| Speakers |
 |
 |
 |
|
Below are some of the speakers that will appear on the 2011 agenda. Check back often as more are added all the time. If you'd like to be considered for a speaker position, please email Michelle Bauer at michelle (at) common-language.com.
Michelle is the Founder and Chief Strategist of Common Language, Inc., a public relations and strategic communications practice located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Michelle’s marketing communications career spans over twenty years and includes business to consumer, business to business, and nonprofit expertise. She has led marketing, communications, and public relations initiatives with organizations such as the Tampa Bay Technology Forum, University of South Florida, Ringling College of Art and Design, Bisk Education, Skyway Capital Partners, Digital Hands, and Catalina Marketing. Prior to founding Common Language, Michelle was a partner with Sextant Marketing Group, a St. Petersburg-based marketing, public relations, and event management firm. She directed the firm’s strategic communications practice as well as conferences and events. In the early 2000s, she served as the founding Executive Director of the Tampa Bay Technology Forum, a professional association dedicated to growing Tampa Bay's technology businesses and promoting the region as a major center of entrepreneurship and innovation. Michelle holds Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees in English from the University of South Florida. She lives and works in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida.  Bernie BorgesAuthor and CEO Find and Convert and BernieBorges.com Bernie Borges is an author, speaker, trainer, podcaster and CEO of Find and Convert, an Inbound Marketing agency serving mid-size clients nationwide. Find and Convert helps companies get found on the web in order to build measurable and profitable relationships. His training division, BernieBorges.com delivers keynotes, live workshops, online and video training for marketers, business development professionals and job seekers. Bernie’s book: Marketing 2.O: Bridging the Gap Between Seller and Buyer through Social Media Marketing launched in July of 2009. Marketing 2.0 is a playbook for mid-size business executives eager to develop their social media marketing strategy or take it to the next level of results.  Alex ChamberlainExecutive Director EasyLiving, Inc. Alex Chamberlain is the executive director of EasyLiving, Inc., a trusted provider of private duty home health care for residents of Pinellas County. Alex runs the day-to-day operations of EasyLiving, Inc., which includes overseeing the staff of personal care assistants, implementing training programs and driving marketing, business development and community relations initiatives. Alex was named to the Tampa Bay Business Journal’s 30 under 30. He is very involved in the community, participating on various committees and boards with the Copperhead Charity Group, Clearwater Chamber of Commerce, Clearwater Young Professionals Group, Palm Harbor University High School Medical Magnate Advisory Board and St. Paul’s School. Chamberlain received his B.S. in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University.
Since joining the agency in 2002, Colleen has assumed the role of agency president and the agency has doubled in both staff size and revenue and is now one of the top integrated advertising agencies in the market. Colleen is responsible for strategic account planning, brand discovery and development, new business growth and bringing an unstoppable stream of enthusiasm into the agency’s day-to-day operations. With nearly 20 years of experience, she specializes in brand development, integrated marketing, advertising, public relations, pricing strategies, and distribution channel launch and growth. With a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from the University of South Florida, Colleen completed courses at Amos Tuck School of Business Administration at Dartmouth College, is a Dale Carnegie graduate, and is accredited in public relations from the Public Relations Society of America. She is president of the American Marketing Association Tampa Bay and is on the Zimmerman Advertising Program Advisory Board at the University of South Florida. In addition, she is past chair of Leadership Tampa Alumni and is a member of the CEO Council of Tampa Bay. She is also a recipient of the “Tampa Bay 40 Under 40” award from the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
Prior to her current role, Deborah Duffey was the sales and marketing director for Fountain Pharmaceuticals, she became partner and president when the company went private and relaunched as Dermazone Solutions, Inc. In the nine years since, she has grown the St. Petersburg life science company from 3 to 33 employees with over 1000 independent consultants nationwide; developed over fifty new product formulas; opened a subsidiary company in 2003; developed new distribution channels for the company’s two brands of skin care products and launched a contract manufacturing division to leverage the cutting-edge nanotechnology for pharmaceutical and cosmeceutical application.
