Pictured is David St. John (courtesy of David St. John).
(Cazenovia, NY – Oct. 2013) Cazenovia College will host the 12th Annual Wheler Conference on World Affairs on Wednesday Oct. 23.
Local communications professional David St. John, principal and founder of St. John Communications in Cazenovia, will kick off the event at 9 a.m. in the Catherine Cummings Theatre at Cazenovia College, with a keynote address, titled “Communicating for a Better World.”
The conference schedule also includes eight panel discussions on advocacy, an invitation-only luncheon that will include remarks from New York State Senator David Valesky, and a screening of a film that chronicles the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
St. John, a speechwriter and public relations executive with over 25 years of experience at national and international levels, worked in the Clinton Administration – first as chief speechwriter for Labor Secretary Robert Reich, and then for the Environmental Protection Agency. He also served as chief of Advocacy and Outreach at the International Labor Organization in Geneva, Switzerland, where he coordinated issue campaigns, special events, report launches and media outreach.
Following St. John’s lecture, eight panelists (four of which are Cazenovia College alumnae), representing advocacy organizations in the academic, agriculture, community, disability and social media realms, will lead the Conference breakout sessions that run from 10:10 a.m. to 11:05 a.m.
The day will continue with an invitation-only luncheon, featuring the 2013 Sarah Webster Address, given this year by Karen Boronczyk, a senior at Thomas J. Corcoran High School, and Abigail Kortz, a freshman biology major at Cazenovia.
New York State Senator David Valesky will present the luncheon address before the day concludes with a 2:30 p.m., presentation of the 1970 film, King: A Filmed Record…From Montgomery to Memphis.
All conference offerings, with the exception of the luncheon, are free and open to the public.
To view the complete Wheler Conference schedule, visit www.cazenovia.edu/wheler.