Lisa Fitzhugh, founder of Seattle-based Arts Corps and a creativity catalyst within organizations, offers an expanded view on how creativity emerges, what stifles it, and what role it can play in our growth, evolution and health as individuals and as organizations in any sector. What we now know about our brains becomes an essential study for anyone looking to enrich arts learning and creative practice, and expand its relevance.

"I attended for professional development and came away empowered on all levels."

"Keynote Speaker, Lisa Fitzhugh, was an impressive speaker! Appreciated the panelists as well. Am grateful to have had the opportunity to attend."

Lisa Fitzhugh is an acclaimed speaker, facilitator and strategist.  She has over 20 years experience as a leader and consultant in the public, private and non-profit sectors. Today she is a sought-after “creativity catalyst” who helps organizations in every sector access the kind of transformational thinking that opens the way to new insights and solutions for ourselves and our world.

Lisa is also the founder and former executive director of Arts Corps, the largest arts education program in Washington State reaching underserved communities throughout King County.  Arts Corps’ award winning program became a national model for combining arts education with social change. Lisa was selected as one of Redbook Magazine’s 2005 “Mothers and Shakers.” The award recognizes individuals who have created extraordinary grassroots community efforts that have the potential to create national and international models for change.

Leslie Gates is an Assistant Professor of Art Education in the Department of Art and Design. Prior to her position at Millersville, Leslie worked as a public school art teacher in both urban and rural contexts and most recently, in the Graduate Art Education Program at the University of Florida. Her professional interests include arts educators’ professional learning, assessment in the arts, and postmodern and choice-based approaches to art education.

Ty Clever is the Director of Millersville University's South Central PaARTners, an arts-in-education program supported by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts. He has taught English, Humanities, and Literature at Harrisburg Area Community College, SUNY Buffalo, and SUNY Cortland. Former director of the Rose Lehman Art Center Gallery and Ganser Gallery, Ty's exhibition essays and reviews have been published by the State University of Buffalo Art Gallery; Artvoice; Ganser Gallery, Millersville, PA; Littlejohn Contemporary, New York, NY; and the Royal Hiberian Academy, Dublin, Ireland. He recently designed and presented several workshops that explore the connection between creative writing and innovative thinking strategies.

John Dame graduated from Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Marketing. John pursued a career in radio broadcasting for 32 years. His broadcasting career included the full spectrum of broadcast experiences/operations including sales and management as well as corporate officer and equity partner. Several of these work experiences occurred in large urban areas including: Pittsburgh, Indianapolis and Houston.

From 1988 to 1998, John was a partner and Chief Operating Officer with Dame Media, a family owned and operated group, which grew to twenty-one radio stations in Pennsylvania and New York. Dame Media was sold to Clear Channel Communications in June, 1998. John then founded Dame-Gallagher Networks, a national radio syndication company operating from New York City. In May 2001, Dame-Gallagher Networks was sold to Salem Communications Corporation. John joined Salem as Vice President of Affiliate Services and served in this position until mid-2005. In September 2005, John founded Dame Management Strategies, a management consulting firm that deals primarily with CEOs and their senior management teams.

John and his wife, Emily, are the parents of three sons and have two grandsons. John is active in his church and works with nonprofit organizations in the Harrisburg area.

Returning home to Lancaster in 2000 after launching her career New York City’s luxury goods industry—including working as an Art Director at Ralph Lauren Fragrances and then as the Creative Director at Parfum Givenchy—Deb has poured her energy and passion into celebrating Lancaster’s rapidly evolving downtown.

With a degree in Communication Design from Kutztown University, Deb’s tenacity has always driven her above and beyond the expected. Yet her strong sense of home and love for community ultimately led her to put that tenacity to work in the region where her roots run deep.

Under Deb’s creative direction, Fig—a hyper-local print, web, and social media presence—has offered both voice and vision for the City’s  revitalization over the past seven years. In addition, Deb and her team have packaged Fig for other communities, including Media, West Chester, and Doylestown.

While sharing her fresh eye with vibrant urban areas, Deb has also brought unexpected and effective communication to small and mid-sized local businesses through her Moxie House design firm, helping entrepreneurs like herself achieve their goals.