Lillian R. Dunlap, Ph.D., Principal and CEO of Communication Research Enterprises, LLC, has an impressive record of success guiding primarily journalism and media organizations in developing innovative management and diversity strategies. She is a former resident faculty member and now affiliate faculty at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in Florida and a former professor of broadcast news at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Lillian’s consulting clients include many colleges and universities; the International Broadcasting Bureau; the Associated Press, and several U.S. newspapers and radio/television stations. During her nearly 40 years in the media industry, Lillian has worked as a reporter and television producer, served as the national seminar leader for the Radio and Television News Directors Association’s (RTNDA) ‘News Management Seminars for Journalists of Color and Women’, worked as a senior consultant to the award-winning Eyes on the Prize II and is co-author of an online teaching guide to the book, The Authentic Voice: The Best Reporting on Race and Ethnicity (Columbia University Press, 2006). Among Lillian’s international clients are South Africa’s Institute for the Advancement of Journalism (IAJ), the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) and the University of Central Lancashire’s Journalism Leaders Programme in Preston, U.K. Lillian received a bachelor’s degree from Defiance College and serves on its board of trustees. Her master’s and doctorate are from Indiana University-Bloomington.
Tim Dutton Tim Dutton is the Executive Director of SCOPE (Sarasota Openly Plans for Excellence), which is a Community engagement initiative aimed at expanding the participation in dialogue about community and increasing a sense of personal ownership of the outcomes and future, creating forums for public involvement. Previously, Dutton was the Executive Director of the Human Services Planning Association from 1996 to 2001. For the previous 13 years, he was a hospital administrator in Ohio and in rural Haiti. Prior to coming to Sarasota, Tim held positions ranging from board member of the Chamber of Commerce to guiding programs for the homeless.
John Dyben’s professional experience as a mental health and addiction counselor, program supervisor and chaplain brings a rich therapeutic and spiritual focus to his position as Clinical Director of Hanley Center. John is responsible for supervising all residential and outpatient treatment as well as Spiritual Care and Wellness programs. Hanley Center offers holistic gender and age-specific treatment programs rooted in the Twelve Step philosophy and implemented by a highly skilled multidisciplinary team. John is an in-demand presenter and trainer, speaking on such topics as spirituality in recovery; grief and loss; adolescent growth and development issues; and mental health issues in children, families and adolescents. His academic courses cover a broad range of mental health topics, from eating disorders to diagnosis and treatment of substance abuse and addiction, and anxiety and mood disorders with late life onset.
Brad Edmondson is a writer and consultant. He was editor-in-chief of American Demographics magazine in the 1990s and a co-founder of ePodunk.com, which provides comprehensive profiles of 44,000 places in the U.S. and overseas. He is also a regular contributor to national magazines, and since 2002 he has written for the publications of AARP. Born in Venice and a 1976 graduate of Pine View School, Brad went on to Cornell University and still lives in Ithaca, New York. Brad is a nationally recognized writer and speaker on the impact of social change on business and communities. His work focuses on such topics as the aging of the baby-boom generation, the future of higher education, changes in health and fitness behavior, and how America is being transformed by immigration. But what he really likes to talk about is bicycling. In 2008, Brad celebrated the sale of ePodunk by riding across the United States.
Elizabeth has more than 20 years of corporate executive experience to call upon as she grows a purposeful company with an important mission to educate and connect people serving seniors. Through online education now totaling more than 500 courses and the collaboration fostered by the Lifelines Network of people serving seniors, Lifelines Academy is empowering entrepreneurs and professionals to better meet the needs of the aging population, while improving their bottom line. Elizabeth’s prior experiences include serving as a Senior VP for Nielsen Media Research responsible for the management of a staff of 220 associates, budgets up to $85M and over 105 software products, as well as the Director of Worldwide Support for Dun and Bradstreet Software responsible for a 24/7 call center providing software support in the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. Elizabeth graduated Magna Cum Laude from Suffolk University with a B.S.B.A. degree in Finance in 1989. Her background includes management of large operations and start up ventures, strategic planning, project management, software product development, market research, product marketing, customer service, education and training, development of business processes, business metrics and productivity measures, and business consulting. Elizabeth holds a Florida Real Estate License and is a member of the Greater Tampa Association of Realtors (GTAR), National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Accredited Luxury Home Specialists (ALHS).
