CULTURE CONNECT SCHEDULE
8:00 am | Check-in and Continental Breakfast
9:00 am | Welcome and General Session
10:45 am | Morning Breakout Sessions
12:00 pm | Lunch Social and Art Project
1:30 pm | Peer-to-Peer Networking
2:45 pm | Afternoon Breakout Sessions
4:00 pm | Closing Session and Awards Presentation
GENERAL SESSION
To the Next Generation
To kick off Culture Connect join Ernesto Balderas, UCA's Deputy Director, as he leads a discussion with diverse Utah cultural leaders and humanities scholars to explore how they pass down their culture and history "To the Next Generation." This will be a live recording of Culture Bytes, Utah Cultural Alliance Foundation's (UCAF) podcast serving as a virtual place where complex, humanities-centered discussions allow Utahns to connect with and learn from one another. UCA is grateful to Utah Humanities for making this session possible.
Ernesto Balderas, UCAF Deputy Director
Darren Parry, Author and former Chairman of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation
Jamera Naquai, Poet and Spoken Word Artist
MORNING BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Art-Mageddon: How to Survive the Culture Wars and Keep Creating
Participate in an engaging workshop with Republican Rep. Cory Maloy, former Democratic legislator Ross Romero, and Crystal Young, Executive Director of Utah Cultural Alliance, as they reveal the power of creativity to bring both sides of the aisle together. Discover effective strategies for code-switching your language and persuading elected officials to champion arts and culture, even amidst a resurgence of the Culture Wars. Enjoy this entertaining and interactive experience!
Rep. Cory Maloy
Ross Romero, President, Inclusion Strategies
Crystal Young, Executive Director, Utah Cultural Alliance
ChatGPT: Understanding It to Use It Well
Learn how to think about ChatGPT (and other AI tools) and, from that understanding, use AI tools well. The presentation will focus on practical value - you will come away ready to get good results and avoid pitfalls, and set yourself up to think about the future evolution of these tools.
Carl Kibler, Head of Engineering, Lucerna Health
Corporate Marketing Lessons for Organizations Running Lean
Your cultural organization or small business has an amazing story to tell —but budgets are tight and resources are thin. In this session, you’ll see how applying corporate marketing and communications strategies and tactics can help you build a crowd for your next event or grow your followers while showcasing your mission. With limited time and budget, you can: generate earned media, leverage stakeholders to amplify your content, advertise on a shoestring and expand your audience.
Heidi Prokop, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Zions Bank
AFTERNOON BREAKOUT SESSIONS
The Importance of Having Diverse Teams
The presentation will discuss Utah's changing demographics, studies that highlight the importance and innovation that comes with diverse teams and how having diverse teams makes the workplace more enjoyable and engaged.
Ross Romero, President, Inclusion Strategies
Finding and Expressing Our Authentic Self
Jerry Buie MSW, LCSW, Pride Counseling
Data-Driven Fundraising
In this session we will answer the age-old question, is fundraising an art or science? (Hint: It's both). Learn how to use data to creatively leverage and grow your grassroots and mid-level donor programs to expand your donor base and maximize returns. Disclaimer: Will include dad jokes. Join at your own risk.
Matt Lyon, Founding Partner, Blueprint Public Affairs
PRESENTER BIOS
Jerry Buie, MSW, LCSW
Jerry Buie MSW, LCSW has owned and operated Pride Counseling since 1998, which was established as a visible and culturally viable mental health practice addressing the varied mental health needs of the LGBTQ community. Jerry was a Professor at the University of Utah Graduate School of Social Work. Has served on many boards including the Utah Aids Foundation, Pride Center Advisory Board for Mental Health, The Naraya Cultural Preservation Council (addressing Native American Traditions), and the Chair for Sage Utah serving the 50+ LGBTQ community. For ten years, Jerry has been an active participant in Reconciliation and Dialogue group which is a group of ten professionals from various socio-political and religious perspectives regarding sexual orientation and gender identity therapies, creating documents that address ethical and practical practice with those in conflict between their spirituality and sexual orientation.
A father of one, grandfather of 3, and husband to Bruce for the last 28 years. Recently Jerry and Bruce organized Inspirit, a community endeavor introducing people to earth-based approaches to spirituality. Spiritually, Jerry has been mentored in various indigenous, earth-based systems including Native American, Andean, Amazonian, Dagara (Based in Burkina Faso, Africa), and Mongolian Shamanism. He has facilitated ceremonies and guided people in spiritual journeys and processes for the last 20 years.
