2024 Source Summit Itinerary
Friday, November 15, 2024
Welcome (8:00 am – 8:30 am)
Dr. Lester Woods Jr. — Convener, The Source Summit
Featured Entertainment (8:30 am - 9:00 am)
Lesli Woods — Director of Choral Arts, Battle High School Choir
Session 1 (9:00 am - 9:45 am)
How Local Government Agencies Can Support Mobilizing Community Assets for Social Change: Exploring an Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Model
Local government agencies are typically responsible for overseeing resources provided by taxes that are then used to ensure that services are adequately available for the community. In turn, these agencies provide services directly to the community that are meant to improve the overall quality of life for everyone. As local government agencies have seen an increase in the need for support by the community there has become a greater dilemma on the availability of resources and capacity for providing a high standard of service delivery that is most efficient. There is now a need to consider deploying a completely different framework that will allow local governmental agencies to optimize available resources all while empowering the community to concentrate on building upon “assets” as opposed to concentrating perpetually on “needs”. This process is known as the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Model where individual, association, and institutional assets are evaluated to determine where they can be most impactful to support community development. During this panel discussion you will hear from elected officials and local leaders of governmental agencies who are willing to explore the ABCD Model and applicable strategies mentioned in order to support a new way to approach community development for social change.
Panelists
Barbara Buffaloe (She/Her) – Mayor, City of Columbia
Barbara Buffaloe is the Mayor of Columbia, MO, the fourth largest city in Missouri. Mayor Buffaloe serves on the Board of Directors for the Missouri Innovation Center, and as an ex-officio member on the Board of Directors for REDI and the Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Before being elected Mayor of Columbia, she served as Columbia’s first Sustainability Manager where she was responsible for integrating short- and long-term sustainable comprehensive action plans, resource conservation, and related sustainability programs to advance a more sustainable, vital and well planned future for the city. Mayor Buffaloe also serves as advisor to the Board of Directors for the Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) and is a member of the Columbia Rotary Club. Mayor Buffaloe holds a BS in Environmental Design and a MS in Environment & Behavior from the University of Missouri. She has been a LEED Accredited Professional since 2004.
Janet Thompson (She/Her) – District II Commissioner, Boone County
Janet Thompson serves as District II Commission for Boone County, a position she has held since she was first elected in 2012. During her three terms, Janet has served as liaison to internal departments Community Services, which includes the Boone County Children’s Services Board, Community Health, and the Community Services Advisory; Information Technology; Purchasing; and Facilities Management. She also has served as liaison to community-based organizations including Boone County Family Resources, the Board of Health, the Criminal Justice Administration Coordination Committee, and the Disproportionate Minority Contact Steering Committee.
During her time as Commissioner, Janet has been involved in a variety of roles dedicated to building collaborative pathways in our community, our state, and our nation. She has been an integral part of initiatives in Boone County to address mental health issues in county jails, disrupt the school to prison pipeline, encourage upward mobility, and dismantle the silos within service industries that have prevented them from working together toward one goal.
Kip Kendrick (He/Him) – Presiding Commissioner, Boone County
Kip Kendrick was elected as Boone County Presiding Commissioner in November 2022. Kip was born and raised in rural northeast Missouri. He came to Boone County over 20 years ago for its educational and economic opportunities and, like for so many others, it became home. Kip completed his undergraduate degree at Columbia College and a graduate degree at the University of Missouri. Prior to becoming Presiding Commissioner, Kip worked in the Missouri General Assembly, where he served for 6 years as a member of the Missouri House of Representatives and 2 years as a Chief of Staff in the Missouri Senate. During his time in the Missouri House, Kip focused on the state’s budget and served for 4 years as the Ranking Minority Member of the House Budget Committee.
Kip has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the Missouri Consolidated Health Care Plan, the Missouri Health Facilities Review Committee, Central Missouri Community Action, the Children’s Trust Fund, and Public Policy Chair for the Association for Persons in Supported Employment for the State of Missouri.
