After 30 years of management and executive management experience, leading large organizations and small teams, Toni has compiled a compendium of thoughts, exercises, and techniques that have been her 'keys to success'.

You should will walk away with tangible, practical ideas you can apply the following day on leading and working in these turbulent times!  Toni's content and approach are especially important since most current and future leaders have never experienced conditions like those faced the last couple of years.

Join us for some golden nuggets on Leadership.

Speaker:

Toni Portmann
Chairman of the Board of Resolvity

Background:

Toni currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Resolvity in Dallas, an early stage start-up of an Intelligent IVR and Speech to Text Technology Company. Toni is also a consultant working for a private investment company; TCS Private Equity Group, Chicago, assessing current and new businesses for investment or acquisition.

Toni was CEO of CAS Partners/Riverstone where she integrated the acquisition of seven disparate property management services companies into a world-class property and asset management services company providing third-party property and asset management and related services into the multi-family real estate market for over 170,000 apartment units in 31 states with 5300 employees. Prior to that, Toni was the CEO of Stream, Inc., where she transformed a $75 Million Dollar Contact Services division of Software Spectrum into a global BPO leader with revenues exceeding $530 Million Dollars with 30 contact centers in 16 countries and over 15,000 employees handling voice and electronic support inquiries for the High Tech, Teleco and Consumer Electronics industry verticals.

Toni has more than 25 years of leadership experience in service, sales, and marketing. Prior to her CEO responsibilities, Ms. Portmann served as vice president and corporate officer for Diebold, Inc., where she managed sales and services for the western half of the US and she spent 17 years with IBM Corporation in sales, marketing, and management roles. Positions she held included branch manager, director of quality, and software business unit executive. Ms. Portmann holds a bachelor of business administration from Boise State University. She is a board member of Brain Health, an organization for the assessment and treatment of brain diseases and she established the Tyson Johnson Memorial for Another Solution, Inc.; dedicated to fighting the disease of addiction.

Bettina Bennett, CEO and Chief Maverick of WhichBox Media, knows a thing or two about startups. Frustrated with the status quo of online publishing technology, she became hungry enough to strike out on her own and to launch a tech company offering a revolutionary all-media and social publishing platform. WhichBox Media won national awards and recognition within 18 months of the company launch.

So what does it take to get your brilliant idea off the ground? Bettina will share her recipe to cook up that perfect—well, almost, start-up dish. The ingredients: trial and error, success hidden in failure, patience (a tough one), too many (probably not-so-healthy) energy drinks, a great team, and a lot more. After this “whichbox™ lunch,” you might just be able to create your own house specialty in the form of a startup.

Join us for how to cook up a startup.

Speaker:

Bettina Bennett
Bettina Bennett is the CEO and Chief Maverick at WhichBox Media

Background:

With a background in law and literature, Bettina began her career in 1983 at one of Germany’s most prominent publishing houses, creating the first media department at any European publishing company. In 1988, Bettina founded Media Rights Management (an international media consultancy company) and has a proven business track record as an innovative entrepreneur, international entertainment consultant, convergence and social media guru, cross-platform marketing expert and visionary in the realm of media and content monetization. Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Mipcom magazine and other media have described her projects as: “major, “ground-breaking”, “the biggest and quintessential international coproduction deals” and “notable”, and referred to Bettina as a new “breed of international media projects co-ordinators”, and “one of a kind.”

WhichBox Media is an award winning technology start-up, providing a revolutionary next generation Content Management and online publishing platform delivered as Software as a Service (SaaS). It’s patent pending processes empower content owners for the first time to create all-media content, manage multiple domains from one dashboard, integrate with a built in Social Networking and User Generated Content environment and deliver content to multiple platforms (web, iPhone, iPad, etc.) and environments from one single source.

WhichBox Media just was honored with the OnMedia 100 Award, as one of the top 100 private companies in the US, considered to be most disruptive and game changing in online media, and was chosen in March as one of only a small group of companies to present it’s technology at the “Worlds Best Technologies” conference.

Bettina holds Masters Degrees in Law and Literature.

Open To Leadership

There are differences between management and leadership, and yet your role may demand both. Julie will share some thoughts with you about skills and experiences that play a role in building business leadership. Here’s something to think about – most engineering firms are led by engineers. They are led by executives who started as engineers. Also, there are leaders at all levels. No matter where you fit into an organization, you can demonstrate leadership beginning at the project level. You have to plan for success in your career; just like you plan for success in your projects. The skill sets, in many respects, are the same. She will focus on the steps each of us can take, to be open to Leadership.

