Category: Past Speakers

Hayley Van Antwerp, Executive Director, Innovation PortAL
Hayley Van Antwerp is the Executive Director of Innovation PortAL. The Innovation PortAL is a small business incubator / accelerator designed to encourage the successful development of entrepreneurial businesses on the Gulf Coast.
Hayley’s started her career in equity research sales in New York City. Transitioned to management consulting and provided technology strategy consulting to a number of well-known banks and broker/dealers. Several years and many frequent flier miles later, she decided to leave management consulting for a favorite client, Merrill Lynch (now known as Merrill Lynch/Bank of America). While at Merrill Lynch/Bank of America, Hayley worked in a myriad of technology strategy positions in the corporate risk management and global information security spaces. Most recently she managed domestic and international teams of associates specializing in technical solutions for acquisition & divestiture activity.
Hayley moved from New York City nearly three years ago when her husband received a job opportunity in Mobile. She has been working remotely for Merrill Lynch/Bank of America until she recently resigned to pursue the opportunity to become the Executive Director of Innovation PortAL.
Hayley is passionate about economic development, especially here in Mobile. She has been volunteering in her spare time for nearly a year to help create Innovation PortAL. Hayley is involved in our community in a number of ways. She is a board member of Mobile Museum of Art and the University of South Alabama’s Melton Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Hayley is also member of Providence Hospital Foundation’s Young Professional’s group and has been recognized by Mobile Bay Monthly’s 40 under 40 program.
Hayley is a cum laude graduate of Vanderbilt University. She and her husband Bragg have four children — Thomas, 5; Emory, 4; Charles, 1; and Henry, a canine, 7.

Pam Patterson
Pam, originally from Birmingham, graduated from Briarwood Christian School and the University of Alabama Birmingham. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Alabama with Master’s Degrees in Elementary and Early Childhood Education. Currently, she serves as the Assistant Director of Field Services for the K-6 Education Program at the University of South Alabama where she recently was honored with the Excellence in Clinical Supervision Award by the College of Education. In addition, Pam is an educational consultant specializing in Six Traits of Writing and Talents Unlimited, a national model for developing and enriching creative and critical thinking. For twenty-three years, prior to accepting the position of Executive Director for Distinguished Young Women, Pam and her husband, Eric, volunteered in various capacities for Distinguished Young Women. Since retiring twelve years ago from the Mobile County Public School System, she has served as a judge for state programs, a member of the Travel Support Team, and for eight years, as the Chairman of National Finals. In January of 2014, she was named the Interim Executive Director for Distinguished Young Women and then in October she was selected to serve in that position permanently. Pam also volunteers in the Music Ministry at Spring Hill Baptist Church, working with various choral groups and playing handbells and serves on various leadership committees there. She is involved with the Light of the Village, an organization governed by Volunteers of America and has worked to assist in coordinating their annual fundraiser, “A Night in the Light”. As Executive Director of Distinguished Young Women, she has worked with the University of South Alabama to establish a relationship with the Mobile Public School System in which the National Field Director for Distinguished Young Women and she work with students in the high school signature academies and the elementary schools to promote positive life-skills acquisition through a variety of workshops and activities aimed at encouraging students to “Be Your Best Self”, broadening the scope of the national outreach of Distinguished Young Women. She and Eric are the proud parents of two sons, Benjamin and Jonathan, and four grandchildren.

Michael C. Rogers, Jr.
President
Rogers & Willard, Inc.
3005 Mill St.
Mobile, AL 36607
www.rogerswillard.com
mrogers@rogerswillard.com
Office Direct Line 251-300-6580
Cell Phone 251-401-8798
Mike has lived most of his life in Mobile. He graduated from McGill-Toolen High School and received a degree in Building Science from Auburn University. In 1989 he returned to Mobile and co-founded Rogers & Willard, Inc… Since beginning his career, Mike has been involved with many non-profits. He is past chair of Centre for the Living Arts (CLA) where he oversaw the restoration of the historic Saenger Theatre and the conversion of the Mobile Press Register into a contemporary art center now known as Alabama Contemporary Art Center (ACAC). He is a graduate of Leadership Alabama and has served on many non-profit boards including Alabama Coastal Foundation, The Nature Conservancy of Alabama and the Alabama Architectural Foundation. He presently serves on the boards of Auburn University College of Architecture, Design and Construction and UMS-Wright Preparatory School. He is passionate about; arts and culture, affordable housing, the environment and attracting young professionals to Mobile. Mike is married to Cay MacClary and has three daughters; Catie (27), Jackie (25) and Leigh (12). He is an amateur photographer and avid outdoorsman. He particularly enjoys fishing, birding and travel.

Cartledge Weeden Blackwell, III
Cartledge Weeden Blackwell, III was born in Selma, Alabama. Blackwell is the Assistant Director of the Mobile Historic Development Commission. His scholarly focus is on the architecture and decorative arts of the American South. Cart attended the College of Charleston (2001-2005) where he double majored in Art History and Historic Preservation & Community Planning. He received his MA in Architectural History from the University’s School of Architecture in 2008. Cart is currently working on two monographs. One focusing on artist-designer Clara Weaver Parrish is to be published by the University of Alabama Press. A second on architect George B. Rogers is the beginning stages of development.
In addition to his work with the Mobile Historic Development Commission and research endeavors, Cart also serves as the Alabama representative to the Southeast Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians, a commissioner of the State of Alabama’s Bicentennial Committee, a board member of the Friends of the Alabama Department of Archives & History, a trustee of the Historic Mobile Preservation Society, a vestry member of Christ Church (Episcopal) Cathedral, a board member of the Friends of Magnolia Cemetery, and a board member of the Friends of the Mobile History Museum.

