2009 SNCR Fellows
February 2, 2009 | 5 Comments
Connie Bensen is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and a key voice among community managers. Her blog is recognized as a leading resource for those involved in community building. She is presently working as Community Strategist for Techrigy SM2, a social media monitoring tool. Connie has provided leadership in providing information & connecting social media practitioners across a variety of social networks ranging from Facebook, Friendfeed to Twitter. She also provides mentorship & contributes to best practices in community management. Connie has presented at a number of conferences & will be speaking at a number of events in 2009 on an international level. Connie blogs at CommunityStrategist.com, MarketingTwo.com, and blog.Techrigy.com. She has previously worked with Network Solutions, Inc and ACD Systems. Prior to joining ACD Systems, Connie spent nine years on the brick and mortar side of community building in public library administration, marketing and public relations.
Andria Y. Carter is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and the online editor with Trentonian.com. She is responsible for the editorial and multimedia content published on the web site and co-manages the newsroom for the print side as well. Ms. Carter is a veteran journalist with over 19 years of experience having worked at several newspapers including The Asbury Park Press, Neptune, N.J.; The Pocono Record, Stroudsburg, Pa.; and The Cincinnati Herald, Cincinnati, Ohio. She has also freelanced with several regional and national magazines. The guiding force of her news philosophy is a motto given to her as a cub reporter, “If it’s news today, it’s news to us.” She holds a journalism degree from Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. A believer in being a true participant in the community, she serves on a number of community boards. Currently, she is a participating member or board member of the following trade organizations: Online News Association, Junior League of Greater Princeton (co-development chair) and Central Board of Junior Achievement of New Jersey. Throughout her career Andria has won several awards and honors including: Communications Careers Video-Films Media Group; Minority Fellowship-Newspaper Association of America; The James K. Batten Leadership and Career Development Fellowship-Newspaper Association of America; 2003 LifeCenter Media Award; Women in Communications-Cincinnati Chapter’s 2001 Gem Award for Journalistic Excellence; 2001 Applause! Magazine Imagemaker Award for Communications; and 1993 Keystone Press Award.
Marcia L. Conner Marcia L. Conner is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. She works at the intersection of social media and learning to create nimble solutions that appeal to digital natives while meeting the ongoing needs of talent across all generations. A former Fortune 500 learning chief and co-author of Creating a Learning Culture (Cambridge University Press, 2004), she is managing director of Ageless Learner and writes the Fast Company column “Learn At All Levels.” Marcia was Vice President of Education and Information Futurist for PeopleSoft, Senior Manager of Worldwide Training at Microsoft, helped take Wave Technologies public, and served as Editor in Chief of Learning in the New Economy magazine. She is also the author of Learn More Now (John Wiley & Sons, 2004) and contributes to dozens of publications including Leading Organizational Learning (Jossey-Bass/Leader to Leader Foundation, 2004) and Engaging Learning: Designing eLearning Simulation Games forward (Pfeiffer, 2005). She has appeared on ABC World News This Morning and speaks to groups about turning social media and learning into a competitive advantage, overcoming organizational learning disabilities, catalyzing the new digital learning style, and aligning education with dynamic business goals. As an advisor to public and private sector organizations she has worked with FedEx, the Gap, Verizon Wireless, American Express, The Home Depot, Mars, WD-40, CARE and other global employers to build clients’ market position, strengthen culture, and increase organizational IQ.
Mark Chrisman is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and Senior Instructional Designer for T-Mobile USA, where he focuses on eLearning, social media and mobile learning, as well as researching emerging trends in communication and technology. Mark has presented at numerous conferences for the eLearning Guild and has published articles for the Adobe Development Center and Training Magazine. He also started and manages an Adobe Users Group in Seattle and actively participates in the group Seattle Lunch 2.0, which focuses on emerging technology companies. His experience also includes developing enterprise-wide learning programs for Seattle Children’s Hospital and Regence BlueCross BlueShield. Mark holds a B.S. degree in Mass Communications and Fine Art from Towson University, Baltimore, Maryland and a Multimedia Certificate from the University of Washington. He enjoys biking, blogging, playing guitar, programming drumbeats and playing with his two sons.
Vanessa DiMauro is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and the CEO of Leader Networks. A pioneer in business-to-business community building, Vanessa has been creating successful virtual communities and networks for more than fifteen years. Vanessa is a popular speaker, researcher and author on the topics of online communities, social and professional networking online, and Web 2.0 for businesses. With a research background, Vanessa takes the approach of a cultural anthropologist to help businesses use social networking and online community building to help companies get closer to their customers, generate revenue and tangible ROI. She has founded and run leading online professional communities such as Cambridge Information Network (CIN) for Cambridge Technology Partners, Computerworld Executive Suite and CXO Systems’ Peer Visibility Network. Vanessa also serves as an Executive- In-Residence at Babson College, for the Olin School of Management. She has led executive education courses at UCLA, the University of Miami and at the University of Chicago. Women in Technology International (WITI) named Vanessa DiMauro one of “Boston’s Most Influential Women in Technology” and The Advisory Council (TAC) has chosen her as one of their Thought Leaders – leading practitioners who provide guidance on their areas of expertise. She holds both a B.A. and an M.A. from Boston College.
