Featured Speakers
Keynote speaker:
Karen Elaine Webster Parks,
Interim CEO
The Atlanta Women’s Foundation (AWF)
Karen presently serves as the Interim CEO of The Atlanta Women’s Foundation and has served as the CEO for The Atlanta Civic League for two years. Karen’s experience in corporate and non-profit management includes strategic and philanthropic leadership, board governance, administration management, advocacy and external relations.
Karen has been honored many times by both the private and public sector. Most recently, she received the 2008 Community Leadership Award from the National Conference for Volunteering and the 2007 Zenith Award for Distinction in the Profession from GABWA.
Karen’s hobbies include mentoring young women in the community, reading novels and of course golfing!
Gary E. Ban,
Managing Partner, Founder
JAG Interactive
A pioneer in the wireless market, Mr. Ban has over 20 years experience working with emerging and startup companies. Mr. Ban formerly served as Oasys Mobile Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer from 2001 - 2006. Ban established Oasys Mobile as one of a few premier wireless media companies. Prior to Oasys, he was director of customer integration for ABB’s electricity metering group and was director of re-engineering services for Pinnacle Group.
Ban is the managing partner and founder of JAG Interactive, a social networking company designed to market sports, music or entertainment events. He is also a partner with High Rock Partners, which provides strategic consulting, investment banking and interim management to emerging growth and middle-market companies.
Barbara Bradley,
President and CEO
Action for Children North Carolina
Barbara Bradley joined Action for Children North Carolina as President and CEO in October 2004. A child advocate for more than 30 years, Bradley has served as special consultant to the founding of Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America and provided leadership as Vice President to such national organizations as United Way of America, Communities In Schools, Inc. and America’s Promise-The Alliance for Youth.
At the community-level, Bradley founded and led multiple multi-disciplinary coalitions to address teen pregnancy, crack-addicted mothers and their families, youth substance abuse as well as youth and gang violence. Ms. Bradley served as a clinical instructor in the Department of Pediatrics for the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita where she played a lead role in the founding of the first school-linked health clinic in the state.
A native of Kansas, Ms. Bradley holds a Masters in Regional and Community Planning from Kansas State University.