Speaker:

Julie S. England

Background:

Julie England works with CEOs on strategy, business development and revenue growth as a board member or a consultant. Julie serves on the board of directors of Intelleflex, an RFID company in Santa Clara, CA and the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe, NM.

She is the former vice president of Texas Instruments and general manager of RFID Systems. She was responsible from 2004-2009 for the overall strategy and leading TI’s RFID business. Previously, Julie led the microprocessor business unit which delivered to Sun Microsystems UltraSPARC microprocessors. She became a vice president in 1994. Prior to 1994, she has been a leader in engineering, manufacturing, quality and business management positions at TI.

Julie is a nationally recognized business and technology leader. In 2008 she was one of the Top 15 Women Innovators in Business by PINK magazine, the national magazine for professional women. In 2009, she was awarded the Distinguished Information Sciences Award by the Association of Information Technology Professionals. She received the 2004 Henry Laurence Gantt Medal by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the American Management Association. She has been honored with the Texas Tech University Distinguished Engineer award and inducted into the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame.

She was a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the Engineering Dean’s Council at Texas Tech University and trade associations: American Electronics Association and AIM Global board of directors.

Julie holds a B.S degree in Chemical Engineering from Texas Tech University and is a graduate of Stanford University’s Executive Program in Strategy and Organization.

Agenda:
6:00 - 6:30 pm Check-In & Connecting
6:30 - 7:00 pm Announcements and Sponsor Recognition
7:00 - 8:45 pm Program – Open To Leadership
8:45 - 9:00 pm Drawings and Wrap Up

Hosted by:
BravoTECH

Food:
Hors d'oeuvres

Cost:
$30 for members and non-members
$15 for In Transition people

5400 Legacy Drive

Plano, Texas 75024

Discover What the Innovative Thinkers are Thinking! March is Women's History Month and this year's theme is "Writing Women Back into History". Come and hear what's happening with innovative women and innovative companies in Dallas!

Our own, always delightful, Debbie Mrazek will be moderating our panel. Debbie has a career in the high tech industry which began at TI. She is now the President of The Sales Company.

Joining Debbie will be:

• Barbara Lancaster, President and founder of LTC International and Chair of the Metroplex Technology Business Council Innovation team. LTC International is a consulting company focused on the telecommunications industry. Barbara will share insights on the future of telecommunications as well as some interesting projects in development with her innovation team.
• Tammy Richards, Associate Dean, SMU Lyle School of Engineering and a Professional Engineer. Tammy is a former VP of Marketing at Texas Instruments with a passion for education. Now at SMU, she is responsible for operations, enrollment, marketing, communications, and outreach for the School of Engineering. SMU's engineering school is 33% women, with a goal of being 50% women in the future.
• Jean Lehmann, an HP Fellow in Enterprise Services, is the director for the Americas Innovation Program. This program helps clients optimize, extend and accelerate business impact by applying innovative technology solutions using a fast-cycle, iterative approach. These solutions contribute to growth, productivity, and service excellence.

Heart Health for Women

Women are becoming more educated about heart disease, the number one killer of women (and men) in the U.S. yet many are still in denial about the risks of this deadly disease. The statistics are harsh: two of every five women who die are taken by heart disease or stroke, more than from all forms of cancer combined.

That’s sobering enough that it should get the attention of women, and the men who love them, to start thinking about prevention. Misconceptions about women’s symptoms continue, though, and this may contribute to the problem. Stay informed. Get the facts and take control of your health today! Join us for an educational session on heart health for women conducted by Dr. Deepika Gopal, a cardiologist with the Dallas Heart Group.

Speaker:

Dr. Deepika Gopal, M.D., F.A.C.C.
Clinical cardiologist with The Dallas Heart Group

Background:

Dr. Gopal is a clinical cardiologist with The Dallas Heart Group at Medical City Dallas Hospital, THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano, and Baylor Regional Medical Center in Plano, Texas. She is the Medical Director, of Cardiac CT, and Medical Director of the Women’s Cardiovascular Health Institute at THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano.

