2026 Annual Convention: April 16-18 in Cincinnati

Casey Boggs
President, ReputationUs

Casey is a global communications leader and Cornell University–certified expert in public relations, public affairs, reputation management, and crisis mitigation. He serves as president of ReputationUs (RepUs), an international public relations and reputation management firm specializing in protecting and strengthening the public image of for-profit organizations, nonprofits, and civic entities, including police agencies, fire departments, and school districts.

Before founding RepUs, Casey served as President of LT Public Relations, where he led strategic communications initiatives for organizations across financial services, law enforcement, healthcare, and legal sectors. Earlier in his career, he was Director of Public Relations at AIG, guiding communications before and during the global financial crisis. He also held senior agency roles managing national and global accounts at two of the world’s largest public relations firms, Waggener Edstrom and Weber Shandwick.

Overview of this session:

In today’s environment, faith-based organizations operate under heightened public scrutiny. Trust is no longer assumed…it is evaluated in real time through media coverage, online discourse, leadership actions, and community response.

For religious communicators, reputation is not merely a communications outcome, it is a reflection of mission integrity, moral credibility, and organizational stewardship.

This session moves beyond traditional sentiment tracking and explores how faith organizations can measure reputation in deeper, more predictive ways. Attendees will learn how to:

• Distinguish between surface-level sentiment and true trust indicators
• Identify leading indicators of reputational risk before a crisis unfolds
• Assess internal vs. external perception gaps within congregations and communities
• Use predictive reputation analytics to protect credibility and strengthen mission impact
• Build a proactive framework for reputation stewardship rooted in faith values

RCC participants will leave with a practical, mission-aligned model for measuring and managing reputation as a sacred asset, ensuring their organization’s good name remains strong, resilient, and worthy of the trust placed in it.

Rabbi Eric Greenberg

Eric J. Greenberg is an international award-winning journalist and a leader in multifaith relations. He has been honored multiple times by major journalism organizations including Religion News Association, Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), Investigative Reporters & Editors (IRE), New York State Press Association (NYPA), and the Deadline Club of New York City.

His investigative reporting for Rolling Stone magazine on the oldest missing teens case in America in 2023 was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. He has reported for The New York Daily News, Religion News Service, the Washington Post, US News & World Report and The Forward.

Eric is the former National Director of Interfaith Affairs for the Anti-Defamation League, where he worked with diverse faith leaders on humanitarian issues and held meetings with three Popes – Francis, Benedict XVI and Saint John Paul II, Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, Muslim Imams, and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day-Saints, including President Dallin Oaks and several Apostles, among others.

He is founding director of Programs and Communications for the Multifaith Alliance, and is former Chief of Staff at Columbia University’s Earth Institute National Center for Disaster Preparedness. In May 2022 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Human Letters from the State University of New York.

He is currently National Director of Partnerships and Multifaith Engagement at The Focus Project, a weekly educational and informational bulletin about issues affecting the Jewish people and Israel and our larger society.

He also serves as Director of Interfaith Initiatives at FAITH, the Foundation to Advance Interfaith Trust and Harmony.

Eric was a contributing writer to “Tune In: The Beatles, All These Years, Vol. 1,” the New York Times bestseller by Mark Lewisohn, the world’s foremost authority on The Beatles (Crown, 2016). He is a published songwriter and co-wrote a tune with legendary Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot.

Gary Puckett: bio to come

Judy Welage
Principal, Welage Public Relations

Judy is a seasoned, award-winning communications professional with more than 20 years of experience in consumer, healthcare and nonprofit media.

Known for her passion and relentlessness, Judy has a long track record of securing media coverage for her clients.  During her career she has represented several leading companies and non-profit organizations, including Allergan, American Academy of Dermatology, Celegene, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, City of Hope, ConvaTec, CSL Behring, Genentech, Genzyme, McNeil Consumer Healthcare, Rosecrance Drug & Alcohol Addiction Center. Additionally, she has worked on education programs with such celebrities as Hank Aaron, Deepak Chopra, Mark Spitz, Terry Francona, Diana Nyad, Andie MacDowell, Caroline Rhea, Rosario Dawson, Scott Foley, and Bill and Guiliana Rancic.

Most recently she was vice president of media at the Zeno Group and Weber Shandwick.  Prior to that she was senior media manager at Fleishman Hillard International Communications where she represented several non-profit organizations, most notably the Susan G. Komen Foundation.  During the five years she worked on the Komen account, she oversaw the media strategy for several award-winning programs and fundraising events, including the Pony Express Relay and On The Way to the Cure The Komen College Tour, which won a Holmes Report Gold Sabre Award, a PRSA Silver Anvil Award and a PRSA-NY Big Apple Award.

