Our day began with opening remarks from Chris Street, ASP of Dallas Board Chair Kim Kesler (KPMG) and Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, setting the stage for a series of panels and discussions. We heard from guest speakers Eric J. Ban, Ed.D., Jennifer Chandler, Sarah Cotton Nelson, David Deggs, Ph.D., Stephanie Elizalde, Ed.D., Gilbert Gerst, Antoine Joyce-Roach, and Drex Owusu, who pushed the conversation forward on youth development, innovative internships, and building cross-sector leadership. We are thankful for the panelist’s insights —and to the leaders who joined us from Dallas College, University of North Texas Dallas, Big Thought and Dallas ISD Career and Technical Education programs.
The Youth Voice panel, moderated by Antoine Joyce-Roach, SVP/City Leader, ASP of Dallas, featured All Stars Alumni Eloria Davis, Anthony Castillo, Felicia George, and Crystal Ramirez. Their stories were a reminder that this work is vital for young people from underserved communities to succeed.
We closed the afternoon with a call to action from Natalie Sandifer, Director, ASP of Dallas, and Yetunde Zannou, PhD, PMP, Managing Director, Dallas Works, who are leading the 2025 Dallas Works Summer Youth Employment Program in partnership with the City of Dallas and Mayor Eric Johnson. The Dallas Works goal: create paid internships and year-round workforce development opportunities for hundreds of young people.
Thank you to everyone who showed up, spoke up, and lent your leadership. The work doesn’t stop here. Together, we can build a Dallas where every young person has the chance to grow, perform, and succeed.