Laura “@Pistachio” Fitton is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and Laura is leading the charge of sussing out intelligent and productive business uses of emergent technologies like Twitter, where she is read by thousands of community members. The first to publish a white paper on “Enterprise Microsharing” (popularly called “Internal Twitter”) she also writes for and runs the TouchBase blog and is an early beta tester of Seesmic and Qik. She re-launched Pistachio Consulting in September 2008 to connect businesses to new ideas and innovations using all the tools of microsharing. Pistachio comprises the TouchBase blog (covering business use of microsharing), the TouchBase Link Blog (stream of Twitter and microsharing articles for businesspeople, wherever they are published), serves clients like Ford Motor Corporation, PeopleBrowsr, The Sister Project, Transplant-1 and CommuNteligence, and is writing Twitter for Dummies for Wiley publishing, due May 2009. Laura’s innovative use of social media has gotten the attention of the top minds in technology, as profiled by Naked Conversations author Shel Israel for his Global Survey. Her work is featured in five books published in 2008 including Seth Godin’s Tribes, Liz Lynch’s Smart Networking, Paul Gillin’s Secrets of Social Media Marketing, and Julio Ojeda’s Twitter Means Business. Laura has also been quoted in The New York Times Magazine, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, The LA Times, Newsweek.com, Inc.com, CIO Magazine, CNET, ZDNet, ComputerWorld and many other magazines, publications, web shows and blogs. She speaks on business use of microsharing for private clients and at technology conferences. She has guest lectured at Bentley College, Clemson and Emerson. Laura is a magna cum laude graduate of Cornell University’s eclectic College Scholar program. In “past lives” she studied science writing with Carl Sagan, rock climbed, sailed on a schooner, raised a niece, ran a hobby farm, traveled and lived abroad. Today she lives in Boston with two toddler daughters and a giant Leonberger. She practices Ashtanga yoga and plays ice hockey in her “spare” time, and is a stroke survivor dedicated to raising awareness.
R. Craig Lefebvre, PhD is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and an architect and designer of public health and social change programs. His recent work has focused on the use of new media in social marketing and health communication programs. He is an Adjunct Professor of Prevention and Community Health at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and was the Chief Technical Officer at Population Services International (PSI) where he led PSI’s technical teams in capacity-building, HIV, malaria, child survival and clean water programs, reproductive health, and social marketing as well as its research and metrics functions. He also blogs at On Social Marketing and Social Change (http://socialmarketing.blogs.com). An internationally recognized expert in social marketing and health communication, Craig’s work has addressed a multitude of health risks, aimed at various diverse audiences, and often featuring local implementation strategies. He is the author of over 60 peer reviewed articles and chapters in the areas of community health promotion, social marketing and behavioral medicine and has made over 175 presentations at professional meetings and invited venues. His professional service includes the Technical Expert Panel – Assessment of the Healthy People Objective-setting Framework and Process; the Behavior Change Expert Panel for the National Bone Health Campaign; Program Chair of the 2003 Innovations in Social Marketing Conference; participation on two National Cancer Institute Special Emphasis Review Panels for Centers of Excellence in Cancer Communications Research; Advisory Board of the Social Marketing Institute; National Advisory Committee, University of South Florida, College of Public Health’s Prevention Research Center; Co-editor of Social Marketing Quarterly; and Founding Member of the Health Communication Focus Area Working Group, Healthy People 2010. Dr. Lefebvre has held faculty appointments at the University of Virginia, Brown University, Johns Hopkins University and the University of South Florida. He was elected a member of the American Academy of Health Behavior in 2003 and a Fellow in the Council on Epidemiology and Preventive Cardiology, American Heart Association in 1988. His work has earned him the William D. Novelli Award for Innovations in Social Marketing with the NCI’s 5 A Day media campaign and a Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America for the USDA Team Nutrition program. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from North Texas State University and completed post-doctoral fellowships in Behavioral Medicine at the University of Virginia and the University of Pittsburgh.
Geoff Livingston is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. He has worked as a public relations strategist in the Washington, D.C. region for 15 years. Geoff’s award-winning book on new media Now is Gone was released in 2007. The book has been cited by the Wall Street Journal as a valuable resource for social media. Some of his experiences at Livingston Communications include Bartleby Books, United Way, Save Darfur, Network Solutions, the Consumer Electronics Association, Ford Motor Company, the Washington Nationals, Network Solutions, Sully Erna (Godsmack lead singer), Verizon Wireless and many others.
Gaurav Mishra is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. He is also the Yahoo! Fellow in International Values, Communications, Technology, and Global Internet for the academic year 2008-09 at Georgetown University, where he is responsible for leading research on social media and mobile use in the BRIC countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China. Gaurav is teaching a graduate course at Georgetown on “Social Media in Business, Development and Government” in Spring 2009. He is serving as the Yahoo! Fellow on sabbatical from his role of Assistant General Manager (Brand Head Indica) at Tata Motors, where his responsibilities included managing national level sales and marketing, and developing traditional and digital marketing programs for Indica. Gaurav writes a popular blog on how social media and mobile technologies are changing media, business, development and government, especially in emerging economies like India and China. He is also frequently quoted in the Indian and international press as an authority on the social media scene in India.
John Quinn is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and a 30-year media veteran. He presently manages Public Affairs Marketing for ABC affiliate WJLA-TV, Washington, DC. Before joining the station in July of 1995, he enjoyed a successful first-try as a political campaign manager in St. Louis and served as Director of Advertising and Promotion for WRQX, the Disney/ABC owned and operated FM Radio property serving our Nation’s Capital and was a volunteer with the 2008 presidential campaign. John is the winner of two PROMAX INTERNATIONAL Gold Medallion Awards for “Most Innovative Radio Promotion,” “Outstanding Consumer Television Promotion” two consecutive Achievement In Radio (A.I.R.) awards for “Best Audience Promotion,” and two Capital Region PSA Emmy nominations and three national Telly Awards for video production and an award from the National Assoc. of Black Journalists, St. Louis and TelevisionWeek magazine’s 2008 Marketing Maverick award. In 1998, he produced a long-form video presentation for a White House Summit on Retirement Savings and was later tapped as media consultant for the Society of American Foresters’ national public and media relations effort. John has served on the PSA advisor committee for the National American Red Cross. Quinn’s multi-media career is highlighted by his role in many successful events around the country from entertainment and sports to cause related initiatives. John is presently working on public awareness campaigns for Germany, South Korea, Taiwan, The Netherlands and Kazakhstan. He has received numerous citations for his involvement with local and national organizations. John has served as a judge for the Emmy Awards, National Association of Women in Television & Film Imagemakers, The National Association of Broadcasters’ Crystal Awards and is an active member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Susanne Rockwell is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and Web editor for University Communications at the University of California, Davis. As editor for UC Davis’ home pages, news pages and social media sites, Rockwell has become a champion for high-quality Web content across the UC system. She helps lead annual workshops for UC campus communicators and, at UC Davis, teaches staff classes on Web writing and communication and advanced Web applications. Rockwell has also organized the first campus workshop on social media tools to further the university’s goals of engagement with its students, alumni, faculty and the public. Beyond education, Rockwell has served as an advocate for the non-technical Web staff at UC Davis as the editorial representative in a campus-wide initiative to establish a Web content management system. In the past two decades at UC Davis, she has served as the faculty-staff newspaper editor, a public information representative representing the humanities and social sciences and the unit’s Web editor. Rockwell’s career in the communication field spans 34 years, including 15 years as a reporter and editor at various California newspapers. She holds a Bachelor of Art degree in International Relations and a Master of Art degree in Rhetoric and Communication, both from UC Davis.