Threshold Singers

Through gentle bedside singing, members of Threshold Singers of Cincinnati extend compassion and comfort to those at the thresholds of illness and death. When requested, members offer “kindness made audible” at the bedside in homes, hospitals, hospices, and care facilities.

Threshold singing is not a substitute for the services of music therapists or music thanatologists, who are licensed professionals. It does, however, operate comfortably in tandem with those therapies. Singers receive specialized training around death and grief, bringing calm to the bedside, and producing a lullaby-like, harmonized blend of sound.

Each Threshold Choir chapter is firmly rooted in its local community while also being an important part of our shared community as an international organization. We sing from the same repertoire and share our experiences at regional and international gatherings. Most important, of course, we share a culture of compassion and respect for individuals at the threshold.

As of 2025, there are close to 200 chapters of the Threshold Choir.

Andrea Gils Monzón:

Andrea is a marketing and communications strategist, international speaker, and founder of Shiftmakers. She partners with organizations to drive growth through data-driven and AI-powered strategies rooted in people, purpose, and process.

Her work spans 15+ industries, with impact delivered for the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, State of Georgia, and the University of Kentucky.

A Public Relations Society of America National Board Member and DEI leader, Andrea is a trusted voice on ethical storytelling and the evolving role of AI in communications.

Kendra Ramirez:

As the CEO of KR Digital, a leader in Digital and AI solutions, we spearhead initiatives that drive digital and AI transformation..

Since building bots in 2018, I have become an AI advocate, serving on the Cincinnati AI Catalyst Committee and co-hosting the Tristate’s largest AI community. With a track record of delivering over 197 AI sessions, my commitment to educating and engaging professionals in AI is my driving force. Additionally, I am globally recognized on LinkedIn.com’s homepage, recipient of the Women of Influence Award, John Barrett Entrepreneur Vision Award, Cincy Chic Woman of the Year, and STEM Influencer.

With more than 15 years in technology companies, my leadership is focused on navigating change in sales, marketing, and recruiting.

Deborah Hileman, SCMP, FCSCE, CCMC
President and CEO

Deborah  is President and CEO of the Institute for Crisis Management (ICM), a U.S.-based consulting firm specializing in crisis management and communications.  Founded in 1990, ICM provides expertise and support to public and private companies, non-profit organizations, government agencies, education and religious institutions and other organizational clients in North America and across the globe.

A globally certified corporate crisis management and strategic communication management professional, business leader, coach and consultant with more than 35 years’ experience in public and private companies and non-profits, Ms. Hileman has led high-performing teams in consulting, health care and senior living, manufacturing, insurance and financial services and higher education. Her most significant areas of expertise include strategic communications planning, reputation and crisis management, change management, employee engagement, media relations and communication training.  She has earned several certifications, including designation as a Fellow of the Centre for Strategic Communication Excellence (FCSCE). She also is Corporate Crisis Management Certified (CCMC) by the Management and Strategy Institute. She is a FEMA-trained NIMS Incident Commander with experience as a national EMS public information officer during numerous Atlantic and Gulf coast hurricanes.

Known as a voice of calm amidst chaos and crisis, Ms. Hileman has earned a reputation as a trusted communication strategist and advisor to board members and C-suite executives, operations leaders and other organizational stakeholders.  She has developed and implemented successful communication strategies for numerous business issues, from mergers and acquisitions to criminal prosecutions and federal civil investigations, workplace violence, wrongful death, social media attacks and cybercrime, among others.

A regular writer and speaker on business communication topics, Ms. Hileman was a featured columnist in the PR News Crisis Insider. She has delivered training and lectures at several  leading universities, including Notre Dame, Marquette, Cornell, and the Universities of Chicago, Kansas and Miami. She is the author of “Attorneys as Allies:  Balancing Stakeholder Needs with Legal Concerns During a Crisis,” published in the Writer’s Guidebook, Vol.2, PR News Press; “Building a Crisis Early Warning System by Empowering Employees to Speak Up,” published in The Book of Employee Communications Strategies & Tactics, vol. 5, PR News Press, and “In a Snap: 15 Tips for More Effective Employee Communications in a Crisis,” published in The Book of Crisis Management Strategies and Tactics, Vol. 8, PR News Press.

