News
Convention to feature Morning Edition host Popular journalist and radio personality David Greene will bring his engaging warmth and globe-trotting touch to MEDA’s annual convention, Nov. 5-8 in Richmond, Va. Host of National Public Radio’s Morning Edition, he will speak Saturday evening on “Finding Strength in Adversity: The Stories of Some Downright Courageous Business Owners.” Theme of the convention will be “Growing Business, Building Community.” Sessions will be held at the Omni Richmond Hotel. Greene’s assignments have included the White House, Arab Spring in Libya, Chernobyl and Hurricane Katrina. He served for several years as NPR’s correspondent in Moscow, after which he wrote the book, Midnight in Siberia: A Train Journey Into The Heart Of Russia. He will recount stories of entrepreneurs who faced long odds but turned challenges into victories and went on to build successful enterprises with an impact on their communities. A panel discussion on Friday will feature three business families who view their enterprises as a calling and an integral part of their stewardship. • Faith and Tim Penner live in Harper, Kan., where Tim is the CEO and an owner of Harper Industries, which manufactures agricultural, hydraulic and turf equipment. Faith works part-time for the business, coordinating new construction, remodeling and interior design projects. The company has grown by five times since its purchase by employees in 1998. • Ed Shenk is a co-owner (with his wife Christine) of Weavers Hardware Company, Fleetwood, Pa., which operates two retail Ace hardware stores as well as a comThe Marketplace September October 2015
Marketplace Sept Oct CS6 2015.indd 22
The historic riverfront canal walk in Richmond, Va., site of MEDA’s convention.
mercial sales division in eastern Berks County. His goal is to operate a profitable business that also provides a platform to create positive impact and make a difference in the lives of customers, associates, vendors and their communities. • Marcus Shantz and his cousin Sheila Shantz operate numerous businesses in St. Jacobs, Ont. Marcus is president of Mercedes Corp., which was founded by his father Milo, uncle Ross, and several private investors in the early 1980s. Sheila, daughter of Ross Shantz, directs market operations at the St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market and Flea Market, including vendor relations, property maintenance, customer relations, hiring and training of market staff as well as advertising and promotion. The panelists will describe the challenge and satisfaction of growing financially successful businesses while pursuing higher purposes and keeping the good of their employees and their communities at the forefront. Thursday night’s keynote address
will tackle the critical issue of race relations and how it relates to business and Mennonite society. Sociologist and race relations expert James Loewen will bring his unique brand of humor to a speech on “Race Relations: Lies We’ve Been Taught and What To Do about Them.” Loewen, who holds a PhD in sociology from Harvard University, taught race relations for 20 years at the University of Vermont. He has written extensively on race and American history, including the best-seller Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your High School History Textbook Got Wrong. He has been an expert witness in more than 50 civil rights, voting rights and employment cases. He will focus on ongoing racial challenges, looking at both the history of those issues and some forward-looking strategies for a brighter future. “He aims to widen understanding of these problems and move toward better race relations in daily
22
18/08/2015 8:54:22 AM