Carl Kibler
Carl Kibler is a keen advocate for the intersection of technology and the arts. With a particular interest in making complex systems understandable, Carl enjoys teaching others how to understand new technologies and incorporate them usefully into their work and lives. His current interest is demystifying ChatGPT and the new generation of AI tools, particularly as a partner for brainstorming and thinking.
Carl is Head of Engineering at Lucerna Health, a Salt Lake healthcare technology startup that helps healthcare providers operate more efficiently and effectively.
Matt Lyon
Matt is the founding and managing partner of Blueprint Public Affairs. Over his career, he has lead teams that have raised over $100 million for progressive causes throughout the country. Matt is an avid skier and hiker, and lives in Salt Lake City with his family.
Heidi Prokop
Heidi Prokop is Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications Group Manager at Zions Bank, responsible for marketing strategy, media relations, internal and external communications, social media and financial education outreach. Prior to joining Zions Bank in 2001, she was a news and communication specialist at the University of Utah and public information coordinator and webmaster at PBS Utah.
Prokop currently serves as chair of the Utah Division of Arts and Museums Arts Advisory Board. Since 2010 she has been a member of the board of directors of the Utah Film Center and currently sits on its executive committee. The previous service includes the Sundance Institute Utah Advisory Board and 90.9 FM KRCL’s Board of Trustees.
Ross Romero
Ross Romero is the Founder and CEO of Inclusion Strategies, a consulting firm exclusively focusing on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion consulting, and Government Relations. Ross works with Utah employers in building relationships with Utah’s diverse communities to ensure the workforce and workplace is inclusive. In addition, as a former banker, lawyer and Utah State Senator, Ross understands the importance of business opportunities that come with investing in diverse communities. DE&I investment is good for the individual, the company, and the community.
Ross is a former Utah State Senator and House Member, serving from 2005-2012. Ross was in banking with Zions Bank from 2007-2017. Prior to working for Zions Bank, Ross was a lawyer/partner and litigator with the Salt Lake City law firm, Jones, Waldo, Holbrook & McDonough, where he worked from 1997-2007. In addition to strong Utah business and community contacts, Ross has strong ties in Washington DC which he has developed over 25 years working with Chambers of Commerce, Bar Associations and Advocacy Groups. Ross graduated from the University of Utah (BS ’92) and the University of Michigan Law School (JD ‘96).
Crystal Young
Motivated by an intense desire to leave the world better than she found it, Crystal holds a core belief that spreading the gospel of the arts and culture will heal the world. Crystal has led a life and career that centers on a healthy balance between personal and professional life while getting shit done. Since 2010, Crystal has led Utah Cultural Alliance (UCA) as its Executive Director. She believes firmly that arts and culture should be framed as an industry and not as a cause. She has over twenty years of experience working in nonprofit management, consulting, branding, fundraising, event planning, lobbying, and elections. Awards: 2022 Alene Valkanas Arts Advocacy Award from Americans for the Arts, two-time Enlightened 50 (E-50) recipient from the Community Foundation of Utah, a certified Utah Change Leader, was named one of Utah Business Magazine’s 40 under 40 in 2013, received a 2020 Star Award from the SCERA, has been featured as a Utah’s Educated Woman of the Week, and received the 2022 Legislative Award for Excellence in Political Affairs and Library Advocacy Award from Utah Library Association in 2022. Crystal serves on the boards of Utah Arts Alliance, Tanner Humanities Center, Creative States Coalition, Utah Women & Politics PAC, BYU Political Affairs Society - UT chapter (co-chair), Better Utah Institute, and Utah Women’s Forum. Crystal is a composer and coloratura soprano. She earned her bachelor's in music theory with minors in humanities, economics, and marketing as an undergrad at Brigham Young University and earned her master's in musicology and composition from the Aaron Copland School of Music (Queens College, City University of New York). A devotee of family, Crystal is a busy mom of the two greatest human babies in the universe, a bonus mom to one more amazing kid, and loves her two incredible partners and our fur babies (a cat who thinks he's kind of the universe and a sweet bonus dog).
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