Ms. Hileman earned her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Purdue University and a graduate certificate in public administration at Indiana University. She has completed executive education programs at the Universities of Denver, Michigan, Northwestern, Virginia and Stanford. Ms. Hileman has worked with several organizations, including the Public Relations Society of America and the International Association of Business Communicators where she is a past member of the International Executive Board. She is the 2025-26 vice chair of the Global Communication Certification Council®, the only ANAB-ISO accredited global certification program for communication professionals.   Deborah was recently honored as one of the recipients of the 2025 IABC Rae Hamlin Award in recognition of  her service in advocating the Global Standard of the communication profession.

Rabbi Richard Sarason, Ph.D.
Director, Pines School of Graduate Studies; The Deutsch Family Professor of Rabbinics and Liturgy

Rabbi Sarason  is Director of the Pines School of Graduate Studies, Professor of Rabbinic Literature and Thought, and The Deutsch Family Professor of Rabbinics and Liturgy at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, OH, where he has been a faculty member since 1979. Prior to that time, he was Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Brown University, where he received his Ph.D. in Religious Studies in 1977.

He was ordained at Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, in 1974. He received his A.B. in Economics from Brandeis University in 1969 and was a visiting graduate student at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem from 1970 to 1972, while attending Hebrew Union College. He is the author of several books and numerous articles dealing with rabbinic literature and Jewish liturgy. His most recent work is Jacob Mann: A Centennial Review (De Gruyter Brill, 2025) co-edited with Stefan C. Reif of St. John’s College.

Rabbi Sarason has taught at many Reform congregations around the country, and many programs of the Reform Movement, including URJ Summer Kallot, CCAR annual meetings and regional Kallot, Hadrachah Seminar for Lay Leadership, NATA certification program, Schindler Outreach Program, Mifgash Musicale, and others. He currently serves on the CCAR Worship Committee. He has represented Hebrew Union College as Vice Chair of the Reform Movement’s Joint Commission on Worship, Synagogue Music, and Religious Living.

He was a member of the Siddur Editorial Advisory Committee that worked on Mishkan T’filah, and was a special advisor to the editorial board that produced the current Reform Machzor, Mishkan HaNefesh. He is a recipient of the 2016 David Ellenson Faculty Award from the Women of Reform Judaism and the 2017 Shomeir Shirah (Guardian of Song) Award from the Guild of Temple Musicians. Sarason is also an experienced choral musician with a strong interest in Jewish liturgical music.

Rainn Wilson
Actor – Author – Activist

(Joining us via video)

Rainn is an Emmy nominated, and SAG award-winning actor best known for playing the inimitable “Dwight Schrute” for nine seasons on NBC’s, THE OFFICE. His diverse career includes television, movies, unscripted series, animation, and podcasts. In addition, he is also a NYT Bestselling author, having written “The Bassoon King”, “SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions” and “Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution”. His latest book, “Soul Boom Workbook: Spiritual Tools for Modern Living” released November 4^th, takes readers on a journey to find more purpose, meaning, and spirituality with practical techniques. Rainn founded a digital media company SoulPancake and is co-founder of Lide Haiti, an arts and education non-profit in rural Haiti. He is the co-founder of Climate Basecamp and has worked to increase communication around the dangers of climate change to young audiences by speaking “science to culture”.

Calista Hargrove:

Calista is a lifelong Cincinnatian whose work has always been rooted in faith, service, and community. A graduate of Walnut Hills High School, she earned her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the University of Cincinnati and a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership from Mount St. Joseph University.
 
Guided by the values instilled by her grandfather – to listen to her heart, stay connected to God, and care for those in need – Calista has built a 35-year career serving individuals experiencing poverty, living with disabilities, and rebuilding their lives after incarceration. Her leadership has spanned organizational strategy, team development, partnership building, and strengthening financial sustainability, always anchored in mission.

Today, she consults with local businesses and organizations to help them align purpose with performance and build teams that stay motivated for the long haul.

Calista understands what it means to carry a mission that feels bigger than the job description. Her work focuses on helping purpose-driven professionals sustain their passion without losing themselves in the process.

Outside of work, she enjoys traveling with her husband, spending time with friends, and a good shopping trip.

PJ Andrews: bio to come

Provost Judah M. Cohen:

Judah is the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Provost at Hebrew Union College. A distinguished scholar at the intersection of musicology, anthropology, and Jewish studies, Cohen has authored four books and more than 50 articles exploring Jewish cultural expression as a dynamic, evolving process. His research spans music in Jewish life, American music, musical theater, popular culture, and Caribbean Jewish history.

