Communicator's Conference

Chris Brogan

Rise of the Trust Agents

The Attention Wars are raging. It’s not just 500 channels. It’s 500 distractions. Your message is invisible in the fray, and you’ve fallen behind in the online aspects of business communication. Join Chris Brogan, president of New Marketing Labs, LLC, for an energetic and informative conversation about the business implications of a new breed of business communicator: the Trust Agent. Learn how to “be human at a distance.” Discover how your business can take advantage of the relationship-centric tools of the new Web. Understand how to make your first moves in this space. You’ve heard the hype: start learning the first moves that will help your business succeed. (based on Chris’s book with Julien Smith, Trust Agents.)

Chris Brogan is an eleven year veteran of using social media and both web and mobile technologies to build digital relationships for businesses, organizations, and individuals. Chris speaks, blogs, writes articles, and makes media of all kinds at chrisbrogan.com, a blog in the top 5 of the Advertising Age Power150, and in the top 100 on Technorati. He is co-author of the New York Times bestselling book Trust Agents, and the recently released Social Media 101.

Chris is also the cofounder of the PodCamp new media conference series, exploring the use of new media community tools to extend and build value. He recently became president of New Marketing Labs, a social media agency. He runs the Inbound Marketing Summit events with CrossTech Media. Chris frequently speaks at and attends marketing and social media events, sharing his passion for all things social media.

Jim Signorelli

StorySelling: Telling and Selling Your Brand Story

Good stories engage, motivate, inspire and are remembered. Isn’t that what strong brands should do?

In this session, with the same title of his soon-to-be-published book, Jim Signorelli, CEO of ESW Partners, a full-service marketing communications agency based in Chicago, will share a unique approach to brand planning. StorySelling has its roots in the way enduring stories have been told since the beginning of language. In addition to understanding the theoretical underpinngs of this brand planning approach, you’ll learn how to analyze your brand using story structure. And you’ll see how the principles of storytelling can enhance your brand among all constituents, including customers, shareholders and employees.

Want to get a jump-start on this session? Check out storysellingbook.com for a sneak peek to Signorelli’s upcoming book of the same name.

Before Jim switched to client management, he had won a number of awards as an advertising copywriter. Eventually, he found strategic planning to be more fun instead of being chained to a keyboard. So he bought a suit and began a career that led him from Chicago, to New York, to Los Angeles , Baltimore and then back to Chicago where he founded ESW Partners that today has capitalized billings close to $60MM. He has worked with major national brands such as Citibank, General Electric, Toshiba, Burger King, Arby’s, KFC, International Harvester, Blue Cross/Blue Shield and others. And he has worked at major advertising agencies including, N.W. Ayer, W.B. Doner, Marsteller, Lois USA and Frankel & Co. He started ESW Partners in 1999 with two other people. Today, ESW Partners is made up of 45 employees and has been cited by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing independent companies in the U.S.

Peter Shankman

It’s not web 2.0. It’s not web 3.0. It’s simply life.

We have more technology than ever before. We can reach more people than ever before, in shorter and shorter amounts of time. But that doesn’t mean we should be! You can have all the tools in the world - it doesn’t mean you know what to do with them!

Peter will discuss social networking, viral marketing, and all the “fun ways” to use them - Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and perhaps most importantly, why sometimes, not using any of them is your best bet.

From the beauty of Will It Blend, to the utter simplicity of the amazingly successful HARO, Peter will touch on all facets of social media, marketing, and “non-traditional ways of thinking.”

Keynote speaker Peter Shankman has distinguished himself worldwide for radical new ways of thinking about Social Media, PR, marketing, advertising, creativity, and customer service. Best known for creating Help A Reporter Out, (HARO), founder and CEO of The Geek Factory Inc., and author of Can We Do That?! Outrageous PR Stunts That Work and Why Your Company Needs Them (Wiley and Sons 2006), Peter attributes his success as what happens when you harness the power of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and make it work to your advantage.

Peter started his career in Vienna, VA, with America Online as a Senior News Editor, helping found the AOL Newsroom and spearheading coverage of the Democratic and Republican 1996 conventions, which marked the first time an online news service covered any major political event. Since then his social media clients have included the Snapple Beverage Group, NASA, The US Department of Defense, Walt Disney World, American Express, Discovery Networks, New Frontier Media, and Napster.

A native and current resident of New York City, Peter lives with his two psychotic cats, Karma and NASA, who consistently deny his repeated requests to relinquish the couch. In the few hours of spare time Peter has per month, he’s a frequent runner with 13 completed marathons and three Olympic distance triathlons to his credit, and a “B” licensed skydiver, specializing in free-flying.

