General Session

Vicki Hess is an expert in employee engagement, team dynamics, and workforce and leadership development. A registered nurse with more than 30 years of hands-on professional experience include healthcare, consulting & sales. Hess is a Certified Speaking Professional (CSP), the speaking profession’s international standard for platform skill.
In 2011 & 2012, Speaking.com named Hess a ”Top 5 Healthcare Speaker”. Hess holds a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Development from Towson University and was an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University Graduate School of Business for five years. Hess is the author of SHIFT to Professional Paradise: 5 Steps to Less Stress, More Energy & Remarkable Results at Work and the The Nurse Manager’s Guide to Hiring, Firing & Inspiring . She is also a regular contributor to the Baltimore Business Journal and NurseTogether.com
 

Dan Thurmon is the author of two books, a renowned speaker, and a recognized expert in delivering peak performances – on stage and in the workplace. As president of Motivation Works, Inc., he has worked with hundreds of clients and delivered thousands of presentations worldwide. Dan helps organizations and individuals implement actions plans and move confidently through transitions.

He began his performance career at eleven years old, crafting a one-man-show incorporating comedy, juggling and acrobatics. This enabled him to, at a very early age, develop a strong work ethic and learn fundamental lessons about performance excellence. Dan graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Marketing and Management. He has also extensively studied Personal Development and developed a unique methodology he teaches to audiences and clients.

A recent inductee to the prestigious “Speakers Hall of Fame,”  Dan Thurmon delivers experiences that go beyond motivation, teaching concepts and skills in a highly engaging and entertaining manner. He incorporates his lifelong performance skills to create high impact events. His programs have educated and uplifted Fortune 500 companies, young audiences, and even the troops on the front lines of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Dan’s philosophy can be summarized by the title of his book, Off Balance On Purpose. He believes that we will never achieve “perfect balance” and should, instead, learn to embrace uncertainty and initiate positive changes that lead to growth. Also, we should go beyond the pursuit of “success” and enhance our life experiences and professional endeavors with purposeful, positive contributions.

Captain Mark Kelly Mark Kelly is an American astronaut, retired US Navy Captain, best selling-author, prostate cancer survivor, and an experienced naval aviator who flew combat missions during the Gulf War. The winner of many awards, including the Legion of Merit, two Defense Superior Service Medals and two Distinguished Flying Crosses, Kelly was selected as an astronaut in 1996. He flew his first of four missions in 2001 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour, the same space shuttle that he commanded on its final flight in May 2011. He has also commanded Space Shuttle Discovery and is one of only two individuals who have visited the International Space Station on four different occasions. Already a celebrated American, Kelly became the center of international attention after the January 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, former US Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In their best-selling memoir, Gabby, the couple shares their story of hope and resilience with the world. The inspirational memoir has topped multiple best-seller lists, including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and Amazon. Named on of the Esquire’s 2011 "Americans of the Year,” Kelly was also featured on the cover of and profiled in the magazine. He published his first children’s book in October 2012, titled Mousetronaut: A Partially True Story. Gabrielle Giffords U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was first elected to Arizona's 8th Congressional District seat in 2006 and won reelections in 2008 and 2010. Then, on January 8, 2011, a would-be assassin opened fire at a local event in Tucson, where Giffords was meeting with constituents. Six people were killed, and 13 others were injured in the attack. Among the injured was Giffords, who sustained a gunshot wound to the head and faced immediate neurosurgery to treat her life-threatening injuries. Giffords was a Fulbright Scholar and holds a bachelor of arts degree from Scripps College and a master’s from Cornell University. Before coming to Washington, DC, she served in the Arizona state House of Representatives from 2001 until 2003 and in the Arizona state Senate from 2003 until 2005, where she was the youngest woman ever elected to that body. Giffords resigned her Congressional seat in January 2012, choosing to focus on her continued recovery. Upon stepping down, she announced, "I will return, and we will work together for Arizona and this great country."