Dr. Lisa-Marie Calderone-Steward

Dr. Lisa started out as a preschool teacher in Boston, Massachusetts in 1981. She moved to Montgomery, Alabama where she became a swim coach and volunteer Catholic youth minister as well as a kindergarten teacher. She entered full time parish youth ministry in Saginaw, Michigan and then became the diocesan director for youth ministry in Grand Island, Nebraska. She has been in Milwaukee, WI since 1997. She served as the director of early adoles- cent ministry and youth leadership for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for 8 years.  Now she is the director of youth leadership for the House of Peace, a community outreach center run by the Franciscan Capuchins. Lisa’s education includes an undergraduate degree in psychology from Holy Cross in Worcester, MA; and two masters degrees, an M.Ed from Lesley College in Cambridge, MA and an MPS from Loyola in Chicago. Her doctorate is from Cardinal Stritch University, where her research focused on the factors that impact a young person’s self-perception as a leader. Lisa received the Sister Joanne Marie Kliebhan Service Award, upon graduating from Stritch. She has published 20 books in topics of faith formation, prayer, spirituality, family ministry, and youth leadership. At the House of Peace, Lisa directs the seven programs of Tomorrow’s Present, all designed to integrate learning, reflection, leadership and service for middle and high school youth, as well as the adults who serve them. Her model of training is called, “Transformational ministry,” based on her research with young people in leadership roles.

Tomorrow's Present Youth Leadership

1702 West Walnut Street

P.O. Box 05656 Milwaukee, WI 53205

(414) 545-6006 or (414) 933-1300

info@tomorrowspresent.org

Lawton Avery Merritt -Lil Johnnie Productions 

Lawton Avery Merritt has always had talent and a love of art. At the age of 12, he won a scholarship to the prestigious Art Institute of Chicago. He was born and raised in Chicago and, because of a troubling relationship with his father, he rebelled and avoided being at home. As a result he found a love for the streets, contempt for authority and a fascination with crime and underworld figures. His lifestyle covered many years of criminal activity from petty con games, drug dealing, gang affiliation and pimping, which ultimately led to a Federal indictment and years in prison. He has been in Milwaukee since 1986. 

Lawton is the author of the book, Lil Johnnie Off The Block. He writes books, plays, skits, poems, short stories and PSA’s (Public Service Announceents). He was a youth counselor at New Horizon Center, a facility that houses court ordered and State Juvenile Boys 13-18, for six years. Prior to that, Lawton was the Recreation Director and Detention Coordinator at Alex’s Academic of Excellence, a private school. He worked with Milwaukee Public Schools, at their South Division High School after school program. He was also the Recreation Director at the Fresh Start Center, another facility that houses court ordered and State Juvenile Boys 13-18. 

Today, Lawton is a workshop facilitator and motivational speaker, doing presentations for schools, churches and organizations. He studied desk-top publishing and business at Milwaukee Area Technical College and Kirkwood Community College. He has attended workshops and seminars in the fields of health and social services, criminal thinking, and gang training. He is a participant of the Spirit of the Men Mentoring Group, and has been a member of Breaking The Cycle Of Sin Prison Ministry for four years. He has been a volunteer for the food pantry and ministry of St. Marks for 5 years.

Excerpt from "Lil Johnnie Off The Block"

Dr. Robert Pavlik 

Dr. Bob Pavlik’s career in education spans 42 years. He served as a high school English Teacher in Waukesha and Lake Geneva; Associate Professor of Education and Director of the Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum Program at the University of Northern Colorado; Professor and Chair of Reading/Language Arts and Director of Faculty Development at Cardinal Stritch University. For the last 11 years, Dr. Pavlik has been the Director of the School Development Center at the Institute for the Transformation of Learning/Marquette University. 

He earned his Bachelor’s degree in English/Theatre from UW-Whitewater and his Master’s and Doctorate in literacy/curriculum and instruction from the University of Northern Colorado. His dissertation won an Outstanding Dissertation Award from the International Reading Association (Colorado Council) in 1974. Since 1979, Dr. Pavlik has written, co-authored, and edited over 200 books for K-12 students. The Great Source Company published his Sourcebooks in 2000 for students in grades 6-12 that develop reading-writing strategies for studying literature selections from diverse cultures. 

While on sabbatical during the 1992-93 school year, Dr. Pavlik renewed his secondary school teaching experiences by experimenting with teaching and assessment strategies based on Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. He teaches courses and conducts workshops nationally on Literacy, Multiple Intelligences Theory, Change Theory, Futures Studies, and Sustainability.