Friday, November 16th 8:30 - 9:45 AM

Gary Marx is president of the Center for Public Outreach, an organization he founded in 1998, which provides counsel on future-oriented leadership, communication, education, community, and democracy. During his professional career, Marx has combined his knowledge and expertise in education and communication to become an international leader in both.  He has been called "an intellectual entrepreneur, who constantly pursues ideas," and "a deep generalist."

Marx is a frequent speaker, workshop leader, and advisor on futures issues for educations systems, businesses and international organizations, including the World Future Society which includes him in its directory of futures thinkers.  His presentations, books, articles, and counsel on trends and other issues stimulate thinking about how organizations and individuals can stay ahead of the curve as they move into the future.

Marx served for nearly 20 years as a senior executive for the American Association of School Administrators where his responsibilities ranged from serving as executive director of the association's Leadership for Learning Foundation to providing direction for all communication programs and leading numerous initiatives. Prior to joining AASA, Marx served as executive director of communications for the 82,000-student Jefferson County Public Schools in Colorado and the then 10,000-student Westside Community Schools in Omaha , Nebraska .

For many years, Marx has served as a primary contact and counsel for the news media.  He has made frequent appearances on radio and television news and talk programs and has been quoted on a broad span of issues that impact society.  His leadership has extended to media education and he has been both a founder and member of significant groups that have advised producers and networks on children's television and other educational programming.  Marx has been a member of the PBS Education Advisory Board, NBC's "The More You Know" Advisory Board and the Emmy Awards Selection Committee.

His latest books, published in 2006, include Sixteen Trends…Their Profound Impact on Our Futureand Future Focused Leadership… Preparing Schools, Students, and Communities for Tomorrow’s Realities .  As a futurist, Marx has also directed studies such as Preparing Students for the 21st Century (1996), Preparing Schools and School Systems for the 21st Century(1999), and Ten Trends…Educating Children for a Profoundly Different Future(2000).

A native of South Dakota , Gary is a graduate of De Smet High School and the University of South Dakota and a former “State 4-H Field Crops Winner.”