More about Peter at shankman.com.

Session speakers and topics by track

Track 1 - Your Story

International Public Relations: Communicating Across Cultures

Mike McDermott
International Public Relations Counsel

We live in an interconnected, interdependent, “24/7” world where financial transactions, currencies, commodities and information flow at the speed of light across national boundaries and cultural divides. International Public Relations is not only as a necessity in the 21st Century but also as “a world of opportunity” for U.S. public relations practitioners. Analyze Your Publics: A “Quick and dirty” (yet effective) way to start is to divide the many potential publics your organization has into “Internal” and “External” groupings. Internal publics can include the following: employees, retirees, interns, investors, unionized/nonunion employees, directors and other subgroups. Likewise, external groups can include the news media, government, the financial community, local communities and community groups, business/industry associations, activists, and Non-Governmental Organizations.

About the speaker:

P. Michael Mc Dermott is a Public Relations Consultant based in Greenwich, Connecticut. A native Californian, he graduated with honors from the University of Southern California with bachelor and master of arts degrees in international relations in 1967 and 1968, attended the Universidade de Lisboa in Lisbon, Portugal in 1967 and earned a master of business administration degree in general management from Fordham University–Lincoln Center in 1974. His previous positions included service as a public affairs officer in the U.S. Navy, Manager of Community Relations for the New York Stock Exchange, Senior Media Relations Specialist at Texaco Inc. He has been an Accredited Member of the Public Relations Society of America since 1975 and has received numerous awards for corporate annual reports, and has been honored by the Public Relations Society of America nationally as well as by its New York and Houston Chapters.

Creative Communications: Playing at the Edges

Betsy Henning, Principal,
Alling Henning Associates, Inc. - AHA!

People value creativity, but what exactly is it?  And more important, how does it help us connect with audiences? Effective communications are more than just creative; they are remarkable in the way they stand out from the background noise. Whether B2C or B2B, getting the job done involves smart and practical application of messaging basics. But that extra ingredient, that secret to engaging your audience, is in embracing constraints—and recognizing that everything important, everything we pay attention to, happens at the edges of the expected.  You’ll learn six steps to developing creative communications that really work, and understanding the value of embracing boundaries.

The speaker:

Betsy Henning is principal and co-founder of marketing communications firm AHA! in Vancouver, Wash. She is an expert communications strategist with a focus in business development and consumer marketing. Betsy consults with clients from high-tech giants to startups on strategic communication, integrated messaging, and brand voice, tone and manner. For more than a dozen years, Betsy has worked as a consultant to numerous Hewlett-Packard corporate marketing programs as well as to Charles Schwab Institutional, Columbia Land Trust and Pop!Tech, an annual conference of visionaries, corporate leaders, entrepreneurs and educators who consider how science, technology and innovative ideas can generate positive change in the world. Betsy holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and has completed integrated marketing communications coursework through Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

Telling your Story through Social Media: Panel Discussion

Join us for a whirlwind hour of tips and tricks that will help you build friends and followers faster, pick and optimize for keywords that will help fans and customers find you, and become more efficient in your engagement strategies.

• Julian Chadwick: Building Friends and Followers
• Hallie Janssen: Keyword research & optimization
• John Anthony Hartman: Integrating tools for efficiency
• Moderator: Carri Bugbee

Julian Chadwick
Founder, PDX Pipeline

Julian Chadwick has used social media and interactive marketing strategy since the vice president of Prodigy kicked him off for taking over the youth boards in 1989. He’s worked, lived and marketed events in the United States, Germany, Belgium, Holland and France.Julian studied at Bachelors, Masters and PhD level in business strategy, entrepreneurship, industrial/organizational psychology and logistics at the University of Oklahoma, University of Bonn, University of Antwerp, University of Utrecht, and Portland State.  Julian has worked in corporate communications at the Standard and  as an SEO specialist at Amplify Interactive & NameMedia/Tarot.com. His current company is PDX Pipeline, a Portland entertainment and events site. In 2009, AdPulp: said PDX Pipeline “has fast become the source for upcoming entertainment and cultural happenings in Portland”. PDX Pipeline reaches over 100,000 people monthly with large social media following on Twitter, Facebook…and ummm…MySpace. www.linkedin.com/in/julianchadwick www.PdxPipeline.com www.Twitter.com/pdxpipeline