Joanne Nelson (She/Her) – Director, Boone County Community Services Department
Joanne is the Director of the Boone County Community Services Department, where she has worked since 2014. In her role, she oversees the management of key community resources, including the Children’s Services Fund and the Domestic Violence Fund. With over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Joanne has gained experience in grant writing, service delivery, and contract management. She works closely with community stakeholders to identify and implement innovative strategies to address local needs, ensuring that resources are effectively allocated to support the well-being of the community. Outside of work, Joanne enjoys traveling with her husband, Doug, and their family, and indulges in her passion for gardening.
Session 2 (10:00 am - 10:45 am)
Chamber of Commerce Panel
The Chamber of Commerce panel will focus on financial literacy, featuring experts who work closely with small and mid-sized businesses and serve marginalized communities. This session will provide insights into building financial resilience, addressing unique financial challenges, and fostering growth opportunities. Panelists will discuss effective budgeting, credit management, and resource-building strategies while offering practical tools to empower business owners and community members alike in strengthening financial literacy and economic stability.
Panelists
Rob McCall — Chairman of the Small Business Committee at the Hispanic Chamber of Greater Kansas City
Robert McCall is the Managing Partner and majority owner of The McCall Group. The McCall Group helps families, entrepreneurs, and small and midsized businesses in the areas of insurance, benefits programs, tax mitigation strategies, and wealth generation through financial literacy.
Robert also is the Chairman of the Small Business Committee at the Hispanic Chamber of Greater Kansas City. One of the fastest growing chambers of commerce in the United States. He has over 35 years of management experience leading organizations at such companies as Google, Arvato, AT&T, and Kaplan University. He attended the University of Missouri with a Bachelor’s of Science in Economics. Born and raised in Kansas City and the proud father of a son named Hunter who is currently a student of engineering at Mizzou.
H. Wes Pratt — Co-founder, and former President of the Multicultural Business Association in Springfield
H. Wes Pratt, J.D., a lifelong public servant, was a student community activist at Central High School and Drury University and has worked in non-profit corporate leadership, youth program development and higher education. Pratt, a co-founder, and former President of the Multicultural Business Association (MBA) [formerly dba Minorities in Business] is a Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) Ambassador, and a Board member for the Springfield Sister Cities Association.
In 2016, MSU President Smart appointed Pratt the Assistant to the President/Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) responsible for executive level implementation of initiatives valuing inclusion on campus and in the general community and establishing Inclusive Excellence as the core value in the 2016-2021, and the current 2021-2026, university Long Range Plans. Pratt retired from Missouri State University in 2022 after 58 years in public service.
A University of San Diego Law School graduate his work in state, local and county government resulted in election to the San Diego City Council in 1987 where he established the Human Relations Commission, the Urban Corps of San Diego, and the San Diego Housing Trust Fund. Pratt champions empowerment through valuing inclusion. He was an attorney in private practice in California; the first African American state director of the California Conservation Corps (CCC), and a deputy director of the Maryland Job Corps.
Matt McCormick — President, Chamber of Commerce in Columbia
Dr. Lester Woods, Jr. — Source Summit Co-Covener, Facilitator
Session 3 (11:00 am - 11:45 am)
Financial Institutions and Financial Literacy
Join us for an engaging panel on financial literacy, featuring experts in small business lending, financial independence, credit, budgeting, and business planning. Together, they’ll share valuable insights on what financial literacy means and why it is essential today. Our facilitator will lead a thought-provoking discussion covering topics such as common financial misconceptions and strategies to overcome them, the key elements of budgeting, and practical tips for sticking to a financial plan.
Panelists
Mark Claypole — Vice President/SBA Department Manager at Central Bank of Boone County
Mark Claypole is a career banker with over twenty years of industry experience in retail, investments, compliance, business development, and lending. Currently, he serves as the Vice President of Small Business Administration Lending at Central Bank of Boone County.
Since joining Central Bank in January 2021, Mark has grown their SBA portfolio from 18 loans for $2.39 Million to 119 loans for $15.48 Million and become the #1 SBA lender in Boone County for the last three years running. Included in that growth are 69 loans to women-owned businesses, 23 loans to minority owned-businesses, and 16 loans to veteran-owned businesses.
