ANNUAL
Conference

Beth Kanter, an internationally recognized thought leader in artificial intelligence and well-being in the nonprofit workplace, has authored acclaimed books, including "Happy Healthy Nonprofit: Impact without Burnout" and "The Smart Nonprofit." Named one of Fast Company's most influential women in technology and a recipient of the NTEN Lifetime Achievement Award, she has spent over three decades designing training programs and speaking at conferences worldwide, sharing her expertise with thousands of nonprofit professionals.

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The son of a former Operator, I was born and raised in South Carolina.  After working with my father throughout high school, I attended the University of South Carolina.  I continued to work for another Operator in Columbia, South Carolina while attending college. Upon graduating I moved into the Interim Manager Program at Chick-fil-A.  From there I was fortunate to be selected to take over the mall store in my home town of Florence.  I was blessed to be able to work side by side with my father before he retired, learning wonderful life lessons about family, faith and business.  Since returning to Florence, I got married to my wonderful wife and we have three children.  Operating a Chick-fil-A, the business I grew up in, in my home town, has been an absolute privilege.  I am also involved in multiple different organizations, serving on various boards as well as being involved in Scouting and coaching high school soccer.

Our mission at Chick-fil-A West Florence is to provide our community with an exceptional experience by delivering delicious food astonishingly fast in an immaculate environment with a servant's heart.  Our vision is to have a remarkable impact on our guests through our product, passion and people."

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Shane Todd has proudly served Chick-fil-A as an Operator for over 29 years. Shane grew up in Athens, Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia in 1993 with a degree in Accounting. He had been working at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta when he picked up a book by a man named S. Truett Cathy. Once he read about a humble man with a simple vision to sell chicken and inspire people, he knew Chick-fil-A was in his future.

He began pursuing a career with the fast-food chain as a Team Member at the Chick-fil-A Dwarf House in 1994. By December 1996, Shane became the Operator of a Chick-fil-A mall store in Raleigh, NC. In the summer of 2000, Shane moved back home to Athens and began operating the Chick-fil-A at Beechwood. He acquired Chick-fil-A Barnett Shoals in 2014 and opened the Downtown Athens In-Line in 2018. He also operates the Chick-fil-A Food Truck and consults the Chick-fil-A restaurant on UGA's campus in the Tate Student Center.  

Shane has been married to his wife, Carri Leigh, for 30 years and they have three children. Shane is an avid Georgia Bulldog fan, enjoys catching a UNC basketball game, and loves being an active member of the Athens community.

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Wilson Yang is currently the Operator of Chick-fil-A Yonge & Bloor located in Toronto Canada. Prior to becoming an Operator, Wilson was a Grand Opening Supervisor in the Chick-fil-A Leadership Development Program.  He is married to his wife, Drew, and has two boys, Eben (3) and Tripp (2). In his free time he enjoys playing the cello, pickleball, and serving as a lay elder at Hope Church Toronto North. 

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It’s my pleasure to serve you, my passion to make your experience a wonderful one, and my hope to be an integral part of this community.  

I was born and raised in California, studied at the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton Business School, and The Nursing School for Health Care Management, and settled in the Bay Area with my husband, Philip, to raise our three children. I spent the majority of my career caring for the geriatric population as an Operator for Assisted Living communities, while my husband practiced as a geriatrician, a physician for the elderly. As we both made a shift from health care to Chick-fil-A, we have been so excited for the opportunity to have a positive influence on every individual who comes through our doors.  

As Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Serramonte, Daly City, the vision for my restaurant is to be a LIGHT in our community – a place where people can come to find solace, gather together with loved ones, eat a great meal, receive a warm smile, experience top-notch service, feel the joy, and have every visit with us be the best part of their day. I am passionate about pouring into my Team Members by providing mentorship and development, investing in this community, and having a personal impact on every person I meet."  