John Anthony Hartman
Principal / Transmedia Producer - Evergreen Dynamics

John Anthony Hartman was fortunate to have had family who owned a computer store in 1981. This kindled the technology spark that now burns throughout his life. From desktop to server and all the topology in-between, he has worked the full spectrum of the information technology field and has been working with connected networks since the days of 300 baud modems. In 2006 ,he formed Feedia, a transmedia production company, where he helped companies take advantage of market opportunities arising from the evolution of media through an understanding of convergence culture. In 2009, Evergreen Dynamics was formed to evolve TransMedia strategies and integrate branded entertainment into stories and across platforms. He is on the board of the Portland Creative Conference, SMCPDX and is an Advisor to the SoMe (Social Media) Awards. http://www.johnanthonyhartman.com

Hallie Janssen,
Vice President, Anvil Media, Inc.

Hallie Janssen manages overall client strategy and oversight of the team of search engine marketing (SEM) professionals at Anvil Media, Inc. Janssen has strategized online marketing with hundreds of clients since starting her career in this space in 1998. She regularly speaks at industry events and is a social media instructor for Online Marketing Institute and co-teaches a class on SEM at PSU. She also regularly writes for industry publications like Search Marketing Standard and Online Marketing Connect. Janssen is also active within SEMpdx, a Portland trade association for search engine marketers, where she is responsible for monthly events and the annual SearchFest conference held every year in Portland. @hallie_janssen   www.anvilmediainc.com

Carri Bugbee
Owner, Big Deal PR

Carri Bugbee is a social media marketing strategist, writer and PR pro. She won a Shorty Award for tweeting as the “Mad Men” character, @PeggyOlson, and has spoken about social media at many conferences and events, including OMMA Global, SXSWi, O’Reilly Twitter BootCamp, 140 Characters Conference, Cool Twitter Conference (keynote), OnHollywood, Innotech and WebVisions. Bugbee has launched and/or managed 30+ twitter accounts in multiple business categories. She develops integrated strategies that includes many other social media platforms and traditional marketing. She teaches a class in social media marketing at Portland State University and is the leader of Social Media Club Portland. www.CarriBugbee.com.

Track 2: Your Employees

Success Blend: Mixing Social Media with “Old School” Communications

Karen Watts, Principal,
Karen Watts Consulting

When someone mentions “Paris”, do you think of the city of lights in France or do you see a lanky blond saying “that’s hot”? Do you remember when phones had dials? Did you end your last relationship with a text message?

The modern workplace is full of some people who “tweet” and others who insist on a “face-to-face.” The challenge is to take full advantage of all the information available and at the same time communicate with vitality and maturity. Technology allows us to speak to almost anyone in the world. Now if we can just be clear about what we want to say. This workshop will discuss how we can take the best of traditional communications techniques, add social media components, and come up with an effective way to tell our stories.

The speaker
Karen Southall Watts is a small-business coach, management consultant and college instructor who focuses on the core qualities of successful entrepreneurs and business communications. Before her career in adult education and training, Karen worked in social services and brings an understanding of interpersonal issues to all her workshops and classes. Her writing has been featured in REACH Magazine, Forbes.com and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. Today Karen offers a wide range of programs and services, including individual coaching, project consulting and workshops. Read Karen’s blog at karensouthw.wordpress.com.

Making the Case for Corporate Intranets

Lani O’Brien and Angela Clayton Schmidt,
Regence Blue Cross/Blue Shield

Regence’s intranet started more than a decade ago as a basic online resource and subsequently grew to more than 20,000 pages with no rules, no maintenance plan and no clear owner. Understanding that a unified company intranet could be a powerful communication and collaboration tool for Regence’s workforce, a cross-divisional team set out to launch a new intranet.  The challenge: making a case for a project that would change the way their employees do business–while working within the constraints of a limited budget, minimal resources – oh, and within only a few months.  This is the story of the creation of Regence Spark – a new way for employees to communicate, collaborate and connect with their workplace community.
The speakers

Lani O’Brien is the assistant director of Internal Communications at Regence BlueCross BlueShield. With more than 15 years of experience in communications, Lani O’Brien has developed a sharp ability to assist organizations and leaders to effectively communicate with their employees — and help them to understand how they can use communications vehicles to create messages that support an engaged and strategically focused organization. Lani has worked for a variety of industries, ranging from aerospace to technology to political organizations.

Angela Clayton Schmidt is Manager of Internal Communications for Regence BlueCross BlueShield, and based in Portland. She’s worked in the employee communications field for more than 15 years in a broad range of industries – including agriculture, retail movies and games, and health insurance – all with widely varying online employee communication needs. Angela currently serves multiple lead roles on Regence’s new intranet site development and content strategy teams.

