Bridget Barbara Byrne talks about her More Thank series on Diversity & Inclusion. Bridgette Barbera-Byrne hopes that through telling her story of what she overcame, it becomes someone else’s survival guide. WHEN IT COMES TO THE WORLD OF DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, AND ACCEPTANCE, WE CAN ALWAYS BE DOING MORE THAN WE ARE. This concept is what drives the vision behind the More Than training.  Owner and creator, Bridgette Barbera-Byrne states: “I imagine a world where someone’s dimensions of diversity do not interfere with the successes they achieve in life.  Where it does not dictate the privileges they are fortunate to encounter.  A world where the struggles one encounters are not predetermined by the dimensions of diversity that they were born into.  I imagine a world where people view each other’s differences as an open door to a world of new perspectives.“

More Than trainings focuses on topics in the diversity and inclusion realm.  They will provide participants with tools to assist them in navigating and leading others through these fragile and potentially controversial topics.

More Than trainings are customizable to every organization's needs and are suitable training tools for every industry.  Doesn’t every leader want a team that is mindfully inclusive and can do More Than exceed the expectations of their customer?

Dr. Jennifer Campbell is entering her fourth year as Coordinator and an Assistant Professor of Music Education at The College of Saint Rose, where she facilitates the growth of preservice music educators at every level. She is proud to serve as the advisor of the Collegiate NAfME chapter and was proud to support her advisees’ in hosting the 2020 Collegiate-NYSSMA Advocacy and Professional Development Conference in February. She teaches preschool and pre-K music and facilitating preservice music educator observation and field experience at the St. Rose Nursery School. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Baldwin Wallace Conservatory and earned her MM and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Mississippi. Before seeking full-time graduate work,

Jennifer was a successful music educator in Hockessin, Delaware. Over her five-year tenure, she taught courses in general and vocal music to students in grades Pre-K through Eighth, directed two choirs, and served as technical and assistant director for many theatrical productions. She continued to actively teach preschool and pre-K music at the Willie-Price laboratory school during her graduate studies at Ole Miss. As an elementary music specialist, she has completed three levels in the Orff-Schulwerk approach and holds a level II certificate in Kodály pedagogy. She was honored to participate and present at the 2019 Southwest Region Collegiate Summit, sponsored by the NAfME. She has presented for Albany City Music Educators in 2018, the Diocese of Albany Catholic Music Educators in 2019, and at the NYSSMA Winter Conference in 2018.

She serves as a College Liaison for the Berkshire-Hudson Valley Chapter of the America Orff-Schulwerk Association, hosting professional developments on-campus for in-service and preservice music educators each year. Jennifer has presented her research on female music educators of the nineteenth century at the 2017 Oklahoma Symposium on the History of Music Education and her research on early childhood singing at the 2016 NAfME Music Research and Teacher Education National Conference. She is a member of the National Association for Music Educators, the Organization for Kodaly Educators, and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association.

Laurie has worked in the not-for-profit sector for over twenty years. She has served in numerous professional and volunteer roles including development director, grassroots fundraiser, executive director, board member, and board chair for a variety of not for profit organizations throughout her career. Laurie currently provides consulting in fundraising, community organizing, board development, executive coaching, and strategic planning. She feels that fundraising and building a Culture of Philanthropy is sacred transformative work. Not only is it meaningful, but it can alter the trajectory of an organization.

Laurie started Rainmaker Consulting Group LLC in 2003 because she saw that many organizations were lacking buy-in for fund development. Many had a mindset of scarcity. They didn’t think that they could raise enough money, that they didn’t “know anyone with money”, that their board was disengaged, and many of their top executives were not embracing fund development. There was a substantial gap between what nonprofit organizations needed and what they were achieving to fulfill their missions. What was lacking was a Culture of Philanthropy.

In the last 10 years, Herrick has focused her work on helping organizational leaders build a comprehensive, agency-wide, Culture of Philanthropy. Each of these teams of leaders together created implementation plans and built strategies to make positive culture change stick. The lessons and best practices gained through her consulting and teaching has led to her upcoming book, Choose Abundance: An Organizational Guide to Build a Culture of Philanthropy.

Dr. Timothy W. Gordon is currently the Vice President for Student Affairs at Buffalo State College, the urban engaged campus in the State University of New York (SUNY) system. In his role at SUNY Buffalo State he is responsible for providing leadership for the division of student affairs, which includes 12 other units and over 130 employees.

Contact Dr. Gordon at https://suny.buffalostate.edu/

Dave Morrone is the Associate Executive Director of the Wang YMCA of Chinatown and has been serving in the YMCA for 21 years. Most of my career has been dedicated to providing services to youth and teens. I've been with the YMCA Northeast Leaders School for 18 years in various roles, the past 4 years of which as the School's Director.  

“What we are finding and what we have found for years, I’m sure you guys will agree...as a society has put this hammer down on kids around education, get out of high school, go on to college, do your next thing... What we didn’t put enough emphasis into was kids’ emotional intelligence development.” Dave Morrone

To contact Dave reach out to him at the YMCA, www.ymcaboston.org

To find out about Northeast Leaders School, www.ymcanortheastleadersclub.org

Bridgette Barbera-Byrne has proudly worked in the field of youth development for over 20 years. She’s worked in private education, coaching soccer and field hockey and the non-profit sector. Her driving force behind youth development is helping future generations understand their own value and self-worth. Her passion for making a difference has taken her to the world of diversity and inclusion which are deeply in grained in her personal core values. She strives to provide staff and youth with the tools to help them navigate through personal and professional struggles. Her goals include continuing to educate on equality and equity and taking the time to talk about our differences to make a positive change in the world.

“I think it is so important for youth, especially youth that are in the LGBTQ+ community to have role models they can depend on...” Bridgette Barbera-Byrne

For more information on Youth Development Professionals go to our website at Youth Development Pro

Let us hear from Chris Whipple from Whipple Aquatics & Safety, LLC He has been managing aquatic for over 15 years and loves to watch his employees grow with the experiences working around the water. he has managed aquatic venues at Universities, public and private facilities, and summer camps. He is an Instructor Trainer Educator for the American Red Cross and is currently the past president of the Association of Aquatic Professionals. His current endeavor is starting Whipple Aquatics & Safety LLC, to serve as a resource for the aquatic and recreation profession as to think safety while serving their mission. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and two children.

“My end goal is to try and figure out how do I get to a spot where there are zero drownings that are out in the department and how do we make the water as safe as possible but then to also get as many people as possible access to the water.” Chris Whipple

Reach out to Chris at www.whippleaquatics.com  

Association of Aquatics Professionals www.aquaticpros.org