Pemberton ready to inspire CASA crowd

Dallas CASA will honor Goldman Sachs with the Jan and Judge Barefoot Sanders Champion of Children Award for its commitment to bettering the lives of Dallas children. The award will be presented at the Champion of Children Award Dinner on Thursday, Oct. 9 at The Fairmont Dallas. All funds raised at the event benefit the child victims of abuse and neglect served by the agency’s volunteers. The Champion of Children Award is given annually to recognize community leaders who significantly improve the lives of youth in our community. The guest speaker will be Steve Pemberton (pictured), bestselling author, managing director at Seramount and host of the Pemberton Podcast. A visionary leader and lifelong advocate for human dignity, Pemberton will share his inspiring belief in the power of ordinary people doing remarkable things.

Pemberton’s first book, “A Chance in the World,” laid bare a stark childhood spent in foster care. Thanks to small acts of kindness and people who cared, Pemberton left foster care, graduated from Boston College and became a husband, father, corporate executive and motivational speaker. His second book, “The Lighthouse Effect,” encourages readers to be “human lighthouses,” inspiring those around them toward connection, hope and renewed trust instead of disillusionment and defeat. Pemberton’s professional life, with pivotal roles at Monster.com, Walgreens and Workhuman among others, has focused on reshaping organizations and how they view their human capital. His journey has been marked by resilience, faith and an unwavering belief in what is possible, and he seeks to ensure that every person, no matter their beginnings, has a chance. To learn more, visit dallascasa.org. — Rosanne Lewis