Speakers Bureau
AIW members are great writers — and they’re great speakers, too! If you need expert talent for your next meeting or event, check out our pool of skilled presenters, arranged alphabetically by last name. You’ll negotiate fees with the speakers you hire, so contact them directly for availability and payment details.
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AIW Speakers Bureau
B
Name: Borrus, Kathy
Biosketch: Kathy Borrus is an intrepid world traveler, a freelance writer, the author of the books One Thousand Buildings of Paris and The Fearless Shopper, and the co-author of The Business of Crafts. She speaks internationally on arts, travel, cultural tourism, museum stores, lifestyle, and shopping. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Museum Store, FranceGuide, Washington Flyer, Art Business News, and Bethesda Magazine among others. She is the former Merchandise Manager for the Smithsonian Institution museum stores, and she lives in Washington, DC.
Experience: Alliance Française, Washington, DC; Asian Craft Council, New Delhi, India; Bookstores in DC, Paris, London, and Sydney, Australia for The Fearless Shopper; Bookstores in DC for One Thousand Buildings of Paris; Crafts Business Institute, Baltimore; Corcoran Gallery of Art, DC; Direct Marketing Association, NYC; Fair Trade Federation, DC; Guest on “Women in Slovak Studies”, Cable TV program, DC; Historic Homes, DC; International Bead Conference, DC; Institute of African Affairs, Baltimore; Museum Store Association, Denver, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Los Angeles; National Polymer Clay Institute, DC; New York International Gift Fair, NYC; Neighbors Club, Arlington, VA; Radio & TV spots for The Fearless Shopper; Seminars and workshops in India, Bangladesh, Jordan, Peru; Smithsonian Institution, DC; Stanford Business Club of Washington, DC; Textile Museum, DC; Women’s National Democratic Club, DC.
Contact Details: Learn more about Kathy on LinkedIn, www.FearlessShopper.com, or www.retail-details.com. at E-mail Kathy at kborrus@gmail.com.
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C
Name: Collins, Mary
Biosketch: Mary Collins ran a writing business in Washington, DC for 20 years and wrote and edited regularly for National Geographic and the Smithsonian. She also taught for 12 years at Johns Hopkins MA in Writing program, where she won a Teaching Award and Professional Achievement Award. She moved to Connecticut in 2007 for a full-time tenured-track position as a professor of Creative Writing for Central Connecticut State University. Her latest book, American Idle: A Journey Through Our Sedentary Culture, came out in fall 2009.
Experience: Commencement Speaker, Boston University, School of Public Health, May 2010 (est. crowd: 3,000); Keynote Speaker, New England Regional LocoMotion Sustainability Conference, Brattleboro, VT. April 2010 (est. crowd 350); Keynote Speaker/Guest Author, three-day Smart Coast Healthy Communities, Alabama, May 2010 (thousands of people over several days and across many counties for a half-a-dozen events); Guest Panelist or Author: Cape Cod Writers Conference, Baltimore Writers Conference (several times), Stonecoast Writing Program at the University of Southern Maine, American Independent Writers Conference (several times)
Contact Details: Learn more about Mary at www.marycollinswriter.net. E-mail Mary at penmary@aol.com.
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Name: Campbell, Sheila
Biosketch: Sheila Campbell is president of Wild Blue Yonder, a consulting firm that specializes in leadership, strategy, creative thinking, change management and corporate culture. She makes keynote addresses on those topics as well as conducting seminars and workshops on teamwork, presentation skills, and work/life balance. Her clients have included the World Bank, National Geographic Television, the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the U.S. Department of Energy and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, among many others. She is co-author, with Merianne and Jeff Liteman, of Retreats That Work: Everything You Need to Know about Planning and Leading Great Offsites.
Experience: In the last 15 years, I’ve spoken to groups ranging in size from 25 to 2000 people, from senior executives to independent freelancers, in fields as varied as medical schools, airports, advertising agencies, broadcast and print media, and technology. I make keynote addresses and also lead smaller breakout sessions as well as training workshops. I’m a lively and highly involving speaker, even when the group is large.