Todd Van Hoosear is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and senior analyst for SocialSphere Strategies. Outside of SocialSphere, Todd is very active in both the offline and online community. As a member of the Social Media Club’s Board of Directors, Todd is shaping the organization’s ability to help consumers be responsible and informed citizens in the new media world. His thought leadership is extended to IABC’s Social Media Release Working Group, where he is working closely with the media, public relations and microformats communities to establish a standard way of distributing ‘official’ organizational communications through blogs and RSS technology. As founder of the Boston Social Media Club, Todd speaks regularly about social media and digital communications trends, including recent presentations to several local universities, the Yankee IABC, the Public Relations Society of America and the American Marketing Association, among many others. Proving that Todd has a life outside Web 2.0 and social media, he is an avid rock climber, bicyclist and photographer, and will occasionally be seen trying to do two of these at the same time. Todd blogs at SocialSphere and http://morethanmarketing.net.
Dr. Tamara L. Wandel is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. A past public relations director and journalist in New York, she now enjoys her work as an Assistant Professor in Communication teaching media writing, strategic public relations, integrated communication campaigns and news copyediting at the University of Evansville. Through service-learning projects, she and her students have been awarded grants from national sources such as the Maurice R. Robinson Constitutional Rights Foundation. Her research on both public relations teaching pedagogy and communication within online social networks has been published in several peer-reviewed journals and recent books. Her current research endeavors include two independent studies related to online social networking. The first is a co-research exploration of authenticity within the Facebook community, specifically how one’s self-portraiture in an online environment can facilitate or hinder communication. The second deals with online communication disclosure as it correlates to the bereavement process. Dr. Wandel has had the pleasure of presenting her research in as small of a venue as a historic southern Indiana library and as large of a venue as the World Communication Association’s conference in Australia. Dr. Wandel is a MarCom Creative Award Winner for her work in service-learning and media relations and is APR-accredited through the Public Relations Society of America. She is under contract with Wadsworth Publishing to complete a public relations and media writing textbook.
Charlotte Ziems is a 2009 Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and vice president, client engagement, at Tendo Communications. She has more than 20 years of experience in publishing, business management, and market research. A former high-tech publishing executive, Charlotte served as vice president of InfoWorld’s Test Center, founded InfoWorld Consulting Services, and held executive editorial positions at publications including Computerworld, PC Resource, PC/Computing, PC Week, and Computer Shopper. Charlotte came to Tendo after serving as vice president of research and operations at Guidewire Group, an analyst firm that focuses on entrepreneurial companies and emerging markets. At Guidewire, Charlotte defined and built information products that leveraged the company’s unique process for reviewing early-stage companies. Prior to Guidewire, Charlotte consulted with a number of firms, including The Curious Company/kate spade, Chevron, and Fuzhen Corp., researching and identifying customer needs to drive business strategy. At Tendo, Charlotte manages editorial strategy and content projects for Hewlett-Packard and O’Reilly and Danko. Her passion is social media and community development and helping companies shift from “interrupt marketing” to conversational marketing. She holds a B.A. in English from the University of Virginia and is an avid equestrian and gardener.
SNCR Founding Fellows
January 15, 2008 | 17 Comments
Elizabeth Albrycht is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research, and a co-founder of New Communications Forum. Elizabeth is a 17-year veteran of high technology public relations practice, with an expertise in participatory communications and social media garnered over the past four years as an independent consultant for European and US-based clients. She has authored multiple articles on blogging, RSS and other new tools for industry trade publications, and has presented teleseminars and in-person seminars on new communications tools for PRSA and Ragan Communications. She blogs about PR and corporate communications at CorporatePR and is a member of the Corante Marketing Hub. Elizabeth is currently lecturing at the Institut Supérieur de Communication (ISCOM) in Paris, France, and is a doctoral student at the European Graduate School.
Constantin Basturea is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. Mr. Basturea is director, New Media Strategies for Converseon and the author of ‘PR meets the WWW’ blog. He was a co-organizer of the Global PR Blog Week, the first virtual conference on the impact of personal publishing on PR, and is the founder of NewPR Wiki, a collaborative space hosting online communication projects and resources. He has worked as an Assistant to President’s Advisor for Nonprofit Organizations in his native country, Romania. Mr. Basturea holds a Master’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Miami.
Elisa Camahort is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. Ms. Camahort is the co-founder of BlogHer. Elisa has more than 15 years of experience in marketing, has been published numerous times and has extensive public speaking experience. Most recently, she has presented on the “What, Why and How of Blogging” to various technology and marketing organizations. Elisa is an avid personal, political and business blogger, currently maintaining no less than seven blogs on a highly active basis.
John Cass is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and the author of Strategies and Tools for Corporate Blogging. He was 2005/6 President of the Boston Chapter of the American Marketing Association. In 2005, Mr. Cass was lead author of the ‘Corporate Blogging: Is It Worth The Hype?” study and website on the value and benefits of corporate blogging and jointly authored the 2006 Backbone Media Blogging Success study with Dr. Walter Carl of Northeastern University. John has been blogging at his PR Communications blog since 2003.