She received her medical degree from The University of Madras, India and completed her Internal Medicine training at Henry Ford Hospital (University of Michigan affiliate), Detroit, Michigan. She then completed a Cardiovascular MRI Fellowship and Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship including advanced echocardiography, at the Barnes-Jewish Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri. She is also fellowship trained in Cardiovascular CT Angiography.

Dr. Gopal is board certified in Cardiovascular Diseases, Echocardiography, and Nuclear Cardiology. She has special interests in the diagnosis of heart disease with specialized imaging techniques, prevention of cardiovascular disease, heart disease in women, heart disease during pregnancy, and cardiovascular imaging, including ECHO and nuclear cardiology, as well as transesophageal echocardiography.

Dr. Gopal also has a special interest in the treatment of varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency. She performs the latest endovenous laser ablation procedures for the treatment of varicose veins. She has hospital affiliations with THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano, and Medical City Hospital in Dallas. In addition, she is the chairperson on the Medical Committee of the American Heart Association, is a strong supporter of the “Go Red For Women” campaign and a speaker for the American Heart Association. She gives presentations to organizations and associations on such topics as women’s heart disease as well as to fellow physicians on CT and cardiac MRI.

Dr. Gopal is a member of the American College of Cardiology, the Society of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance, the Dallas County Medical Society, and the American Society of Echocardiography. She is a founding member of the Society for Cardiovascular Computed Tomography and is well published in her field.

Dr. Gopal comes from a family of physicians which is reflected in her devotion and dedication to the field of medicine. In her spare time she plays golf and tennis, likes traveling and learning about other countries, languages and culture. She speaks several Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. A vegetarian, Dr. Gopal believes in healthy eating and heart healthy cooking and practices yoga for relaxation and to unwind. Additionally, she has a deep interest in both eastern and western philosophy and enjoys reading books on a variety of subjects.

Agenda:
6:00 - 6:30 pm Check-In & Connecting
6:30 - 7:00 pm Announcements and Sponsor Recognition
7:00 - 8:45 pm Program – Heart Health for Women
8:45 - 9:00 pm Drawings and Wrap Up

Hosted by:
BravoTECH

Food:
Hors d'oeuvres

Cost:
$50 for members and non-members
$0 for In Transition people but you must register online

Sustainability and Servant Leadership – A Natural Partnership

As emphasized by Shaunna Black sustainability adheres to the philosophy of the Triple Bottom Line where economic, environmental and social needs are integrated to the benefit of our global community. She knows this from personal experience and has spoken internationally on the topic as former vice president and manager of Worldwide Facilities for Texas Instruments. “At Texas Instruments sustainability means operating in a manner that balances people, profit, product and the planet,” she told attendees at the International Trade Partners Conference in Maui, Hawaii.

For the past 150 years much focus has been placed on machinery, tools, automation and training to boost our people productivity. Yet resource constraints are appearing with increasing frequency in our work and personal lives. We are challenged to make great gains in our resource productivity. Those businesses and communities, who are the most efficient in using resources, will continue to gain a competitive advantage over their less enlightened competitors. Sustainability applies whole-system thinking to all areas of design, manufacturing, and delivery and the results are very favorable to the bottom line.

During her tenure Texas Instruments, Inc. embraced sustainable design as a global strategy. One example of their strategy is sustainable design in the construction of all new facilities worldwide. The planning, design, and construction processes are all done in a more integrated manner utilizing the LEED Green Building Rating System. Thomas Friedman in his book Hot, Flat and Crowded profiled the work of Texas Instruments and quoted Ms. Black, “Amazing things happen when people claim responsibility for creating the impossible.”

Download Shaunna's presentation here

Speaker:

Shaunna Black
President of Shaunna Black and Associates

Background:

Shaunna Black is President of Shaunna Black and Associates. Her company focuses on transformational leadership in the areas of operations management, business turnarounds and growth, interim management, sustainability, organizational climate making, servant leadership and leadership development. For the past fifteen years she has worked internationally managing operations in 25 countries.

After a five-year teaching career, Ms. Black joined Texas Instruments (TI) in 1985 as a mechanical engineer. She supported facilities construction, operations and maintenance for the company until 1994. In 1995 she became Vice President and Manager of Worldwide Environmental, Safety and Health and in1998 Manager of Worldwide Facilities. From 2000 to 2005 Ms. Black was Manager for semiconductor manufacturing in one of TI’s premier analog wafer fabrication facilities. From 2005 to 2009 she was Manager of Worldwide Facilities. In this position, Ms. Black was responsible for the design, construction, and operation of TI facilities worldwide, Environmental, Safety and Health programs, worldwide security programs, real estate management and TI’s sustainability strategy.