Contact Details: Reach Sheila at SCampbell@wildblueyonder.biz and view her sites at www.wildblueyonder.biz, www.retreatsthatwork.com, and www.sheilacampbell.com (blog)
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H
Name: Hudson, Charlie
Biosketch: Off with her combat boots and onto writing best describes Charlie Hudson’s two careers. Charlotte “Charlie” Hudson, is a 22-year career military veteran (to include Desert Storm), freelance writer, and scuba diver.
Specialties: Leadership / motivational, empowerment through self-awareness, and creating artificial reefs for ecotourism
Experience: Most recent speaking engagements were for the South Dade Rotary Club, Miami-Dade College for Women’s History month, and the Florida Keys History of Diving Museum
Contact Details: Learn more about Charlie at www.charliehudson.net. Contact Charlie at charlie@charliehudson.net.
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J
Name: Johnston, Margaret Placentra
Biosketch: My upcoming book Beyond Belief: Stories of Good People Who Left Their Church Behind and my lecture topic are based on the work of various researchers in spiritual development theory — James Fowler, Fritz Oser, Heinz Streib and other notables extending as far back as Saint Teresa of Avila in the sixteenth century. The general trajectory shows a path where a person may seriously question or even reason themselves out of literal belief in pre-packaged traditional organized religion. The resulting position of agnosticism or principled non-belief is actually a sign of personal growth. If this person remains open to the questions however, they are likely to find themselves showing increasing interest in spiritual matters and over time may adopt a personalized faith, deeper and more authentic than the one they had previously questioned or left behind. Most often a handful of advantageous personal traits accompanies this expanded, complex and more sophisticated spirituality.
Experience: Previous speaking engagements on topic include Northern Virginia Ethical Society and the Washington Area Secular Humanists
Contact Details: Learn more about Margaret at www.exploring-spiritual-development.com. Contact her at mmppjj@aol.com.
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L
Name: Lasso, Ricardo
Biosketch: Ricardo Lasso graduated with honors from Law School (in Panama), was accepted as a graduate student at London School of Economics and Political Science, and having been awarded a scholarship, completed comparative law studies in England.
Himself a doctor of jurisprudence, he is the eldest of four siblings, all doctors, the second one a geneticist and the other two being physicians. He became an international corporation attorney and also served as law-school professor of corporations and admiralty until he had to flee from persecution by Panama’ Noriega dictatorial regime. After his departure as a political refugee, he took up permanent residence in the U.S. with his wife and three children.
Apart from his recent nonfiction book Democracy on Trial: The Case for the Defense, he has published The United States of the North…and the Dis-united States of the South and USA vs General Noriega – A Friend or a Foe? In addition, he has written numerous legal and political science essays in which he discuss the important themes of what constitute true democracy, despotism and terrorism.
Experience: International Legal Consultant at Lasso & Lasso law firm, Washington, D.C., Inter-American Arbitration Association, former Legal Advisor to the Panama National Private Sector Council, Founding Member of the Panamanian Human Rights Commission, Rotary Club member in Panama City, Panama, as well as Caracas, Venezuela and Washington, D.C., appointed Attorney General for the Republic of Panama, but declined the appointment while practicing Law in Panama and continued extensive travel specially through most of Western Europe and all of the Americas from Canada to Chile and Argentina. Commencement Speaker at Law School graduation in Panama and Thesis First Prize awarded annually by the Faculty of Law and Political Science. Winner of speaker contest at the beginning of Law School studies.
Contact Details: E-mail at R_Lasso2@comcast.net Also please refer to web link www.ricardolasso.com
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Name: Porro, Jeffrey D.
Biosketch: Jeff is a speechwriter for Fortune 250 CEOs, diplomats, and other government leaders, as well as executives of some of the nation’s leading trade and professional associations. He is also an award winning screenwriter and a PhD with 20 years of experience in research, public policy, and business. He has been profiled in the Washington Post, National Journal, and other publications. His presentations focus on how CEOs can use speeches to grow their businesses, and how other top executives can use speeches to advance their careers. He writes a monthly column in the Washington Business Journal on those topics, as well.
