May 15, 2025
5:00 – 7:00 p.m. ET
Michigan Ross, Ross Building, 701 Tappan, Ann Arbor
Free and open to all, registration required
About the event
Join us for a unique evening weaving together academic inquiry, business leadership, art, and changemaking as we focus on asking brave questions about the transformative power of human dignity and purposeful work. As part of the Positive Organizational Scholarship Research Conference, this special evening session is free to attend and open to all.
Researchers Reut Livne-Tarandach and Hooria Jazieri will set the stage by sharing insights from their research exploring how organizations build social architectures that enable or constrain the recognition of inherent human worth. Building on this view of dignity, we welcome Peter Quigley, President and CEO of Kelly, who will share his personal story and how it has shaped his passion for work that imbues people with dignity and worth. Under his leadership, Kelly pursues the purpose of connecting people with work that enriches their lives, especially through initiatives they refer to as Noble Work. Illuminating the idea of human dignity and noble work from a different perspective and organizational lens, we welcome Vince Womack, artist, director, and conductor at the James A. Foshey Learning Center, a K-12 public school in South Los Angeles. In an onstage conversation, Vince will share the passion that led him to the work he does with young people, how he builds community that inspires purpose for his students, and his motivation to create a film that tells the story of dignified work. Watching The Last Repair Shop together with Vince, we will see dignity and noble work come alive through the eyes of people who maintain the musical instruments for the students. All together, this evening of scholarship, leadership, and artistry will unlock our hearts, minds, and imaginations, inviting us all to elevate our contributions to creating a world of dignity and purpose.
Our Speakers
Peter Quigley, President and CEO, Kelly
Peter Quigley is a business leader with a lifelong dedication to the dignity of work. Under Peter’s leadership, Kelly operates with a guiding principle of connecting people to work in ways that enrich their lives. This principle builds on Peter’s personal story of witnessing his mother’s life experience and her constant efforts to overcome barriers and create a better future for her family through dignified employment, which he will share as part of his story. Peter has expressed that “the dignity of work, rooted in human dignity, is sacred.” He calls us to play our part in creating both economic opportunity and meaningful work that is accessible, not just allowing some to make a living, but contributing to a world of work that offers dignity and joy for all.
Vincent Womack, Music Director, Educator, and Conductor
Vincent Womack is a distinguished figure in the music industry, celebrated for his work in bringing high-quality, creative music education to urban schools. Vince will tell the powerful story of the culture and community he has built into the music program at James A. Foshey Learning Center, a K-12 public school in South Los Angeles. He’ll share how he’s instilled a sense of purpose in his own work and shared it with his students and those who support the student musicians. Following Vincent’s talk, we will host a screening of “The Last Repair Shop,” the 2024 Oscar-winning documentary short film that tells the story of Vince’s work with these students through the eyes of a handful of craftspeople. Dignity and the nobility of their work comes alive through the stories and experiences of the people who maintain the musical instruments and their sometimes invisible yet intimate relationships with the students whose lives have been enriched by the repair shop.
Questions? Email cpo-events@umich.edu.