Ms. Black is currently board member of the Executive Advisory Board for the UT-Austin Engineering College and Facilitator and mentor for the Richardson ISD Principal Executive Partnership (PEP). She is past board member of the Metroplex Technology Business Council, the Sustainability Advisory Board for Energy Future Holdings, the Dallas Women’s Foundation, the Texas Instruments’ Foundation and the University of Texas Mechanical Engineering Advisory Council. She is an executive mentor for Menttium 100, an alumna of Leadership Texas and Leadership Richardson, and a frequent speaker at universities and international conferences. Ms. Black was inducted into the Women in Science and Technology Hall of Fame by Women in Technology International, inducted into the Circle of Honor by the Dallas Women's Foundation, recognized as “A Woman of Achievement” by the Richardson YWCA, recognized as a “Community Hero” by the Metroplex Technology Business Council, profiled in Pink Magazine and selected as a Maura award recipient by the Women’s Museum.

Ms. Black holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University and in Education from the University of Texas in Austin. She has three children and resides in Richardson, Texas.

ATW Member Special! Update your Linkedin photo for the New Year!

CLM Creative will come to the January meeting to offer $25 headshots for ATW members. Last time we can make this offer at this price! You must email info@clmcreative.com to confirm a slot for your photo shoot and prepay by Jan 15th. Headshots are $50 for non members. (You may become an ATW member at the meeting for $100.) Members will receive a high resolution 5x7 in color + a duplicate black/white image over Email, so you can save it directly to your hard drive! Because the images are high resolution, they are print-ready anytime!

Successful Corporate Use of Social Media

Everyone says your business should be using social media, but how do you decide if you belong on Facebook or LinkedIn? In this discussion, you will receive insights to deciding which mediums are right for your business needs. Understand the commitments involved in social media engagement, and learn ways to track your social media impact. Finally, you will see examples of successful use of social media in the corporate arena.

Speaker:

Quia Querisma

Background:

Quia Querisma is the owner of Supreme Media Group, LLC, and a seven-year interactive marketing veteran. Her recent experience includes word of mouth marketing programs and focus groups with Glamour Magazine, BzzAgent, and Mercedes Benz. She has shared social media strategies with companies in aviation and higher education, showing them how to assess the right social media vehicle for their business needs, as well as what to do once they’ve committed to enter the space.

Download Quia's presentation here 

*** ATW Member Special! *** Update your Linkedin photo for the New Year!

CLM Creative will come to the December meeting to offer $50 headshots for ATW members. You must email info@clmcreative.com to confirm a slot for your photo shoot at the December meeting. Headshots are regularly $100, but this special offer is for ATW members. (You may become an ATW member at the meeting for $100.) Members will receive a high resolution 5x7 in color + a duplicate black/white image over Email, so you can save it directly to your hard drive! Because the images are high resolution, they are print-ready anytime!

Agenda:
6:00 - 6:30 pm Registration & Meet and Greet
6:30 - 6:45 pm Announcements and Sponsor Recognition
6:45 - 7:15 pm Roundtable Connecting
7:15 - 8:45 pm Program – "Successful Corporate Use of Social Media"
8:45 - 9:00 pm Drawings and Wrap Up

Food:
Appetizers

Cost:
Bring geek toy or $10 for GREAT MINDS program

"Women and Wealth: What Your Mother Never Told You"

Women possibly have more choices now than any other time in history. But have we fully considered how even the smallest of choices may in turn affect our financial security? From marriage partners to career paths to household spending, the ramifications of these choices can affect our financial health. Optimizing these and other decisions give us the greatest chance for financial security, which in turn can give us even more choices. Explore how these financial issues affect women today.

Speaker:

Wendy M. Traylor, CFP
Client Associate, Bailey Group at Merrill Lynch

Background:

Wendy began her career in financial services in 1991 with Carter Financial Management and worked for many years as a financial planner at Questar Asset Management in Dallas. She was responsible for the development and management of client accounts for the firm. As a former registered principal and officer of the corporation, Wendy was also responsible for the establishment and regular audit oversight of the firm’s hedge fund.

