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Speakers & Workshop Leaders
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Thurbert Baker
Attorney General
State of Georgia
Thurbert E. Baker has served as Georgia’s Attorney General since 1997. He has won three statewide elections for Attorney General, and in his most recent election, he carried 122 of Georgia’s 159 counties.
As Attorney General, Mr. Baker has focused on fighting crime, corruption and consumer fraud. He wrote both Georgia’s groundbreaking mortgage fraud statute as well as Georgia’s financial identity fraud statute, allowing law enforcement to break up and imprison fraud rings operating in Georgia. Mr. Baker has fought to protect Georgia’s children by proposing and successfully passing legislation that increased penalties for child pornographers and closed loopholes in our child pornography laws.
Prior to his service as Attorney General, Mr. Baker served five terms in the Georgia House of Representatives, including three terms as Floor Leader for then-Governor Zell Miller. During his time in the legislature, he authored legislation that created the HOPE scholarship program and enacted Georgia’s “Two Strikes and You’re Out” law that puts the worst repeat violent offenders in prison for life without parole.
Attorney General Baker received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and his law degree from Emory University School of Law. While at Chapel Hill, Mr. Baker was a member of the fencing team and the 1975 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) individual sabre champion. In 2002, the ACC recognized Mr. Baker as one of the top fencers in conference history.
Attorney General Baker has taken an active role in the National Association of Attorneys General, where he has been elected by his colleagues to serve as National President during the 2006-07 term. In the community, Attorney General Baker serves as a trustee for his church, Ebenezer Baptist Church, as well as on Emory University’s Board of Visitors. Attorney General Baker lives in Stone Mountain with his wife, Catherine, and their two daughters, Jocelyn and Chelsea. |
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Emma Allen
Emma Allen is the President of Emma Allen Enterprises and a seasoned banker of 23 years, Emma has been called the banker's banker and has coached, mentored and advised financial professionals across the country. Emma is an expert in the arena of principled leadership. She has developed a specialized niche that transcends traditional thinking and she shares her winning strategies for living your best life and attaining as well as maintaining financial independence with audiences across the country.
Emma has received numerous accolades including, The Maya Angelou Women Who Lead Award, The Thurgood Marshall Award, The Roddey foundation community leader award and the Charlotte Post People of Prominence Award. |
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Marjorie Barlow
Dr. Marjorie R. Barlow is a consultant to business and industry. She comes to her work with vast human development knowledge and skills born out of the crucible of a long lifetime. Her career includes thirty years of service to individuals and groups as a relationship mentor. Marj has done post-graduate training and education in organizational structures and development and she serves her world as a teacher, speaker, counselor, therapist, consultant, and Strengths Coach. Those who know her say she has a strong passion for learning, innovative change, creativity, synthesis of ideas, and facilitation of human relationships. Dr. Barlow has published two books, The Possible Woman and Couples Night Out. |
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Misti Burmeister
Misti Burmeister is the CEO and Founder of Inspirion Inc., best known for her work as an executive coach and generational diversity consultant. Her work focuses on coaching successful senior leaders in large organizations through leadership transitions due to promotions, new responsibilities, growth, reorganizations, and acquisitions. She bring over a decade of professional experience to her work with executives across the country in companies such as AT&T, Marriott, Johnson & Johnson Co.
Misti holds two bachelor’s degrees and a master’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado (UNC). While there, she was nominated as outstanding graduate student woman leader of the year and received recognition for academic excellence in Masters of Human Communication studies.
In 2007 Misti was selected as a finalist for the Elizabeth Dole Young Entrepreneur Scholarship for outstanding leadership in her community and entrepreneur ventures.
Misti was also awarded the International Femtor Award for Emerging Leaders by the eWomen Network. She has been named a Community Fellow of the Foundation for Community Leadership as an acknowledgement for her commitment and vision to empowering young people.
Throughout her career, Misti’s approach has been characterized by her understanding of the relationship between a successful business and the people behind it. |
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Deardra Campbell
Deardra Green-Campbell is Executive Director of Women's Economic Development Agency, Inc. (WEDA), an Atlanta, GA non-profit organization that assists women and minorities in achieving self-sufficiency through a focus on entrepreneurial development and economic literacy, a role she assumed in 2001 in an effort to channel her professional knowledge and skills for the benefit of those who, for a variety of reasons, have traditionally been deprived of access to wealth-building and related opportunities.
