Dr. Shirley Raines, Encourager
Keynote Speaker on Thursday October 26, 2023
Dr. Shirley Raines is a speaker and an author, acclaimed for the stories she tells about the leadership lessons learned from an unusual journey. Shirley’s journey is the unlikely story of a preschool teacher who became the first women president of the University of Memphis, serving for 12 years. She grew up on a cotton farm in West Tennessee, watching airplanes flying over and dreaming of traveling the world.At her induction ceremony for the Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame, she was characterized as “personable, powerful and prepared.” Regardless of the accolades, the legion of community organizations she has served, the list of awards and honors bestowed, she always has been the “encourager.” She encourages women to accept leadership challenges, encourages young people to stretch beyond their present circumstances, and encourages citzens to grapple with the great issues of society.
Little did she know that one day she would speak to teachers in a dirt poor school in Quito, Ecuador, represent an education association the U.N., and speak at Harvard for five summers on the faculty of the Institute for New Presidents and Chancellors.
Dr. Raines served as advisor for Women in Higher Education in Tennessee and was awarded 2012 Woman of Achievement Award. As a speaker and an author. She has written 18 books, (15 for teachers, 2 for children, and 1 for leaders). Her “encourager” voice is that of a learner, of learning the lessons of leadership and helping others seize the opportunities that their own leadership journeys provide.
Dr. LaNise Reynolds
Dr. LaNise Reynolds, travels and speaks professionally as a certified speaker, trainer, and coach with the John Maxwell Team. Reynolds took early retirement as a Tenured Associate Professor at Tennessee Tech University in 2018. She continues to teach several virtual classes in the sport management department where she developed the first online Sport Management Program in 2012. Furthermore, Reynolds served as the 2016 President of the Tennessee Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (TAHPERD). She is the founder of the Sports Management Institute for Leadership Excellence (SMILE), Mentoring the Eagles Naturally (MEN), a program for minority male athletes, and she served as the co-chairs the ManUP program for minority males at Tennessee Tech University. She also developed two faculty leadership development programs on the campus of Tennessee Tech under the direction of the office of the provost.
Prior to teaching at the college ranks, Dr. Reynolds has coached college basketball at three different institutions. Moreover, Reynolds has been a college athletic compliance coordinator and an associate athletic director. During her tenure as a high school basketball coach, the WNBA and NBA have recognized Reynolds for the Sportsmanship Coaching Award in collaboration with the National Federation of High Schools. Dr. LaNise Reynolds has received several other University Awards and Community awards in the areas of teaching and service. Moreover, Reynolds was inducted in the Westinghouse High School Hall of Fame in 2016.
Dr. Reynolds has given countless presentations in her area of research at the state, national and even the World Rowing Coaches Conference, which had in attendance over 75 Olympic Coaches. Reynolds made several presentations to the Nashville Predators of the National Hockey League (NHL), The Tennessee Titans Job Fair of the National Football League (NFL), The Knoxville Ice Bears (Minor League Hockey Team), National Coaches Conference, and the Hawaii International Education Conference. She has been the graduation commencement speaker for several high schools.
Dr. LaNise Reynolds has published thirteen books along with her most popular book entitled, “Coach There is Hope: Avoiding Stress and Burnout From the Things You Cannot Control” and “Go TALL: When You Hide Your Greatness You Deny Your Greatness.”
In 2012, Dr. LaNise Reynolds earned her Doctorate in Education in Administration and Supervision from Tennessee State University. She is married to Christopher Reynolds and they now reside in Cleveland, Ohio.
Jennifer Johnson, Certified Heart Physics Coach
For as long as they have been on bookshelves, self-help books and success literature has been filled with gimmicks, tricks, and behavior modification that only offer temporary relief and ultimately end in frustration. Today the self-help industry is a multibillion-dollar industry that continues to grow. The desire to success and reach our goals is hard-wired into us as humans. Yet, many of us move through life feeling like there is an unseen, limiting force that holds us back not matter how hard we try. Our beliefs power our choices. Through creating new beliefs, we are able to experience a limitless life we never knew was available. From this place of learning to transform core beliefs, excelling becomes an effortless life practice in both personal and professional arenas.