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In her role as Southeast and Caribbean’s fundraising vice president of the American Red Cross, Dee Dixon partners with all lines of service and regional executives leading the nine Chief Development Officers and their teams in revenue generation and fundraising strategy to support the mission of the Red Cross. She proudly partners with three Division Philanthropy Officers who lead corporate fundraising partnerships. She became CEO of Georgia’s Red Cross on June 1, 2021—serving more than 10 million people across all five lines of Red Cross service in 159 counties. She is a member of the Red Cross Umoja and Women Employee Resource Groups and served on the Tiffany Circle National Council Taskforce. Dee paved the way for Team Georgia to model One Red Cross in the recent Humanitarian Services and team Biomed Sickle Cell Awareness  campaign with all Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the state of Georgia. Dee is proud of being part of the mission delivery and fundraising successes of Team Georgia and the Division over the past 3 ½ years. Dee holds a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing, with a minor in Sales and Sales Management from Georgia Southern University. She obtained her Master of Business Administration from Kennesaw State University. Dee lives in Atlanta and is married to her husband, Dr. Kennedy Dixon and they have  two daughters.

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As Senior Director of Account Management, Corporate Partnerships, Hollis helps develop and lead the strategy for National Park Foundation’s corporate program, supporting the growth and expansion of the account management team, identifying efficiencies and standardization with the partnership’s platform, and maximizing revenue and brand engagement opportunities in NPF’s corporate partner portfolio. She brings more than 13 years of experience working in the national park community. Hollis graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a degree in History. She received a Master’s Degree in History and Museum Studies from Tufts University.

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Col Nick Nichols is a decorated USAF F-16 fighter pilot with seven combat deployments, serving in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Nick inherited the drive to be a fighter pilot from his father, a Vietnam veteran flying F-4s, F-100s and F-16s. His father was tragically killed when Nick was only fifteen years old. On 11 October, 2018, after 30 years of service to his country, Col Nick Nichols climbed out of the cockpit of his F-16 and into the waiting arms of his wife, Carrie. Two days later, 13 October, marked the end of his military career, and the beginning of a new mission with the Folds of Honor Foundation. Today as President for Folds of Honor, Col Nick serves our scholarship recipients with unwavering passion. He is an accomplished public speaker, obsessive hunter, an Oklahoma rancher and brings a wealth of leadership experience to our humble team. He and his wife of more than 35 years, Carrie, treasure time with their children, Hannah, Garrett and Reilly, and never take a single day together for granted.

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With a career background that spans from public relations, leadership, marketing, and broadcast media to education and corporate training, Angela has worked with a host of non-profit and civic organizations, education systems, and companies such as Sony Pictures, Porsche Cars of North America, and currently with Chick-fil-A. Angela serves as the Senior Project Lead for the Chick-fil-A Together Fund, the emergency assistance program of the organization. A product of two entrepreneurs as parents, Angela also owns and proudly holds the title of “Chief Connectioneer” of her company, The ABR Collective, LLC. For over three decades, Angela has exercised her gift of communication by connecting with people through the power of storytelling, seeking common ground, and infusing inspiration with action. An avid volunteer and advocate, Angela has extended her heart and hands to serve organizations such as Prevent Child Abuse Georgia, The Georgia Early Education Alliance for Ready Students (GEEARS) Program, The American Cancer Society, Hope and Life Outreach/Student Ministries, and many others.Angela is a native Georgian – born and raised in the Peach State.  She is married to her husband, Patrick, and mother of their three children, two sons and one daughter.

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Dana Snyder is a dynamic speaker, author of The Monthly Giving Mastermind, host of the nonprofit podcast "Missions to Movements," and visionary creator of the Monthly Giving Mastermind. Her mission is to create sustainable giving models by establishing robust monthly giving programs -- making philanthropy accessible to all. Dana's impressive career includes serving as a Senior Digital Strategist at DKC in New York City, where she worked with prestigious clients such as The Honest Company, Sports Illustrated, and Delta Airlines. She also brought her digital expertise to American Idol as a Digital Producer. Additionally, Dana has held the roles of Director of Marketing and Development for Take Stock in Children of Sarasota County and Client Manager at Omnigon. A sought-after keynote speaker and workshop facilitator, Dana has graced the stages of renowned conferences like NIO Summit, Cause Camp, Classy Collaborative, and the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, sharing her insights and inspiring nonprofit professionals. Dana holds a Bachelor's Degree in Advertising and Public Relations from the University of Central Florida. Based in Atlanta, she enjoys spending her free time outdoors with her family, exploring new restaurants, and traveling.

