Meet the SPEAKERS
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Deborah Fallows is a writer and linguist. She has written extensively on language, education, families and work, China, and travel for The Atlantic, National Geographic, Slate, The New York Times, The LA Times, and The Washington Monthly. She has been a fellow at New America and a senior research fellow at the Pew Research Center.
Fallows and her husband James's book, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America, was developed into a documentary by HBO titled Our Towns. The film spotlights local initiatives and explores how a sense of community and common language of change can help people and towns find a different path to the future.
Deborah has served as a director of data architecture for Oxygen Media. Previously, she was Assistant Dean and Assistant Director of Admissions at Georgetown University. Her 2010 book, Dreaming in Chinese: Mandarin Lessons in Life, Love, and Language, is based on her 3-year experience living and working in China.Deborah Fallows and her husband have two married sons and five grandchildren.
Writer and Co-Author, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America
James Fallows is a longtime correspondent for The Atlantic magazine. He has reported for the magazine from around the world since the late 1970s, including extended assignments in China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, and within the United States in Texas, Washington state, and California. He has written 12 books and won the American Book Award, the National Magazine Award, and a documentary Emmy. He has also done extensive commentary on National Public Radio.
Fallows and his wife Deborah's book, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America, was developed into a documentary by HBO titled Our Towns. The film paints a remarkable picture of America and how the rise of civic and economic reinvention is transforming small cities and towns across the country. James Fallows grew up in Redlands, California, studied American history and literature at Harvard, studied economics at Oxford as a Rhodes scholar, and once worked in the White House as president Carter’s chief speechwriter.
Journalist and Co-Author, Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America
Mike Grella is an attorney, trusted advisor, and founder of Grella Partnership Strategies (GPS). Grella brings over 26 years of experience in several fields including economic and workforce development, site selection, business attraction and marketing, and public policy. GPS is built upon the pillars of diversity, equity and inclusion, sustainability, and economic justice. Grella provides a unique insight to the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies and advanced data analytics to catalyze resilient, broad-based prosperity in communities.
Prior to launching GPS, Grella founded and led Amazon.com and Amazon Web Services’ economic development team, forging public and private partnerships representing over $10 billion of capital investment and hundreds of thousands of new jobs in dozens of states and 15 countries.
Founder, Grella Partnership Strategies
Morris Johnson has served as General Manager of CF Industries’ Donaldsonville Complex since January 2017. He has more than 31 years of experience in both nitrogen and phosphate fertilizer manufacturing. Prior to his role as general manager, Johnson held a number of management roles in corporate engineering, environmental health and safety, maintenance, and operations since joining the company in 1990. He holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State University.
General Manager, CF Industries Donaldsonville
Brad Lambert has served as Deputy Secretary of Louisiana Economic Development since 2017. As Deputy Secretary, in addition to supporting the Secretary and executive management team, Lambert oversees business development and workforce operations, including Business Development Services, the Business Expansion and Retention Group and LED FastStart®. He also is involved in policy issues and numerous outward-facing engagements for the agency. Currently, Lambert is a member of Louisiana’s Climate Initiatives Task Force and is Chair of the task force’s Finance Advisory Group. In addition, he is Co-Chair of the Workforce and Economic Development, Education and Public Outreach Committee of the Louisiana Cybersecurity Commission.
Prior to joining LED, Lambert worked for 24 years at Baton Rouge issues management firm, Harris, DeVille & Associates. At HDA, Lambert gained a broad array of experience in working with Louisiana industries, local and regional economic development organizations, the Louisiana Legislature, and numerous trade associations. Lambert provided leadership in policy development, issues management, crisis communications and media training for many of Louisiana’s largest corporations. Lambert has a Bachelor of Arts degree (Journalism-News Editorial) and a Master of Public Administration degree, both from LSU.
A Baton Rouge native, Lambert is married with two children. He has been recognized by the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report as a “Forty Under 40” rising star in the Capital Region (2006) and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank in 2014 and 2015. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for the Manship Theatre in downtown Baton Rouge and has been an adjunct instructor at LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication
Deputy Secretary, Louisiana Economic Development