A morning of professional & personal development
Friday, November 3 • 9AM – 12PM (General Admission)
12:15PM – 1PM (Exclusive Session with Mike Singletary for Table Sponsors Only)
Speakers
Jeremy Deweerdt
Senior Pastor // City First Church
Jeremy DeWeerdt serves as the Senior Pastor of City First Church, a church focused on introducing everyone to Jesus and teaching them to follow Him. Jeremy, along with his wife, Jen, were placed in leadership of the church in April of 2007. Previously, they had been on staff at City First Church for 16 years in the role of Student Ministries Pastor and Founder/Director of the post-high school ministry, Rockford Master’s Commission (now City First Leadership College). Jeremy holds an M.A. in Ministerial Leadership from Southeastern University and a DM in Semiotics, Church, and Culture from Portland Seminary at George Fox University.Jeremy and Jen have been married since 1995 and have three amazing sons, Caden, Connor, and Paxton.
Mike Singletary
Football Coach and Former Player
Mike Singletary is perhaps most recognized as one of the Chicago Bears’ toughest middle linebackers with the ferocious eyes peering across the line into the opposing quarterback’s face. He was a member of the famed ‘85 Super Bowl team and made 10 trips to the Pro Bowl in his 12 years as a player. He also led the NFL as Defensive Player of the Year three times and was the Bears’ team captain for ten years.Since retiring from football in 1993, he spent ten years as a motivational speaker and corporate consultant helping companies elevate their strategies for teamwork and overall success. However in 2003, after swearing off many previous requests to coach, he answered the call and became the Linebackers coach of the Baltimore Ravens. He followed that up with a move to San Francisco, ultimately being named Head Coach for two years, and then spent three years with the Minnesota Vikings.
For the 2014 NFL season, he was named Defensive Consultant to the Executive Vice President of Football Operations, with the intention of learning the inner workings of the NFL at the corporate level in order to gain a better understanding of the product on the field. In 2016, he was back on the sidelines with the Los Angeles Rams until their staff was released at the end of the season.
Singletary was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998 after a stellar career with the Chicago Bears from 1981-92. He boasted 1,488 career tackles (885 solo), finishing as the Bears’ first or second-leading tackler each of his last 11 seasons. Singletary was named to the NFL Team of the ’80s after being selected to play in a team-record 10 consecutive Pro Bowls. The former Bears defensive captain was also named All-Pro ten times (1983-1992). He also started a defensive team record 172 games for the Bears, trailing only running back Walter Payton’s 184 career starts for the all-time team lead.
In 2001, as a player, Singletary won the NFL’s “Man of the Year Award” based on his reputation for integrity and leadership within his profession and contributions benefiting his community, country, and fellow man. He also co-founded Leadership Zone, a company that provides leadership training.
Singletary was drafted in the second round of the 1981 NFL Draft out of Baylor University. In addition to his coaching duties, Singletary has authored three books: Singletary One on One, Calling the Shots, and Daddy’s Home at Last. Singletary and his wife, Kim, have seven children and eleven grandchildren.
Since his coaching career came to an end, Mike has partnered with National Child ID, an organization that seeks to provide the parents of all school-age children with their kids’ identifying information, in an effort to help circumvent tragic outcomes. He is also active on the speaker circuit, sharing his proven strategies for leaders’ maximizing their organizational potential. Most currently, he is committed to raising the quality of life for the underserved and underprivileged communities of several large cities, with an emphasis on education, health care, and food insecurities through his non-profit organization called Changing Our Perspective.
Derek Staaland
Wealth Management Consultant
Derek is a wealth management consultant and has worked with Edward Jones branches since 2002. For the last five years, he’s held the title of the #1 wealth management consultant in the firm and holds the record for the highest production ever done in any territory across the U.S. Derek excels in teaching others how to strategically improve their business practices.Derek has been married to Kari for 24 years and they have three children. Together, they oversee the Marriage Ministry at City First Church and Derek co-leads the Legacy Team at City First Church.
Dusty Gardner
Managing Partner // Schooner Bay Realty/Builders
Dusty has been happily married to his wife, Desiree, since 2008. They are proud parents of their thirteen-year-old daughter, Iris, who is currently in the eighth grade. Dusty has held his real estate license with Schooner Bay Realty, Inc. since 2004 and in 2010 he became the brokerage's Director of Operations. Dusty is proud to help lead a company that is deeply rooted in the local community. Through decades of active civic participation and leadership, Schooner Bay Realty has become one of the most recognized and respected brokerages in the region. Adding greater depth to Schooner Bay’s services, Dusty and partners began Schooner Bay Builders in 2018 offering residential home construction and full remodeling services. To further enhance their client offerings, Dusty and partners launched Floreo Resorts & Villas in 2022 which caters to homeowners with short-term property management needs.Dusty encourages you to lean into the Business of U Event to help Ignite Your Potential!
Details
When
November 03, 2023
9AM – 12PM (General Admission)
12:15PM - 1PM (Exclusive Session with Mike Singletary for Table Sponsors Only)
Cost
General Admission Individual Ticket – $50
Sponsor a Table – See sponsor sheet below
Schedule
| 9:00am | Welcome |
| 9:15am | Session 1 Pastor Jeremy DeWeerdt |
| 10:00am | Networking Break |
| 10:15am | Session 2 Q&A Panel |
| 11:00am | Networking Break |
| 11:15am | Session 3 Mike Singletary |
| 11:45am | Close & General Admission Dismissal |
| 12:15pm | Exclusive Q&A(Table Sponsors Only) Mike Singletary |
Become A Sponsor
We are looking for businesses and corporations to invest in their employees and fellow marketplace friends for a morning of networking, business promotion, and personal/professional growth. Various sponsorship levels will reflect varying degrees of promotional opportunities. For questions about becoming a sponsor, email Abby Merz at Abby.Merz@cityfirst.church.