As a graduate of Tennessee Tech, with a degree in Psychology, Jennifer began her career as an academic advisor and adjunct teacher at the university. Jennifer also has a diverse background in teaching and program development through her work at Impact International and the local community here in Cookeville, Tennessee. Today, Jennifer works as a private coach, utilizing the tools and methods of the Heart Physics program developed and design by Dr. Jim Richards. The Heart Physics program lays out a foundation of practical and applicable tools for personal life transformation. Using biblical principles of transformation, Jennifer works with clients to teach them how to move their internal, limiting boundaries to enjoy sustained success and lasting life transformation.
Jennifer Johnson is a native of Cookeville, Tennessee where she currently lives with her husband Jim. Jennifer and her husband have been married 29 years, and together they have three grown children and a beautiful granddaughter. Even though Middle Tennessee is home, Jennifer is a die-hard Alabama Crimson Tide fan and an passionate lover of coffee ice cream.
Charria Campbell, M.Ed.
Charria Campbell is a native of Muscle Shoals, AL and currently serves as Director of Student Engagement & Intercultural Affairs at Tennessee Tech University where she is responsible for the Leona Lusk Officer Black Cultural Center, assisting with recruitment and retention of underrepresented students, planning cultural and diversity programming for the campus, and directing student activities, student organizations, and events. She has been at Tennessee Tech University for a little over 4.5 years. In her role, she also directs the Reaching Achievement & Committed to Excellence Program (R.A.C.E.), assists in advising student organizations, student athletes, and serves on several university committees.
Additionally, Ms. Campbell teaches a Freshman Year Experience course for the R.A.C.E. Program, has been a co-instructor for the summer freshman student-athlete course, and is currently co-leading an Honors course on Civil Conversations. She has over 15 years of experience in working in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, student recruitment and retention, and has taught mathematics at the high school and college level. She is a member of NASPA, NAME (current president of the TN Chapter of NAME), and an active member of her sorority. She has diversity certification through Cornell University. Her Bachelor’s degree is in Chemical Engineering from Auburn University and she holds a Master of Arts in Education is from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She enjoys listening to music, attending concerts and various art events, traveling, spending time with friends and family, reading and volunteering.
Dr. Contrecia Tharpe
Dr. Contrecia T. Tharpe, affectionately known as Dr. T, is an award-winning marketing, branding, and communications practitioner with FayeVaughn Creative, a boutique integrated marketing and communications firm in Nashville. With over 14 years of experience in the industry, she has worked with national and international brands, businesses, and individuals in the non-profit, sports, entertainment, travel, small business, and education sectors. She advocates for small and medium business and brand success and works to maximize and identify opportunities, craft strategies, and create solid business foundations for her clients. Contrecia is President-Elect of women’s leadership organization Nashville CABLE and youth advocacy organization Impact Youth Outreach, Vice-Chair of Communications for the Nashville Chapter of American Marketing Association, Chair of Communications for WHET (Women in Higher Education in Tennessee, a mentor with SCORE and Nashville’s Entrepreneur Center, a member of the 2023 class of Nashville Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, and co-founder of The DREAM Initiative – a reentry resource, education, and support organization focusing on preparing incarcerated men and women across Tennessee for a successful release.
Having obtained her doctorate from Trevecca Nazarene University in 2019, she was previously a faculty member in the communications department at Lipscomb University and Tennessee State University, where she taught public speaking, marketing, advertising, and communications courses. Her second book, Getting to Done, will be released in 2024. She is currently authoring her first textbook, Strategic Integrated Marketing Communications: Practical Theory and Application, which will be available for use in 2025.
She resides in Nashville with her 16-year-old son, Braylon.