Mark received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and has completed both the fundamental and advanced diploma programs in SBA lending from the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders.
Jennifer Schenk — Chief Connector, The Connection Exchange and ConnectS (Facilitator)
Jennifer Schenck is a Business Entrepreneur, Connector/Relationship Builder, and Mentor. Jennifer grew up in the Dallas, TX area, then attended William Jewell College in Liberty, MO earning a BA in International Business and Spanish. She started her career at IBM Dallas in the Global Marketing and Sales division, but shortly after became an entrepreneur. At age 24, she co-founded a children’s bedding and accessory retail boutique, and later owned an ice cream franchise in a Dallas suburb with her husband. After moving to Missouri in 2010, She worked in marketing and operations before co-founding The Connection Exchange with business partner Cara Owings in 2015.
The Connection Exchange is a lead generation membership based welcome service that connects new businesses and residents with the resources, products and services needed to excel within their community. The Connection Exchange offers a licensed business location opportunity and has licensed locations in Columbia/Mid-MO, Cooper County, and Cole County. ConnectS, is a software platform developed by The Connection Exchange, which is marketed towards the welcome service industry.
Jennifer is a member of the Executive Board of the Boonville Area Chamber of Commerce, and a Founding Board Member of the Missouri Women’s Business Center. She is active in the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Network, ACA Club, and 1 Million Cups, and serves as an Ambassador for both the Columbia and Boonville Chambers.
Sarah Moreau — Vice President, ProsperU Director, and Community Outreach Officer for Central Bank of Boone County
Sarah Moreau is the Vice President, ProsperU Director, and Community Outreach Officer for Central Bank of Boone County. She is a nationally certified credit counselor (NACCC) with eighteen years of banking experience. Sarah helps clients to achieve financial freedom with budgeting support, credit assistance, and debt management expertise. She is a graduate of the Missouri School of Bank Management and holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Columbia College.
Jayme Prenger — Director of Missouri Women’s Business Center
Since joining the Missouri Women’s Business Center in 2022 as the Director, Jayme Prenger has been a driving force in empowering women entrepreneurs across the region. As a professional fundraiser and coach with over 25 years of marketing and sales experience, Prenger’s career journey has blended her diverse experiences into a fulfilling career dedicated to service and empowerment.
Prenger began her career as a director for the Girl Scouts in Southeast Missouri, where she played a pivotal role in empowering young girls to envision a brighter future. Motivating girls and volunteers to sell Girl Scout cookies was definitely a highlight in her career. Over the years, she has assumed various leadership roles, accumulating invaluable experience that has established her as a pillar of the community.
With a commitment to breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship, Prenger leads her team in fostering a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem, collaborating with business resource partners and community leaders to create impactful programs. Through these programs, MoWBC has granted over $150,000 to small businesses over the past two years. In 2024, one of their key initiatives is the Capital Access Program, designed to bridge the gap between small business owners and funding through enhanced financial literacy.
Jamie Wallingford — Financial Opportunity Center Coordinator & Missouri Women’s Business Center Financial Coach
Jamie Wallingford, Financial Opportunity Coordinator, Central Missouri Community Action, has over eighteen years of experience in the finance industry with several lending institutions. Before joining CMCA, she served as the Market Business Manager with First State Community Bank where she focused on financial security, audits and business account management. While at First State Community Bank, she served as a member of the Missouri Women’s Business Center Advisory Board. This is where she found a passion in nonprofit work and began to help find solutions. In March of 2023, she was offered the opportunity to join the CMCA team as a Financial Coach. This opportunity allowed her to take the nearly two decades of financial experience she had and become part of the solution by working directly with individuals and families to obtain financial freedom. Shortly thereafter, the Women’s Business Center invited her to join forces and provide direct financial coaching to small business owners. They had identified that in order to build a successful business you need a solid financial foundation, both personally and for your business. Her mission is to provide economic stability within the communities we live. She provides strength and support by serving on her local school board and as a volunteer coach, as well as running her own business where she encourages a healthy lifestyle and positive body image.
