Growing & Living Conference 

October 9 - 10, 2020

Bishop Wack
Keynote Speaker

Bishop William A. Wack, CSC has served as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee since August 22, 2017. He's served the Church as a priest for over 26 years. We are honored to have Bishop Wack as our keynote speaker.

Now more than ever, we all need to grow in our faith as disciples of the Lord, and answer his call to be apostles to the world. ” Bishop Wack

Fr. Michael Nixon
Breakout Speaker

Father Michael Nixon has served as a priest for over 10 years and has served as the pastor of St. Dominic Catholic Church in Panama City, FL, since 2015. He is the fourth of six children and the proud uncle of 21 nieces and nephews. Father Michael has a passion for evangelization, discipleship and parish renewal. In October 2018, his parish and city were decimated by Hurricane Michael, which has given him a chance to focus even more intensively on the mission that Jesus Christ has given to his Church, even as the community continues the slow process of rebuilding.

Ingrid Delgado
Breakout Speaker

Ingrid Delgado represents the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops on issues of human life, dignity and social justice before the legislative and executive branches of government and private organizations. As the daughter of immigrants who lost everything when they refused to denounce their Catholic faith in communist Cuba, Ingrid is honored to work daily in the intersection of representing our faith in the democratic process. She lives in Tallahassee with her husband of 20 years and their three children.

Jake and Melissa Cornman
Breakout Speakers

Jake and Melissa Cornman have been married eight years and have been blessed with four beautiful boys. Jake works as a mechanical engineer at the Navy Base in Panama City, and Melissa is the CEO of the household and home life. She is a cradle Catholic; however, Jake was initiated in the Catholic Church shortly after the birth of their first son. They strongly desire their children to encounter Christ in their home and, therefore, strive to make their home a domestic church.  They have found their efforts to have particularly paid off during these challenging times when access to Mass and the sacraments have been limited. They are by no means experts but enjoy sharing their journey to help other couples and families deepen their faith within the context of their own homes.

Jim and Alison Blanchet
Breakout Speakers

Jim and Alison Blanchet are from Panama City, Florida. They have been married for six years. Jim is a juvenile probation officer, and Alison is a youth minister at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church. To respond to a call they felt to welcome Christ more fully into their lives, they became foster parents four years ago. They have welcomed five children into their home and have adopted two. Their experiences from Hurricane Michael profoundly affected their understanding of relying on God and clarifying what mattered to their family!

Brother Parker Jordan
Breakout Speaker

Brother Parker Jordan was born in Tallahassee, FL, and is the oldest of six siblings. He converted to Catholicism in middle school. Brother Parker holds a degree in biochemistry from Florida State University (FSU). The friendships and his involvement in the Catholic Student Union (CSU), at FSU, were where he drew closer to the Lord. He says that the greatest treasure in his life was discovered while attending CSU — “The all-sufficient love of Jesus.” His deep love for the Eucharist continues to grow as he shares this with college students in the ministry where he serves.

Anthony "Andy" Cornett
Breakout Speaker

Andy Cornett, a United States Army vet of 23 years, served both in Infantry and Aviation (helicopter pilot). He lives in Panama City, Florida, with his wife, Traci. They have five children and refer to their family as the Brady Bunch. Andy is passionate about intersecting race relations into faith relations, saying that "both are simply two things: good and evil."

Olga Villar
Breakout Speaker

Dr. Olga Villar was born in Barranquilla, Colombia. She is the director of formation at the Southeast Regional Office for Hispanic Ministry (SEPI). She has dedicated much of her life to discovering what it means to live a life from a missionary perspective. Olga believes evangelization strengthens her life and gives meaning to who she is and what she does.

Dra. Olga Villar nació en Barranquilla, Colombia.  Es la Directora de Formación de la Oficina Regional del Sureste para el Ministerio Hispano,  SEPI (por sus siglas en inglés).  Ha dedicado gran parte de su vida a descubrir lo que significa vivir una vida desde la perspectiva misionera. Olga cree fervientemente que la evangelización fortalece su vida y le da sentido a lo que es y lo que hace.