If you're interested in being considered as a 2027 Speaker, please submit the speaker form below!

2026 Featured Speakers

Host: Temika N. Younger, RN, MSN-ED

Temika N. Younger, RN, MSN-ED, is a Registered Nurse, healthcare educator, leadership coach, and entrepreneur with more than 26 years of experience in healthcare and leadership development. She is the Founder and Chief Training Officer of Virginia Adult Care Education (VACE) and Empowering Health Care Professionals Training LLC, where she equips healthcare leaders, administrators, and educators to lead with confidence, competence, and compassion.

A John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Trainer, and Coach, Temika is known for blending clinical expertise with real-world leadership insight. Her work centers on developing sustainable leaders—particularly in healthcare and service-driven environments—who lead with clarity, courage, and heart.

A nurse at heart and a leader by calling, Temika believes leaders were never meant to lead on empty. That belief inspired the creation of the Lead on Fire Leadership Conference, designed as a space for leaders to pause, reflect, reconnect with their purpose, and be poured into before stepping forward renewed.

Emcee

Libby Jefferson

Libby Jefferson is a strategic and creative professional with over 20 years of experience in media, the performing arts, and community engagement. Known as “Lady Inez” on The Vibe (100.1/97.7 FM), Libby is a vibrant voice in Central and Southwest Virginia, with a rich background in theatre, film, music, and voice work.A native of Forest, VA, Libby is passionate about building connections, inspiring others, and using her gifts to serve both her workplace and her community. She enjoys spending time with her family and organizing memorable events that bring people together in meaningful ways. Her infectious laugh, quick wit, and vibrant personality leave a lasting impression on everyone she encounters.
Libby currently holds bachelor’s degrees from the University of Virginia and a Masters of Communication from Wake Forest University.

Alisha Childress

Alisha Childress is a dynamic leader, connector, and catalyst for impact who brings strategy, heart, and moxie to every room she enters. With a background spanning business development, community development, fundraising, emergency management, and nonprofit leadership, Alisha helps organizations and individuals uncover their unique strengths and translate them into meaningful results.

Currently serving in business development at Freedom First Credit Union, Alisha specializes in building authentic relationships that drive growth, trust, and long-term partnerships—particularly with nonprofits, small businesses, and community organizations. Her work emphasizes culture, inclusion, and alignment as drivers of sustainable success.

Alisha also leads a consulting practice focused on helping leaders identify their “superpower,” lead with clarity, and show up fully with the energy they have. As a speaker, she blends personal storytelling with practical insight rooted in presence and intention.

Carrie Wright

Carrie Wright is a workplace performance consultant, executive coach, and leadership development facilitator with more than 20 years of experience helping leaders strengthen culture, communication, and team effectiveness. She is the founder of Wright Consulting and partners with organizations across healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, nonprofit, and service industries.

Carrie specializes in effective communication, emotional intelligence, and conflict resolution, equipping leaders to navigate difficult conversations and build trust-driven environments. With a master’s degree in counseling and a trauma-informed approach, she brings both strategic insight and relational depth.

Her background includes hospitality leadership, award-winning training program development, and certification through the Disney College of Knowledge. Known for her engaging style, Carrie translates complex leadership concepts into practical tools leaders can apply immediately.

Makeda Payne, M.Ed.

Makeda Payne is a seasoned Learning and Development strategist with more than 30 years of experience helping individuals and organizations grow with clarity, purpose, and authentic alignment. She founded CLASS-Consulting as a corporate instructional design practice and continues to partner with organizations to deliver high-quality instructional design consulting.

CLASS has expanded into a holistic ecosystem offering life coaching, personal development, and culturally resonant edutainment experiences that support the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Makeda blends deep expertise in adult learning, facilitation, and curriculum design with a warm, human-centered approach.

Her work includes coaching, immersive workshops and retreats, and community gatherings that nurture belonging and collective wisdom. She is known for creating learning environments that are engaging, healing, and transformative.

Jen Rowland

Jen Rowland is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Certified Life Coach, and Certified Behavioral Consultant with more than 20 years of experience in counseling, leadership development, and organizational wellness. Her career began in 2003 and led to the establishment of her private practice in 2009.

Throughout her career, Jen has delivered classes and trainings focused on leadership, mental health, wellness, and resiliency. She has also served as a supervisor and mentor, guiding counselors toward licensure and successful practice ownership.

Today, Jen partners with business leaders to cultivate motivated, committed teams and value-driven cultures centered on healthy relationships, community, and employee well-being.

Butch Jefferson

Butch Jefferson is a relationship-driven leader, mentor, and community builder with a background spanning real estate, business development, workforce partnerships, and nonprofit leadership. As a licensed Realtor with Divine Fog Realty Company and Business Development Manager for Hickey Plumbing, Air & Electrical, he works daily in high-expectation environments.

A Maxwell-certified speaker, trainer, and coach, Butch brings a real-world perspective rooted in trust, adaptability, and integrity. He has served as a mentor and instructor in professional development programs supporting leadership growth.

