130th Summer Convention Speakers

Meet the Speakers — 130th Summer Convention

Friday, June 19, Breakfast, 8:00 a.m.

Laura Prather,
"Legislative Update on Free Flow Act"

Laura Prather is an Austin attorney with Sedgwick Detert, Moran & Arnold LLP. Her  practice is concentrated at the trial and appellate level in commercial and business litigation, First Amendment litigation, pre-publication review and clearance work, copyright and trademark litigation, general commercial litigation, open government issues and privacy concerns.

She represented the TPA/Texas Daily Newspaper Assocation Legislative Advisory Committee and other media groups on the Free Flow of Information Act in the Texas Legislature. The act gives journalists a qualified privilege in cases involving sources. She is also the current president of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas.

Ken Herman
"Capitol Antics 2009"

Ken Herman began covering Texas politics and government in Austin in 1979. He currently serves as a Capitol reporter for the Austin American-Statesman. Herman began his journalism career at the Lufkin Daily News in 1975. In 1977, he joined The Associated Press in Dallas, moving to Harlingen as AP's Rio Grande Valley correspondent in 1978. He transferred to the AP's Austin Bureau in 1979 and became Austin Bureau Chief for The Houston Post in 1988. When the Post folded in 1995, Herman became Capitol Bureau Chief for the American-Statesman, later transferring to the Cox Newspapers Washington Bureau as White House correspondent. While in Washington, Herman served on the board of the White House Correspondents Association. Herman returned to Austin in March of this year. His wife, Sharon Jayson, is an Austin-based reporter for USA Today. Daughter Tracey works in the costume department of the New York City Ballet and son Jeremy is a financial analyst in Atlanta.

Friday morning general session, 9:30 a.m.

Renee Trudeau
"Reclaim Your Life: Strategies and Insights for Balanced Living"

Renée Trudeau travels and speaks extensively to corporations and organizations throughout the U.S./Europe on how we can create balance from the inside out. Learn how managing your energy, engaging the power of self-renewal, building a support network and being more present can increase your ability to be effective and enjoy all areas of your life. Passionate about supporting professionals in creating and living the life they desire, her style is engaging, empowering and highly interactive. Prepare to walk away with a fresh perspective and renewed clarity about your life, business and career.

BIO: Renée Peterson Trudeau is a nationally-recognized career/work-life balance coach and president of Career Strategists, a coaching/consulting firm dedicated to helping professionals and entrepreneurs successfully navigate their career path. Her corporate clients include Fortune 500 companies and national conferences and organizations. Her coaching clients include professionals employed by IBM, Shell Oil, Whole Foods Market, 3M, GSD&M Advertising, AMD, State Farm Insurance, Intel, MCI, Amazon.com, Dell Computer Corporation, Accenture, National Instruments, Samsung, nonprofit organizations and small businesses. A sought after career and work/life balance expert, Trudeau's work has been featured in US News and World Report, American Way, Family Circle, AARP and numerous business publications and consumer media. Trudeau is the author of the award-winning The Mother's Guide to Self-Renewal: How to Reclaim, Rejuvenate and Re-Balance Your Life. Thousands of women around the U.S./Canada are starting and joining self-renewal groups based on the Guide, as a way to enhance balance and well-being in their lives.

Learn more at: www.careerstrategists.net and www.reneetrudeau.com.

Friday morning general session, 10:30 a.m.

Kevin Dilley
"Catchy Page Designs"

Kevin Dilley, who lives in Austin, is a 19-year newspaper veteran with varied writing, print and web design, editing, photojournalism, management and teaching experience.

Dilley has played a key role in most Creative Circle projects over the past six years. He was the lead designer and project manager for the Colorado Mountain News Group, which included The Aspen Times, Vail Daily and the Glenwood Springs Post-Gazette;  The Arlington (Va.) Catholic Herald; The Newport Daily News in Newport, R.I; The Telegraph in Nashua, N.H.; and redesigns for the North Jersey Community Newspaper group.

Dilley has been working with Creative Circle since 2000 and joined the group full time in 2001. He came to Creative Circle from The Providence Journal where he was a photo editor, assignment editor and designer.

Friday luncheon

Ray Marcano
"New Technology for Newspapers: Blogs, Mobile Journalism and More"
Plus "Technology Q&A" after lunch

Ray Marcano has 30 years of experience in the newspaper industry. He’s been a reporter and editor in newsrooms in New York, Oklahoma and Ohio. He cut his teeth in digital journalism, when, as deputy managing editor for a major metro, he was in charge of online content. He was named internet general manager in 2006, and has since done dozens of speaking engagements at American Press Institute, Newspaper Association of American, Associated Press Ohio, Inland Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists, the New York Press Association, among others.

He’s the former national president of the SPJ, a former Pulitzer Prize juror, and has been on the roster of the Fulbright Senior Specialist Program. He currently chairs the New Media committee of the Inland Press Association and Digital Media Committee of the Society of Professional Journalists.

Check out Ray's blog by clicking Ray Marcano

Friday afternoon

Max Heath
Postal News & Q&A

National Newspaper Association postal chairman Max Heath will cover "Breaking News" issues, current topics important to community newspapers, give an explanation of how to deal with problems, and take questions, using a handout packet that will allow you to be "Smarter than a Postal Employee."

Saturday morning General Session

"Our Stories: How newspapers deal with unusual challenges"

Cyndy Slovak-Barton, news office burglaries, Hays Free Press	Chris Barbee, news photographer arrested, El Campo Leader-News	Danny Reneau, publishing in a hurricane path, Silsbee Bee	Michael A. Smith, unimaginable devastation of Galveston Island, The Galveston County Daily News