2004 United Ways Crossroads Conference
June 9-11, 2004, Columbus, OH
General Session Speaker Previews
BRIAN GALLAGHER
President, United Way of America
Brian Gallagher became President and CEO of United Way of America in January 2002. He was hired to lead the United Way movement through a transformation into the nation’s premier champion forces on human need and potential. A 20-year veteran of United Way, Gallagher most recently was the President of United Way of Central Ohio in Columbus the 16th largest United Way in the country with a $51 million annual campaign and one of the highest per capita giving rates in the country. Under Gallagher’s leadership, the United Way of Central Ohio redesigned itself from a fundraising federation to a collaborative community leadership organization focused on impacting the most pressing issues facing Central Ohio.
Prior to moving to Columbus in 1996, Gallagher spent nearly six years at the United Way of Metropolitan Atlanta where he was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Before that, he was Group Vice President handling all the resource development, marketing and, community and area development activities for the 12-county United Way. He has also held executive and senior positions in PA and RI. A Midwest native, Gallagher was born in Chicago and grew up in Hobart, IN. He received his bachelor’s degree in social work from Ball State University, Muncie, IN, in 1981 and a master’s degree in business from Emory University in Atlanta in 1992.
GREGORY R. SMITH
International Children’s Rights Advocate, Child Genius
At the age of 14, Gregory Smith has a solid career as a world-recognized advocate for children and peace. He is a two-time nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize and has appeared on numerous programs, including 60 Minutes, Oprah, Letterman, and all major network morning news shows. He has met with Presidents, Nobel Peace Laureates, religious leaders and educators, including Bill Clinton, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Desmond Tutu.
Greg began astounding adults with his intelligence while still in diapers. He began correcting others’ grammar as a toddler. Soon after, he realized he needed to do something about the violence he saw on the news and set goals to learn as much as he could to prepare him for that work.
Greg completed his undergraduate work in May, 2003, and is now working on four PhDs. Among his current youth-related work, he is the founder and President of International Youth Advocates, which collects educational supplies, clothing, and toys and works with NGOs and government and business leaders to enhance and protect the rights and well being of children.
While Greg’s genius is without question, it’s his unique view of the world, warm heart, and his powerful commitment to major goals that is impressive. Come to hear what motivates Greg and how it might relate to your community goals.
JOSEPH A. “JAY” CONNOR
Founder/CEO of The Collaboratory for Community Support
Jay Connor, JD/MBA, is the author of Community Visions, Community Solutions: Grantmaking for Comprehensive Impact, published by the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation in February, 2003. He has extensive leadership experience in business, nonprofit, and public policy arenas. His major interest is in crossing the borders between these sectors and articulating their interdependence for the benefit of community dialogue and system effectiveness.
Before founding The Collaboratory, Ann Arbor, MI, Jay was President/CEO of Nonprofit Enterprise at Work (NEW), a nonprofit management support organization. Under his leadership, NEW designed and implemented a nationally recognized consulting consortium, facilitated improved approaches to funding allocation from local government and foundations, and spearheaded community conversations about outcomes measurement and cross-sector partnerships.