2026 NARME Plenary Speakers

  • Clarence H. Carter was appointed to serve as a member of Governor Bill Lee’s Cabinet as the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) in January 2021. Mr. Carter oversees the state's second-largest agency, with an operating budget of more than $3 billion and nearly 4,000 employees across 95 counties. TDHS provides more than 17 programs and services, including nutrition programs, employment assistance, vocational training, and protective services, aiming to strengthen Tennessee by strengthening Tennesseans.

    A chair of multiple state task forces and a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and a published author, Mr. Carter is recognized for his leadership and innovation in public administration. With over 30 years of experience, including roles under four Governors, two Presidents, and a Mayor, Mr. Carter has significantly contributed to public service, focusing on improving the safety net for socially and economically vulnerable citizens.

  • Shaunti Feldhahn received her graduate degree from Harvard University and was an analyst on Wall Street before unexpectedly becoming a social researcher, best-selling author, and popular speaker.

    Today, she applies her analytical skills to investigating eye-opening, life-changing truths about relationships, both at home and in the workplace. Her groundbreaking research-based books, such as For Women Only and For Men Only, have sold more than 3 million copies in 25 languages; her books and studies are popular in homes, counseling centers, and corporations worldwide.

    Shaunti (often with her husband, Jeff) speaks at events each year around the world, sharing her findings with a wide range of audiences such as churches, corporate conventions, women’s conferences, universities, arena events, marriage seminars, youth camps and cruises (yes, those are particularly painful…). Her research and commentary are regularly featured in media as diverse as The Today Show, Focus on the Family, The New York Times and Family Life. Shaunti, Jeff, and their two adult children live in Atlanta and enjoy every minute of living life at warp speed.

  • Chan M. Hellman, PhD is a Professor in the Anne & Henry Zarrow School of Social Work at the University of Oklahoma and serves as Director of the Hope Research Center. His work focuses on the science of hope as a measurable, teachable psychological strength that helps individuals, organizations, and communities overcome trauma and adversity.

    Dr. Hellman has published more than 80 peer-reviewed studies and has spent over two decades translating hope theory into practice across human services, education, public systems, and nonprofit organizations. His research informs the development of the Hope-Centered & Trauma-Informed ® model and training programs now used nationwide to strengthen workforce well-being, organizational effectiveness, and system-level change. In recognition of this work, the University of Oklahoma Hope Research Center received the 2024 “Building Knowledge Through Research” Award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime.

    He is the co-author of the award-winning book Hope Rising: How the Science of Hope Can Change Your Life and co-founder of Hope Rising Oklahoma, a statewide initiative launched with First Lady Sarah Stitt to help build a hope-centered culture across communities and

    institutions. Dr. Hellman was one of five invited workshop leaders for Jane Goodall’s Activating Hope Summit and has delivered invited presentations at national venues, including a main-stage session at the American Psychological Association convention.

    His work has been featured by major national media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, TIME, CNN, and the APA Monitor. In 2025, Dr. Hellman was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to research, teaching, and public impact.

  • Bill Doherty is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Family Social Science at the University of Minnesota. As a therapist, he focuses on couples on the brink of divorce and on political stress in relationships. He has authored 15 books for professionals and the public. Following the 2016 U.S. Presidential election, he co-founded Braver Angels, a citizen initiative bringing conservatives and liberals together to counteract political polarization and restore the fraying social fabric in American society. Bill is the chief designer of the Braver Angels workshops and has conducted sessions all over the country, including for corporations, state legislatures, and the Problem Solvers Caucus in Congress. Braver Angels now has volunteers working in all 50 states. Among his awards is the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Family Therapy Academy.

  • Dr. Gary Chapman is an experienced and well-respected family counselor, and a well-known author, having written more than 50 books. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio program, A Love Language Minute, and a Saturday morning program, Building Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman, that air on more than 400 stations. 

    The 5 Love Languages, one of Chapman’s most popular titles, topped various bestseller charts for years. It has been published in more than 50 languages, sold more than 20 million copies and is currently on the New York Times best-seller list. And recently celebrated the 30 year anniversary of the 5 Love Language book. Dr. Chapman has been directly involved in real-life family counseling for more than 40 years. Dr. Chapman recently retired after 50 years of serving as senior associate pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. 

    Dr. Chapman is a graduate of Moody Bible Institute and holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in anthropology from Wheaton College and Wake Forest University, respectively. He has received M.R.E. and Ph.D. degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and has taken postgraduate work at the University of North Carolina and Duke University.

    Dr. Chapman and his wife, Karolyn, have been married for more than 60 years and reside in Winston-Salem, N.C. The Chapmans have two grown children, Shelley and Derek.

  • Gary Dixon is president of The Foundation for a Better Life which promotes positive values through the Pass It On public service campaign seen around the world. Each message reminds viewers that our values are worth more when we pass them on.