A career investments manager and banker, Ms. Green-Campbell has held a number of senior level positions with leading financial services institutions like NationsBank (now Bank of America), Dreyfus Investments and Charles Schwab & Co. It was during her twenty-plus year corporate tenure that she began to adopt the position that a majority of social ills, like crime, teenage pregnancy, drug and alcohol abuse, low educational attainment and community blight, are most often symptomatic – not causal, as "traditional" thinking has long held – of economic dependence and that in order to eradicate such ills, it is necessary to help affected individuals become economically self-sufficient and, ultimately, move them into the economic mainstream.
Ms. Green-Campbell is a native of Gary, Indiana. She received her formal education at Purdue and Western Michigan Universities and has undertaken coursework from the College for Financial Planning, The Investment Training Institute and The American Banking Institute. She and her husband reside in Atlanta. |
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Kimberly Evans
Senior Vice President, Financial Advisor
Wachovia Securities, LLC
Kimberly is Senior Vice President of Investments with Wachovia Securities, the nation’s 3rd largest investment firm. As a Certified Financial Planner® she takes a holistic approach to the advice she provides her clients with the highest ethical standards helping them create the life of their dreams. She manages $140 million in current client assets and is a part of Wachovia’s Private Banking Team.
Prior to joining Wachovia Securities, she worked for a municipal bond underwriter where she obtained her NASD Series 7 and 66 licenses. After getting licensed she took her knowledge of the financial markets and numbers, her personality traits of being a planner and a good listener, and a desire to help people to Wachovia in 1997. After joining Wachovia Securities she continued develop her skills by obtaining her Life, Health, Disability, Variable Life Insurance, Variable Annuity, and Registered Investment Advisor licenses. In 2002 she completed the Financial Planner Program at Oglethorpe University.
Kimberly and her husband have been volunteers for The Midtown Assistant Center which works to keep members of her community from becoming homeless. In 2007 Kimberly began one of life’s most exciting journeys as mother to Gavin Daniel. |
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Debra Fine
Debra Fine developed her programs to teach technically oriented professionals conversational skills and techniques. She is a former engineer, now nationally recognized as a keynote speaker, trainer and author. Debra’s programs are held regularly for Fortune 500 firms as well as financial, legal, health care, real estate, government, engineering and entrepreneurial organizations.
Her best selling book “The Fine Art of Small Talk” (Hyperion 2005) was published to excellent reviews and feature stories in USA Today, Entrepreneur Magazine and The Chicago Tribune. Debra’s new book The Fine Art of the Big Talk focuses on winning clients, delivering great presentations and solving conflicts in the workplace. Her recent media appearances include the Today Show, the Early Show, CNN and NPR Morning Edition. Additional information about Debra can be viewed at www.DebraFine.com. |
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Nuby Fowler
Nuby J. Fowler is Regional Administrator for Region IV of the U. S. Small Business Administration (SBA). She was appointed to her post by President Bush in 2002. She is responsible for delivery of SBA programs in 9 southeastern states. Fowler has over twenty years of diversified experience in the fields of international business, business development, finances and project management. As Regional Administrator, she has been a champion for women and minority business development.
Fowler is a certified commercial lender with a B. A. in Political Science and a Certificate in Public Administration from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and a Master of Administrative Science, Business Management, from Johns Hopkins University. She is a native of Colombia, South America and has lived in the United States since 1961. |
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Debra Kline
Debra Kline co-founded Business Wise Inc. in 1980 and continues to serve as President. Business Wise provides demographic data on over 145,000 Georgia area firms and over 45,000 firms in metro Charlotte used for marketing and business development.
Previously, as the first female direct sales representative for a multi-line commercial furniture distributor and interiors firm, The Ohio Desk Company, Debra developed business and managed corporate accounts for nine years.
An active volunteer in the Atlanta business and non-profit communities, Kline currently serves on the Small Business Council and Board of Advisors of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce; is an organizer and board member of Perimeter First Bank IO, and sits on the Board of the Children’s Healthcare Network Sports Council.
Married since 1976 and business partners since 1980, Debra & husband Lyle Leslie consider celebrating their “Golden Anniversary” very shortly. If you live together and work together, don’t you get credit for something like “dog-years” Debra wonders? Their daughter Grant Leslie works as a legislative director for a U.S. Senator.