Wendy was born and raised in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She currently serves on the Advisory Council for the Catholic Foundation. She is also an advocate for the Journey of Hope Grief Counseling Center, an organization that supports children and their families after the death of a loved one. She recently authored "‘Til Death Do Us Part: A Beginner’s Guide to Widowhood," a piece designed to give practical advice for people who have recently lost a spouse or other loved one. She and her family have lived in Plano since 1993, where her children attend Prince of Peace Catholic School.

Agenda:
6:00 - 6:30 pm Check-In and Connecting
6:30 - 7:00 pm Announcements and Sponsor Recognition
7:00 - 8:45 pm Program – "Women and Wealth"
8:45 - 9:00 pm Drawings and Wrap Up

Food:
Hors d'oeuvres

Cost:
$50 for members and non-members
$25 for in-transition members and non-members

Standing Tall and Thriving in a Tough Economy

Tough economic times doesn’t have to mean that you fall back and let your business slowly dwindle. This can be a time of growth. It requires active exploration and planning that can catapult you forward. Take advantage of the opportunities surrounding you. Change your focus and rule your world.

Download Bethany's presentation here

Speaker:

Bethany Williams
Author of Winning Strategies for Women
Mentor, Speaker, Coach &
Executive at Perot Systems Corporation

Background:

Bethany Williams is a results-oriented executive with 22 years experience driving complex initiatives in the business world. She is currently the DFW/Houston Market Vice President for Perot Systems Corporation in Dallas, Texas.

She believes that the gender wage gap exists, in part, because women don’t ask for better pay and benefits. Often, they are loyal to a fault. They wait for companies to recognize them and pay them the money that they deserve while their male counterparts demand and receive higher pay and benefits.

She has dedicated her work and efforts towards the hardworking women everywhere that are yearning for answers and a better way of approaching the success that they desire. As one of the founding members of the Women’s’ Network at Perot Systems, she hopes to instill confidence and a call to action in women. Her message is clear; we control our destinies as well as our earnings.

In her first book, “Winning Strategies for Women”, she provides practical, step by step advice for excelling in business, including strategies for keeping your job, getting promotions and additional pay, and receiving more recognition in the process.

Williams learned the art of business survival as a single working mother. Widowed at a young age, she struggled to advance in male dominated companies in an effort to provide for her children. She put herself through college and secured top level positions in some of the nation’s leading organizations (GE, IDX, & Perot Systems Corporation).

Bethany Williams graduated from National University in San Diego, California, with a BBA degree in Health Care Administration. She will continue to ‘give back’ to women everywhere in an attempt to balance the scales.

Here is her website: http://www.bethanywilliams.org/

Agenda:
6:00 - 6:30 pm Registration & Meet and Greet
6:30 - 6:45 pm Announcements and Sponsor Recognition
6:45 - 7:15 pm Roundtable Mentoring
7:15 - 8:45 pm Program – "Standing Tall and Thriving in a Tough Economy "
8:45 - 9:00 pm Drawings and Wrap Up

Hosted by:
BravoTECH

Food Sponsor:


Food:
Appetizers

Cost:

Before October 14:
$15 for members
$25 for non-members

"GenderSpeak: Chopsticks or Silverware?"

If you are reading this in the United States, it is likely that you learned to eat using silverware. Scooping up your breakfast cereal with a spoon is second nature to you. To see someone carve their steak with a knife and a fork probably seems so natural that you don’t even think twice about it. Do You?

Even if you are comfortable with using chopsticks, think back to how awkward it felt using them for the first time. You probably wondered how a culture could ever even come up with the idea of using skinny sticks to pick up something as tiny as a grain of rice! You might have thought, “How weird!” or “Wouldn’t it be easier just to use your hands?”

Did you know that when people from other cultures that don’t use silverware see it being used, they think it’s a little barbaric? That when they see someone stab meat with a fork and carve at it with a sharp blade they see it as rather violent?

So which is better, chopsticks or silverware? The answer is, of course: whatever is appropriate for the person. There’s no right or wrong. No good or bad. There’s only difference.

The same is true about the way men and women communicate and interact in the workplace!

Men and women grow up in different cultures. As a result we learn different lessons about what is “appropriate” behavior. What seems natural to one gender can seem mysterious and baffling to the other! Have you ever experienced frustration at work when communicating with the opposite gender?

