2008 MAPETS Speakers:
Glenn E. Estess Sr. Rotary International President (2004-05)
Trustee, The Rotary Foundation (2006-10)
Shades Valley (Birmingham), Alabama, USA
Glenn E. Estess, Sr. is the Retired Chief Executive Officer of Glenn Estess Associates, Inc. Born in Pike County, Mississippi; he earned a degree in Chemistry and Physics from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Glenn is one of five brothers who were Rotarians. At one time four were Presidents of their respective clubs.
Glenn is past chairman of trustees of the Baptist Health Systems, an eleven-hospital system headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama with approximately 10,000 employees. He served as director of the Better Business Bureau of Central Alabama and as a trustee for the Workmen's Compensation Trust of the Business Council of Alabama. Earlier in Florida he was chairman of the YMCA, the American Chemical Society and the Arthritis Foundation. He was also a member of the Board of Regents of the National Association of Personnel Consultants in the United States.
A Rotarian since 1960, Glenn was a member first in club #41 at Jacksonville, Florida (USA), and then Wayne, New Jersey (USA). Glenn was an Advisor to the 1997 Rl Convention Committee, PolioPlus National Coordinator in 1987-88. During his tenure as a Trustee, Glenn served as Chairman of the Foundation's Finance Committee and Vice Chairman of its Program Committee. He was Rl's International Assembly Chairman and Moderator in 1999.
He formerly was a member for four years and Chairman for one year of Rl's Audit & Operations Review Committee. This is Rl's only committee having a six-year term. This Committee serves in an Advisory role to the Board of Directors. Glenn was also the Chair of the 2002-2003 Membership Development and Retention Committee.
Glenn is a Rotary Foundation Major Donor, a Paul Harris Fellow, and a Benefactor. He is the recipient of the Citation for Meritorious Service and The Rotary Foundation's Distinguished Service Award.
Glenn and Mary have three children and eight grandchildren. Sixteen members of his family are Paul Harris Fellows.
Clifton Taulbert
President and Founder of the Building Community Institute
Pulitzer nominated author
Clifton Taulbert, a Pulitzer nominated author and the President and Founder of the Building Community Institute speaks throughout the world on the critical issue of building community, a set of emotionally satisfying relationships, within all the places of our living, creating an environment branded by Respect, Affirmation and Inclusion. He is also the author of the internationally acclaimed book, Eight Habits of the Heart, a book that provides the framework on which to build, maintain and sustain a powerful, effective and caring Community.
According to Taulbert, "By building a powerful, effective and caring community, we can transform our environment into one that values cooperative living, and welcomes diversity in all the areas of life. By creating an atmosphere that supports the timeless values highlighted in his writings and conversations, individuals become part of a dynamic working community, engendering greater productivity and personal fulfillment. Taulbert’s ideals of community extend the reach of the "Front Porch People", those he encountered while growing up in the Mississippi Delta.
Mr. Taubert's has spoken to audiences from around the world providing inspiration and direction to leaders. As an author, Mr. Taulbert has written in depth about the American South and is widely acclaimed for his memoirs, Once upon a Time When We Were Colored, The Last Train North, Watching Our Crops Come In and The Journey Home.
The Rev. Dr. Mouzon Biggs
Boston Avenue United Methodist Church
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Dr. Mouzon Biggs, Jr. has served as pastor of the 8200-member Boston Avenue Church in Tulsa, Oklahoma for over a quarter of a century. The church has received over 7,000 new members during his tenure, and ranks as one of Methodism' s largest. Its 17-story tower is the focal point of one of Tulsa's major thoroughfares, and the church was recently designated a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior.
With 14 years of religious broadcast experience in Texas, Dr. Biggs helped Boston Avenue Church to establish a television ministry soon after his arrival. For the past 23 years the 11:00 a.m. worship service has been broadcast live on KTUL- TV, Channel 8, to eastern Oklahoma and parts of Kansas, Arkansas, and Missouri. It is Tulsa's most highly-watched program in its time slot.
A native of the Carthage, Texas, oilfields, Dr. Biggs earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree at Centenary College of Louisiana and a Master of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. He also holds a Doctor of Divinity degree fromTexas Wesleyan University and a Doctor of Humane Letters iTom Oklahoma City University.
Under his leadership, endowments at Boston Avenue have grown from $200,000 to more than $17 million. The church recently completed a 38,000-square-foot addition that will relieve overcrowded classrooms and provide new recreational and meeting facilities.
In addition to his duties at Boston Avenue, Dr. Biggs currently chairs the Pension Fund Committee for the Board of Pensions and Health Benefits for the Oklahoma Conference. And is past-president of the National Conference for Community and Justice in Tulsa. He also serves on the board of Downtown Tulsa Unlimited, is a past-president of the downtown Rotary Club, and is active in interfaith trialogue.
Dr. Biggs is a well-known speaker and clinician, having addressed churches, colleges, conventions, and Chambers of Commerce and across a 28-state area. He has traveled in 41 countries. He is the author of Moments to Hold Close, and co-authored the best-selling book When You Graduate with Dr. Charles Allen of Houston.
He and his wife Gayle have two sons, Trey and Jason, and four young grandchildren.
Monica Sullivan
TRF Annual Giving Officer, Zones 29 & 30
Rotary International
Evanston, IL
As The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Giving Officer for Zones 29 & 30, Monica brings a wealth of journalism and communications experience to her role. A communication specialist, Monica has held various positions in radio, print, marketing, and corporate communications.
Notably, Monica has helped deliver the news on Chicago’s airwaves as an assistant producer at NewsRadio WBBM 780 AM. She also announced and did voiceover work at WCEV and formerly WJJD. As a technical writer, Monica has consulted and written strategic communications for the McDonald’s Corporation, Washington Mutual, and HSBC.
Monica holds a Master's degree in Journalism from Columbia College Chicago and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Northern Illinois University.
Sarah Remijan
Manager, Club and District Training Department of the
Leadership Education and Training Division of
Rotary International
Evanston, IL
Sarah Remijan is the manager of the Club and District Training Department of the Leadership Education and Training Division of Rotary International. She is responsible for overseeing the development of training resources for club and district-level Rotarians, including the Presidents-elect Training Seminar Leaders’ Guide, the Club President’s Manual, Rotary Training Talk, and the Rotary E-Learning Center. Sarah has been with Rotary for over eight years.
Sarah completed her bachelor’s degree in Asian Studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and her master’s degree in education from Saint Xavier University in Chicago. She has taught English as a second language in China and Taiwan and was a Chicago Public Schools teacher. Sarah is a member of the American Society of Training and Development and Chicago Chapter of the American Society for Training and Development. She is a Certified Professional in Learning and Performance (CPLP) and has completed the Rotary International-Loyola University Chicago Leadership Series.
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