Category: Past Speakers

Karen Poth was named Executive Director of the National Maritime Museum of the Gulf in 2023. In that role, she’s led a reimaging of the museum – increasing visitor counts and developing landmark exhibits on the Mobile River Delta and Jimmy Buffett.

Karen is an innovative storyteller and thinker with a proven track record of building and leading teams, developing organizational strategy, crafting interactive experiences, branding and marketing. Before her time in Mobile, Karen was the creative director for the Museum of the Bible, in Washington, D.C., and has held senior roles at Walt Disney World, Hallmark Cards, and the VeggieTales franchise.

Karen holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Journalism from the University of Missouri as well as a “Mousters” and a “Ducktorate” in Theme Park Management from Disney University. She is a published author of more than 30 children’s books and has designed and produced more than 45 museum exhibitions.

A storyteller at heart, Karen believes any creative organization’s ultimate duty is to tell stories and create experiences that bring joy and inspiration to the human spirit.

David serves as the Executive Vice President of Economic Development at the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce. He joined the economic development department in January 2015. David’s department is the lead economic development agency for the City of Mobile and Mobile County. Under his role, David oversees the day-to-day operations of the department, which consists of business recruitment and expansion, international trade, foreign direct investment, workforce development, talent attraction, existing industry relations, and investor relations. Prior to his role as Executive Vice President, David served as the Vice President, Senior Project Manager, and Project Manager, where he managed lead generation, project recruitment activity, and industrial site development for the Mobile area. David has led his team in announcing 10,211 new direct jobs and more than $8.4 billion of new investment in the Mobile community. David serves on various local boards, including the Board of Directors for the South Alabama Regional Planning Commission and the Board of Directors for the USA Research and Technology Park. He completed the University of Alabama Economic Honors Program and Oklahoma University’s Economic Development Institute. In 2022, David earned the designation of CEcD, the highest certification for economic development practitioners. David was born and raised in Mobile and attended the University of Southern Mississippi. He and his wife, Lauren, have two young sons.

 Archbishop Mark S. Rivituso was appointed Archbishop of Mobile by Pope Leo XIV on July 1, 2025, and installed on Sept. 3, 2025, at the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception.

Archbishop Rivituso, a native of St. Louis, began serving as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Louis in 2017. As Archbishop, he is the episcopal moderator of the United States Conference of Secular Institutes, Region V Representative on the USCCB Priorities and Plans Committee, a member of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and an advisory committee member of the Catholic Prison Ministries Coalition. He also serves on the Boards of Trustees of Notre Dame Seminary and St. Joseph Seminary College in Louisiana, the Regional Office of the Southeastern U.S. Bishops for Hispanic Ministry in Miami and Catholic Mutual Group.

He is also a member of the Knights of Columbus, Knights of Peter Claver and Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

 He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of St. Louis at the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis in 1988 by Archbishop John L. May (who coincidentally served as Bishop of Mobile from 1969-1980). Archbishop Rivituso was also named a monsignor in 2005 and served as Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of St. Louis from August 2011-August 2017.

Archbishop Rivituso attended Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick Seminary, both in St. Louis. He earned a licentiate in canon and civil law from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada.

Born Sept. 20, 1961, in St. Louis, Archbishop Rivituso is the sixth of eight children of August and Rosemary Rivituso.

 

 

Denise Riemer, LICSW-S, PIP has a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS and a B.A. in English and History, magna cum laude, from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA.

 Ms. Riemer has 28 years of social work practice experience, ranging from ranging from private outpatient therapy practice to inpatient psychiatric and substance abuse treatment services to school social work and mental health coordination for the largest school system in Alabama.

From 2003 to present, she has worked for Mobile County Public School System, first as a school social worker/homeless and foster care liaison and since 2017 as the Social Services Supervisor and Mental Health Services Coordinator for the district.  Ms. Riemer is responsible for coordinating, developing & implementing programs to facilitate and strengthen the social, emotional, and academic growth of all students by promoting equal access to educational opportunities through the elimination of barriers. She and her team of thirteen social workers serve as liaisons between students, schools, families & the community through support, advocacy, case management, crisis intervention and referrals to community resources.

From 2011-2025, Ms. Riemer worked with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Safe & Drug Free Schools as a presenter for the REMS/TA Center on disaster preparedness and recovery for school systems, specifically on the topic of resilience, compassion fatigue and self-care for educators and students. Ms. Riemer has presented at national, state and regional conferences regarding collaboration between schools and community partners, the importance of mental health in schools, and addressing students’ educational and mental health needs in crises.

