Embedded Files
Keynote - Willie Stewart
Willie Stewart- A Proud Heritage
We were honored to welcome Willie Stewart as our 2024 Keynote.
Willie Stewart is a Native Texan, and his family were sharecroppers. He comes from a family of 11 children, 7 boys and 4 girls.
Mr Stewart received a BS Degree from Texas Southern University in 1957 and a Master's Degree from Pacific Lutheran University in 1969.
Willie had a long career in education in the Tacoma school district from 1960-1996. He was a teacher for 6 years, assistant principal and principal for 12 years, and an assistant superintendent of Human Resources.
Willie Stewart also served our country in the military where he was on active duty for 2 years. Later Willie was a reservist for 30 years, where he retired as a Colonel-06 in 1990.
Willie Stewart has served in our community extensively with the following organizations- Palmer's Scholars, Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound, Tacoma Athletic Commission, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and Urban Grace Church.
In addition to his community service, he has also participated in civic duties such as the Tacoma Human Rights Commission, Tacoma School Board, Tacoma Housing Authority, and Pierce County Housing Authority.
Willie’s wife, Faye Neal, passed in 2022 after 62 years of marriage. They have one son, a daughter, and a granddaughter.
His passion, All Sports! Others say Willie works around the clock to make Tacoma, Pierce County, and the world a better place for us all.
Willie has been working diligently with Tacoma FamilySearch Center consultants for more than 6 months to discover his roots and create more branches on his family tree. His keynote will focus on the discoveries he's made on this journey and what makes him proud.
Keynote Presentation-
Presenter - Thom Reed
We were honored to welcome Thom Reed as our 2024 presenter.
Thom Reed is a program manager for African heritage initiatives in North America for FamilySearch International. His area of emphasis is African American records, research, and experiences. He also manages relationships with community, genealogical, and historical organizations for people of African descent. Reed is leading the way for FamilySearch as a collaborative partner in the historic 10 Million Names project which is dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated ten million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America between the 1500s and 1865.
Reed is a member of the National Genealogical Society, Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society, Afro-American Genealogical and Historical Society of Chicago, and Black Family Genealogy and History Society (Phoenix). In 2019, he served on the national board of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) as the vice president for genealogy.
In addition, Reed serves as bishop of the Eastlake 3rd Ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in International Business with a minor in Japanese studies from Illinois State University and received his Master of Business Administration degree in Marketing from Brigham Young University. Before working for FamilySearch, Reed spent more than 10 years as a marketing, communications, and business development professional in the consumer-packaged goods, healthcare, and technology industries.
He and his wife, Lisa, are the parents of 5 children and reside in South Jordan, Utah.
Thom was our sole presenter for the day. He held 2 instructive and interactive classes throughout the day that focused on the "10 Steps to Reclaiming Your African Roots."
Thom Reed Presentation Part 1-
Thom Reed Presentation Part 2-
Spoken Word - Wonder Daniels
Wonder Daniels is the host of The Bread Aisle Conversations Podcast and the owner of The Bread Aisle Conversations Blog since 2010. As a Louisiana native and Washington resident Wonder has taken on the task of exploring life, community, and black culture in a way that’s both celebrates and holds space for understanding and accountability. During the podcast I share poetry, music, and dialogue centered around life and the many lessons to be learned along the way.
During 2023 Wonder partnered with Tacoma Arts live to create the play Still: A Woman’s Journey. The process both challenged and taught the creative how to dig deeper and create in a group setting. During the 2022 season I assisted with the Tacoma Urban Performing Art Center’s presentation of The Urban Nutcracker as assistant costume designer. Wonder was a founding member of Kingdom Creatives a troupe of creatives looking to explore preforming arts. She also temporarily produced and hosted Compass, a Facebook series interviewing people in various stages of the entrepreneurial journey.
My gift of expression makes me feel closer to my creator. I often say that I am not a poet nor storyteller, but rather a vessel that listens and translates what the creator gives me. This relationship of being a presenter of the creator’s inspiration has for far too long kept me bound by the idea of others stealing what is given. But now I accept that the gifts are boundness and meant to be shared to inspire others to look toward the source.
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