ITENERARY
8:00-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast
8:30-9:30 a.m.
Emily Davis is the President of Emily Davis Consulting where she serves as a facilitator, advisor, and speaker. She has served as a nonprofit consultant for 20 years working with small to midsize businesses, nonprofits, philanthropists, and women leaders. Emily is the author of Fundraising and the Next Generation, 21/64 certified philanthropic advisor, and BoardSource Senior Governance Consultant. She has her Masters in Nonprofit Management from Regis University and a certificate in Corporate Board Governance from Wharton School of Business. She is certified in Technology of Participation facilitation, Essential Facilitation, and Technology of Participation strategic planning.
Her early career started in women’s health, ending violence against women, and equity activism. Emily has served as a founder, board member, executive director, grant maker, staff, and volunteer across a wide variety of organizations locally, nationally, and internationally.
9:30-10:30 a.m.
Dr. Carpenter is a highly networked nonprofit professor, researcher, consultant, and trainer passionate about nonprofit capacity building and talent development. She has served as a nonprofit professor and academic program director for over ten years and a nonprofit leader for over 20 years. She serves as Executive Director of the Institute for Nonprofit Administration and Research at LSU Shreveport. INAR’s mission is to conduct research and disseminate knowledge about nonprofit organizations. It has three programmatic areas: academics, professional development, and research.
She has published numerous academic journal articles and books. She previously served as co-editor and chief of the Journal of Nonprofit Education and Leadership was on the board of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council the national accrediting body for nonprofit academic degree programs from 2017-2023. In 2022, the Nonprofit Times selected Dr. Carpenter as a Top 50 Power and Influence Nonprofit Leader.
Dr. Carpenter is a lifetime member of Girl Scouts, active in the Downtown Shreveport Rotary Club, and serves on the advisory committee for the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program. She was recently named to the Volunteer Louisiana Commission by the Governor, the state service commission that has a mission to "Strength Louisiana communities through volunteerism and national service." Her husband is a Navy Veteran and Captain at Spirit Airlines, and they have a 13-year-old daughter.
She earned her Ph.D. in Leadership Studies with an emphasis on Nonprofit and Philanthropic Leadership from the University of San Diego and a Master of Management in Nonprofit Administration from North Park University in Chicago, Illinois.
10:30-10:45 a.m. | Break
10:45-11:30 a.m.
Jessica serves as the Chief Partnerships Officer at The Dallas Foundation, a role she has held since 2024. Leading the Philanthropic Partnerships team, Jessica serves as a cornerstone of the Foundation’s external outreach, directing efforts with current and prospective donor partners, professional advisors, and key stakeholders. Her mission is to cultivate a thriving and opportunity-rich community in greater Dallas.
With a distinguished career spanning 18 years in development and external affairs across the nonprofit, education, and corporate domains, Jessica brings a wealth of expertise to her role. Her track record as an authentic relationship builder and results-oriented leader is evident from her tenure at esteemed organizations such as Axxess, the University of North Texas, The University of Texas at Dallas, and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.
Jessica holds a Ph.D. and Master’s Degree in Public Affairs from The University of Texas at Dallas, and a BA in Political Science from The University of Texas-Arlington, where she also excelled as a Division I Tennis player. Her academic achievements and athletic prowess underscore her dedication to excellence in all pursuits. Jessica enjoys exploring new destinations alongside her husband and three children. In her spare moments, she finds solace in the tranquility of a tennis court or the lush greens of a golf course, cherishing those fleeting moments of serenity amidst the joyful chaos of family life.
11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. | Lunch
12:30-1:30 p.m.
John Edwards spent more than 20 years as a U.S. Coast Guard Public Information Officer, helping steer federal, state, and local agencies through more than 100 real-world crises, including Deepwater Horizon, the ATHOS I oil spill, and the Coast Guard’s COVID-19 response.
He has briefed Cabinet secretaries, appeared live on CNN, Good Morning America, and The Weather Channel, and trained thousands of responders and public servants.
Today, as founder of SignalPoint Strategies, he helps mission-driven nonprofits and public sector teams navigate crises with the same clarity and confidence he brought to federal emergencies, especially when every minute counts.
1:30-2:30 p.m.
