Death of Habitat for Humanity Co-Founder Forces Line-Up Change for Event

By Kevin P. Donovan, Christian Post Reporter Friday, February 13, 2009

Kennan Burch, founder of Brand Catalyst Partners and The Dream Builders Network, is scheduled to speak at the 2009 Heart of a Leader Conference in Orlando, Fla., following the death of one of the event's main speakers.

Burch is scheduled to fill in for Millard Fuller, the millionaire entrepreneur who co-founded the Christian house-building charity Habitat for Humanity, following Fuller's unexpected death last Tuesday. Also speaking will be Truett Cathy, founder and president of Chick-fil-A.

"We're anticipating a full house of 1,300 corporate and community leaders," reported Steve French, president of the Orlando-based Lifework Leadership, which is organizing the event.

During the day-long event in Orlando, Burch and Cathy will share their stories of transformation and what they've learned in their life journeys in hopes of teaching corporate leaders how they can move from "success to significance" by leveraging their influence to help others.

Attending the event will be Christian businesspeople and non-profit leaders from Florida and across the Southeast who want to make a difference in their communities.

"Attendees can expect to walk away with new hope, ideas, relationships and tools they need to persevere in this economy," said French.

Lifework Leadership, which mobilizes business leaders through Christian faith-based leadership training, will be hosting the event at the Hard Rock Live venue at Universal Studios CityWalk on Wednesday, March 4, from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. The conference, which is open to the public, will feature live music and light refreshments and help community leaders learn how to maximize their relationships with attending corporate partners.

From now until Feb. 15, discounted "early bird" tickets for the conference are being sold at heartofaleader.org, and sponsors are still being recruited. Past sponsors of the conference have included Walt Disney World, the Evangelical Christian Credit Union, and Florida Hospital.