Debra loves great music, film, theater, culinary arts, travel, and is a figure skating and synchronized skating fanatic. |
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Helene Lollis
Helene Lollis, President of Pathbuilders, Inc., works with Fortune-ranked organizations to increase the gender-diversity of their senior leadership
Teams, and helps develop their high-potential female talent. Helene and her partners acquired the company in 2002 and have since doubled the revenues and significantly expanded the scope of offerings and the organization's staff. Prior to Pathbuilders, Helene spent 12 years with Amoco and then BP Corporations in a wide range of responsibilities in the commodity plastics arena; including process and product development, marketing, strategic planning, and mergers/acquisitions.
Helene is extremely active in the Atlanta community and is a proud member of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2008. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Boards of Junior Achievement of Georgia and the Possible Woman Foundation International.
In addition to her Bachelors and Masters degrees in Chemical Engineering from N. C. State and Purdue Universities, respectively, Helene is a graduate of Dartmouth's Tuck-WBENC executive program for female entrepreneurs. In 2007, the Executive Women of Goizueta (Emory University's Business School) recognized Helene with their Guiding Star award. |
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Mylle Mangum
Ms. Mangum is CEO of IBT Enterprises, a leading provider of retail branch banking solutions. Previously, Ms. Mangum was CEO of MMS Incentives, a private equity company that develops and implements marketing and loyalty programs. Ms. Mangum has also held positions at Carlson Wagonlit Travel, Holiday Inn Worldwide, BellSouth, and GE.
Ms. Mangum received her education from Emory University. She serves on the boards of Payless ShoeSource, Haverty Furniture, The Barnes Group, Emageon, Respironics, Matria Healthcare, and Decatur First Bank. |
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Chanda H. Moran
Business Banking Director for Atlanta South
Chanda is a business banking director in Wachovia's Business Banking Group. She is responsible for building relationships that will position Wachovia as the premier provider of financial services to the Southwest Atlanta business market. In this role, she works diligently leading a team of business bankers who are committed to meeting and exceeding the customer's financial needs. Her top priorities include building trustful banking relationships and providing access to innovative financial solutions, products and services for business owners.
Chanda has worked as a business consultant for over fifteen years. She began her career with Exxon Company, U.S.A., now Exxon/Mobil, where she advised independent dealers on the operations of their businesses. She transitioned that experience into advising entrepreneurs across various industry segments when she began her banking career in Atlanta, GA. in 1994.
She holds an M.S. in General Administration from Central Michigan University and an undergraduate degree in Industrial Administration from Mercer University. |
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Laine Nowell
Vice President and Regional Director
Wachovia Private Banking Group
Laine is a Regional Director for Wachovia’s Private Banking Group in Atlanta. She leads a team of Relationship Managers who serve the financial needs of the high net worth client which includes wealth accumulation, wealth management and the transfer of wealth to friends, family and philanthropic interest. Laine worked previously with Wachovia in the Business Banking Group as a Relationship Manager and also served in leadership in Wachovia’s Retail Bank. Prior to Wachovia she managed a team of Mortgage Consultants for an independent mortgage broker. Laine began her career in Banking in 1986.
Laine received her BS from Brenau University in Gainesville, Georgia. She was born and reared in DeKalb County, Georgia and currently lives in Lawrenceville, Georgia with her husband and 15 year old daughter.
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Peggy M. Parks
Peggy M. Parks is an international image consultant and founder of The Parks Image Group, Inc. in Atlanta, Georgia. Custom corporate workshops on professional business attire and etiquette, private one-on-one consulting that features a personal and individually crafted image plan and wardrobe planning and selection form the core services Peggy’s company provides.
Before launching her business in 2003, Peggy spent more than twenty years in international business working in human resources, financial planning and management roles with companies that included Sea-Land Service, Hitachi and ISFA Invest. A graduate of the London Image Institute and a member of the Association of Image Consultants International, Peggy currently serves on the executive board of the Association of Image Consultants International (AICI) Atlanta chapter. She is also an active member of the Atlanta Women’s Network (AWN), Atlanta Women in Business (AWB) and is a sponsor of the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers (GAWL). |
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Tracee Sapp
Tracee J. Sapp, CFP®, helps business owners, physicians, and executives set a clear and realistic path toward meeting their financial goals. She shows her clients how to build and preserve wealth by designing an individual strategy focused on their retirement, estate and tax planning concerns.
Tracee serves on the Board of Directors of the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and is the president of the Atlanta Chapter. She is a member of the Financial Planning Association, holds the CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ designation, and frequently speaks on the importance of financial planning.