Elizabeth Fairbanks-Fletcher, Esq. is a Research Fellow, Chair of the New Communications Law committee and a member of the Board of Directors of the Society for New Communications Research. Ms. Fairbanks-Fletcher is a New York State licensed attorney and a tax accountant. She holds a J.D. from Albany Law School in Albany, NY, graduating in the Top 27% of the her class. She graduated summa cum laude from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY with a BS in Accounting. Most recently, she worked for the Department of Justice. She is a past recipient of the State Farm Outstanding Student Fellowship, Guistwhite Scholar, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants Award for Superior Scholarship in Accounting Studies, and All-New York State First Academic Team, among others. In 2003, she was selected for the Department of Justice Attorney General’s Honors Program. In addition to these accreditations, she served on the advisory committee for the International Nanocasting Alliance and is a member of the board of directors and research fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. She also chairs the Society’s Communications Law committee. She worked as an editor and journalist for Gannett Newspapers and is the founder/publisher of Rhythm & News magazine. She blogs and hosts a podcast at Blawgher.com when she’s not working her day job at the Law Offices of Elizabeth L. Fairbanks-Fletcher, PLLC.
Dan Farber is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. Mr. Farber is vice-president of editorial at CNET Networks and editor in chief of ZDNet. Dan has more than 20 years of experience as an editor and journalist covering technology. He joined ZDNet in 1996, and led the development of ZDNet’s worldwide network of more than 70 technology-focused sites. Prior to joining ZDNet, Dan served as vice president and editor-in-chief at Ziff-Davis’ flagship computing news publications, PC Week and MacWeek. He was also a founding editor at MacWorld and part of the editorial staffs of PC World and PC Magazine.
Dan Forbush is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. Mr. Forbush founded ProfNet, PR Newswire’s expert resource for journalists, in 1992 and continues to serve as president. In 2004, he converted his Media Insider webzine to a blog and recently launched the CollaborativePR wiki. In a more speculative venture, Forbush has founded Old North Church, Inc. as a producer of collaborative Web-based entertainments. With 30 years of experience in academic PR, Dan was named by PR Week as one of the 100 most influential PR people of the 20th century.
Tom Foremski is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. Mr. Foremski left the Financial Times as a full-time reporter and columnist in June 2004. He had joined the FT as a full time US tech correspondent and Silicon Valley columnist in 1999 when it was launching its push into the US market. Tom is still contributing a “View from the Valley” column for the FT, but his main focus is now on the popular Silicon Valley Watcher blog.
Robert French is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. He has worked in various PR/Marcom related practices for 20 years. He is currently a Technology Advisor/Instructor at Auburn University in Alabama (USA), and has created several blogs and wikis to complement the classes he teaches in public relations. Robert earned a Masters Degree in Public Relations/Communication. He has done concert promotion, special events management, media relations, fund-raising and even directed student activities for two large state universities. His experiences range from technology/opensource to radio & video production/station management and public relations/marcom activities for non-profits and state universities. Robert has a blog for classes and PR comments at infOpinions hosted on his AuburnMedia.com site.
Phil Gomes is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. Mr. Gomes is Edelman’s senior counsel, online communications. Phil enjoys wide industry recognition as an expert on the intersection of emerging media technologies and corporate communications, having been quoted in Release 1.0, PR News, Ragan’s Media Relations Report, San Jose Mercury News, Electronic Business, San Francisco Magazine, and other outlets. As a speaker on this topic, Phil has presented to the Forbes Forum For Dynamic Mid-Sized Companies, the PRSA, BusinessWire’s Media Breakfast Series, SFSU, and Golden Gate University. His MediaMap ExpertPR article, “Using RSS for Corporate Communications,” has been widely referenced as one of the very first texts that describe the PR potential of online syndication techniques. Over the past nine years, Phil has gained a comprehensive familiarity with several key technology sectors, including semiconductors, data storage, consumer electronics, open-source software, R&D, enterprise software, and PC hardware, as well as vertical industries such as pharmaceuticals, materials and energy. Phil’s work has not only resulted in greatly heightened publicity for his clients, but increased business development for them as well. His successful career in corporate communications is characterized by his passionate interest in technology, media and emerging forms of communications. Phil received a B.A. in communications from Saint Mary’s College of California, graduating at the top of his department. He blogs at Philgomes.com.
Neville Hobson, ABC, is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. Mr. Hobson has 25 years of experience in organizational communication, including public and media relations, marketing communication, employee, compensation and benefits communication as well as investor and financial relations. He helps companies use effective communication to achieve their business goals. For more than 15 years he has been a passionate advocate for new and emerging technology tools and channels and how they can be deployed as highly-effective agents of change in better aligning organizational needs with the marketplace and the needs of customers. He was VP corporate communication at Scala Business Solutions NV. During the 1990s, Neville worked for William M Mercer Ltd (an actuarial, employee benefits, compensation and HR management consulting firm) in the UK. Neville spent five years as a UK-based independent communication practitioner and project leader, an Internet and intranet evangelist, website developer, software tester, freelance copywriter and editor on technology-related topics. In the 1980s, Neville lived in Costa Rica, where he was co-founder and principal of Communication Advisers Ltd, a PR, advertising and marketing communication agency. He authors NevOn, a weblog with commentary and opinion on business communication and technology. Through his blog and his growing network of influence, and in speaking at conferences and other events, he advocates how new communication channels such as weblogs, wikis and RSS can be of significant benefit to organizations in helping them achieve their business objectives.
Shel Holtz, ABC is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. Mr. Holtz is principal of Holtz Communication + Technology. He has been advising companies on how to use online tools for public relations and corporate communications since 1996. Before that, he was a communications consultant and practice leader for Alexander & Alexander Consulting Group. He has also been director of corporate communications at two Fortune 500 companies, Mattel and Allergan. He is the author of several books, including “Public Relations on the Net,” “The Intranet Advantage,” and “Corporate Conversations.” He’s on the Web at www.holtz.com and blogs at blog.holtz.com.