Ms. Riemer is married to Ken Riemer,  a local consumer protection attorney, and they have two children, a daughter, Haley (age 30), and a son, Barrett (age 26) and a golden lab named Cooper (age 12).

Shernita Taylor is the Workforce Development Manager at Austal USA, serving as the organizational lead for workforce development strategy, labor planning, and skilled trades initiatives supporting advanced manufacturing and shipbuilding operations. She leads the company’s registered apprenticeship and talent pipeline programs. In this role, she works closely with internal stakeholders, workforce partners, and educational institutions to recruit, assess, and prepare talent for long-term careers at Austal.

With more than a decade of experience in workforce development, program design, and partnership engagement, Shernita has built and managed large-scale training and career pathway programs in high-wage, high-demand industries. She previously led the development and expansion of the MAEF Workforce Center, securing grant funding, developing skilled trades pipelines, and supporting youth and young adult learners in earning industry-recognized credentials and employment. She is known for her strategic, employer-driven approach to talent development and her commitment to aligning education with workforce needs to create sustainable career opportunities.

Executive Director, Alabama Wildlife Federation
3050 Lanark Road, Millbrook, Alabama 36054
(334)285-4550
Education
1990-1993
1983-1985
Honors:
Employment
10/98 – Present
1996 – 1998
1991 – 1996
1988 – 1991
1985
Auburn University; B.S., Forest Management – Honors Program
Patrick Henry State Junior College; A.A.S., Forest Technology
PHI THETA KAPPA Honor Society – 1985
B.E. Lee Award Nominee for Outstanding Academic/Civic/Social Achievement – 1985
MacMillan Bloedel Forest Economics Award – 1991
U.S. Forest Service Forest Science Award – 1993
AU Forestry Alumni Assoc. Outstanding Senior Academics Award – 1993
PHI KAPPA PHI – Auburn University’s highest Honor Society – 1993
Executive Director, Alabama Wildlife Federation
Forest Management Chief, Alabama Forestry Commission
Reforestation/Threatened and Endangered Species Specialist, Alabama Forestry Commission
Forest Pest Management Specialist, Alabama Forestry Commission
Forest Technician, F&W Forestry Services; Albany, GA
Affiliations/Service
Leadership Alabama Class XXVII
Alabama Sportsmen’s Foundation, President
Alabama Forest Resources Center, Board of Directors
Alabama Clean Water Partnership, Vice Chair
Alabama Forestry Council, Past Chair
Alabama Forestry Association
Alabama Agriculture and Forestry LEADERS Class VI
Alabama Natural Resources Coordinating Council
Alabama Wildlife Federation
AWF Managing Wildlife Author Selection Committee
AWF Managing Wildlife Technical Review Committee
Southeastern Forestry and Wildlife Farm Bill Working Group
Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, Program Development Committee
U.S. Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, Threatened and Endangered Species Working Group

Dr. Krista Williams is the Founder and CEO of Floretta P. Carson Visual and Performing Arts Academy—ranked among the highest-performing secondary schools (6-12) in the State of Alabama. The Academy has also been recognized as the “Top Performing Arts Academy of 2025” in the nation. Dr. Williams’ professional success is rooted in her extensive background in education — encompassing both practice and leadership. Her experience as a K–12 teacher, school leader, and college professor has informed her work across instructional leadership, school operations, and transformative organizational management. In addition to her background in leadership, Dr. Williams has performed with notable orchestras such as the New Orleans Philharmonic, New Orleans Symphony, Mobile Symphony, and others. Williams has won numerous piano competitions during her career as a classical concert pianist, including the New Orleans Concerto Competition and MMTA Sonata Competition. She has performed for over 100 recitals and professional concerts during her career as a concert pianist with notable orchestras and universities across the country. Williams specialized in solo piano performance under the tutelage of Floretta P. Carson. As an advocate for arts education, Williams has presented numerous research papers and practitioner workshops at state, national, and international conferences, including the International Symposium on the Sociology of Music Education (ISSME) in Oslo, Norway and the Music Education and Social Inclusion (MESI) Symposium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As a 2023 and 2024 Grammy Nominated Music Educator, 2023 4.0 Schools Fellow, 2023 New Schools for Alabama Founders Fellow, and 2021 Boston University SOM Award winner, Dr. Williams has earned the respect and admiration of mentors, colleagues, students, and the community through her dedication and commitment to arts education.