STEVE GILLILAND, CSP, CPAE
Author of four books — Enjoy the Ride, Making a Difference, Hide Your Goat and Detour — plus numerous articles in nationally prominent magazines, Steve Gilliland is also a master storyteller and brilliant comedian.
A regular on SiriusXM Radio’s Laugh USA, he has built a multimillion-dollar company by focusing on a philosophy of continually learning more about his company, his profession, his clients, and himself, discovering that these are the keys to becoming a leader. His well-honed advice, he believes, guides leaders to be purpose-driven rather than process-driven so they, ultimately, make a difference. His motto: “If you take care of people, the business will follow.”
Born and raised in the Pittsburgh area, Gilliland lives in North Carolina. He is a proud grandpa, devoted father of four boys, and a loving husband. Everyone who hears his message leaves with a renewed sense of enthusiasm for who they are and for what really matters.
KEVIN BROWN
Kevin Brown’s unconventional path to success taught him that winning requires anything but conventional thinking. His blue-collar roots in Muskegon, Mich., schooled him in the value of hard work and determination. The result? At age 17, he purchased a franchise and — with a streetwise aptitude and a never-quit attitude — he helped grow a family biz into an industry giant with annual revenues reaching $2 billion.
After a 30-year career, Brown now pursues a new passion: sharing his personal philosophy, which he calls The HERO Effect®. He believes this viewpoint separates world-class organizations and high-performance people from everyone else, expanding their vision, developing their potential, and growing their results.
As father of an autistic child, he knows firsthand how the principles of true success reach beyond the boardroom and into the lives of real people facing the challenges of everyday life. Brown entertains, inspires, and challenges his audiences to show up every day and make a positive difference at work and in life!
MARILYN H. OERMANN, PHD, RN, ANEF, FAAN
Marilyn Oermann is the Thelma M. Ingles Professor of Nursing at Duke University School of Nursing. She is the Editor-in-Chief of Nurse Educator and the Journal of Nursing Care Quality. Dr. Oermann is the author/co-author of 25 books, more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and many editorials, chapters, and other types of publications. She is a member of the American Academy of Nursing and National League for Nursing (NLN) Academy of Nursing Education. She received the NLN Award for Excellence in Nursing Education Research, the Sigma Theta Tau International Elizabeth Russell Belford Award for Excellence in Education, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Excellence Award, the Margaret Comerford Freda Award for Editorial Leadership in Nursing from the International Academy of Nursing Editors, and the NLN President’s Award.
Dr. Oermann believes that nurse educators are the most innovative teachers in higher education and is committed to mentoring them to disseminate their creative ideas.