James Henderson — Financial Advisor, Rockbridge Financial (Facilitator)
I believe it is important for those seeking financial advice to get to know my advisors and staff. Establishing professional relationships with our clients helps me create a valuable component to managing my client’s financial future.
My clients feel like family. I have the opportunity to impact people in positive ways, provide guidance when they need it most and be a bridge to help them work toward their financial goals. I believe in meeting the client where they are at in life. I think I am able to relate to a lot of my clients.
Lunch Guest Speaker (12:00 pm — 12:30 pm)
Dr. Brian Yearwood — CPS (Columbia Public Schools) Update
Session 4 (1:00 pm - 1:45 pm)
A Closer Look at How Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Community Investment (CCI) Can Impact the Community and Changes Lives
As social issues continue to proliferate across the globe, corporations are having to consider their responsibility with being a part of the solution to counter these concerns. Many corporations are looking at the local communities in which they operate to determine how best to get involved and partner with other agencies to move beyond the impact of their bottom line to positioning themselves to help others. This has resulted in the rise in both Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Corporate Community Investment (CCI) to ensure that companies are conscientious of the impact of their decisions and their influence, while reinvesting in programs that make a substantial impact on the community. Hear from several panelists whose companies have made the commitment to go above and beyond the pale to positively benefit the communities where they serve.
Panelists
Dakarayi Chabaya — Employee Experience: Community Engagement Specialist, Equipment Share
Dakarayi Chabaya is a graduate from Columbia College of Missouri where he earned his Master of Business Administration degree. He serves as an Advisory Board Member for the Equipment Share Foundation. He also serves as a board member for Jabberwocky Studios and Partner for Better here in Columbia.
Amy Susan — Company Spokesperson, Equipment Share
Amy Susan is a graduate from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Amy serves on several boards throughout the Columbia community, which includes representation on the Equipment Share Foundation board as well as the Community Foundation of Central Missouri.
Loreli Wilson — Director of People Services, Veterans United Home Loans
Loreli Wilson, a first generation Filipino American and graduate of the University of Missouri, serves as the Director of People Services at Veterans United Home Loans (VU). In her role, she focuses on inclusion and social impact efforts, fostering an inclusive workplace while driving positive social change through community engagement.
Loreli has been involved in the creation and implementation of several initiatives at Veterans United, earning VU the Corporate Leader of Inclusion + Innovation from the Society of Diversity in 2017 and the Residential Leadership Award for Diversity and Inclusion from the Mortgage Bankers Association in 2018 and 2024. Shortly after creating and launching VU’s military benefits program, VU was also acknowledged in 2020 with the Freedom Award, the highest honor bestowed to an employer by the US Department of Defense for support of employees serving in the National Guard and Reserve.
Loreli currently serves as a board member to organizations, such as the Regional Economic Development Inc. (REDI), Veterans United Foundation, and Central Region Workforce Development. She also holds the position of president for the Flourish Initiative, focused on supporting youth well-being and development to help young people thrive in life, education, and careers.
Erik Morse — Director of People Development, Veterans United Home Loans
Erik Morse is the Director of People Development at Veterans United Home Loans, as well as the Board President of the Veterans United Foundation. He has worked very closely with the Boone Impact Group for several years, and has been involved in many conversations locally about upward mobility, affordable housing and community impact. He loves collaborating with and learning from others, and partnering with individuals and organizations in the community who are creating outsized impact through their hard work and commitment to building pathways out of generational poverty.
Session 5 (2:00 pm — 2:45 pm): Affordable Housing
This dynamic panel will focus on building wealth through homeownership, featuring experts from banking, construction, and social services. They’ll explore strategies to make homeownership more accessible, the critical role of financing and construction in affordable housing, and how social services can support sustainable pathways to homeownership. Discover how these sectors are collaborating to create opportunities for wealth-building through property ownership, addressing community needs, and fostering lasting economic change in the housing landscape.
