Walking the Walk of Diversity

Keynote Speaker - Tierney Cahill

A mother of three and sixth-grade teacher at Sarah Winnemucca Elementary School in Reno, Nevada, Tierney Cahill did not expect to become politically active. Her expectations changed, however, when teaching her students a simple civics lesson on how elections and the government work. After telling her students that any American can run for political office, they disagreed and said that they didn’t believe “normal” Americans could be legitimate candidates. They challenged her to prove that ordinary Americans can run for office, and in order to inspire her students, she dedicated herself to running for the District 2 Congressional seat.

Cahill ran as a Democrat and, to her surprise, beat the other Democratic candidates to take on Republican incumbent Jim Gibbons. While she did not have large sums of money for her campaign, she threw herself wholeheartedly into the race, talking about the important issues – education, mental health, and nuclear waste. In spite of the vast diff erence in campaign budgets between Cahill and Gibbons ($7,000 to $320,000), Cahill received an unexpected 34% of the vote. Although she lost, she succeeded in teaching her students the value of civic duty. On the night of the election, with her students in tears by her side, she said, “Think about why we did this and what we did. Can an everyday American run for office? Yes. We have lots to be proud of.”

Cahill’s story is the subject of an upcoming fi lm, Class Act, starring Halle Berry and written and directed by Doug Atchison. Her personal memoir, Ms. Cahill for Congress, was published in October 2008 by Random House. She has also been featured in the nationally- published book Teachers: The Enlightened, the Exceptional, the Extraordinary. Her story is a true inspiration – showing not only the value of education and civic duty, but that one person can change the lives of others. She is highly energetic, humorous, and motivating and has made a true impact on the world of education.

Afternoon Speaker - Jane Johnson

As a strong believer and proponent of Diversity, Jane Johnson is one of the founders of the Walking the Walk of Diversity Conference. She is the Vice President of Student and Academic Services at Richland Community College, Decatur, Illinois, where she has been employed for nearly 36 years. She joined the College in 1973 and served as the College’s Director of Financial Aid and Veterans Aff airs from 1973-1988. In 1988 she became the Vice President of Student Development and Services. In 2002, she became the Vice President of Student and Academic Services, overseeing both the academic and student service areas.

Jane holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and a Master of Arts Degree in Human Development Counseling from the University of Illinois at Springfi eld (formerly Sangamon State University). She holds numerous certifi cations for leadership, diversity, total quality management, and career training.

Her professional affi liations have included serving as Secretary, Treasurer, and President for the Illinois Council of Chief Student Service Offi cers, serving as Secretary and Vice President of the Program Committee of the Illinois Section of the American Association of Women in Community Colleges, and serving on the Executive Committee of the Illinois Council of Community College Administrators. She is a member of several professional organizations.

As a strong proponent for community service, Jane currently serves on the Board of Directors at Decatur Memorial Hospital and is the Vice President of Coming Together Decatur.

She has previously served as President and board member of the YWCA of Decatur and Macon County, President of the Decatur District 61 Foundation, and Vice President of the Macon County Opportunities Corporation and has served on the board of directors for several community agencies.

Jane has made numerous public presentations locally, regionally, and nationally. She is a recipient of the Anna Waters Head Start Talented Tenth Award, the Decatur Human Relations Commission Award, the NAACP Joe Slaw Civil Rights Award, and the YWCA Women of Excellence Award in Education.

Jane is a two-time cancer survivor.