Steve King is a Founding Fellow and a member of the board of directors of the Society for New Communications Research. Mr. King is a partner of Emergent Research, and Senior Advisor to the Institute for the Future (IFTF). His current research is focused on understanding how the Internet, new media and social networks are impacting marketing and communications. Steve has more than 25 years of industry and consulting experience. He has held a number of corporate executive, general management, and marketing positions including vice president of corporate marketing for Macromedia, vice president and general manager Asia-Pacific for Lotus Development Corporation, and vice president of marketing for Isys Corporation. Steve has served on the fiduciary or advisory boards of more than a dozen companies, and has served as interim CEO for five early stage technology firms. Steve King holds an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business and a BS from the University of Richmond.
Kathy Klotz-Guest, MA, MBA is a Founding Fellow and Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Society for New Communications Research. She has 15 years of marketing experience and a background in sketch comedy (including a cable show) and improvisation. Kathy has worked with Silicon Graphics, Dataquest, Gartner Group, MediaMetrix, Excite, Excite@Home, and Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network managing teams and launching products and brands. An author and occasional cartoonist, Kathy has published in Silicon Valley Biz Ink, The East Bay Business Times, MarketingProfs, and is a regular blog contributor to the New Communications Blogzine. Her business has also been featured in San Jose Mercury News. She founded Powerfully Funny in 2004 to help individuals and organizations of any size improve the impact of their marketing and communications through the use of humor. Clients include Cisco, IBM, PowerGenix Systems, Applied Signal Technology, SmoothSale, Positive Impact Partner, The Foot Rescue, W3-Studio, Stanford University, Stanford Hospital, Spherion, San Jose State School of Nursing, DeAnza College, CRONA and Fremont Union High School District among other organizations. A board member of the Silicon Valley AMA (American Marketing Association) and member of the National Speakers Association, Kathy has an MA and MBA from UC Berkeley, is currently working on her Masters in Liberal Arts at Stanford University and is an instructor for graduate and undergraduate marketing at the University of Phoenix in San Jose.
Bruce Lowry is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. Mr. Lowry is communications director for the Skoll Foundation, the philanthropic organization established by eBay’s first president, Jeff Skoll, to promote social entrepreneurship. Prior to joining the Skoll Foundation, Mr. Lowry headed up global public relations for Novell, a $1 billion plus enterprise software firm that transitioned from a traditional proprietary model to commercialization of open source software. Before joining Novell in 1999, Lowry spent nearly 14 years in the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer, specializing in economics. He headed up the Ukraine Desk in 1998-1999. From 1994-1997, he served as the Financial Attach in the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Earlier assignments included a position as special assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, providing policy advice and political and economic analysis on G-7, European Union, Middle East, and African economic developments; a stint in the State Department’s Office of European Union and Regional Affairs; and a position as staff assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs in 1990-91. Lowry’s initial overseas assignments with the Department were a 1988-1990 stint as a political/economic office in Mbabane, Swaziland, and a 1986-87 tour in Saudi Arabia as a consular officer. Lowry is a member of the Pacific Council for International Policy and on the advisory board of Business for Diplomatic Action. He received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Pomona College and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Mike Manuel is a Founding Fellow and Chairman of the Best Practices committee of the Society for New Communications Research. Mr. Manuel is a communications strategist with seven years of technology public relations, journalism and marketing experience. He spearheads Voce Communications’ Digital Advocacy practice, consulting clients on a variety of online communication programs with a particular focus on integrating social media and influencer marketing strategies with traditional media campaigns. He is also the author of Media Guerrilla, an award-winning weblog that follows Silicon Valley PR and marketing news.
Matthew Podboy is a Founding Fellow and Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Society for New Communications Research. Mr. Podboy is a founder and client supervisor at Voce Communications. Matt has led communications programs for established brands and emerging private sector companies in a variety of markets including online collaboration, P2P, security, and data storage. Matt’s focus on infrastructure and consumer technology allows him to provide strategic positioning, corporate and product market introductions, corporate communications counsel, as well as competitive positioning for a variety of related technologies. He maintains strong relationships with key business media, trade media, market and financial analysts by bringing outside ideas, trends and perspective to media engagements. Recently Matt has focused on implementing online communication tools such as blogs and wikis to expand client programs and build more dynamic interaction with key market influencers. In addition, he has helped establish a significant platform for Voce as leaders in Digital Advocacy counsel for clients. Prior to Voce, Matt worked at Weber Shandwick where he helped manage public relations programs for global company Compaq, test and measurement leader Fluke Corporation, and various emerging technology companies. Previously, Matt held several in-house public relations roles for companies in Santa Barbara, California. Matt graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in psychology. His blog is Active Voice.
Giovanni Rodriguez is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research and a noted consultant, author and speaker on public relations and corporate leadership. He is chairman and co-founder of The Conversation Group, a new global consultancy devoted to the art, science, and practical application of social media, working with clients and partners as diverse as Technorati, Ogilvy, and global-software giant SAP. A popular speaker on the social-media circuit, Giovanni has instigated an ongoing debate about the future of the PR profession. His work and opinion have been featured in numerous publications including PRWeek, Brandweek, BusinessWeek and Forbes. He is a graduate of Princeton University.
Philip Young is a Founding Fellow of the Society for New Communications Research. He is senior lecturer in Journalism and Public Relations at the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom, specializing in media ethics. He runs the Mediations blog.
Research Fellows / Advisory Board
July 18, 2005 | Leave a Comment
Tom Abate is a writer and business man. A former small press publisher, he studied for a Master’s Degree in Journalism at Columbia University where, in 1991, he won a Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship. Tom has worked in San Francisco newspapers since 1992, covering science, technology, biotechnology and economics. From 1980 through 1990, he co-founded a now-defunct typography firm and an alternative paper, the Northcoast Journal, still published (under new ownership) in Arcata, California. A Brooklyn native and U.S. Navy veteran, Tom studied political science and Mandarin Chinese at UC Berkeley, where he edited the campus paper, The Daily Californian. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife Mia Ousley, their sons, Julius and Aeneas, and daughter, AnaSofia. Tom blogs at MiniMediaGuy.