Jody Haneke Jody Haneke has an extensive background in user experience design and information architecture. Haneke has developed and managed design solutions for companies including AT&T, PEPSICO, Target, TMP Worldwide (Monster.com), HP, the Stock Exchange, Times Publishing and Accenture. Currently, Haneke is president of Haneke Design, a leading graphic and interactive design agency specializing in user experience design, mobile web design and iPhone and iPad application development. Previously, Haneke co-founded Mediacentric Group, an interactive agency, where he built and managed a design studio consisting of 20+ user interface designers, digital illustrators and animators. In addition, his design work has been published internationally and has received numerous awards. Haneke serves on the board of AIGA Tampa Bay, the professional association for design, and on the advisory board of the mGive Foundation, a public charity working to enhance the mobile giving ecosystem. Haneke is an alumnus of Ringling College of Art and Design.
Ed is Founder and Principal of Healthy Living Marketing, a specialty marketing services firm dedicated to helping Better-For-You brands connect, relate and profit from relationships with the ‘Health-Inspired’. Located in the metro Washington, D.C. area, Healthy Living’s clients range from Pepsi Cola North America, Timberland, Quaker Foods, Hain-Celestial, and Abbott Laboratories.
Sheryl Hunter relies upon her experiences as an attorney, business executive, elder advocate and family caregiver to passionately serve as the CEO of Lifelines Academy, an online community for educating and connecting people serving seniors. After witnessing her legal clients struggle to coordinate care for older loved ones, and experiencing these challenges herself as a caregiver to a grandmother and aunt suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease, Sheryl made it her mission to provide a national forum for professionals and businesses to learn, collaborate and develop strategic relationships that will result in doing well by doing good. Prior to co-founding Lifelines Academy, which now offers more than 500 online courses and a growing professional network, Sheryl practiced law for 13 years in the areas of estate planning, guardianship, small business and real estate law, and was in-house counsel and VP of Business Development for two luxury real estate firms. She earned her J.D. from Georgetown University in 1995 and her B.A. from George Washington University, Magna Cum Laude, in 1991. Sheryl’s advocacy and volunteer experiences include: several years litigating elder abuse cases, nursing home ombudsman, volunteering for Helping the Elderly with Their Legal Problems, and serving on the boards of Tampa Crossroads and the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, among others.
Jim Kitchens, founder of The Kitchens Group, is an attitude and mass persuasion expert with a Ph.D. from the University of Florida in communications. Founded in 1983, The Kitchens Group has become a leading public opinion research firms. In addition to providing standard data for its clients, The Kitchens Group has the expertise to provide advanced computer modeling for clients when it is necessary for solving complex communication problems. Having interviewed more than five million Americans –– on topics ranging from environmental concerns, to the likelihood of purchasing NFL season tickets, to the factors in a person's decision to purchase a suit, The Kitchens Group brings a broad range of experience to help both advertising agencies, corporations, and non-profit groups. Dr. Kitchens continues being recognized as a scholar in the field of communication, with more than 20 academic publications, including the creation of the Development Resistance Index used to gauge public opinion concerning land use issues. Dr. Kitchens is a frequent guest professor at colleges and universities, including the University of Florida, the University of Kansas, the University of Central Florida, and the University of Alabama – Birmingham.
Stephen R. Mason is the president and CEO of BayCare, a community-based health care system in the Tampa Bay area with more than 17,400 employees. BayCare connects patients to a complete range of services through its not-for-profit hospitals, outpatient and imaging facilities, and other regional services that reach beyond the Bay area. In 2007, BayCare provided $157 million in total community benefit. At the helm of BayCare since May 2004, Mason has successfully guided the health system through several major initiatives and system-wide improvements. Under Mason's leadership, BayCare launched a 7-year project to implement an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) throughout the health system. Once completed, BayCare's EMR, known as BEACON, will advance superior health care by transforming paper-based medical records into a fully electronic chart that provides clinicians with real-time access to patient information from all points of care.
As National Director of Sales, Hotel and Spa Division for Groupe Clarins USA, Barry McCaffery is responsible for opening Clarins Spa accounts within the hotel, resort and day spa sector in the United States and establishing 'best practices' programs for professional service, retail assortments and promotional and incentive programs to ensure success for Clarins’ partners. A 20-year veteran of the beauty industry, McCaffrey has worked with some of the most prestigious brands in the beauty industry including Jean Patou, Clinique, Shiseido and Oil of Olay. McCaffrey joined Clarins following the debut of Clarins Spas opening within Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s stores nationwide. This innovative concept creates a unique beauty environment by merging beauty services and retail at department stores, allowing customers to take pleasure in the application of Clarins products.