Engaged to Win: The Surprising Secret to Extraordinary Employee Engagement

John Bernard,
Managing Partner, Mass Ingenuity

We live in a time when business leaders must tap every possible resource available to achieve and sustain a competitive edge. Yet oddly enough, the richest and deepest resource — our work force — remains elusive. Gallup’s extensive research shows that 69 percent of our employees are disengaged. The question is why. The answers will surprise you. Effectively engaging people is not the result of inspirational “black magic” leadership. Nor does it come from a lot of praise, spot cash bonuses, or cappuccino machines cranking out free caffeine. Engaging employees is the result of something far easier to understand, far more mechanical in nature, and far easier to implement than imagined. Come preview John Bernard’s coming book, Engage to Win, and learn the secret to extraordinary employee engagement.

The Speaker
John Bernard has 30 years of experience as a senior executive and consultant creating highly innovative and fast-moving organizations. He’s been a CEO and has consulted extensively with senior executives to design and implement a system of management that delivers concrete, measurable results while creating a culture of discipline, accountability and highly satisfying employee engagement.

Track 3 - Your Leadership

Interpreting the Edelman Trust Barometer: Building Trust

Terri Nopp,
Deputy General Manager, Edelman Northwest

We’re seeing a vastly different set of factors driving reputation than we did 10 years ago. For the first time, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer, trust and transparency are as important to corporate reputation as the quality of products and services. In the U.S. and in much of Western Europe, those two attributes rank higher than product quality—and far outrank financial returns, which sits at or near the bottom of 10 criteria in all regions. Learn about these and other findings from the 10th annual Edelman Trust Barometer, a worldwide survey of the trust that the informed public places in our institutions.

The Speaker
Terri Nopp brings a Senior Vice President and Deputy General Manager of the Portland office of Edelman, a global public relations firm with more than 50 offices worldwide.

With 18 years of public relations experience Terri has a deep understanding of how global issues today are impacting business. Terri also developed Edelman’s storytelling program for marketing and sales personnel, which trains clients to convey their company’s advantage to customers through compelling narratives with heroes and dramatic impact. Terri has also managed public relations at Microsoft and served as the director of corporate communications at WebTrends, where she managed all communications programs and was instrumental in the launch of its initial public offerings and investor communications.

Corporate Social Responsibility

Rich Bruer,
Principal, R. Bruer Company

This presentation promises to engage communications professionals in the possibilities for dramatically shaping the emerging field of sustainable branding.

Our role as communications professionals is evolving. It’s no longer enough for the communications professional to manage and promote a product image. We must also help ensure the companies we represent are in fact being who they promise to be. Nowhere is this imperative greater than in the realm of sustainability. Companies stepping onto the path of sustainability must accept a new level of responsibility for the promises they make in their marketing, advertising and public relations. Customers are increasingly unforgiving toward companies that paint pictures of sustainable virtue in their products when the reality of their corporate performance looks far more brown than green.

This presentation will introduce 4D Branding, a new model of branding for businesses striving to become more sustainable. Companies that truly live their brand are exceptional. Traditional branding produces 1D or 2D brands (through graphic identity and communications). 3D Branding leads a companywide effort to fulfill the firm’s brand promise (walk its talk) throughout its products, culture and operations.
A sustainable brand adds a fourth dimension: adherence to the principles of sustainability.  In other words, it’s not enough to make and keep a brand promise if your business practices are not socially and environmentally responsible.

4D Branding has major implications for the communications professional; it
tears down the walls separating branding, communications, organizational development, and sustainability.

The Speaker
Rich Bruer is principal of R.Bruer Company, a sustainable branding firm in Portland that he founded in 2007. He recently formed the Sustainable Branding Collaborative, an integrated team of experts in branding, sustainability, organizational development, marketing research, communications and design to help businesses define a distinct, relevant brand — and then live it. The Collaborative extends the support his firm provides to businesses and organizations whose programs, products and services contribute to a sustainable future — environmentally, socially, and economically.
Previously, Rich co-founded McClenahan Bruer Communications, a high tech marketing communications agency in Portland. He is current board chair of the Northwest Earth Institute and recent past chair of the Sustainable Business Network of Portland.

The Art of Making the High Stakes Presentation:
A Crash Course in Personal Impact

Jim Endicott,
President, Distinction Communication, Inc.

Ninety percent of leaders think they communicate well. Only thirty percent of their followers would agree.