Elizabeth Albrycht is a 15-year veteran of high technology public relations practice and co-founder and co-producer of the New Communications Forum, a conference series designed to bring journalists and marketing and PR professionals together to learn how to use participatory communications tools. She has authored articles on blogging, RSS and other new tools for PRSA’s Tactics magazine, the IABC’s CW Bulletin, the New Communications Blogzine and the Future of Work eNewsletter, and has presented teleseminars and in-person seminars on new communications tools for PRSA. She is a member of the Future of Work, PRSA and the IAOC. She blogs at CorporatePR and is the editor of Future Tense, a Corante blog that explores the future of work. Elizabeth was recently named one of the most influential PR bloggers by Intelliseek.
Elisa Camahort is founder and Queen Bee of Worker Bees: Buzz Marketing & More and the co-founder of the BlogHer Conference. Elisa has more than 15 years of experience in marketing, has been published numerous times and has extensive public speaking experience. Most recently, she has presented on the “What, Why and How of Blogging” to various technology and marketing organizations. Elisa is an avid personal, political and business blogger, currently maintaining no less than seven blogs on a highly active basis.
Maurene Caplan Grey is the founder, principal analyst of Grey Consulting. Prior to starting an independent firm, Ms. Grey was Gartner’s lead analyst on messaging, calendaring/scheduling and human communications. Earlier, she headed United Parcel Service’s global messaging environment. With more than 20 years in the IT space, Ms. Grey is recognized within the IT corporate and vendor community as a subject matter expert. She has been widely quoted in print and broadcast media, such as the AP, CNN, Forbes, The New York Times, Reuters and The Wall Street Journal. Ms. Grey is a frequent contributor to New Communications Review and Collaboration Loop. She also serves on the Association of Records Managers & Administrators International – ARMA International (ARMA) collaborative environment task force. Ms. Grey is a member of the Association of Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction (ACM SIGCHI) and the Open Collaboration Forum. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, summa cum laude, from the University of Pittsburgh, and completed post-graduate work in computer science at Fairleigh Dickinson University.
John Cass is the director of Internet Marketing Strategies for Backbone Media, Inc., a search engine marketing and web design agency based in Boston. Cass was lead author on Corporate Blogging: Is It Worth The Hype? a 70-page study and website on the value and benefits of corporate blogging. John has been quoted in a number of national publications on the topic of blogging and corporate blogging including Florida Sun-Sentinel, Chicago Tribune and L.A. Times. He is the 2005/6 president of the Boston Chapter of the American Marketing Association. He has been blogging at his PR Communications blog since 2003, and now runs the blog, Blogsurvey at Backbone Media.
Karen Christensen is CEO of Berkshire Publishing Group and has an extensive background in trade and academic publishing on both sides of the Atlantic. Karen’s primary responsibility is bringing together global teams and building productive relationships with experts and organizations around the world. Karen also focuses on extending the company’s U.S. business networks and developing connections – guanxi – in Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Karen has been involved in regional and national IT business organizations and initiated the Berkshire Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction, edited by William Bainbridge of the National Science Foundation, and is developing further technology projects. For almost five years she served on the Berkshire Hills Regional School Committee, where she was involved in curriculum alignment, library development, and technology applications for teachers and students. In addition, Karen is an award-winning author and writes two blogs Berkshire Blog and the Armchair Environmentalist.
Steve Crescenzo has helped thousands of communicators improve both their print and electronic communication efforts. A former editor of The Ragan Report, he now heads Crescenzo Communications, Inc., a full-service consulting firm specializing in employee communications. Recognized as one of the nation’s leading experts in employee publications, Crescenzo has taught seminars at IABC’s International Conferences and chapter and district events throughout America and Europe. Steve recently was voted the Number One-Rated Speaker at the 2003 IABC International Conference in Toronto. He currently works on four communication-related publications. He is a senior editor and columnist for both The Ragan Report and The Journal of Employee Communication Management, and a columnist and contributing writer for Corporate Writer and Editor.
Elizabeth L. Fletcher, Esq. is a New York State licensed attorney, and a tax accountant. She holds a J.D. from Albany Law School in Albany, NY, graduating in the Top 27% of the her class. She graduated summa cum laude from Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY with a BS in Accounting. Most recently, she worked for the Department of Justice. She is a past recipient of the State Farm Outstanding Student Fellowship, Guistwhite Scholar, the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants Award for Superior Scholarship in Accounting Studies, and All-New York State First Academic Team, among others. In 2003, she was selected for the Department of Justice Attorney General’s Honors Program. In addition to these accreditations, she served on the advisory committee for the International Nanocasting Alliance, worked as an editor and journalist for Gannett Newspapers, and founded/published Rhythm & News magazine. She currently blogs and hosts a podcast at Blawgzine.com when she’s not working her day job at the Fletcher Law Firm.
Dan Forbush founded ProfNet, PR Newswire’s expert resource for journalists, in 1992 and continues to serve as president. In 2004, he converted his Media Insider webzine to a blog and recently launched the CollaborativePR wiki. In a more speculative venture, Forbush has founded Old North Church, Inc. as a producer of collaborative Web-based entertainments. With 30 years of experience in academic PR, Dan was named by PR Week as one of the 100 most influential PR people of the 20th century.
Tom Foremski left the Financial Times as a full-time reporter and columnist in June 2004. He had joined the FT as a full time US tech correspondent and Silicon Valley columnist in 1999 when it was launching its push into the US market. Tom is still contributing a “View from the Valley” column for the FT, but his main focus is now on the popular Silicon Valley Watcher blog.
Robert French has worked in various PR/Marcom related practices for 20 years. He is currently a Technology Advisor/Instructor at Auburn University in Alabama (USA), and has created several blogs and wikis to complement the classes he teaches in public relations. Robert earned a Masters Degree in Public Relations/Communication. He has done concert promotion, special events management, media relations, fund-raising and even directed student activities for two large state universities. His experiences range from technology/opensource to radio & video production/station management and public relations/marcom activities for non-profits and state universities. Robert has a blog for classes and PR comments at infOpinions hosted on his AuburnMedia.com site.