Deeply engaged in Central Virginia, Butch is known for connecting people, breaking down silos, and helping leaders take the high road while navigating change.

Dawn Beninghove, RN

Dawn Beninghove is a Registered Nurse and the founding Chief Operating Officer and Owner of Companion Extraordinaire Nursing Network, Inc., established in 2003 and expanded across Central Virginia. With more than 44 years in nursing, her career spans roles as a charge nurse, nurse advisor, program director, and rehabilitation coordinator.

Her professional journey was deeply shaped by caring for her father with Parkinson’s and dementia, inspiring her lifelong commitment to compassionate, person-centered care. Dawn is a Certified Dementia Practitioner bringing specialized expertise to her work and workshops.

Her credentials include Certified Rehabilitation Provider, Case Manager, Nursing Assistant and Personal Care Aide Instructor, Faith Community Nurse, Licensed Minister, and certifications in Palliative Care Nursing and National Chaplaincy.

Charity Medina

Charity Medina is a leadership coach and organizational health consultant with more than 15 years of experience helping leaders and teams work better together across healthcare, government, nonprofits, education, and professional services.

Known for bringing clarity to complexity, Charity blends proven leadership frameworks with practical, real-world application. Drawing on tools such as The Six Types of Working Genius and The Five Behaviors of a Cohesive Team, she helps leaders understand how work gets done and why teams experience friction.

Clients value her direct yet empathetic style and her focus on building sustainable habits that support trust and long-term performance.

Tonya Pulliam, MSW

Tonya L. Pulliam holds a BSW from Virginia Union University and an MSW from UNC–Chapel Hill. With more than 20 years of experience, she has served children and families, led teams, and advanced community initiatives.

Tonya operated a consulting firm for 16 years and founded a training institute for mental health professionals specializing in clinical documentation and interventions. She is a certified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and has trained more than 100 individuals.

In 2021, Tonya opened The Unique Resource Center and Sarah’s Den to support Richmond’s most vulnerable through clothing distribution and workforce development. She currently leads the PICF Training Institute.

Christine Kennedy, IOM, CCE, CPC

Christine Kennedy is a visionary leader, certified coach, and nationally recognized expert in leadership development and nonprofit strategy. With more than two decades of experience in the Chamber of Commerce and nonprofit sector, she serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance, where she leads strategic initiatives and fosters regional business growth.

Christine is the driving force behind the nationally award-winning Leadership Lynchburg programs, which develop youth, emerging leaders, and high-capacity professionals into changemakers. As a Certified Life and Leadership Purpose Coach, she is a sought-after national speaker, facilitator, and mentor known for empowering leaders to lead with purpose, resilience, and intentionality.

Her leadership has earned numerous accolades, including the Leadership Achievement Award from Toastmasters International and the National Preceptor Award from the Association of Leadership Programs. A breast cancer survivor and woman of deep faith, Christine brings courage and authenticity to every space she leads, reminding leaders that intentional influence and purpose-driven action are at the heart of meaningful leadership.

Panelists – Leading Boldly in Times of Change

Wendy F. Adams, CFRE

Wendy F. Adams is the Founder and Strategic Leadership Coach of Cultivate for Good, a coaching and consulting agency that equips executive leaders to lead healthy, effective teams. With more than 25 years of experience across business, nonprofit leadership, and entrepreneurship, Wendy brings clarity to organizations under pressure.

Her work centers on Relational Leadership—aligning mission with movement through authentic connection and compassionate accountability. Wendy mentors leaders navigating transition, growth, and change fatigue.

She is CFRE-credentialed, GiANT 5 Voices certified, Chair of the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance Ambassador Team, and host of The Cultivate Experience podcast.

Michael Scarano, MD

Michael Scarano, MD, has served in healthcare since the early 1990s as a physical therapy assistant, chiropractor, and medical doctor. After decades of clinical practice, he stepped away from traditional medicine to focus on leadership, meaning, and emotional health.

He founded Rockin the Rage, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to improving school culture through a social-emotional framework recognized as Montgomery County’s Most Outstanding Nonprofit.

Michael developed the concept of Toxic Perseverance and has delivered leadership keynotes and a TEDx talk, helping leaders redefine resilience and sustainable success.

Kelly Letchworth

Kelly Letchworth is an Assistant Vice President and Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill Lynch in Lynchburg, Virginia, and a partner on a Forbes Best-in-State Wealth Management Team for 2024 and 2025.

Following a life-altering brain surgery in 2020, Kelly brings a powerful perspective on preparation, resilience, and stewardship.

She helps leaders steward their financial future with confidence, clarity, and intention.

Heather Alto

Heather Alto is the Director of the Central Virginia Business Coalition, where she advocates for small businesses and entrepreneurs across the region.

Known for her relationship-driven leadership style, Heather builds strong partnerships, amplifies business voices, and creates collaborative spaces that support sustainable growth, adaptability, and community impact.