It’s simply not an option for men and women NOT to work together at ALL levels of the organization today. So we could all benefit by learning not only to comprehend the culture and rules of the other gender, but also appreciate and value the differences!

GenderSpeak Will Teach You How To:

• Promote effective communication and team work between men & women in the workplace
• See that each gender has different rules about what’s considered “appropriate” behavior
• Understand why these rules cause us to see behaviors of the other gender as problematic
• Identify nonverbal barriers due to gender differences
• Identify the different leadership styles men & women use and how they are implemented most effectively, AND MORE...........

Speaker:

Marsha Clark, Owner of Marsha Clark and Associates

Background:

Marsha Clark is an independent consultant who founded her own company in 2000. Marsha's passion is supporting women in their personal and professional development. She is currently delivering a series of offerings to enable women to explore, discover, and optimize their potential. One of the offerings, a 12-month program called the POWER of Self, combines experiential learning and individual coaching, and provides an opportunity for women to gain greater personal clarity and a strategic framework for making more deliberate choices in all dimensions of their lives.

Prior to starting her own business in 2000, Marsha spent almost 21 years with EDS and held a variety of roles. Starting in 1978 as a secretary, she exited the company in 1999 as a Corporate Vice President. Her responsibilities ranged from HR Staff jobs to line management at the client account level, as well as serving as president of the Health Care SBU where she directed business operations, sales and marketing, and technical support for 40 clients with responsibility for $400 million in revenue and over 2,000 employees.

Marsha has a Masters of Science in Organization Development from American University in Washington, D.C. She resides in Frisco, Texas with her husband Dale. She has two sons, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and a precious granddaughter.

Agenda:
6:00 - 6:30 pm Check-In and Connecting
6:30 - 7:00 pm Announcements and Sponsor Recognition
7:00 - 8:45 pm Program – "GenderSpeak"
8:45 - 9:00 pm Drawings and Wrap Up

Food:
Hors d'oeuvres

Cost:
$50 for members and non-members
$25 for in-transition members and non-members

"Information Technology in Healthcare"

Patricia Johnston and Debbie Jowers from Texas Health Resources will provide their insights on IT in Healthcare. With years of experience in healthcare IT, our two guests will share their experiences in the industry. They will discuss the current trends, HIPAA Privacy challenges and improvements that we will see in healthcare computing.

• Patricia Johnston, MS, FHIMSS
  
  Patricia is Vice President of the Electronic Health Record (EHR), Ambulatory and Acute Care, for Texas Health Resources (THR) in Arlington, Texas. She is responsible for leading the design and implementation of the EHR across all THR’s 13 facilities, practice-based EMR products and strategies, and the development and management of the EHR benefits realization program. Her background and work experience is focused exclusively on health care, including a variety of management positions in process redesign, HIPAA Privacy, information technology and clinical laboratory science. Patricia has published a variety of articles and conducted seminars related to healthcare computing as well as HIPAA compliance for the healthcare provider. She is a fellow of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, as well as a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Patricia received her Masters Degree in Information Management from University of Texas at Dallas, and her Bachelor’s Degree in Medical Technology from University of North Texas.

• Debbie Jowers, CPA
  
  Debbie is the Administrative Director of Applications for Texas Health Resources (THR) in Arlington, Texas. She is responsible for all the applications (except the EHR), the enterprise data warehouse and data integration and business intelligence across all THR’s 13 facilities. Her background and work experience has been focused exclusively on health care for the past 22 years, including a variety of project management and other management positions. She also worked at Coopers & Lybrand as an auditor and management consultant early in her career. Debbie is a 2009 winner of the CIO Magazine Ones to Watch award. She is an active member of the DFW SIM and is currently serving as the chapter vice president and on the board of directors. She is also a member of HIMSS and the CHIME Affiliate program and attended the CHIME CIO Boot Camp in 2008. Debbie received her bachelor degrees in accounting and MIS from the University of Missouri.

"Understanding Twitter and Next Generation Web Technologies"

Lisa Danzer, President of the ATW Dallas Chapter, will be facilitating our speakers consisting of:

• Dorothy Beach – Research: Recruiting, Competitive Intell and Social Media (Twitter guru)
  
  Dorothy Beach, CIR "Certified Internet Recruiter" PHR "Professional in HR", has focused on research for her entire career, first as a scientist in pharmaceuticals, then as a field consumer researcher in food product development. Certified in both Internet Recruiting and HR, her blog, FrontEndRecruiting.ning.com was created to showcase the latest recruiting trends, such as social media tools and techniques. Dorothy will provide an overview and demonstration of Twitter. You can follow Dorothy on Twitter at @dorothybeach.

