MTSU’s Jones College of Business is again offering the community an exciting opportunity for personal and professional development through an upcoming half-day conference.

The registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 24, for the “21st Century: Work That Matters” conference, which is set 8:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28, at Embassy Suites Murfreesboro-Hotel and Conference Center off Medical Center Parkway.

Dr. David Urban

The cost is $30 for the general public and free to MTSU students, faculty and staff. Seating will be limited, so all attendees must register before the Oct. 24 deadline. Registration and full conference details are available at http://bit.ly/2emLgXF.

According to Jones College Dean David Urban, the conference will help participants discover the kinds of leaders that spur innovation, entrepreneurship and growth, learn how to inspire others and gain insights on how leaders will shape business and culture over the next decade.

“This dynamic event features down-to-earth, practical principles about leadership as it is practiced by top business professionals,” Urban said. “Anyone attending this event will take away some excellent lessons on leadership and its effect on performance that can be applied right now.”

Wes Moore

Jessica Turner

Keynote speakers will be Wes Moore, a Rhodes Scholar, Army combat veteran, business leader and author; and Jessica Turner, an entrepreneur, best-selling author and award-winning marketing professional.

Turner, a writer for The Huffington Post, will speak on “Discovering Your Passions.” Through a series of introspective exercises, she will help participants understand life’s obstacles and motivate them to overcome those obstacles to pursue their passions, organizers said.

Turner has a monthly column in The Tennessean and is a regular guest on WSMV-TV’s “Talk of the Town.”

Moore, who has been fea­tured by such media out­lets as Peo­ple Mag­a­zine, The New York Times, The Wash­ing­ton Post, CSPAN and MSNBC, among oth­ers, will speak on “Transformational Leadership: Evolve, Adapt, Inspire.”

He will share his personal story — how he overcame adversity and went on to become a highly successful leader — and will relate it to leadership principles applicable to all walks of life. A White House Fel­low from 2006 to 2007, Moore served as a spe­cial assis­tant to Sec­re­tary of State Con­doleezza Rice.

Turner and Moore will also participate in a panel discussion with Jones College business award winners.

The conference is being hosted by the Jones College, the Jennings. A. Jones Chair of Excellence in Private Enterprise, First Tennessee Bank, and the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce.

For information about the Jones College, visit http://mtsu.edu/business.

— Jimmy Hart (jimmy.hart@mtsu.edu)