Experience: Jeff’s presentations include: “When Boring Speeches Happen to Interesting Executives (and how you can prevent it),” and “Tough Talk for Hard Times.” He has spoken to a wide range of audiences including: The Conference Board, IABC, The Washington Networking Group, The Tower Club, MITRE Corporation, Ragan Communications Speechwriters’ Conference
Contact Details: Learn more about Jeff at www.porrollc.com, blog.porrollc.com, or LinkedIn. Contact Jeff at jeff@porrollc.com.
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S
Name: Stewart, David O.
Biosketch: David O. Stewart is the author of The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution, and Impeached: The Trial of President Andrew Johnson and the Fight for Lincoln’s Legacy. In 2011, Simon & Schuster will publish his new book on the Western conspiracy and treason trial of Aaron Burr. After trying cases for many years – civil, criminal, and constitutional – he turned to writing and speaking on critical moments in our history, and the enduring issues that surround the Constitution today. Speech topics include the writing of the Constitution, leadership lessons of the Constitutional Convention, the first presidential impeachment, George Washington, and how history lies.
Experience: David has delivered dozens of talks on these subjects to leadership retreats, corporate meetings, the National Constitutional Center, the National Archives, the Library of Congress, historical societies, and many civic organizations. He has been a featured speaker or commentator on CNN, Good Morning America,C-SPAN, C-SPAN2, and C-SPAN3. Reviews of his speeches and more information about his writing can be found at http://davidostewart.com/stewart-testimonials.htm.
Contact Details: Inquiries should be directed to xstewart1@comcast.net.
Name: Stoddard, Brooke C.
Biosketch: Brooke C. Stoddard is a Princeton-educated, award-winning former writer and editor at Time-Life Books and National Geographic Society. He is the author of World in the Balance: The Perilous Months June-October 1940 (Potomac Books, 2010). He writes about history, technology, finance, and government. He is the former editor of Military Heritage magazine. He is a member of the National Press Club and American Society of Journalists and Authors.
Specialties: World War II, the Civil War, house renovation, the writing life, and writing tips
Experience: Workshops on home renovation, specifically log homes.
Contact Details: Learn more about Brooke on LinkedIn or Archon Editorial. Contact Brooke at stoddardbc@gmail.com.
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T
Name: Taylor, David
Biosketch: Author and filmmaker David Taylor co-wrote and co-produced the film Soul of A People: Writing America’s Story, about the country as seen by people on the WPA Writers’ Project, which aired on the Smithsonian Channel and was nominated for a 2010 Writers Guild award. He also wrote the companion book, Soul of a People, which was named a Best Book of 2009 by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. In addition to other television documentaries, Taylor writes for The Washington Post, The American Scholar, Outside, and Oxford American. He’s also the author of the adventurous cultural history, Ginseng, the Divine Root, and a collection of short fiction, Success: Stories, which was a finalist for the Library of Virginia Literary Award in Fiction.
Specialties: Under-the-radar narratives in American history, science, and the writing process
Experience: I have given book talks to audiences in libraries, book stores and museums to groups of up to several hundred, from Florida north to Boston, and from Washington, DC west to Denver. I have presented individually and with panels at state book festivals in six states. At the National Book Festival in September 2009, I spoke to a live audience of 800 and an additional national tv audience on BookTV. I have also been interviewed for NPR three times..
Contact Details: Learn more about David on LinkedIn, http://www.davidataylor.org/, or http://www.soulofapeople.blogspot.com/. See the trailer for his documentary film at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTP31Z-0h9k. Contact David at dataylor@igc.org.
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Join the AIW Speakers Bureau
If you’re an AIW member in good standing, you’re eligible to join the AIW Speakers Bureau! To be added, just e-mail the following information to kristen@amerindywriters.org with SPEAKERS BUREAU in the subject line:
- Cropped photo no more than 70k in size (you can use http://picnik.com for free to edit your photo)
- 3- to 4-sentence biosketch, including topics you specialize in
- Summary of previous speaking experience
- Links to your website/blog/LinkedIn profile, etc
- The e-mail address organizations should use to contact you