Kate Carver Biography
Kate Carver holds a bachelor of arts in English from University of Wisconsin – Madison. She has spent most of her career in the non-profit sector where she served in a number of key positions with the Salvation Army, the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office and HandsOn South Alabama. She is currently the Executive Director for the Dumas Wesley Community Center.
Kate is a member of numerous civic and community organizations. She is a graduate of Leadership Mobile and was recently selected as one of Mobile Bay Monthly’s 40 Under Forty. She has a favorite little sister, Jasmine, through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and is a member of Government Street Presbyterian Church.
Kate and her husband David have a 2 year-old daughter, Sophia and a 2 month-old son, Micah. They reside in Spanish Fort, Alabama.
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Program: The Mobile Health Department: Celebrating 200 Years of Community Leaders
Mobile has the distinction of having a Health Department which is older than the state of Alabama. Over the past two centuries the leaders of this organization have also been prominent in other areas of the city and left legacies most of us take for granted. Three of those leaders who were also prominent physicians in their day will be discussed: George Ketchum, Charles Mohr and Paul Acker. Their interesting biographies will be matched with some very familiar landmarks around town with which they were closely associated in their lifetimes.
Since January 1994 Tom McGehee has been the Museum Director for Bellingrath Gardens and Home. He has written numerous columns regarding Mobile’s lost architectural gems for more than three decades and in recent years has been a regular contributor to Mobile Bay Magazine with his column “Ask McGehee.” He serves as President of the Friends of Magnolia Cemetery and is Clerk of Session for Government Street Presbyterian Church.
Tom has been a member of the Rotary Club of Mobile since 2000. He is married to the former Ceil Smith of Monroeville and has a daughter, Megan, who currently lives in Fairhope.

Judge Edmond G. Naman has served as presiding Juvenal Court judge since 2007. A native of Mobile, he attended UMS Preparatory School, The University of South Alabama and Jones School of Law.
Prior to joining the 13th Judicial Circuit, he served as Assistant District Attorney for Mobile County and was Special Prosecutor for gun and violent crime and for the Drug Court.
He has long had a special interest in helping children at risk and has served as advisor and on boards of many programs including the “Make the Right Choice” program, Helping Families Initiative, Children’s Policy Council, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and many others too numerous to list here.
Some of the recognition he has received for his dedicated work includes the Spirit of Recovery Award presented by the Mobile County Drug Education Council, Goodwill Easter Seals Community Partner Award, Mike Gottfried Community Service Award presented by Mobile Christian School and Team Focus, Man of Vision Award presented by the Gulf Region Organization Of Nigerians and Americans, Champions Of Life Award presented by the GO-Daddy.com Bowl Committee, Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award presented by People United to Advance the Dream and the 2016 Sir Thomas More Lecturer at Springhill College.
Judge Naman attends St. Mary’s Catholic Church. He and Marcella have 2 children.

Bio of Al Hutchinson
Having served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau for more than 11 years, Al Hutchinson assumed the role of President/CEO of Visit Mobile on July 1, 2014. Hutchinson has been in the hospitality industry for more than 23 years and is the recipient of the 2014 Pioneer Award presented by the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners.
Hutchinson currently serves as Board of Advisor member for the Mobile Area Chamber of Commerce and the Gulf Coast Exploreum Board. He is a member of the Mobile Area Lodging Association; a member of the Alabama Travel Council; member of the Coastal Alabama Partnership; a member of the 100 Black Men of Greater Mobile, Inc.; Mobile Rotary Member 2015; University of South Alabama Business School Advisory Council 2016; and also a member of Religious Conference Management Association Advisory Committee.
Hutchinson received his Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the University of Alabama in 1982. Hutchinson is married to Unae Hutchinson and has two children, Asia and Jalen.

Albert Watkins (Watt) Key, Jr.
220 Saint Michael Street
Mobile, AL 36602
wkey@wattkey.com

Watt Key is an award-winning southern fiction novelist, screenwriter, and speaker. His debut novel, ALABAMA MOON, was released to national acclaim in 2006, won the prestigious E.B. White Read-Aloud Award, sold over 250,000 copies domestically, and has been published in eight languages. In 2009 ALABAMA MOON was made into a feature film starring John Goodman. Watt’s follow-up novel, DIRT ROAD HOME, was released in 2010 both domestically and internationally. His third novel, FOURMILE, was released in September of 2012, receiving starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, and School Library Journal. In addition to his novels and screenplays, Watt writes fiction and nonfiction articles for both local and nationally distributed publications. In 2015 ALABAMA MOON was listed by TIME Magazine as one of the top 100 young-adult books of all time
Experience: Novels, short stories, essays, screenplays
Awards:
California Young Readers Medal
ALA Best Book for Young Adults
Alabama Library Association Young Adult Novel Award
SIBA Children’s Novel of the Year
E. B. White Read Aloud Award for Older Readers
Parent’s Choice – Gold Medal Winner
VOYA Top of the Top Shelf Fiction for Middle School Readers
Borders Original Voices selection
Books-a-Million Bookpage feature
Barnes and Noble Discover book
Selected works:
September 2006, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux , ALABAMA MOON (novel)
July 2010, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux , DIRT ROAD HOME (novel)
September 2012, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux , FOURMILE (novel)
September 2015, University of Alabama Press, AMONG THE SWAMP PEOPLE (non-fiction)
January 2016, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux , FOURMILE (novel)
Future Publications:
January 2017, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux , HIDEOUT (novel)