2023 Annual Conference - Virtual Plenary Session Package

Pearl Alexander, JD, CPCC, ACC, CTDLF™ is an experienced dialogue facilitator and executive-life coach. Pearl serves as Executive Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement at Georgia Tech and Professor of the Practice in Scheller College of Business. In these roles she consults on strategic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and engaging leadership development practices. 

A change agent, she has catalyzed transformations in culture and organizational leadership for over 35 years. Her colleagues and clients achieve greater fulfillment, personal, and team effectiveness because of working with Pearl. 

Tapped to solve the most complex “people” challenges of these times, Pearl’s versatile career assignments have spanned from equity advisor and peacebuilder to spokesperson, storyteller, and strategist. A featured speaker for team retreats, conferences and classrooms, Alexanders’ audiences have included leading public and private universities, professional schools, law firms, fortune 500 companies, diversity equity and inclusion councils, business resource groups, and professional organizations. 

Her notable “thought leadership” has been featured in several media. Alexander is a member of Forbes Coaches Council, the Moth Director’s Circle, and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education. She integrates inclusion and belonging principles within her services inspiring others to courageously access their personal power and step into “wholeness.” 

Bishop Teresa Jefferson-Snorton is the Ecumenical Bishop and Program Development Officer of the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. In that role, she represents the CME Church at national and worldwide events in religion. She is also responsible for the grants for faith-based projects and initiatives of the denomination. From 2011-2022 she was Presiding Bishop of the Fifth Episcopal District which includes the CME Churches in Alabama and Florida. Bishop Jefferson-Snorton is also the Chaplain Endorser for the denomination. She is the current Chair of the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. 

Bishop Jefferson-Snorton serves on many boards in support of higher education, theological education, ecumenicity and social justice. She is the Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Interdenominational Theological Center (Atlanta, Georgia) and immediate past Chair of the Board of Trustees of Miles College (Fairfield, Alabama). She also serves in various leadership capacities on the boards of the CME Connectional Headquarters, CME Commission on the Concerns of Women In Ministry, the Pan Methodist Commission, National Religious Partnership for the Environment, Churches Uniting in Christ, the World Methodist Council and World Council of Churches.

Bishop Jefferson-Snorton is the founder of the educational program for church leaders, The Academy for Public Theology, who premier program is Connectional CPE for Clergy and the empowerment conference, The Phenomenal Women's Summit. She is a life member of the NAACP and a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. She is married to Rev. Dr. Lawrence Jefferson-Snorton, who is a pastor in the CME Church and a public school educator.

Chaplain Roberts is the the co-editor of Disaster Spiritual Care: Practical Clergy Responses to Communiy, Regional and National Tragedy, which is the first comprehensive resource for pastoral care in the face of disaster. He is the editor of Professional Spiritual and Pastoral Care: A Practical Clergy and Chaplain's Handbook. This is the first comprehensive resource for teaching spiritual and pastoral care to all faith traditions.  Other publications include: “Compassion Fatigue Among Chaplains, Clergy and Other Respondents After September 11” and Jewish Pastoral Care in Wake of a Disaster. 

 Chaplain Roberts is a Past President (2002-2004) of Neshama - Association of Jewish Chaplains (NAJC) and a Board Certified Chaplain (BCC) with the organization. He guided the NAJC in the process of becoming a member of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD) and served on NVOAD’s the Emotional and Spiritual Care Committee. He was part of NVOAD’s six-person writing group who created the Spiritual Care Consensus Standards which were approved by National VOAD as the basis of standards of care for all disaster spiritual care.

 Chaplain Roberts served four years on the National American Red Cross President’s National Diversity Advisory Committee. He served on the American Red Cross National Spiritual Care Oversight Committee from 2000 – 2016 and helped create and launch the Disaster Spiritual Care Function. He was the first North East Division Disaster Spiritual Care Lead and now functions as the ARC-GNY Regional Lead. 

 Chaplain Roberts became involved in the Greater New York American Red Cross Chapter TWO YEARS prior to 9/11 (and continues to be involved through today).  He worked closely with the chapter to develop a disaster spiritual care component which was approved by the chapter one week prior to 9/11.  The program was activated on 9/11 and he was the first lead and, when national left in December of 2001, he continued on as the lead.  Over 800 chaplains participated in the 9/11 program he oversaw in New York.

Roberts is the president and CEO of ChaplainDL—Chaplain Distance Learning. Previously he was the Associate Executive Vice President of the New York Board of Rabbis overseeing the Jack D. Weiler Chaplaincy Program; Director of Spiritual Care for the Beth Israel Medical System (NYC); Coordinator of Jewish Chaplaincy at New York Presbyterian Hospital - New York Weill Cornell Center.