Cohen’s acclaimed works include Through the Sands of Time: A History of the Jewish Community of St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. (2004); The Making of a Reform Jewish Cantor (2009); Sounding Jewish Tradition: The Music of Central Synagogue (2011), which received the Greater Hudson Heritag

e Network Award for Excellence; and Jewish Religious Music in Nineteenth Century America: Restoring the Synagogue Soundtrack (2019).

Previously he served as the Lou & Sybil Professor of Jewish Culture at Indiana University and Associate Dean at the Jacobs School of Music, where he received the IU Trustees Teaching Award twice. Cohen examines how sound shapes Jewish identity across diverse contexts, from cantorial traditions to Holocaust memory in musical theater.

Dr. Anas Malik:

Chair, Political Science; and Professor, Political Science Department

Anas Malik, Professor of Political Science at Xavier University in Cincinnati, is the author of Polycentricity, Islam, and Development (Lexington, 2018) and  Political Survival in Pakistan: Beyond Ideology (Routledge, 2011). His research interests are in governance in Islamic and multicultural contexts, and the political economy of institutions.

Malik has been affiliated with the Ostrom Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis at Indiana University (Bloomington). He holds doctorate and master’s degrees from Indiana University and bachelor’s degree from  Marlboro College.

He has been with Xavier since 2005, teaching courses such as Battle for the Future; Middle East Politics; International Relations; Science, Civilization and Sustainability; Global Islamic Politics; Politics of the Anthropocene; and International Political Economy.

Eugene Rutz:  bio to come

Danielle Gentry:

Danielle is a communications leader driven by a passion for living life to the fullest and making a meaningful impact. She joined Kroger in 2022 as head of communications for Kroger Health, where she led strategic efforts to elevate the visibility of key health initiatives including Kroger Family of Pharmacies, The Little Clinic, Kroger’s Food as Medicine strategy and dietitian services.

In the fall of 2025, she transitioned into the role of head of communications and public affairs for the Cincinnati/Dayton Division of Kroger, where she oversees broad communications and corporate affairs activities for the 104 stores in the Division and for the communities in which they serve.

Danielle holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Relations from Florida A&M University and an MBA from the University of Cincinnati. Her career includes communications and corporate affairs roles at Fifth Third Bank and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. She exemplifies her commitment to community service in a variety of ways including mentoring youth, volunteering for several causes and serving on nonprofit boards.

After the death of her infant son in 2015, Danielle started an organization to help give voice to bereaved families and to advocate for the decrease in infant mortality rates. 
She is a twice-published author and has received numerous honors for her leadership and impact, including recognition as a Business Courier Forty Under 40 honor, a WCPO health impact honoree, a Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year and a PRSA Rookie of the Year. 

Danielle resides in Cincinnati, OH, and enjoys public speaking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and loved ones.  

Pamela Gilchrist, MA, APR, CPT

Pam is a Fortune 100 leadership and marketing communications expert. As chief strategist at the Gilchrist Group®, a business consulting and marketing communications firm founded in 1999, she works with clients during times of growth and change to Optimize Outcomes™.

From product and service launches to crisis communications, Pam has counseled executives for 30+ years on improving impact through breakthrough business strategies, next level leadership and brand marketing/communications. Based on emotional intelligence, the science of behavioral communications underpins her work to improve impact and make change stick.

Pam has served as chief communications counsel for companies ranging from Fortune 100, multi-billion dollar, companies to small and mid-sized businesses. Her unique combination of vision, executive management and entrepreneurial skills helps organizations achieve maximum results. She is a servant leader, who quickly becomes a trusted advisor.

She works with organizations to Optimize Outcomes™ in three areas:

1. Breakthrough Business Strategies
2. Executive Leadership And Stakeholder Engagement
3. High Impact Brand Marketing Communications

Executives and organizations that need results seek Pam out for her proven methods including: go-to market roadmaps, executive communications coaching, brand marketing and stakeholder engagement strategies.

Pam holds Universal Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), is a member of the PRSA Counselors Academy, is past president of National Speakers Association Ohio, is a certified Enneagram Personality Style trainer and holds Human Relations and Presentation certifications from Dale Carnegie. She holds a master’s degree from The Ohio State University and undergrad from Western Michigan University.

A well-known presenter across the country, corporations, associations, and not-for-profits frequently request Pam to speak to their organizations. She has even been featured in the New York Times best-seller Chicken Soup for the Soul.