This year at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting’s Annual Sessions, There will be two keynote messages connected to our theme, Members One of Another: Clinton Pettus will offer a virtual keynote on Wednesday, July 22, and Dr. Christy Randazzo will offer a hybrid keynote on Friday.
Clinton brings more than thirty years of service as a faculty member and college administrator, with past roles as department chairperson, academic dean, vice president, and president, followed by service with the American Friends Service Committee as regional director and Deputy General Secretary for United States and International Programs. In retirement, Clinton continues work that asks how we speak with care across difference, especially on hard topics such as politics and religion.
Christy (they/them), is a theologian, writer, and member of Haddonfield Friends Meeting whose work invites Friends, trans and queer people, peacemakers, and seekers into stories of creation care, reconciliation, and God’s universal and inclusive love.
Clinton Pettus
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 | Virtual
Clinton Pettus dedicated more than thirty years of his professional career to serving as a faculty member and college administrator. Throughout his tenure in higher education administration, he held positions including department chairperson, academic dean, vice president for administration, vice president for academic affairs, and president. His academic qualifications include a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Virginia State University, as well as a Doctor of Philosophy in Personality Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He also completed a management development program at Harvard University. Clinton is guided by a strong belief in the power of education and is committed to encouraging understanding, equity, and growth within academic and other communities.
Following his retirement from higher education, Clinton pursued a second career as a regional director and subsequently as Deputy General Secretary for United States and International Programs at the American Friends Service Committee. Throughout his professional life, he maintained a strong interest in conflict management and resolution, earning certification as a workplace conflict management trainer. This interest was informed by his academic leadership experiences, during which he observed both the issues and the potential for constructive dialogue during periods of misunderstanding. He recognized the positive outcomes that can emerge when individuals are empowered to speak and listen empathetically. Upon retirement, Clinton further demonstrated his commitment to conflict management by receiving training and volunteering as a community mediator with the Baltimore County Conflict Resolution Center.
Clinton’s community service includes membership on the Acts Retirement-Life Community Board of Directors of Maryland, the Shore Legal Access Board of Directors in Easton, Maryland -where he served as vice president and chair of the Governance Committee – and the Talbot County Equity Coalition. He currently serves as treasurer of the Miles White Beneficial Society Board, co-chair of the Bayleigh Chase Culture and Belonging Committee, and as a member of the Talbot Association of Clergy and Laity. Additionally, he is on the Resident Tech Team at Bayleigh Chase Retirement Community and the tech team at Third Haven Friends Meeting. Although Clinton is engaged in multiple community activities, his primary focus is serving as chief executive officer and chief operations officer of Friends for the Future, Inc., a nonprofit organization he co-founded. This organization is dedicated to helping individuals relate across perceived differences regarding social and gender identities, religious and political perspectives, and physical attributes. Clinton and his wife, Kathryn, reside in Easton, Maryland, on the Eastern Shore. Recently, he led a class on “Relating Across Perceived Differences” for the Chesapeake Forum, a lifelong learning community in Easton.
Christy Randazzo
Friday, July 24, 2026 | Hybrid
Christy Randazzo (PhD – Quaker Theology, Univ. of Birmingham) is a writer, teacher, academic, minister, spouse, parent, a convinced Friend, and many other paradoxical and fantastic things besides. They teach religious studies courses at Montclair State University (NJ), serve as co-chair for the Quaker Theological Discussion Group, and edit the Politics of Scripture project for the journal Political Theology. They have written in a variety of both academic and popular settings, including the Quaker biblical studies series Illuminate, and two books for the Brill Quaker Studies series. Their most recent publication – Divine Ecosystem: A Quaker Theology – grafts together Quaker theology and the Christian ecotheological tradition. They are currently working on book projects addressing the intersections of Quaker ministry and power, exploring the complexities of grief, and developing a genderfluid theology built on the metaphor of water. When they’re not writing or walking, they live with their family in a beautiful Victorian home in New Jersey.