Phil Gomes is Edelman’s senior counsel, online communications. Phil enjoys wide industry recognition as an expert on the intersection of emerging media technologies and corporate communications, having been quoted in Release 1.0, PR News, Ragan’s Media Relations Report, San Jose Mercury News, Electronic Business, San Francisco Magazine, and other outlets. As a speaker on this topic, Phil has presented to the Forbes Forum For Dynamic Mid-Sized Companies, the PRSA, BusinessWire’s Media Breakfast Series, SFSU, and Golden Gate University. His MediaMap ExpertPR article, “Using RSS for Corporate Communications,” has been widely referenced as one of the very first texts that describe the PR potential of online syndication techniques. Over the past nine years, Phil has gained a comprehensive familiarity with several key technology sectors, including semiconductors, data storage, consumer electronics, open-source software, R&D, enterprise software, and PC hardware, as well as vertical industries such as pharmaceuticals, materials and energy. Phil’s work has not only resulted in greatly heightened publicity for his clients, but increased business development for them as well. His successful career in corporate communications is characterized by his passionate interest in technology, media and emerging forms of communications. Phil received a B.A. in communications from Saint Mary’s College of California, graduating at the top of his department, and is currently pursuing an M.A. in communications management from the USC’s Annenberg School For Communication. He blogs at Philgomes.com.
Neville Hobson, ABC, has 25 years of experience in organizational communication, including public and media relations, marketing communication, employee, compensation and benefits communication as well as investor and financial relations. He helps companies use effective communication to achieve their business goals. For more than 15 years he has been a passionate advocate for new and emerging technology tools and channels and how they can be deployed as highly-effective agents of change in better aligning organizational needs with the marketplace and the needs of customers. He was VP corporate communication at Scala Business Solutions NV. During the 1990s, Neville worked for William M Mercer Ltd (an actuarial, employee benefits, compensation and HR management consulting firm) in the UK. Neville spent five years as a UK-based independent communication practitioner and project leader, an Internet and intranet evangelist, website developer, software tester, freelance copywriter and editor on technology-related topics. In the 1980s, Neville lived in Costa Rica, where he was co-founder and principal of Communication Advisers Ltd, a PR, advertising and marketing communication agency. He authors NevOn, a weblog with commentary and opinion on business communication and technology. Through his blog and his growing network of influence, and in speaking at conferences and other events, he advocates how new communication channels such as weblogs, wikis and RSS can be of significant benefit to organizations in helping them achieve their business objectives.
Shel Holtz, ABC, is principal of Holtz Communication + Technology. Shel has been advising companies on how to use online tools for public relations and corporate communications since 1996. Before that, he was a communications consultant and practice leader for Alexander & Alexander Consulting Group. He has also been director of corporate communications at two Fortune 500 companies, Mattel and Allergan. He is the author of several books, including “Public Relations on the Net,” “The Intranet Advantage,” and “Corporate Conversations.” He’s on the Web at www.holtz.com and blogs at blog.holtz.com.
Dan Karleen is Thomson Peterson’s director of online product delivery and author of Syndication for Higher Ed, a blog exploring social media and micro-content in education and education marketing. He is the creator and administrator of Thomson Peterson’s Edufeeds.com, the largest collection of .edu syndicated feeds on the web, and the co-creator and producer of Podcasts@Peterson’s, a series of educational podcasts for students applying to college. In addition to work in journalism and broadcasting, Dan has more than 11 years of experience in programming, technology management and the development of large information databases and related products. A speaker on syndication technologies in education, Dan is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Organizational Dynamics at the University of Pennsylvania.
Louise Kehoe is an executive media communications consultant. In her consulting activities Louise draws on her many years of experience as a senior technology business journalist, most recently as the Financial Times’ senior technology commentator. As the former “dean of the Silicon Valley press corp†(an informal title conferred by her peers), Louise has superb media contacts and a deep understanding of how the press works. She spent much of her journalistic career at the Financial Times establishing the international newspaper’s editorial presence in the Silicon Valley in the early 1980s and going on to lead coverage of the rapidly growing and changing technology sector. She wrote extensively about high technology industries for more than 20 years. Prior to leaving the Financial Times in 2003, Louise wrote a weekly column in which she commented on a broad range of issues relating to the technology sector. She was also involved in the editorial development of the FT’s web site and acted as a consultant to the FT group managing director on the publishing group’s Internet strategy. Louise holds a Bachelor of Science (Hons.) degree in physics, from the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology.
Kathy Klotz-Guest, MA, MBA combines 14 years of marketing expertise with a background in sketch comedy (including a cable show) and improvisation to help clients “get noticed and get results.†She has worked with Silicon Graphics, Dataquest, Gartner Group, MediaMetrix, Excite, Excite@Home, and Joint Venture Silicon Valley Network managing teams and launching products and brands. An author and occasional cartoonist, Kathy has published in Silicon Valley Biz Ink, The East Bay Business Times, MarketingProfs, and is a regular blog contributor to the New Communications Blogzine. Her business has also been featured in San Jose Mercury News. She founded Powerfully Funny in 2004 to help individuals and organizations of any size improve the impact of their marketing and communications through the use of humor. Clients include Cisco, IBM, PowerGenix Systems, Applied Signal Technology, SmoothSale, Positive Impact Partner, The Foot Rescue, W3-Studio, Stanford University, Stanford Hospital, Spherion, San Jose State School of Nursing, DeAnza College, CRONA and Fremont Union High School District among other organizations. A board member of the Silicon Valley AMA (American Marketing Association) and member of the National Speakers Association, Kathy has an MA and MBA from UC Berkeley, is currently working on her Masters in Liberal Arts at Stanford University and is an instructor for graduate and undergraduate marketing at the University of Phoenix in San Jose.
