GLENN BOWERS Rotary District 5960 Governor

Friday, April 17 - Opening Session

Glenn Bowers, Ph.D., is District Governor of Rotary District 5960 and has been a Rotarian since 1986. With a background in plant pathology and plant breeding, he has worked in academia, multinational companies, and ag-biotech startups. Glenn has served multiple Rotary clubs as president and held numerous district leadership roles, including Assistant Governor, District Trainer, and chairing committees such as GSE and Peace Scholar. He and his wife Pam are Major Donors and Legacy Society members. Glenn enjoys travel, wine, cooking, birdwatching, and hiking.

DG_Bowers

ALEX KRAFTT Lead Trainer with Narrative 4

Friday, April 17 - Lunch Plenary

Narrative 4

Alex Krafft is the Midwest Regional Manager for Narrative 4, where she leads trainings, supports school partnerships, and advances the organization’s mission of building empathy through storytelling. She previously spent nine years with the Pitch In mentoring program in Chicago, specializing in SEL-based curriculum and student support. Alex holds a BA from DePaul University and lives in Michigan.

HENRY EMMONS, MD Psychiatrist & New York Times bestselling author

Saturday, April 18 - Breakfast Plenary

Supporting Resilience, Boosting Wellbeing

How to Sustain a Healthy Mind and Mood Through Challenging Times

Our collective well-being is seriously challenged these days. While stress is nothing new, anxiety, depression and burnout are at epidemic levels.  Maintaining a healthy brain and a vital mind have never been more important.

Yet stress itself is not the problem. There are good stresses, like a Rotary year abroad, that can make one stronger and healthier. This talk will bring together lessons from neuroscience, cognitive therapy and positive psychology to explore how to protect oneself from the many faces of stress, build resilience and promote growth no matter what the challenge.   

As an integrative psychiatrist, Henry has been at the forefront of holistic mental health throughout his career. Author of The Chemistry of Joy and The Chemistry of Calm, he has created practical, accessible programs including A Year of Living Mindfully, The Inner Life of Healers, Resilience Training, and Pathways to Joy, and has spoken to and trained health professionals around the world. Currently he hosts the Joy Lab Podcast with his colleague, Aimee Prasek, PhD.