Speaker Information Needed

4 conference panelistsWe are so excited that you will be sharing your expertise and perspectives for Missouri State University's Public Affairs Conference! This picture is from one of our virtual panels.

You are in great company as our virtual panelists include professionals from across the country and the globe from acclaimed documentary filmmakers to data analyists! Below are some of the 2024 and 2025  conference's keynote and plenary speakers that were in-person on the Missouri State University Springfield, MO campus.

  • Brooke Shields, opening Keynote speaker
  • David Feherty, opening Keynote speaker
  • Christina Meredith, Advocate, author, US Army Officer
  • Courtney Clark, Resilience Researcher, author
  • Ray Suarez, Renowened broadcaster and author
  • Scott Tong, Journalist, author, NPR co-host of Here & Now
  • Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR Science Coorespondent
  • Tucker Bryant, entrepreneur, innovation strategist, poet
  • Dr. Wesley J. Watkins, IV, Founder, The Jazz & Democracy Project

Items needed from speakers by May 22, 2026 or as soon as available

  1. Please complete this Contact Form (https://forms.office.com/r/xZqPbzAF7F) so that the conference coordinator has your proper and preferred contact information and/or accommodations needed. Information is kept confidential.
  2. A brief biographical sketch.
  3. A digital photo for the conference materials and website. A cell phone picture or JPEG at least 500x500 works just fine. Send what you have and we will make it work!

Please email your bio and picture to lead coordinator, Stacey Trewatha-Bach at StaceyTrewatha@MissouriState.edu.

Panel Assignments & Communications

Hundreds of speakers have been in your exact shoes and have come away loving the conference, their panel sessions, contacts made and even hope to return for another year. Viewing some of our speaker testimonials will certainly help calm the nerves!

Below is an approx. timeline of communications for the 2026 conference:

  • Week of May 18 – receive your picture and bio for the conference webpage
  • Week of August 3 – personal contact by phone
  • Week of August 24 – email with conference details and invitation to our optional 'drop-in' speaker meetings offered via Zoom.
  • Week of September 21 – email sent that will contain your personal Zoom URL(s) to enter your panel with speaker permissions.
Public Affairs Conference website

The web page www.publicaffairs.missouristate.edu/conference will be fully updated with the conference information by June 5, 2026.