Bruce Lowry heads up global public relations for Novell, a $1 billion plus enterprise software firm in mid-transition from a traditional proprietary model to commercialization of open source software. Prior to joining Novell in 1999, Lowry spent nearly 14 years in the State Department as a Foreign Service Officer, specializing in economics. He headed up the Ukraine Desk in 1998-1999. From 1994-1997, he served as the Financial Attach in the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Earlier assignments included a position as special assistant to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, providing policy advice and political and economic analysis on G-7, European Union, Middle East, and African economic developments; a stint in the State Department’s Office of European Union and Regional Affairs; and a position as staff assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Economic and Business Affairs in 1990-91. Lowry’s initial overseas assignments with the Department were a 1988-1990 stint as a political/economic office in Mbabane, Swaziland, and a 1986-87 tour in Saudi Arabia as a consular officer. Lowry is a member of the Pacific Council for International Policy and on the advisory board of Business for Diplomatic Action. He received a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Pomona College and a Master of Arts in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
Dianna Miller is an interaction designer at WebEx Communications and has been wearing a variety of hats in Silicon Valley for the past fifteen years. She’s designed interfaces for interactive TV products, web sites and web applications for companies such as Microsoft/WebTV Networks, Sun Microsystems, MetaTV, Apple Computer, Splash Technologies, and Disney. In 2003, she completed her Masters in Interaction Design at the Interaction Design Institute in Ivrea, Italy, where she focused on the consumer application of wearable computing in fashion. Interests include new design education and bringing design tools to the development of service ideas that use convergent technologies to support sustainable business models.
Mike Manuel is a communications strategist with seven years of technology public relations, journalism and marketing experience. Mike spearheads Voce Communications’ Digital Advocacy practice, consulting clients on a variety of online communication programs with a particular focus on integrating social media and influencer marketing strategies with traditional media campaigns. He is also the author of Media Guerrilla, an award-winning weblog that follows Silicon Valley PR and marketing news.
Matthew Podboy is a founder and client supervisor at Voce Communications. Matt has led communications programs for established brands and emerging private sector companies in a variety of markets including online collaboration, P2P, security, and data storage. Matt’s focus on infrastructure and consumer technology allows him to provide strategic positioning, corporate and product market introductions, corporate communications counsel, as well as competitive positioning for a variety of related technologies. He maintains strong relationships with key business media, trade media, market and financial analysts by bringing outside ideas, trends and perspective to media engagements. Recently Matt has focused on implementing online communication tools such as blogs and wikis to expand client programs and build more dynamic interaction with key market influencers. In addition, he has helped establish a significant platform for Voce as leaders in Digital Advocacy counsel for clients. Prior to Voce, Matt worked at Weber Shandwick where he helped manage public relations programs for global company Compaq, test and measurement leader Fluke Corporation, and various emerging technology companies. Previously, Matt held several in-house public relations roles for companies in Santa Barbara, California. Matt graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a degree in psychology. His blog is Active Voice.
Giovanni Rodriguez — Through a combination of luck and persistence, Giovanni has worked in the company of some of the most accomplished and colorful leaders in several worlds: the law, theater, and technology. Today, he is executive vice president at Eastwick Communications, a Silicon Valley PR agency, where he advises both emerging companies and market leaders on executive leadership, public speaking, communications strategy and new media. A leading evangelist for collaborative media, he launched the PR industry’s first agency-branded wiki for internal and external collaboration. He has worked for, consulted and advised numerous businesses and organizations including HP, Stanford University, Fujitsu Computer Systems, Cadence Design Systems, VMware, the American Arbitration Association, and the Unified Court System of New York. He is a graduate of Princeton University (Religion and Anthropology), and he has done graduate course work at the Columbia School of Journalism and N.Y.U. He is a frequent speaker on new media and collaboration, and his work has been noted in BusinessWeek, CNET, Brandweek and many others.
David Strom is one of the leading experts on network and Internet technologies and has written extensively on the topic for nearly 20 years for a wide variety of publications, including holding several editorial management positions for both print and online properties. His last position was editor-in-chief for Tom’s Hardware, which produced a series of technical Web properties, newsletters and other content involving computer enthusiast, gaming and IT industries. From 2002 to 2004, he held several roles in both print and online editorial management for CMP Media, including working at VAR Business and the Electronics Group. He help launch a series of vertical market electronics sites under the DesignLine series for automotive, power management, and wireless communications engineers. From 1992 to 2002, he ran his own freelance writing and consulting firm in Port Washington, NY. The firm was dedicated to improving the quality of networked products, explaining Internet technologies to corporate computing managers and helping early-stage Internet technology companies. In addition to his editorial work, Strom is also a frequent speaker, panel moderator and instructor at industry events and trade shows around the world. He has been a teacher, and has appeared on the Fox TV News Network, NPR’s Science Friday radio program, ABC-TV’s World News Tonight and CBS-TV’s Up to the Minute news broadcasts. For many years, he was on the program committee of the Interop trade show, and helped develop its first ecommerce educational workshops. He is the author of two books on email and home networking and maintains his blog at strominator.com.
Jean-Baptiste Su is the media and technology correspondent for La Tribune and managing editor, co-founder at International Media Publishing Group; columnist at L’Expansion et L’Etudiant, SocPresse-Le Figaro. Previously, he was the US correspondent at Groupe Tests, managing editor of the Network & Telecom section at Décision Informatique and an editor with IDG.
Debbie Weil is a corporate and CEO blogging consultant and author of The Corporate Blogging Book (Penguin Portfolio 2006). She also writes BlogWriteForCEOs, considered one of the most influential blogs about business blogging. As a consultant, she instructs executives on how to use blogs as a next-generation marketing and communications strategy. Debbie has a unique background as a veteran journalist with an MBA and corporate marketing experience. She has worked as an Internet marketing consultant with startups as well as Fortune 500 companies (including HP and Wells Fargo) for more than a decade. She’s the publisher of award-winning WordBiz Report, an e-newsletter read by nearly 20,000 subscribers in 87 countries. She has been quoted on the topic of corporate and CEO blogging in Fortune, the New York Times, BusinessWeek.com, the Washington Post and numerous other publications. A graduate of Harvard with a degree in English, she has an MBA from Georgetown University and a Masters in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin. She is based in Washington DC.
Philip Young is senior lecturer in Journalism and Public Relations at the University of Sunderland, United Kingdom, specialising in media ethics. He runs the Mediations blog.
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