Speaker Bios

Jill Boy currently serves as senior director of special projects for the Duke University School of Medicine. She served as executive director of Duke University’s Centennial Celebration from August 2022 to April 2025.

In her role as executive director, she was responsible for harnessing the resources of a large, decentralized organization, creating synergies and building partnerships to plan and execute a 16-month celebration that began in January 2024 and will officially culminate in May 2025.
(read more)

Kara Calderon is the Senior Director of Sustainability and Community Engagement within the Reynolds American organization, which is a member of the global BAT Group. Kara developed, implemented, and led the 150th Anniversary strategy and execution, celebrating the founding of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company in 1875.

Over her two-decade career with the Reynolds American organization, Kara has led hundreds of employees in consumer marketing, communications, community engagement, and environmental compliance roles. Kara works cross-functionally, monitoring and managing environmental regulations and governance projects.
(read more)

Laura Hollingsworth most recently served as SVP and Chief Marketing Officer for Opry Entertainment – a division of Ryman Hospitality Properties – where she played a lead role in building the strategy for the Opry’s 100th year anniversary. The iconic Grand Ole Opry is among the assets she helped elevate during her tenure, which concluded in October 2024.

Laura was a key member of the leadership team that drastically expanded the entertainment division’s asset portfolio and financial results. The Opry’s 100th anniversary strategy, which Laura architected, is currently being executed and celebrated through 2026.
(read more)

Karmen Gardner is Vice President of Corporate Communications and Employee Experience at Pella Corporation. In this role, she leads initiatives that define, develop, and differentiate Pella’s culture while supporting the organization’s continued growth and success. Her responsibilities span internal communications, employee engagement, inclusion and diversity, public and media relations, social responsibility, and corporate reputation management. She also serves as Executive Director of the Pella Rolscreen Foundation, overseeing the company’s philanthropic efforts across its manufacturing communities.
(read more)

Gibson Oakley is an award-winning Producer/Director at Tribe Pictures. During his tenure at Tribe, Gibson has worked in various capacities, from writing to editing to producing to directing. He also developed Tribe’s first podcast project producing episodes across the country.

Gibson holds a B.A. in Drama from Kenyon College and a M.A. in Arts and Culture Management with a focus on Outreach and Advocacy from the University of Denver. (read more)

Vern is the founder, CEO, and Creative Director of Tribe Pictures.

His mission is to help institutions and business leaders connect to and mobilize their stakeholders by crafting strategic stories that speak to the heart of the people who matter most.

Projects creatively directed by Vern have garnered over 500 industry awards, launched some of the industry’s largest public offerings, built the brands of Global 1000 companies, and been credited with helping to raise over nine billion dollars in contributions to colleges, universities, and philanthropies.(read more)

Kristene Turner is Vice President, Integrated Growth Marketing at Opry Entertainment Group, where she oversees marketing strategy and planning, creative, brand, and social media for a portfolio of live entertainment brands including the Grand Ole Opry, Ryman Auditorium, ACL Live, Ole Red, and Category 10. In her role, Kristene leads the vision and execution for the Opry 100 campaign, a year-long plus centennial celebration honoring the legacy of the Grand Ole Opry—the show that made country music famous. Opry 100 has increased brand awareness and expanded cultural relevance through a robust full-funnel paid media investment powered by all-new brand creative, major media milestones including the NBC primetime special Opry 100: A Live Celebration and the upcoming Hallmark holiday film A Grand Ole Opry Christmas, and an international debut with Grand Ole Opry: Live in London at Royal Albert Hall.
(read more)

Kris Bosman is the Chief Alumni Relations Officer at the University of Utah. She served as Chair of the 175th Anniversary Steering Committee at the university, celebrated from February to October 2025. In this role, she was responsible for creating a series of programs, events, brands, and activations to engage alumni, students, staff, faculty, and community in celebrating the university’s rich history and legacy while looking forward to a bright future. In her role as Chief Alumni Relations Officer, she is responsible for creating a vision and executing a strategy to deepen alumni engagement at the university. Her team also works to build connections to current students to facilitate lifelong engagement and support for the U.
(read more)

Lisa Alonge, Founder of Anniversary University®, is a trailblazer in milestone anniversary planning. As the author of Milestone Anniversary Planning, Lisa has pioneered an industry focused on helping organizations strategically leverage anniversaries for transformative growth. Her approach, blending strategic vision with tactical execution, is recognized as the gold standard in anniversary planning.
(read more)