Diane, a boomer herself, had a successful twenty-five year career in Information Technology and Business Management. Seven years ago after a personal journey with cancer, she started focusing more on a healthier lifestyle and also exploring her true passion and creative spirit. She became involved as a volunteer with the American Cancer Society working with the patient services department to educate patients, hospitals and healthcare facilities about all the resources available to them. She is currently participating in the Arts & Healing Certificate Program at Ringling College of Art and Design and has been part of efforts to incorporate an Art & Healing program at a local hospital in Tampa, Florida. Her professional affiliations include member of the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association, member of WELCOA, (Wellness Council of America,) member Upper Tampa Bay Chamber, member Westshore Alliance, Board of Directors for GETSMART (Getting Everyone to Study Math and Related Technologies targeting girls ages 10-17). Her volunteer affiliations include Co-Facilitator of the Tampa Bay Breast Cancer Support Group and a volunteer with the American Cancer Society, as well as the recipient of the 2004 Greater Tampa Unit Courage Award.
Sonia Meisenheimer has over ten years of experience designing and developing customer-centered digital experiences. Most recently, she worked with the St. Petersburg Times and Haneke Design to launch a successful local-market mobile couponing app for the iPhone. While at the Times she also managed audience development for tampabay.com and the Pulitzer Prize winning website, Politifact.com. Over the years, Sonia has worked with companies like MSN, Yahoo, AOL, Ticketmaster, Expedia, Cranium Games, Orbitz and Payscale.com to help them connect with customers in meaningful and profitable ways.
Christopher Paradies Christopher Paradies, Ph.D. is Florida Bar Certified in intellectual property law which includes patents, trademarks, trade secrets and copyrights and is a registered patent attorney with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. Mr. Paradies' practice is focused on assisting clients with management of all of their intellectual property, including acquisition, licensing, enforcement in the courts and defense against claims of infringement. He has extensive experience as both a researcher in industry and a patent attorney. Technical areas of expertise include nanotechnology, materials science, semiconductor processing, chemistry, aerospace, medical treatments, medical devices and drug delivery.
Daniel H. Pink is the author of several provocative, bestselling books about the changing world of work. His latest, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, uses 50 years of behavioral science to overturn the conventional wisdom about human motivation and offer a more effective path to high performance. Drive reached every national bestseller list in its first month of publication and is now in its sixth month on the New York Times list. His articles on business and technology appear in many publications, including the New York Times, Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, and Wired, where he is a contributing editor. He also writes a monthly business column for the U.K. newspaper, The Sunday Telegraph. Dan has provided analysis of business trends on CNN, CNBC, ABC, NPR, and other networks in the U.S. and abroad. And he lectures to corporations, associations, and universities around the world on economic transformation and the new workplace. He received a BA from Northwestern University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and a JD from Yale Law School. To his lasting joy, he has never practiced law. Dan lives in Washington, DC, with his wife and their three children.
As the President & COO for Natura Therapeutics, Dr. Sanberg has focused her efforts and research into all-natural, botanical approaches for health and well-being. She was issued a U.S. patent as an inventor for the combined effects of nutrients on stem cells in 2008. This patented technology led to the development of 3 dietary supplement products which are on the market. Dr. Sanberg has established national and international marketing and sales for all of Natura’s products while maintaining a strong research and development force for ongoing product development. She has been awarded 4 grants for nutraceutical research involving green tea for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. She also serves as project coordinator for several R & D programs affiliated with large nutraceutical companies studying botanical/herbal extracts for the treatment of various diseases. Dr. Sanberg is the author of more than 70 scientific publications including, Cell Therapy, Stem Cells, and Brain Repair, a book dedicated to stem cell therapies and research. She has been a scientific reviewer for 15 scientific journals including Brain Research, Journal of Neuroscience and Life Sciences.
Carmella Sebastian, MD, is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida’s (BCBSF) Field Medical Director in Tampa. In her role, Sebastian provides leadership for the clinical aspect of sales, issue management, acts as a provider liaison, and advises on medical policies and programs. Sebastian graduated from the Medical College of Pennsylvania with an MD and then Kings College, Kingston, Pennsylvania, with an MS in Healthcare Administration. She was in active clinical practice as an Internist before joining Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Northeastern Pennsylvania. She was their VP of Medical Affairs and Chief Medical Officer for 13 years. She then served as Market Medical Officer with Humana for Central and North Florida for five years.
