teach people about the cognitive, behavioral, and learning differences between right-brained and left-brained thinkers. The hemispheric dominance of a person’s brain is a big factor in how that person learns, behaves, and reacts to outside stimuli. We will learn how to identify if a person is a right-brained or left-brained thinker, and learn the common traits and behavior of both. We will then discuss methods of helping people to overcome some of the predominant issues they may face in school and at home, as well as to expand their ability to use both sides of their brain more equally.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE/GOALS

• Learn the main differences between right-brained and left-brained thinkers.
• Learn how to designate the hemispheric dominance of an individual.
• Understand the positive and negative traits of both right-brained and left-brained thinkers and how the brain processes incoming stimuli.
• Learn the biggest obstacles individuals face depending on which side of their brain is dominant.
• Learn methods to help overcome these obstacles.
• Learn methods to increase the usage of the submissive side of the brain.

Former San Francisco 49er and Super Bowl champion Bubba Paris shares powerful lessons in teamwork, perseverance, and leadership drawn from his experiences on and off the field. His keynote will energize attendees and inspire championship thinking in Rotary service and everyday life.

As President of ShelterBox USA, Kerri Murray leads one of Rotary’s most vital humanitarian partners, providing emergency shelter to families displaced by disaster and conflict around the world. Her keynote will highlight the power of Rotary–ShelterBox collaboration and inspire action to build bridges of hope, dignity, and resilience.

Vicki Puliz is a Trustee of Our Rotary Foundation (2025-2029) and will serve as Vice Chair in 2026-2027. She previously served as a Rotary International Director (2021-2023) and has held numerous leadership roles, including Vice Chair of the Rotary Peace Centers Committee, International Assembly facilitator, Rotary Public Image Coordinator, and Governor of District 5190 (2013-2014).

A dedicated Rotarian since 1992 with the Rotary Club of Sparks, Nevada, Vicki is passionate about leadership development, programs for youth leaders, polio eradication, and peacebuilding. She is a Positive Peace Activator, trained through Rotary’s partnership with the Institute for Economics and Peace.

Vicki holds a Marketing degree and MBA from the University of Utah and spent 19 years owning a commercial electrical contracting firm before merging it into a public company. She and her husband, Tim, live in Reno, Nevada, and enjoy outdoor activities and aviation. They are members of the International Fellowship of Flying Rotarians and support Our Rotary Foundation through the Arch Klumph Society, Paul Harris Society, Polio Plus Society, and Bequest Society. Their blended family includes seven adult children, twelve grandchildren, and three Rotary Youth Exchange daughters.