Register Now!
Click here to register. $25 Registration fee.

Keynote Speaker: Rev. Dr. Cheryl Dudley

The Rev. Dr. Cheryl F. Dudley has served as the Regional Executive Minister of the American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York since May 1, 2015. She was ordained in the American Baptist Churches USA tradition in Phoenix, Arizona, where she was raised, but through the years she has served in several locations. She is glad to call New York City her home, having lived in the metropolitan area since 2006. Cheryl has earned degrees from Pomona College, Claremont, CA, with a BA in Sociology; Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ, with an MDiv; and a DMin in Executive Leadership from McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL.

Dr. Dudley has been in involved in pastoral, community, as well as global and philanthropic ministries for many years. She has served as the Senior Partner of her own consulting group; Global Religions Director at a local foundation; Senior Advisor to the President of Church World Service; Associate Executive Director of Church in Community Transformation, American Baptist Home Mission Societies; Acting Director of African American Studies at Bradley University, and Executive Director of Peoria Friendship House. She has also served on the pastoral teams of several churches in Illinois and Pennsylvania. Dr. Dudley has served on several national and international boards and committees. Cheryl holds her membership at Madison Avenue Baptist Church in Manhattan. She is a past President of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, and the current Board Chair InspirAction USA, a start-up, faith-based humanitarian response organization. Currently, Rev. Dudley represents the Region’s interests by providing spiritual and religious resourcing to Project SAFE which seeks justice and restoration for black women who are survivors of intimate partner violence and sexual assault. Dr. Dudley is also a part of the board of Flemister Housing Development Fund Corporation.

Dance Instructor:  Diane Capurso

Diane fell in love with Dance at the age of 7. She studied tap, jazz and ballet with the Margaret Pike School of Dance in Yonkers, New York, for more than 25 years. Her first dance employment was teaching Dance Exercise through the City of Yonkers Recreation for 33 years. Line Dancing became a craze and Diane learned many of them and began choreographing her own. In the past decade she has taught adults and seniors Dance Exercise and Line Dancing for the City of Yonkers, Bronxville & Tuckahoe and Dobbs Ferry, NY.  Her adoration of music and dance movement makes her classes fun and easy to follow. Diane lives in Valhalla, NY, with her husband, John (who learned to waltz for their wedding) and daughter, Lauren, who plays cello and takes jazz dance lessons. They have a new puppy, named Mocha and a gecko named Geo.