Campus News

Renowned speaker coming to Great Falls College to talk about creating a culture of belonging

Alonzo Kelly will present to students, faculty, staff and the public on March 14-15.

Great Falls College MSU is holding a pair of public forums with author and speaker Alonzo Kelly about creating a culture of belonging on March 14 and March 15.

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee has worked to bring Kelly in as part of its mission to strengthen Great Falls College’s culture of inclusion.

“Creating an environment where we can respectfully learn from the lived experiences of others is a goal we strive for at Great Falls College,” said Dr. Brenda Canine, an instructor at the college and a member of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team. “We are excited to bring Alonzo Kelly to campus to help us facilitate these conversations.” 

Kelly is the CEO of Kelly Leadership Group, and his passion for serving individuals and organizations is undeniable. Believing that we are capable of amazing things when we stop trying and start doing, he has modeled that mantra personally and professionally, according to his website.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting, three master’s degrees, including public administration, human resource and labor relations, and business administration. He is nearing the completion of his doctoral degree in multidisciplinary human services.

We are so excited to have Alonzo share his knowledge and expertise with our campus community,” said Joshua Archey, assistant director of enrollment and retention. “As a team, we are always striving to raise the visibility of issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Through his approach of Creating a Culture of Belonging, it will continue to help us all learn from the varied, lifelong experiences of our friends and neighbors.” 

Kelly is an author of several books and has collaborated with Jack Canfield, co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, on “Dare to Succeed: The World’s Leading Experts Reveal Their Secrets to Success in Business and in Life and Dare You to Succeed!”

He also blogs and has a podcast.

"The message Alonzo Kelly shared at a college-wide training I attended a few years ago was powerful,” said Dr. Stephanie Erdmann, CEO/dean of Great Falls College. “His engaging story-telling speaking style kept a virtual audience engaged for two hours.  I’m really looking forward to hearing him speak again.”

The first session will be from 6:30-8 p.m. in B101 on Monday, March 14, and the second session is from 3:30-5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 15. The talk is titled Crucial Conversations. 

Kelly also will present to employees from 3-5 p.m. on Monday, and he will work with the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team from 10-noon on Tuesday on how to improve DEI culture.

He also will meet with dental and health care students around the theme of diversity and belonging from noon-1 p.m. on Tuesday, and he will do a presentation with students from 2-3 p.m.

Office of Public Instruction continuing education credits are available for attendees.