January 12, 2010—Mayor Tom Leppert

Have you ever heard a sermon that led you to take action in your life? Tom Leppert did, and it inspired him up to get involved in the Dallas political system! Come hear about his faith walk. Prior to becoming Mayor of Dallas in June 2007, he led major corporations in the areas of construction, financial services and real estate. As CEO of Turner Construction, he moved the Fortune 500 firm’s headquarters to Dallas. He also was chair of the Greater Dallas Chamber of Commerce and still serves on its executive committee. A lifelong volunteer, he has served numerous charitable organizations on both the local and national levels. The Mayor served as a White House fellow in both the Treasury Department and the White House. Mayor Leppert holds an M.B.A. with Distinction from Harvard Business School and graduated cum laude from Claremont McKenna College. He and his wife Laura live in Dallas. Their son and twins, Christian, Catherine and Ryan, are all in college. dallascityhall.com/government/mayor/ mayor.html

February 9, 2010—Laura Harris

What do you do when faced with crossroad choices of an award-winning career and a daughter in alienation? Come hear Laura Harris’s story of how she went from being a workaholic —to being ready to give it all up to get her daughter back. Laura Harris is an entrepreneur (largest All-State agency in Texas), nationally renowned speaker and author of “Surrender to Win—Regain Sanity by Strategically Relinquishing Control.” As a recovering workaholic, she learned the hard way that we can only find true joy through complete surrender to God. Laura is blessed to be the mother of two amazing daughters. Her favorite job is being a grandma. She is a firm believer that if we don’t define our direction, the world will. Whether she is speaking to Christian organizations or corporations, she enjoys spreading unique perspectives of Life Balance, Leadership and Discipleship. Laura is a CLASS graduate. LauraHarris.com

March 9, 2010—Charlene Sims

Successful entrepreneur, business woman and speaker, Charlene Sims brings her encouraging and convicting account of the endless grace of God as told through her life story. Remarkable in her candor, Charlene tells of how God has worked in her life—lifting her from the childhood sexual abuse that destroyed her family, the teenage loss of her mother and feelings of worthlessness and despair in the face of her own sin, to the glory of God’s redeeming grace. It is a story of how God never lets go, never gives up and never ceases in His faithfulness to His children… And how Charlene has learned never to say “never.” themasterspress.com

April 13, 2010—Cindy Burden

Raised in Greenville, TX Cindy Burden moved to Dallas, where she married to live ‘happily ever after.’ However after her husband lost his job, and as a result lost their house, they moved into a mobile home which was hit by a tornado. Cindy prayed and cried out to God to let them live. But she forgot her promise. The rest of her testimony will bless your life. While playing with playdough with her two girls, Cindy discovered she could sculpt. Having no training, she began to develop her talent. Her works are now in 2,000 stores across America and have encouraged the hearts of many. Cindy will be sculpturing a piece while she speaks to us. burdenstudio.com

May 11, 2010—Teresa Lusk

At fourteen, Teresa gave birth to her first child and didn’t complete the eighth grade. She continued a downward spiral as inadequate single parent making poor decisions— drinking heavily and using drugs. In desperation, she sought a spiritual foundation by plunging into New Age beliefs only to remain empty in her heart. After some time, Teresa and Leon met and married in 2001. Together they discovered a Christian church in their hometown, and saw their lives transformed from “Pagan 101” to “Trophies of Grace”. Teresa enjoys sharing her testimony of struggles to success only to give God the credit for the life changing transformation. homemakerCEO.com