Speakers

Shawn Alex Nemeth is a talented speaker, author, coach, and entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to helping childhood trauma survivors heal and thrive.  After suffering horrific abuse as a child, Nemeth threw himself into nonprofit work as an adult.   Working around the world to help others heal, he spoke to audiences numbering in the thousands throughout the U.S., Europe, and South America, while his inner child suffered in silence.  The silence broke in 2009, when Nemeth was hospitalized with PTSD.  He learned that the long years of trauma had been encoded in his brain and body, as happens to many survivors of abuse and neglect. With treatment, courage, and self-compassion, Nemeth began the long road to recovery and founded the Chester Street Foundation (CSF) to give traumatized children a voice.  CSF aims to shine a light on childhood trauma through education and advocacy.  In addition to his work with Chester Street Foundation, Nemeth shares his inspiring story with audiences large and small as a professional speaker and through his book, Thorns of Chester Street.

Chandler Snipe is the Project Manager for Midtown Houston, where she oversees district-wide cultural initiatives and community engagement projects. She currently manages HueMan:Shelter, a $1 million public art initiative awarded through the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. Chandler’s work on HueMan:Shelter focuses on using public art as a civic tool to address social issues, strengthen public-private partnerships, and support workforce development for individuals with lived experience of homelessness. She has a background in nonprofit management, graphic design, and arts administration, and collaborates closely with the City of Houston, Houston METRO Transit Authority, and local service organizations. Chandler is passionate about placemaking, storytelling, and leveraging the arts to drive measurable community impact.

Posey Parker and Jen Cooper will present the astonishing story of the "World Cup", how it started, why, and little-known secrets so you can amaze your friends!

Dr. David Sandberg serves as Chief Workforce Officer at Covenant House Texas, a position he started in November, 2025 after a distinguished career as a pediatric neurosurgeon. Until June 2025, Dr. Sandberg served as Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery at McGovern Medical School, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. He received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his medical degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed neurosurgery residency training at Weill/Cornell Medical Center and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. After residency, he completed fellowship training in pediatric neurosurgery at the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.  After eight years on the faculty of the Miller School of Medicine of the University of Miami and Miami Children’s Hospital, he moved to Houston in 2012. Dr. Sandberg has a longstanding interest in neurosurgery in low- and middle- income countries. In 2019, he was awarded the Humanitarian Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, one of the highest honors bestowed by this organization. In 2025, Dr. Sandberg published “Brain and Heart: The Triumphs and Struggles of a Pediatric Neurosurgeon.”

Gary D. Ratliff began his law enforcement career with the League City Police  Department in 1985 as a patrol officer. Over the course of his distinguished career, he served in every bureau within the department as both an officer and a supervisor.

Between 1987 and 2006, Chief Ratliff held numerous leadership and specialized assignments, including Detective, Detective Sergeant, Hostage Negotiator, Assistant Commander and Commander of the Combined Agency Response Team (CART), Public Information Officer, Internal Affairs, Lieutenant, and Captain. In 2006, he was appointed Assistant Chief of Police, a position he held until 2018, when he was promoted to Chief of Police. He retired from the League City Police Department in June 2023 after over 38 years of service.

Chief Ratliff holds a Bachelor of Business Management degree from LeTourneau University and a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management from Sam Houston State University. He is also a graduate of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) and the FBI National Academy.

In June 2024, Chief Ratliff joined the West University Place Police Department as Assistant Chief of Police. He was formally sworn in as Chief of Police in February 2025.