Standing out from the crowd of competing voices has become a daunting challenge.  Now more than ever, our ability to communicate with greater confidence, clarity, and credibility is playing a more significant role in how well we are heard and if our very best plans or ideas will be taken seriously. So what does it take to stand out from the crowd?

Join nationally recognized executive coach and industry consultant Jim Endicott as he shares with you some inside secrets for rapidly enhancing your personal skill set so you and your important messages can be heard. Several participants will be have the opportunity to go through the same personal coaching methodology that Distinction Communications uses with their executive-level clients in some of the largest companies in America. You’ll see firsthand the impact that four simple skills have on our volunteer participants.

The Speaker
Jim Endicott is a nationally recognized consultant, executive coach, and author specializing in professional presentation messaging, advanced design and delivery skills coaching. Jim has been a Jesse H. Neal award-winning columnist for Presentations magazine and has also contributed presentation-related content to Business Week, Consulting, Selling Power, the Portland Business Journal and other publications

Now more than ever, the need to win the hearts and minds of busy people and stand out from the crowd has become a critical topic for organizations of every kind. Through personal stories, relevant research, client case studies, and powerful principles of influence, Jim will elevate your understanding of the art of presenting and personal communication effectiveness to an important new level.

Track 4 - Yourself

Developing Your Job Search Strategy: Recession-era Job Tips and Tactics

Mara Woloshin,
Principal, Woloshin Communications

Downsized, laid off or seeking first-time employment? Acquiring a career-building job in a down market is not for the passive or the faint-of-heart. In this economic climate, fear is not the answer. This hands-on workshop will teach you successful job-search tools to apply to the most important campaign you will ever be involved with – your own career.
If you are facing a layoff or want to change jobs, this interactive workshop offers a wealth of career-focused practical job search tactics, including:

• Skills assessment
• Specific job search techniques, based on your years in the workforce
• A strategy to transform your job search into a successful and satisfying career pathway

From those entering the market to the first time to senior managers, participants in this workshop will leave with a specific and individualized plan for successful job search.

The speaker
Mara Woloshin’s public relations and marketing communications firm, Woloshin Communications, Inc., is based in Portland, Oregon.  Mara is in demand as a trainer and seminar presenter.  As an adjunct professor in the Communications Department of Marylhurst University, Mara designed the university’s first communications curriculum (in 1989). She continues to teach in the areas of strategic planning, and public relations at the University of Portland.  With her team of talented communications professionals, Mara works with a diverse list of clients, using her energy and expertise to provide entrepreneurial consulting in new business development, business strategy development, integrated market planning, research, media relations management, non-profit sponsorship and partnership programs, grant research and writing services, training services and design/print production.  Issues management, crisis communications management and reputation management are also part of the broad-based consulting package that Woloshin Communications is able to offer its clients.

Getting Hired in Portland: Panel Discussion on Local Workforce/Hiring Trends and Building Your Personal Brand

• Christian Kaylor, Workforce Analyst, Worksource Oregon;
• Natalie Miller, Vice President for Business Development, Lee Hecht Harrison;
• Allyson Savage, Director of Marketing, Moonstruck Chocolate.
• Moderated by Jenn Barth

Whether you are navigating a career transition, or considering a future move, this interactive panel, featuring Christian Kaylor (Workforce Analyst, Oregon Employment Department), Natalie Miller (VP Business Development, Lee Hecht Harrison) and Allyson Savage (Director of Marketing, Moonstruck Chocolate, and former VP/Group Manager, Ketchum Public Relations) will address:

• Strategies for creating a personal marketing and communications strategy for your job search
• Insider interview tips:  Telling your story, tackling tough questions, and what employers are looking for in today’s candidates
• Portland’s employment/workforce landscape: trends, economic indicators, and predicted growth industries for the upcoming year and beyond.