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Holly Moore is a consultant, speaker, and executive coach who works with a wide variety of clients to help them achieve their strategic vision through stellar execution. She has more than 15 years of executive leadership experience with non-profit organizations including Mercy Ships, where she led fundraising, marketing, and public relations efforts to provide the largest non-governmental hospital ships in the world.

Bruce Deel is the Founder and CEO of City of Refuge, an Atlanta based non-profit working to bring light, hope and transformation to those living on the margin. City of Refuge provides housing, education, medical, dental, vision and mental health care as well as vocational training for those leaving homelessness, returning from incarceration or overcoming addiction.  In addition, City of Refuge offers an array of support services for survivors of domestic violence and sex trafficking and Bruce founded MOST, Men Opposing Sex Trafficking, an organization supporting anti-trafficking efforts in 3 areas; Prevention, Interdiction and Recovery. Bruce is the author of Trust First and serves as a speaker and consultant to corporate and non-profit organizations around the country. He has been featured as a TEDx Speaker and is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for participating in the Longest Consecutive Softball Game, 121 hours, which raised funds to fight sex trafficking. Bruce was named Alumnus of the Year for 2024 by his alma mater, Lee University. He has been married to his wife Rhonda for 37 years, is the father of 5 beautiful daughters and Papa to 13 extraordinary grandchildren. 

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Danielle has made her career in the business of sport and its effective use in youth engagement, community development and brand building. She has held a variety of positions in the sports industry including marketing, communications, public and community relations with professional athletes, teams, leagues, major events, sport governing bodies, corporations, major media outlets, and international athletic charities. Danielle currently serves in a dual role with Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves as the Vice President of Community Affairs and Executive Director of the Atlanta Braves Foundation, responsible for the community marketing, community outreach, and philanthropic endeavors of the Atlanta National League Baseball Club. She has increased fundraising efforts by 7x and community investment 10x since taking on this leadership role in 2019, defining the community brand platform, engaging players, teammates and corporate partners, and driving social responsibility for the club. She is a happily married, proud mom of four littles. In her spare time, she loves to cook, travel, volunteer as class mom and soccer coach, and dabble in golf on the fringes of baseball season.

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AFUA BRUCE is a leading public interest technologist who works at the intersection of technology, policy, and society. Afua is the Principal of the ANB Advisory Group LLC, a consulting firm that supports organizations across all sectors that are developing, implementing, or funding responsible data and technology. With her background in software engineering, data science, and artificial intelligence, combined with experience developing and deploying technology in and with communities, Afua incorporates an equity-based framework into her engagements. Prior to founding ANB Advisory Group LLC, Afua held leadership positions at the White House, the FBI, IBM, and New America. She was also recognized with a statue in the If/Then Exhibit honoring women in STEM which was displayed in the Smithsonian in 2022. Afua is an affiliate at Harvard Kennedy School’s Berkman Klein Center, and an affiliate at The African Centre of Excellence for Digital Governance at the University of Witwatersrand. She serves on the board of Black in AI and is a member of the Center for Democracy and Technology’s Advisory Council. Afua is also a Black Women in Executive Leadership (B-WEL) Fellow. Afua’s newest book, The Tech That Comes Next: How Changemakers, Technologists, and Philanthropists can Build an Equitable World, describes how technology can advance equity.

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Named by Forbes Magazine as one of 20 speakers you shouldn’t miss, Jeff has become a trusted voice for businesses and non-profit organizations. His best-selling book, Know What You’re FOR, launched a movement in non-profits around the world and has become a focal point for many businesses to grow both their purpose and profit. His latest book, What To Do Next, helps leaders figure out their best, next step when facing uncertainty in their life and career.

Jeff currently serves as Executive Director of Leadership Innovation and Strategy for Chick-fil-A. He has also worked for well-known organizations such as the Atlanta Braves, Callaway Gardens, and North Point Ministries, one of the largest churches in America. While there, Jeff was the lead pastor for three churches over 17 years and helped launch North Point Online, one of the largest online ministries in the world. He has also served Maxwell Leadership as one of their Thought Leaders, an organization founded by Dr. John C. Maxwell.

Jeff and his wife Wendy have been married 28 years and have a daughter, Jesse and a son, Cole.

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