Schedule

the topics, speakers, panels, and breakouts that will fill the day and fill your mind

Thursday, October 9, 2025

Marriott Marquis, New York City

Time	Session	Speakers
8:30 AM	Check-in	Pre-registration required
Morning Plenary Session
9:00 AM	Welcome & Invocation	Welcome: Elder David R. Marriott (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Invocation: Venerable Chang-Kuan (Western Buddhist Association)
	Opening Remarks	Rabbi Joseph Potasnik (The New York Board of Rabbis)
9:10 AM	Religious Liberty: Where We've Been, Where We Are, and Where We're Going	Introduction: Elder Quentin L. Cook (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) Constitutional Overview: Michael W. McConnell (Professor and Director of Constitutional Law Center, Stanford Law School) Recognition for Achievement in Preserving Religious Freedom
9:40 AM	Religious Trends in America - The Data	Ryan Burge (author of Graphs about Religion)
10:00 AM	Faith in the Public Arena	Moderator: Jane Clayson Johnson (former news anchor) Panelists: • Beth Daley (The Conversation; Boston Globe) • David Miller (Director, Faith & Work Initiative, Princeton University) • Judge Thomas Griffith (retired judge, DC Circuit Court of Appeals) • Dave Checketts (American businessman and sports executive) Recognition for Achievement in Fostering Faith in the Public Arena
10:50 AM	Keynote	John Sexton (President Emeritus, New York University)
11:10 AM	Break
Breakout Sessions on the Various Roles of Faith
11:25 AM	Building Better Communities Moderator: Bishop Matthew F. Heyd (Episcopal Diocese of New York) Panelists: • Reverend Adriene Thorne (The Riverside Church) • Imam Ammar Abdul Rahman (Muslim Chaplain, Fordham University) • Rabbi Diana Gerson (The New York Board of Rabbis) • Andrew Hanauer (CEO, One America Movement) Recognition for Achievement in Building Better Communities Navigating the Media Moderator: McKay Coppins (The Atlantic) Panelists: • Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak (ProPublica) • Dritan Nesho (CEO, HarrisX) • Emma Green (The New Yorker) • Steve Waldman (Rebuild Local News) Recognition for Achievement in Promoting Uplifting Media Elevating Higher Education Moderator: Evan R. Chesler (Chair Board of Trustees, New York University) Panelists: • Josh Good (Aspen Institute's Religion & Society Program) • Bonnie Cordon (President, Southern Virginia University) • Rev. Mark E. Fowler (CEO, Tanenbaum) • Simran Jeet Singh (Assistant Professor of Interreligious Histories, Union Seminary) Recognition for Achievement in Elevating Higher Education Solving Social Problems Moderator: Rev. Dr. Chloe Breyer (Interfaith Center of New York) Panelists: • Caura Richardson (The NYS Office of Faith & Nonprofit Development Services) • Haris Tarin (Muslim Public Affairs Council) • Sylvie Sun (Buddhist Global Relief) • Justin Dyer (Professor of Religion, Brigham Young University) Recognition for Achievement in Solving Social Problems Strengthening the Rising Generation Moderator: Rev. Jared R. Stahler (Saint Peter's Church) Panelists: • Bishop Victor Brown (Mt. Sinai United Christian Church) • Emily Belle Freeman (President, Young Women's Organization, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) • Dr. Debbie Almontaser (CEO & Founder, Bridging Cultures Group, Inc.) • Sam Wilkinson (Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University) Recognition for Achievement in Strengthening the Rising Generation
12:15 PM	Break
Lunch Session
12:30 PM	Welcome & Invocation	Welcome: Father Ryan Muldoon (Archdiocese of New York) Invocation: Maytal Saltiel (University Chaplain, Yale University)
12:45 PM	Opening Remarks	His Eminence Cardinal Dolan (Archbishop of New York)
12:55 PM	Keynote	Honorable Rowan D. Wilson (Chief Judge, New York Court of Appeals)
1:15 PM	Presentation of Honors	For Achievement in Building Interfaith Bridges
1:20 PM	The Role of Religious Liberty in America's Success	Interview of Justice Stephen Breyer (U.S. Supreme Court, retired) by Professor Kate Stith (Yale Law School)
1:50 PM	Presentation of Honors	Medal of Honor
1:55 PM	Closing Remarks & Benediction	Closing Remarks: Rev. A. R. Bernard (Christian Cultural Center) Benediction: Guruji His Holiness Dileepkumar Thankappan (World Yoga Community)
Afternoon Breakout Sessions
2:15 PM	Track One: Special Screening — Baseball: Beyond Belief Based on “Baseball as a Road to God: Seeing Beyond the Game” (Gotham, 2013) by John Sexton Private screening followed by Q&A with the Filmmaker John Scheinfeld Track Two: Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925): 100 Years "No child is the mere creature of the State." Topic Introduction: His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Dolan (Archbishop of New York) Moderator: John Huleatt (General Counsel, Bruderhof) Panelists: • Mark Rienzi (The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty) • William Haun (The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty) • Rabbi Meir Soloveichik (Congregation Shearith Israel) • Christen Price (Senior Legal Counsel, National Center on Sexual Exploitation) Track Three: Inspiring a Culture of Service Moderator: Rev. Jacques Andre DeGraff (Choose Healthy Life) Panelists: • Mohamed Amen (Muslim Senior Advisor to NYC Mayor) • Jennifer Walker-Thomas (Co-Director, Mormon Women for Ethical Government) • Pastor Gilford Monrose (NYC Mayor's Office of Faith-Based and Community Relationships) • Yogi Trivedi (Bhakti Studies, Columbia University) Recognition for Achievement in Inspiring a Culture of Service Track Four: FamilySearch - Discovering Personal Histories • Stephen Lean (Director, American Family Immigration History Center) • Sylvia Kollar (Director of Municipal Archives, New York City Department of Records and Information Services) • Kenneth Cobb (Assistant Commissioner, New York City Department of Records & Information Services) • Stephen Valentine (Senior Vice President, North American/Europe/Middle East/Africa, FamilySearch International) • Elder Allen Haynie (President, United States Northeast Area, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

 Working Group Meetings (3:30-4:30) 

                Working Group Session
                Group Leaders
            
                JustServe - Coordinated Community Service
                Lisa Magnusson (JustServe Director, United States, North East Region)
 Emma Prete (JustServe Director, New York), 
                    Jill Clegg (JustServe Director, New Jersey)Sharon Eubank (Global Director of Humanitarian Services, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

                Maternal & Child Well-Being
                Reverend Que English

                The Role of Faith in International Affairs
                Ryan Koch (Director, NY Office of Public and International Affairs, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Ivy Koek (Soka Gakkai International, Multi-faith Advisory Council to the UN Interagency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development)
Yfat Barak-Cheney (Jewish World Congress, Multi-faith Advisory Council to the UN Interagency Task Force on Religion and Sustainable Development)
Scott Stearman (Board of Trustees, Parliament of the World's Religions)
Felipe Queipo (NGO Liaison Unit, Department of Global Communications, United Nations)
Dr. Nkeiruku (Kiki) Didigu MD., MPH (Senior Strategic Partnerships Specialist, Faith, Religion and Culture Lead, Division for External Relations, United Nations Population Fund)

                Innovation Inspired by Faith in Education
                Brian Ashton (President, BYU Pathway Worldwide)
Justin Jones (Frontlines Institute)