The Public Affairs Conference is the week after next (Sept. 27-30).

The conference theme is Bridging the Divide. Participants will explore our country’s most pressing issues, consider views that diverge from their own personal opinions and discuss opportunities to find common ground.

Enjoy an evening with John Quiñones

The featured speaker is John Quiñones. Quiñones is an ABC News correspondent, author, and creator and host of What Would You Do?

His recent work focuses on how ordinary people behave when facing various choices and ethical dilemmas.

Quiñones’ presentation is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28 in Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts. The presentation is free, and you do not need tickets to attend.

The MSU Foundation will host a VIP reception with Quiñones before his speech.

Tickets for the VIP reception are $100 and include:

• Photo opportunity with Quiñones and autograph.
• Cocktails, beverages and hors d’oeuvres.
• Special reserved seating at the keynote speech.

Buy tickets

Access the schedule

The full schedule is available on the Public Affairs Conference webpage.

Highlights include:

• A pre-conference President’s Local Spotlight featuring a panel of Springfield community leaders at 3:30 p.m. Sept. 27 in the PSU Theater.
• A pre-conference student panel discussion at 11 a.m. Sept. 28 in the PSU Theater.
• Songs from the Street: Film Screening and Discussion at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 29 in the PSU Theater.
• A plenary presentation by Shereen Marisol Meraji, co-host and senior producer of NPR’s Code Switch, at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29 via Zoom.
• Beyond political polarization: Finding common ground for the common good by Bill Doherty, co-founder of Braver Angels, at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 30 via Zoom.
• How can you hate me when you don’t even know me? by Daryl Davis, award-winning conflict navigator, musician and author, at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 30 at Juanita K. Hammons Hall.

Plan to attend

All sessions of the conference are free and open to the public. No registration or tickets are required to attend.

Some of the sessions will be live and others will be virtual. Check the conference webpage for details.

As in prior years, employees may use up to two hours of their work time, in coordination with their supervisors, to attend the conference. I encourage you to attend, and I encourage supervisors to facilitate attendance by individuals in your offices or divisions.

Thanks for all you do for Missouri State!