The Speakers

Christian Kaylor is a Workforce Analyst for the Oregon Employment Department, serving Multnomah County.  He provides data, analysis and advice relating to the Portland economy to local businesses and government agencies to facilitate intelligent decision making. Before coming to the Employment Department ten years ago, Christian worked in Oregon politics for several years.  A native Oregonian, Christian has a degree in Economics from the University of Oregon.
Natalie Miller is Vice President, Business Development for Lee Hecht Harrison, a global talent solutions company delivering Career Transition, Leadership Consulting and Workforce Solutions. She is an accomplished business professional and natural people connector with experience in recruitment, business development, networking and program management in both the for-profit and not-for-profit industries.In 2004 Natalie joined Lee Hecht Harrison as the Portland office Job Market Consultant to gather intelligence from hiring managers and network resources, and to bring potential job opportunities to clients. She currently has responsibility for overall marketing and sales strategy, service delivery and operations. Prior to this, Natalie was a Business Development Manager & Recruiter for search firms specializing in the placement of Finance, Accounting and IT professionals. Before that, Natalie worked for Transition Projects as a Volunteer Coordinator, managing programs for three transitional shelters for homeless men and women. Natalie holds a Bachelors Degree in Psychology from the University of Oregon. She currently services as the President Elect for Portland Human Resource Management Association (local SHRM chapter). She also is an avid snowboarder, backpacker, hiker with her husband,and loves playing fetch with her dog Zeke.
Allyson Savage is the Director of Marketing for Moonstruck Chocolate. In her role, she leads all marketing efforts including consumer insights and knowledge, product and packaging design, advertising, social media and public relations. In her previous role as Vice President/Group Manager, Ketchum Public Relations, Allyson led the Ketchum West Consumer Food Marketing practice. She oversaw teams that spanned the food continuum from commodity boards to organic chocolate. Her clients included the California Strawberry Commission, Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream, Seeds of Change, The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, Earthbound Farm, Frito-Lay and Safeway. Allyson has nearly fifteen years of experience in consumer brand and food marketing, managing projects as varied as cause marketing partnerships, crisis communications, celebrity spokespeople, influencer and ambassador network building and new product and market introductions.Raised in Michigan, Allyson attended the University of Michigan for her undergraduate work. She received her Masters in Business Administration from the University of San Francisco. She and her husband currently reside in Portland, Oregon.
Jen Barth is a seasoned marketing and communications professional, with over 15 years of experience helping organizations create programs that define and grow their businesses, and better understand the audiences they serve. Jen was most recently EVP Marketing and Client Services for Kelton Research, The Omnibus Company and The Kelton Media Unit. Jen has been actively involved with non-profit organizations throughout her career, as a Campaign Director for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America, and as EVP/Board Director for Step Up Women’s Network, raising funds and awareness for women’s health and community service programs in Southern California. Jen is also a volunteer for Healthy Child, Healthy World, and the Backpack Lunch Program of NE Portland. Jen is a graduate of Vassar College, and studied at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Jen recently moved to Portland with her husband, Lee, their identical three-year old twin daughters, and their one-eyed cat, Eunice.

Predicting Your Success: Acing Behavioral Interviews, An Interactive Workshop

Carie Strahorn,
Director, Marcomm + Partnerships at Boly:Welch;
and
Debbie Zurow, Director, Professional Services at Boly:Welch

Remember the old adage “you never get a second chance to make a first impression?”  Now, more than ever these words ring true.  In these economic times, preparation can mean the difference between a job offer and being the next one in line. In this session, you’ll learn how to prepare for interviews by thinking about how your knowledge, skills and abilities match the specific requirements of the job you are seeking. The session will cover:

• Defining behavioral interviews- why they are popular, and why they are intimidating
• Understanding how to decrease the intimidation factor during behavioral interviews
• Interactive breakout sessions and role playing to practice interview situations, actions, and outcomes

The speakers

Carie Strahorn brings over 25 years of business leadership, volunteer board and community service experience organizations to her current work at Boly:Welch Recruiting as Director, Marcomm + Partnerships. Strahorn jump-started her career at locally-owned Esco Corporation in Human Resources, moving to Boise Cascade Paper, where she spent 15 years in HR, Marketing and Sales. Re-entering the workforce after a seven year hiatus focused on family and community service, Strahorn role at Boly:Welch balances oversight for company messaging and community partnerships with HR recruitment.   Her strategic and tactical marketing efforts help guide company goals for growth.  Strahorn attended the University of Oregon.  Carie and her husband are fifth generation Oregonians who live in southwest Portland and have two grown children.

Debbie Zurow is a skilled leader in business development and operational management  and has more than 20 years of experience in growing successful teams and delivering innovative business solutions.  Her valuable insight into the critical importance of human capital and best practices was honed through extensive work in the field of recruiting, management consulting and business development.  Zurow works with clients to deliver comprehensive Accounting/Financial and Sales/Marketing Management search program capabilities.  Zurow attended the University of Missouri, Columbia.  She holds a CPC certification.  Her professional associations have included The Beers Group, SAO, IMA, AMA and the Link for Women. A mid-west native, Zurow and her family have enjoyed living in southwest Portland for seventeen years.