The Honorable Esperanza (“Hope”) Andrade
Friday, November 19 • 10:15 a.m.–11:30 a.m. • A Conversation with the Honorable Esperanza (“Hope”) Andrade, Texas Secretary of State
The Honorable Esperanza (“Hope”) Andrade is Texas’ 107th Secretary of State, one of six state officials to form the Executive Department of the State of Texas. Secretary Andrade, a successful entrepreneur and leader in the San Antonio business community for more than three decades, serves as Texas’ chief elections officer; chief international protocol officer; and border commerce coordinator. Previously, Andrade served as chair of the Texas Transportation Commission. Her civic service has included leadership roles with the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Free Trade Alliance of San Antonio, United Way, the San Antonio Symphony, and the board of trustees for Our Lady of the Lake University. In recognition of her service to Texas, Secretary Andrade has received a number of accolades including the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Hope for Children Esperanza Award, and the San Antonio Leadership Hall of Fame Award. She is a proud grandparent at St. George Episcopal School, San Antonio!
Rabbi Barry H. D. Block
Friday, November 19 • 1:45 p.m.–3:00 p.m. • Interreligious Dialogue: One Community’s Long-term Commitment to Jewish-Christian Relations
Rabbi Barry H. D. Block has served Temple Beth-El in San Antonio since 1992, and became the congregation’s Senior Rabbi in 2002. A Houston native, Rabbi Block received his undergraduate education at Amherst College in Massachusetts and his Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters at the Los Angeles Campus of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. He was ordained in 1991. Rabbi Block is a member of the Board of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and chair of its Resolutions Committee, and is president of the Southwest Association of Reform Rabbis. He represents his colleagues throughout Texas and Oklahoma as Rabbinic Advisor of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations Greene Family Camp for Living Judaism in Bruceville, Texas. Rabbi Block chairs the Ethics and Compliance Committee of the Board of Governors of the Methodist Healthcare System. He represents Methodist Healthcare Ministries on the Community Board of the Methodist Healthcare System and serves on the Medical Executive Committee of Metropolitan Methodist Hospital.
The Reverend Daniel R. Heischman, D.Min.
Friday, November 19 • Noon–1:15 p.m. • Plenary Luncheon
The Reverend Daniel R. Heischman, D.Min., is executive director of the National Association of Episcopal Schools (NAES) and began his tenure on July 1, 2007. Prior to his work with NAES, Mr. Heischman was chaplain at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut for four years. He was head of the upper school and assistant headmaster of St. Albans School, Washington, DC from 1994 through 2003. From 1987 to 1994 he was executive director of the Council for Religion in Independent Schools (CRIS), now the Center for Spiritual and Ethical Education (CSEE). He served as chaplain and then assistant headmaster of Trinity School, New York, New York from 1979 until 1987. His most recent book is Good Influence: Teaching the Wisdom of Adulthood, published in 2009 by Morehouse Publishing, an imprint of Church Publishing Incorporated.
The Reverend Paula Lawrence-Wehmiller
Thursday, November 18 • 5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. • Opening Eucharist
Saturday, November 20 • 10:15 a.m.–11:30 a.m. • Caring for Your Soul: A Conversation with Reverend Paula Lawrence-Wehmiller
The Reverend Paula Lawrence-Wehmiller is a nationally known educator and author whose work as educator and child advocate has included teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in education, working in the field of community mental health, and serving as principal of an elementary school. A 1997 graduate of The General Theological Seminary and an Episcopal priest, she continues to answer the call to deepen her work as a sojourner by speaking full time, writing, and offering of retreats, conferences and workshops aimed at supporting and nourishing the spiritual life of educators, clergy, and the communities they serve. She has also served as visiting lecturer and scholar-in-residence at schools in the United States as well as Europe. In 2007, she received "The Ecumenical Award in recognition of dialogue and bridge building," from the Benedictine Women of Madison, an ecumenical monastic community in Madison, Wisconsin on whose board she served for nine years. Among her many writings is her 2002 book, A Gathering of Gifts.
The Right Reverend Gary R. Lillibridge
Thursday, November 18 • 5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. • Opening Eucharist
Saturday, November 20 • Noon–12:30 p.m. • Closing Noonday Prayers
The Right Reverend Gary R. Lillibridge is the ninth bishop of the diocese of West Texas, which is centered here in San Antonio. He received his undergraduate degree from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) in San Marcos, Texas, in 1978 and received his Master of Divinity degree from Virginia Theological Seminary in 1982. He served as assistant rector and rector of parishes in the diocese of West Texas and was rector of St. David’s in San Antonio when he was elected bishop coadjutor. He also served four years as the Archdeacon of the diocese. He has served as deputy to General Convention, President of the Diocesan Standing Committee, member of the Executive Board, member of the Commission on Ministry, and a host of other committees and commissions. Bishop Lillibridge recently served on the Windsor Continuation Group, at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury. His current community activities include membership on the boards of Morningside Ministries and the Good Samaritan Center, both located in San Antonio. His three children attend or have graduated from TMI-The Episcopal School of Texas.
Sue Nichols and Laura C. Walker
Friday, November 19 • 3:45 p.m.–5:00 p.m. • Delivering Difficult News to Parents: Speaking Truth with Grace and Compassion
Sue Nichols earned a B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Florida, with a specialization in Early Childhood Education from the University of Miami. She taught Kindergarten for 29 years in Europe, the Miami-Dade County Schools, and for 24 years at St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School in Coral Gables, Florida. As a national speaker, she has presented keynote addresses to the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and the Florida Council of Independent Schools. She has been featured in the community newspapers of Pinecrest, Coral Gables, and South Dade (Florida) with humorous and insightful parenting articles. She also teaches parenting classes. Married for 43 years, she is the mother of three grown children.
Laura C. Walker earned a B.A. in English from Sweet Briar College and an M.S. in School Administration from the University of Miami. She has been an educator for 27 years as a Teacher and Head of three Florida Episcopal schools: St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School, Coral Gables; Palmer Trinity School, Palmetto Bay; and St. Joseph’s Episcopal School, Boynton Beach. She served on the boards of the Florida Council of Independent Schools and the National Association of Episcopal Schools. She also teaches parenting classes. Most recently, she served as Senior Associate Consultant to the National Association of Episcopal Schools and now serves as an independent consultant to Episcopal schools. Married for 41 years, she has three grown children, and two splendid grandsons.