    These uplifting public service TV spots are seen millions of times each year on all the major networks and on billboards and airport signs from New York to the to the Los Angeles freeways. Their outdoor effort was recognized as “…the most successful Public Service Campaign in the history of outdoor advertising.”

    Formerly, Gary served as vice president of Bonneville Communications where he directed the creative development of many successful campaigns, including Major League Baseball, Homefront, Children’s Miracle Network and the American Cancer Society.

    He has also been a speaker at regional and national advertising conferences for the American Advertising Federation and a keynote speaker for various events. Other assignments took him to Jakarta, Indonesia where he served as a communications consultant on a government project and, early in his career, to Japan where he directed a documentary on the first Trans-Pacific flight.

    Gary has a master’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University and a bachelor’s in broadcasting from Texas Tech University where he serves on the National Alumni Board. He and his wife Susan have seven outspoken, independent, talented, wonderful children.

  • Scott Heare currently serves as the San Antonio Initiative’s Chief Visionary Officer for the Global Human Flourishing Study, a joint research initiative led by Harvard University and Gallup. As his work expands beyond the church into corporate, academic, and governmental settings, Scott offers a rare combination of spiritual insight and evidence-based practice. His focus lies in promoting practices—like forgiveness, reflection, and relational repair—that contribute to public well-being.

  • Melissa S. Kearney is the Gilbert F. Schaefer Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame and the director of the Strengthening Families Research Initiative at the University of Notre Dame. She is also director of the Aspen Economic Strategy Group; a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research; and a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Kearney is the author of The Two-Parent Privilege (University of Chicago Press, 2023.) She holds a B.A. in Economics from Princeton University and a Ph.D. in Economics from MIT.

  • Dr. Andrea Gurney is a licensed clinical psychologist, professor and author.  She is a champion for relationships.‍ ‍

    She has been the faculty of Westmont College since 2005 and also maintains a clinical practice in downtown Santa Barbara where she specializes in couples and family therapy. In addition to working with individuals, couples, and families, her speaking and writing focuses on relational health and wellness. Her first book, Reimagining Your Love Story: Biblical and Psychological Practices for Healthy Relationships was the basis for her online course, Marriage ootcamp. Additionally, Dr. Gurney is an active member of Santa Barbara Psychological Association and Santa Barbara Response Network. She is trained in Psychological First Aid (PFA) and has led trauma processing groups in response to local tragedies over the past twenty years.

    ‍Dr. Gurney earned a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at Northeastern University in Boston, MA, an M.S. in Psychological Services at the University of Pennsylvania, and a B.A. in Psychology at Wheaton College. She completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Couples and Family Counseling and a Pre-Doctoral Internship in Individual Therapy at Harvard Medical School. She spent eight years working at Harvard affiliated Boston Children’s Hospital, where she trained under experts in the field of developmental and clinical psychology. 

    ‍Andrea lives in Santa Barbara with her husband and their two daughters, and in her spare time loves to travel, play outdoors, and spend time with family and friends.

  • Scott Stanley, Ph.D.  is a research professor in the department of psychology at the University of Denver. He authors the popular blog "Sliding vs Deciding®," highlighting research insights about commitment, and relationship development. He has appeared in a wide range of major broadcast and print media, where he is sought as a relationship expert on, marriage, and cohabitation. Dr. Stanley has appeared in USA Today, Psychology Today, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Daily Mail, and many others, and on shows such as 20/20, The Today Show, CNN, and Fox News. And has authored/co-authored many books, including Fighting for Your Marriage, The Power of Commitment , and A Lasting Promise.

  • Alex J. Adams, PharmD, MPH, serves as Assistant Secretary for Family Support, leading the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He was nominated to lead the agency by President Donald J. Trump and was confirmed on October 7, 2025, by a vote of the U.S. Senate. 

    Assistant Secretary Adams brings years of health, human services, education, and regulatory expertise to advance President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s broader vision to Make American Healthy Again. Prior to leading ACF, Dr. Adams spent more than ten years in Idaho State Government, most notably as Governor Brad Little’s budget and regulatory director and state Department of Health & Welfare director. In these capacities, he oversaw the state’s first upgrade to a AAA credit rating with both Fitch Ratings and Moody’s. Dr. Adams led the Governor’s zero-based regulation initiative, which resulted in Idaho becoming the least regulated state in the nation. He also made significant efforts to improve Idaho’s child welfare system, enacting kin-specific licensing standards, announcing paid family leave for foster parents, extending foster care to age 23, and overseeing record recruitment and retention of foster homes.

    Dr. Adams earned his bachelor’s degree and Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Toledo in Ohio and his Master of Public Health degree from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore. Dr. Adams and his wife, Jennifer, are raising their daughter, Emerson.