Keynote

  • Portrait of Lee Cockerell

    Lee Cockerell

    Former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort

    Lee Cockerell is the former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort. “As the Senior Operating Executive for ten years Lee led a team of 40,000 Cast Members and was responsible for the operations of 20 resort hotels, 4 theme parks, 2 water parks, a shopping & entertainment village and the ESPN sports and recreation complex in addition to the ancillary operations which supported the number one vacation destination in the world.” 

    One of Lee’s major and lasting legacies was the creation of Disney Great Leader Strategies which was used to train and develop the 7000 leaders at Walt Disney World. Lee has held various executive positions in the hospitality and entertainment business with Hilton Hotels for 8 years and the Marriott Corporation for 17 years before joining Disney in 1990 to open the Disneyland Paris project. 

    Lee has served as Chairman of the Board of Heart of Florida United Way, the Board of Trustees for The Culinary Institute of America (CIA), the board of the Production and Operations Management Society and the board of Reptilia a Canadian attractions and entertainment company. In 2005 Governor Bush appointed Lee to the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Public Service for the state of Florida where he served as Chairman of the Board. 

    He is now dedicating his time to public speaking, authoring a book on leadership, management and service excellence titled, Creating Magic…10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney. which is now available in 13 languages and his latest book, The Customer Rules…The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service. Lee also performs leadership and service excellence workshops and consulting for organizations around the world as well as for the Disney Institute. 

  • Profile image of Damien Contessanew

    Damien Contessa, Ph.D.

    Assistant Teaching Professor, Sociology, University of Tampa

    Damien Contessa, Ph.D., is a Professor of Instruction at the University of Tampa, where he teaches classes on Introduction to Sociology, Social Psychology, and Qualitative Research Methods. Contessa embraces an interdisciplinary approach to research, teaching, and scholarship, and has had the fortunate opportunity to study with scholars across different disciplines, including sociology, geography, anthropology, political science, communication, and religious studies. His areas of research and teaching interest include applied sociology and contemplative pedagogy, with an emphasis on applying sociological learning in personal development and community engagement through self-reflection, collaboration, and empathetic understanding. Contessa also is a member of the Buddhist faith.

  • Portrait of Roderick Cunningham

    Roderick Cunningham

    The product of 15-year-old mother and a 19-year-old father, Roderick Cunningham was born in the crime-ridden housing projects of Jacksonville, Florida. Tragedy would strike Rod even before he entered the world when his young father died two weeks before his mother gave birth to him. In his formative years and while still a young and impressionable child, Rod was exposed to the harsh reality of domestic violence when he witnessed his step-father repeatedly abuse his mother both verbally and physically. Eventually his mother was forced to flee by night with young Rod for fear of their lives.

    His mother’s divorce from his stepfather rendered Rod to once again be a victim of abandonment. At first, he was ‘abandoned’ by his biological father when he died, and now he was forced to separate from his stepfather in order to escape his cruelty towards his mother. The absence of a significant adult male influence in his life had an adverse effect on Rod’s emotional well-being, the effects of which would plague him into his adolescence.

    Rod found redemption through his decision to join the Air Force. “Joining the Air Force was one of the best decisions I ever made and represented a turning point in my life. The Air Force provided me with structure, discipline, and exceptional influence from men of honor, dignity, and character”, Rod often shares. After an exemplary 29-year career, Chief Master Sergeant Roderick Cunningham retired in February 2016, his acclaimed E-9 rank is an achievement only earned by one percent of the enlisted force.

    Now in his retirement years, Rod continues to serve the community in various capacities including that of a mentor to youth primarily in the Tampa Bay area as well as urban centers throughout the nation, he is a leader in the area of developing economic empowerment programs for families, and he is a highly sought-after speaker on substance use prevention and emotional wellness. Mr. Cunningham has delivered hundreds of motivational speeches on a wide array of topics to over 35,000 youth and adults.

    A passionate advocate in the areas of drug prevention and misuse, Rod encourages youth to engage in positive decision-making behaviors by addressing the issues of parental abandonment, loss of a loved one, trauma, and peer rejection/bullying. According to Cunningham’s intense research, these are some of the primary contributing factors to the depravation of youth who struggle with emotional pain. Rod focuses on empowering young men, women, and adults by teaching them ‘The 5 Steps to Emotional Wellness’. He has worked successfully with community leaders to build effective programs that inspire emotional wellness and sustainable drug-free living by addressing the root causes of drug abuse, teaching coping skills, and building self-esteem.

    Rod is masterful at speaking to the 13-year-old in each of us. His presentations are humorous yet hard-hitting. He has the unique propensity to connect with each person in a room of hundreds as he challenges and inspires them to discover their true value.

  • Portrait of Leslie Nwok

    Leslie Nwok

    Dr. Leslie Nwok is passionate about helping leaders become self-aware, resilient, and emotionally intelligent. She believes that if we’re willing to face our difficult emotions on the inside, we are one step closer to achieving amazing things on the outside.