This week on the Everybody Leads podcast, Tim Lupinacci welcomes Monique Trusclair Maddox, President and CEO of the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation, and Father Timothy Kesicki, Chair of the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Trust, which funds the work of the foundation. The Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit partnership that works to mitigate the dehumanizing impact of racism while dismantling the continuing legacy of slavery in America through truth, racial healing, and transformation. The foundation provides scholarships, housing support for the elderly, and supports important racial healing programs.

Monique Trusclair Maddox holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University. With more than 30 years of corporate experience, including a career in IT leadership and leading her own consultancy firm, Macrame Technologies, Monique has helped companies of all sizes make pivotal decisions that have facilitated their growth and success. Following a life-altering discovery about her family, Monique cast a vision to grow the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation to positively impact current and future generations of descendants.

Father Timothy Kesicki entered the Society of Jesus in 1984 and was ordained a priest in 1994. He worked as a priest at the Jesuit Refugee Service in Uganda, as part of an educational relief effort. Before becoming chair of the Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Trust, Father Kesicki served as President of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States, the Provincial of the Chicago-Detroit Province of the Society of Jesus, and President of Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio.

Monique and Father Kesicki discuss their leadership journeys and breakthroughs, leading with humility, engaging in restorative justice, and the power of reflection and dialogue. They emphasize that healing must be descendant-led and rooted in listening and honoring past commitments.

Other Topics Discussed

• Monique’s Leadership Journey
• Father Kesicki’s Leadership Journey
• Acknowledging the Jesuits’ Ties to Slavery
• Incorporation of The Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation
• The Positive Movement Facilitated by the Foundation
• Steps to Take for Reflection and Healing
• Confronting the Past and the Joy of Doing the Work
• Individuals Without a Big Title Who Have Had an Impact on the Foundation
• Ways to Connect and Get Involved with the Foundation

Additional Resources:

Charity:

• We have made a donation to Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation as a thank you to Monique Trusclair Maddox and Father Timothy Kesicki for joining Everybody Leads. To learn more, please visit https://www.descendants.org/

Descendants Truth & Reconciliation Foundation

• Website: https://www.descendants.org/

Contact Monique Trusclair Maddox

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moniquemaddox/
• Email: monique@descendants.org

Contact Father Timothy Kesicki

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-kesicki-9574a4a9/

Thank you for listening, and please join us again to hear from more exceptional leaders.

Click for more:

• https://everybodyleads.org
• https://www.bakerdonelson.com

Producer: Jason Plank
Intern: Claudia Bonney Amamoo