In this role, he provides the organization and its investors with insightful interpretation of pertinent information applied to the programs of economic development marketing, public policy, and leadership. He is responsible for maintenance of research documentation, research product deliverables and execution of the work program elements to support the initiatives of the Partnership. He is also responsible for the Partnership’s Regional Economic Scorecard, a realistic snapshot that assesses the region's economic health in five "economic driver categories," including employment and workforce; income and productivity; housing; innovation; and education. The Tampa Bay Partnership, which was formed in 1994, is the only entity that markets the entire eight-county, 6,515-square-mile area of west central Florida that includes the counties of Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sarasota.
Sherri Sutton
Peter Taylor is director of marketing for Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, where he is responsible for all marketing, communications and public relations. During his tenure he has built an in-house team to handle all efforts, from market strategy and research, branding and PR to advertising, web and social media. In addition to its ranking among America’s top hospitals for quality and safety, last year Sarasota Memorial was spotlighted as one of the nation’s first “Best Practice” Social Hospitals. Peter’s creative and innovative approaches to social media have been profiled in Adweek and Ad Age, the nation’s premier publications for agency, marketing and media industry news. Prior to joining Sarasota Memorial, Peter developed his marketing skills working for a pair of global giants – first with General Motors and then with McCann-Erickson Advertising. He graduated from Rhodes University in South Africa with degrees in Economics and Psychology. Peter is married with two young boys (six and eight) who, along with his black Labrador retriever, ensure he has no time to go surfing.
Dr. Larry R. Thompson will celebrate his 12th year as president of Ringling College of Art and Design this summer. An energetic, innovative, and visionary community leader, Larry is passionate about the arts and education and is on a mission to destroy the myth of the starving artist! As president of Ringling College of Art and Design since July 1999, he has worked tirelessly to infuse his spirit of inclusion throughout campus by celebrating diversity, encouraging freedom of expression, supporting new ways of teaching and learning, and encouraging risk-taking to enhance the overall academic experience. Aside from his “full-time” job, Larry is involved in a myriad of volunteer endeavors. He is secretary for the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD) and the President’s Council of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida (ICUF.) Locally, he is past President of the Sarasota County Arts Council and currently serves on its board and is a Leadership Spokesman for the Innovation 41 Art and Cultural Corridor Project. He is a board member of Coastal Behavioral Healthcare, the Community Health Corporation for Sarasota Memorial Hospital, SunTrust, Sarasota Season of Sculpture, and the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. He also participates on the Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County Partners Council and 82° TECH’s education committee – an organization focused on the specific needs and interests of professionals involved in launching and operating technology-related companies in Sarasota and Manatee counties.
CDR Watson is a Registered Environmental Health Specialist and has served as a Commissioned Officer in United States Public Health Service since 1991. His first assignment was with the Indian Health Service where he worked with Native Americans in Arizona, Washington State, and then Wisconsin. In March of 2002, CDR Watson moved to the Food and Drug Administration as an Investigator. From December, 2002, until April, 2004, CDR Watson worked as an Investigator and coordinated the Florida District’s Dietary Supplement program. CDR Watson scheduled monitored, assigned, and reviewed Dietary Supplement inspections, sample collections, and field exams. In his current position he serves as a Public Affairs Specialist in the Florida District of the Food and Drug Administration. In his position, he answers inquiries from consumers, industry, and the media. He also works to develop community outreach activities focused on FDA’s national, regional, and district priorities. |
Michelle Bauer
Colleen Chappell
Deborah Duffey
Lillian R. Dunlap, Ph.D.
D. John Dyben, MA, CAP, SAP, CMHP, ICADC
Brad Edmondson
Elizabeth Farrell 
Ed Hinde
Sheryl Hunter, J.D.
Jim Kitchens, Ph.D.
Stephen R. Mason
Barry McCaffery
Diane McMillen
Sonia Meisenheimer
Daniel H. Pink
Cyndy D. Sanberg, Ph.D.
Carmella M. Sebastian, MD, MS
Dave Sobush, CEcD
Peter Taylor
Dr. Larry R. Thompson
Commander C. Stewart Watson, REHS
