Theme: Growth

The theme of this year’s conference is growth, and through this theme, we hope to capture the concepts of progress, expansion, improvement and development.

Across all fields of study, from ministry to management, psychology to science, a common theme in most areas of life is growth and progress.

It is through personal growth that individual’ betters themselves. It is through corporate growth that businesses become more profitable. It is through the expansion of the mind and the spirit that we witness humanity flourish.

We hope that by being a part of TEDxPointUniversity, you will experience growth, benefiting you and the organizations you serve!

New Horizon Community Theater
411 W 8th St
West Point, Georgia, 31833
United States

Cam Lanier

Chairman and CEO, ITC Holding Company, LLC

Cam teamed with Kinetic Ventures in 2008. His activities focus on communications, software and financial services. He is a director of LeaseTerm Solutions, HotSchedules, SchooX, ITC Capital Partners and OPTii. He was formerly a director of Tower Cloud, Cardlytics and LogicBlox-Predictix. He is also the Chairman of ITC Holding Company, LLC. Earlier in his career, he co-founded Interstate Communications (Telecom*USA), which grew to be the fourth largest long distance service provider when it was acquired by MCI in 1990. Cam was the founding investor and chairman of Powertel (now T-Mobile), which was acquired by Deutsche Telecom in 2000. He was also the founding investor for Mindspring, which later merged with Earthlink, and the founding investor in Firethorn, a mobile payments company that was acquired in the fall of 2007 by Qualcomm. In addition, Cam was the founding investor of ITC^DeltaCom, Knology and InterCall.

Dean Collins

President of Point University

Dean Collins graduated from Point University in 1979. After graduating, he attended Auburn University, where he earned a master's degree. He also founded Auburn Christian Fellowship, a nondenominational campus ministry that continues to thrive today. Throughout his life, Collins has worked in many different sectors, including counseling, human resources, and consulting. He continues his work today with DC Consulting, which he founded in 1999. DC Consulting services multiple Fortune 500 companies in providing guidance in areas such as executive leadership, organizational effectiveness, and optimization of business relationships. He was appointed president in 2009 by the University's board of trustees. Collins has also served the university in other roles prior to being appointed president, including adjunct faculty and interim vice president of student development. Dean Collins now resides in Lanett, Alabama, with his wife, Penny. He has four children and four grandchildren.

Harriet Anderson Langford

President of The Ray, and Trustee of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation

A graduate of the University of West Georgia, Harriet Langford has spent the past 30+ years serving in numerous nonprofit leadership roles in her local community. In addition to her roles in the nonprofit world, Harriet owned a specialty printing business in her hometown of LaGrange, Georgia. Harriet’s entrepreneurial leadership skills, her servant spirit and her passion for team sports have served her well as a Trustee of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, a role she assumed in 2011. In 2015 she was appointed to the board of the Biophilic Institute. She is a past board member of the Georgia Conservancy and Sustainable Atlanta, and she is a past member of the Troup County Strategic Planning Committee.

Jack Dufour

Student, Point University

Jack Dufour is starting his senior year at Point University as a business management major. Upon his graduation in May 2019, Jack plans to become the director of process improvement of his family owned business. Jack’s interest of process improvement evolved when he earned his Lean Six Sigma Green Belt this past May.

Simone Cox

Professor of Counseling and Human Services, Point University

Simone Cox is a licensed marriage and family therapist, a licensed professional counselor and a board certified telemental health provider. She has a masters in business administration and a masters in marriage and family therapy. She is employed as an associate professor of counseling at Point University and own Release Counseling and Consulting, a practice in Atlanta, Georgia, where she treats clients and supervises interns and new therapists. Simone also facilitates workshops and presentations on various counseling topics. She is passionate about serving others and working with her clients as they discover increased self-awareness, personal growth and acceptance. Simone views counseling as an investment that can yield long-term rewards to influence healing, intimacy and wholeness.

Tavaris Taylor

Alumni Relations Director, Point University

Tavaris Taylor returns the Point University family this year as the University’s Director of Alumni and Church relations. Taylor, upon graduating in 2013 from Point, has worked in local government, churches and now academics. His life took a turn when he decided to move to Puebla, Mexico in 2015 to work for the Business as Missions organization and CMF International Globalscope. During his time there he completed as Masters in International Management and Marketing from the Universidad de las Americas Puebla, one of the most prestigious universities in Latin America. His received a full music scholarship to sing with the university choir and opera traveling throughout Mexico and parts of Latin America. In business he has consulted for companies entering into the Mexican and US markets. Tavaris is committed to faith and family, he is engaged to Michelle Garcia Nino, a professional dancer in the field of contemporary dance.