Panelists
Ashley Switzler — Director of Community Outreach, Show-Me Habitat for Humanity
Jacob Garrett — Senior Mortgage Loan Officer, Bell Bank
Mark Briley — President Anderson Homes Foundation
Scott Claybrook — An advocate for community transformation and reinvestment
Jane Williams — Love Columbia
Session 6 (3:00 pm - 4:15 pm)
Faith-Based Community Changes and Challenges
Community is currency: How are we cultivating community while working in various spaces that can lend toward isolation?
Those present will hear from practitioners in the faith-based ministry space discuss their biggest challenges and how they actively work to break down silos and barriers in the spaces they labor in.
Panelists
Mataka Askari — Mataka, a Saint Louis native, is a community activist and avid educator. Mataka is passionate about the epidemic of miseducation, especially of BIPOC. He’s also actively using his experiences from spending 23 and a half years in prison to help others behind both mental and physical walls.
Femi Ogungbade — Femi and his wife, Juliette lead Jesus House, Columbia. They serve many graduate students that have West African heritage. They are passionate about genuinely encountering God’s transforming grace and building a grace-based community for those whose support may be on another continent. Femi is also passionate about community outreach and care, being able to meet needs that develop to release potential.
Scott Claybrook — Scott, an advocate for community transformation and reinvestment, has challenged the status quo of housing and development through the founding of Arise Dwellings. He has an unwavering passion for renewal and transformation on both the personal and communal level and sees the beauty of diversity as a nonnegotiable in neighborhoods and dinner tables.
Julian Jackman — Julian, a native of Columbia, is passionate about impacting recidivism by mentorship and education. He is the owner of Agents of Change, LLC and Co-Owner of R.I.S.E. Initiative, LLC. He is a Certified Trauma Informed Community Specialist in ACE’s & Domestic Violence Awareness, and an Ordained Minister. Julian is the Executive Director of P.E.A.C.E.
Shelly Mayer — Shelly oversees The Crossing’s Care Ministry, an umbrella ministry that includes more than 15 unique teams and groups that minister to hurting individuals living through seasons of pain. She also coordinates regular service opportunities within The Crossing community and in our city. Shelly founded ForColumbia and continues to bring churches and the community together through serving.
Marcus Richardson — Marcus was born and raised in Columbia, MO and answered the call to ministry at Sugar Grove Missionary Baptist Church serving as an associate minister. Marcus has a passion to see the church at the forefront of the civil and social sectors exhibited by his service as 1st vice moderator, laymen president, congress secretary, and evangelism director in the Mount Carmel Missionary Baptist District.
Jaymes Schrock — Jaymes is passionate about solving problems, building teams, and baking chocolate chip cookies with his daughter. Jaymes is a believer in building bridges over barriers and looks to connect the Hispanic community to organizations that will foster community. He is the founder of Como Communidad, an organization facilitating community within the Hispanic population in the region.
Sophia Smith — Sophia Smith is the owner and operator of Grandma’s Southern Eats. She is a long-time resident of Columbia and has been in the business of serving her community for 30 plus years. Sophia is the founder of Sophia’s Helping Hand, an outreach to the most vulnerable populations in Columbia.
Demetria Stephens — Demetria is a community advocate across various spaces in Columbia. She is a changemaker and an educator especially in the areas of housing and education. Demetria is all about family and loves to bring the community together when possible. Through her tireless work across many service agencies, she is a wealth of connection and information and is a founding member of STAARR.
Jane Williams — Jane, a 40-year social work veteran, has served and enriched Columbia and the surrounding areas through her work and leadership at Love Columbia and beyond. Jane has been strategic in making sure Columbia is a great place to live, work, and play for all citizens. She is the Executive Director at Love Columbia.
D’Markus Thomas-Brown (Facilitator) — D’Markus, a Columbia, MO native, has a strong passion for community enrichment, exhibited through his various roles and leadership in many community initiatives. He is currently a Regional Director at Good Dads.