Tracee holds a Masters of Structural Engineering degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a Bachelors of Civil Engineering degree from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Tracee resides in Mableton, Georgia with her husband Cedric. |
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Betty Siegel
Dr. Betty L. Siegel, the first woman to head an institution in the 35-unit University System of Georgia, and the longest serving woman president of a public university in the nation, was president of Kennesaw State from 1981 until July of 2006. Under her administration, the university evolved from a four-year college to its current university status.In 2002, she established the Center for Leadership, Ethics & Character which was then renamed the RTM Center for Leadership, Ethics & Character upon its $1 million endowment to the Center.
The Board of Regents awarded Institute status to the Center, and in recognition of the influence and leadership of President Siegel, the institute was renamed in her honor as the Siegel Institute for Leadership, Ethics and Character.
As President Emeritus since 2006, she also holds the Siegel Institute Distinguished Chair where she continues an array of special initiatives with a global perspective on social responsibility and excellence in leadership education.
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Susan Sorrow
Susan is a Senior Financial Planner for Wachovia Business Planning Services, which is housed within the Financial Planning Group. Susan comes to Wachovia from her private law practice where she advised high net worth clients on wealth transfer and income tax issues. Susan’s previous experience includes serving as Senior Vice President and Director of Knowledge Management and Research at Family Office Exchange in Chicago where she was responsible for coordinating all FOX research projects and for capturing and creating wealth management content for its elite clientele. Prior to FOX, Susan served as Vice President in the Merrill Lynch Family Office Group and Advanced Wealth Strategies Group in Princeton and Manhattan. Susan has published several articles on the subject of wealth transfer and has made several legal education seminar presentations, most notably at the NYU Summer Institute on Taxation. Susan taught Federal Estate and Gift Taxation at the University of Georgia School of Law and Accounting and Federal Income Taxation at the University of Georgia School of Business. She also taught Tax and Reporting, Financial Accounting, Business Law and Auditing for the Becker CPA Review Course.
Susan received her B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Texas at El Paso, her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and her LL.M. in Taxation from the Emory School of Law. Susan is also a licensed CPA having practiced accounting with KPMG and Price Waterhouse Coopers in Atlanta and Seattle.. |
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Rona Wells
Ms. Wells, a retired vice president and corporate officer of Kimberly-Clark, is currently President of Wells Holdings, primarily a holding company for Rona Wells’ personal angel investments in private companies and public venture capital firms and funds. Wells Holdings also provides mentoring, operations management and services on a fee basis for selected individuals, entrepreneurs, organizations, and officers of Fortune 500 companies. Rona serves on several entrepreneurial company advisory boards including Dr Tango, and GROWE, Georgia Roundtable of Women Entrepreneurs. She is on the Board of Directors of the Bank of North Georgia, the Board of Directors Network (BDN), and the Atlanta Chapter of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD). Through Wells Holdings, she serves as Executive Director of BDN and has completed a short term assignment as COO of DrTango.
Career highlights of Rona’s 28 years of corporate experience include being named Vice President of the Kimfibers, Pulp and Woodlands Operations P&L business which included two Canadian pulp manufacturing and woodlands subsidiaries managing $1 billion of pulp purchases, manufacturing, and recycled paper purchases, Vice President of a $300 million in revenue, B to B marketing oriented business, and Vice President of Manufacturing and Engineering for the Away from Home Business. Previous corporate experience in other companies includes being the head of the Accounting Services organization for the Life/Health Business and Manager over operations for the Group Health Insurance business at CNA Financial and District Supervisor over an engineering, data processing and materials management organization at Southwestern Bell. Rona is a 1972 graduate of Southern Methodist University with a BS in Systems Engineering where she was named the Outstanding Student in the Institute of Technology upon graduation. |
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Sally Williamson
Sally Williamson is both a business development coach and a speech coach. She has over twenty-five years experience in the development of effective communication strategies and business presentations. Sally’s firm, SW&A, specializes in executive coaching and developing custom workshops that blend personal development with bottom-line business results. Her combined experience in sales and communication provides a unique perspective in helping people understand the needs of their clients and present their services to solve those needs. Her own experience began with a national public speaking firm where she led the sales organization.
Sally launched her own firm in 1993 and has coached hundreds of CEO’s and managers through IPO launches, product introductions, shareholder meetings and corporate speeches. She has supported the redesign of sales materials and presentations for sales organizations and has helped hundreds of organizations fine tune their sales approach and messages. And, while the experience of the firm is impressive, the goal of the business remains very simple...to help business people get results by developing and delivering messages that connect with their audience. |
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