Spirituality and Work Speakers and Sessions

SPEAKER
Keynote Speaker: Andre L. Delbecq
Andre L. Delbecq is the McCarthy University Professor at Santa Clara University, where he served as Dean of the Leavey School of Business from 1979 to 1989. His research and scholarship have focused on executive decision-making processes, organization design, managing innovation in rapid-change environments, and leadership spirituality.

He is the Eighth Dean of Fellows of the Academy of Management, prior President of the Western Academy of Management and former Executive Director of the Organization Behavior Teaching Society. He is recognized internationally for executive programs delivered to high technology industries as well as health, human services and government organizations. He has served as a member of three corporate Boards of Directors, and twice as Board Chair.

Presently he serves on the Board of Trustees of Ascension Health. He directs the Institute for Spirituality of Organizational Leadership conducting dialog between theologians, executives and management scholars.

Sabah Alwan, Ph.D.
Associate professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior
The College of St. Scholastica

Work: Now and the Hereafter
Working is as if I am going to live forever with every living thing and fulfill every aspect as if I will die tomorrow. Working is a spiritual journey that is shared with others.

Gary Boelhower, Ph.D.
Professor of Theology and Religious Studies
The College of St. Scholastica

Wise Decision Making in the Benedictine Tradition
Connecting our spirituality to our work requires making wise decisions that reflect our true values and priorities. This workshop will explore a set of operating principles and a set of criteria for wise decision-making that flow from the Benedictine rule and tradition.

Lori Collard, SPHR
Vice President of Human Resources

Grounded Leadership: Relying on Personal Values to Make Tough Business Decisions
How does one balance the needs of corporations and institutions to do things faster, more efficiently and less expensively with the needs of employees, as human beings, to feel valued and rewarded as contributors to society? How do leaders make decisions that pit margin against the mission of the organization? This discussion will incorporate examples of how great leaders manage these struggles.

Jan Hartley Wise
Artist, teacher and spiritual director

From Ambition to Meaning: Work as a Spiritual Quest
This session will encourage participants to examine the shifts that change our lives. Using discussion and activities we will explore ways to align with those forces that truly touch our hearts and have deep meaning for us. The goal will be to awaken to what might be our spiritual calling for life work and to create personal maps for the journey.

Mary Bridget Lawson, M.A.
Staff Development Specialist, Sr.
St. Louis County Public Health and Human Services
Adjunct Professor School of Business and Technology

Building Respectful and Inclusive Workplaces
An exploration of creating a culture of respect and honoring differences in the workplace.

Mayor Don Ness

Pastor’s Son to Politician
How growing up in the church led to a life of public service.

Steve O'Neil
St. Louis County Commissioner
Second District

A Catholic Worker View on Sacred Labor
Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin founded the Catholic Worker movement and work was at its foundation. The tie between the sacredness and the justice of labor will be discussed.

Mary Plaster, M.A. in Studio Arts and D.Min. Candidate
Proprietor of Spirit Mountain Dancing Icons and Painterly Gestures Decorative Designs.

Work of the People: Postmodern Ceremony and Celebration
Beyond our jobs is the call to our larger roles in community, acknowledging shared joys, fears, despairs and hopes as we re-imagine what it means to be creative, socially responsive and responsible human beings together in the 21st century. Seminar includes PowerPoint presentation and discussion of first-hand experiences with Bread and Puppet Theatre, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, The Cosmic Mass, and the 2007 Burning Man Festival.

Bob Sherman, J.D.
Former Dean of the School of Business and Technology at The College of St. Scholastica

How Much Change Can You Imagine
This session will trace the evolution of the global corporate social responsibility (CSR) movement and describe how socially responsible businesses are working with government and nonprofit leaders to solve the largest problems our society faces. Participants will share examples of CSR in their communities and learn how to create effective alliances among for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Denise Starkey, Ph.D.
Assistant professor of Theology and Religious Studies
The College of St. Scholastica

Women’s Work . . . Saving the World
Feminist theologians have mined the world of women’s work and found new metaphors and understandings that have transformed traditionally dualistic understandings of private and public, domestic and political spheres of labor. Attending to the spheres of women's work, especially in the realms of caring and nurturing, discloses something to us about the nature of the Divine. In this session, we will begin by looking at the wisdom found in this re-membered theology and also explore the implications of these insights for the challenges facing our global village. Several heroines who exemplify the work of saving the world will be discussed, including: Ingrid Betancourt, Aung San Suu Kyi, Shirin Ebadi and Wangari Maathai. Participants will also be invited to explore ways in which their own work contributes to saving the world.

Dale Thompson
President/CEO, Benedictine Health System
Sister Claudia Riehl, O.S.B.
Director of Mission Integration, Benedictine Health System

Living our Values in the Workplace
The Benedictine Health System effectively and notably integrates its core values of Hospitality, Stewardship, Respect and Justice with its 7000 staff members located across seven states. Learn how a successful mission integration program gives purpose and meaning to daily work in long-term care services.

Chelly Townsend
Food Service Director at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center

Take Your Heart to Work with You
As Food Service Director at the Duluth Entertainment Convention Center for 18 years, Chelly will share stories of how she followed her heart and initiated an environmental program that would help to "green" the 42 year old complex.

Richard Townsend, D.Min.
Adjunct Instructor at The College of St. Scholastica

Reinventing Work and Education
Imagine demanding that you get to do work you love and be paid fairly for it. It is time for a social revolution where we as humans say no to unrewarding work and yes to our true, great work in the world. This will require reinventing how we do education as well. Let’s imagine this world together!

Mary Josephine Torborg, O.S.B., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Theology and Spirituality
The College of St. Scholastica

Is Benedict’s Dream of Balance Relevant Today?
“The World is charged with the grandeur of God” (Gerard Manley Hopkins). How do we participate in the awesome task of co-creation with God in our day? Benedict’s vision of work as co-creative, holy, and spiritual was innovative and challenging for his time. Is Benedict’s perspective of the Divine rhythm of prayer, work and leisure a beacon for our time?

Sara Thomsen, singer and songwriter
Performance and recording artist
Song leader and artistic director of vocal trio Three Altos and the non-audition Echoes of Peace Choir based in Duluth, MN.

How Can We Keep From Singing?
Come join in singing simple and compelling songs from around the world, songs of justice and peace, songs of hope and longing, and songs that are fun and full of celebration. Singing opens the heart and re-enchants the spirit. All are welcome regardless of singing experience or ability. Come reclaim the joy of singing as a human birthright.