• Download Dorothy's presentation here

• Tom Barrett – Java Evangelist, Sun Microsystems
  
  Tom is the Web 2.0 enthusiast that spoke for ATW a couple of years ago. He's back to give us an update on how application development is changing and how developers will change to target platforms like Facebook. He will also share with us some current work being done in the Virtual Reality space.

• Download Tom's presentation here

Social Networking Panel

Join us for a lively and fun discussion about social networking and how it is impacting the way we live and work. The panel discussion will help you understand social networking platforms, how they are used, and some of the technology behind them.

Lisa Danzer, President of the ATW Dallas Chapter, will be moderating our panel consisting of:

• Mary Ferguson – Application Manager, Boy Scouts of America
  
  Mary is an ATW member who spends her days exploring new technologies for The Boy Scouts of America. She will share with us how a 100 year-old traditional organization is embracing social networking to attract and retain new boy scouts.

• Shama Hyder – CEO of Click To Client, Web TV Show Host, Social Media Speaker
  
  Shama, author of Zen of Social Media, was recently recognized by Fast Company as the "millennial master of the universe and an online marketing shaman." She will give us insights on using Facebook to build a business, get a job, get more clients or just get known. Shama will also compare and contract Facebook and LinkedIn.

"What I Wish I’d Known about Doing Business in China…"

China’s economy is on fire.  Since 1975, China has grown 9% a year, the fastest growth rate for a major economy in recorded history.  Trade between the US and China has exploded first with the normalization of relations in 1979 and granting of most-favored-nation status in 1980 and then with China’s admission to the World Trade Organization in 2001.  Today China is the U.S.’s 2nd largest trading partner with bilateral trade close to $400 billion. 

Multinational companies have flocked to China to set up operations.  Although the Chinese government continues to make it easier to do business in the country, there are still many obstacles to overcome.  However, the current labor cost advantage plus the opportunity of being established in what will eventually become the world’s largest consumer market is too lucrative to pass by. 

So, given this, it is likely that at some time in your professional career, you will work with, for or in China.  Understanding China’s cultural, legal, political and economic landscape is critical for success.  Nancy will discuss local Chinese context to provide insight on how to better manage, coordinate and integrate global business operations in ‘What I Wish I’d Known about Doing Business in China….’

Speaker:

Nancy Philippart, President of NLP Solutions, LLC

Background:

Nancy Philippart, President of NLP Solutions, LLC has been an engineer and business executive in the automotive industry for over 30 years.  In 2008, she retired from General Motors Corporation to start her own consulting practice.  Nancy has extensive experience in all aspects of the international automotive business from new business strategy and planning, product development, manufacturing, quality, sales, dealer operations and aftersales. 

While at GM, Nancy was the Executive Director for GM Accessories, a start up business within GM that she led to help sell vehicles by enabling personalization at point of sale and grow profits through increased accessory sales.  Her responsibilities were global and included accessories development in eight international product development centers and sales in all major markets where General Motors sold vehicles, including China.  Prior to this, Nancy held numerous executive management positions at General Motors in portfolio management, product development and design.  She began her career as a Human Factors Engineer.  Nancy has taught as a part time faculty member of the College of Engineering at Wayne State University as well as teaching ergonomics and product design classes at the Center for Creative Studies and Lawrence Tech University. She has a BS in Industrial Engineering and an MA in Economics both from Wayne State University and a MS in Biomedical/Civil Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.  Nancy is currently a PhD candidate in Global Executive Management at Wayne State University’s College of Engineering, where she has studied the cultural, political, legal and economic implications of doing business in China – the type of information she wished she knew when working with Chinese suppliers and partners during her GM career.

Agenda:
6:00 - 6:45 pm    Check-In and Connecting
6:45 - 7:15 pm    Mentoring Session
7:15 - 8:45 pm    Program – "What I Wish I’d Known about Doing Business in China…"
8:45 - 9:00 pm    Drawings and Wrap Up

Food:
Hors d'oeuvres

Cost:
$50 for members and non-members

Connect with Friends and Discover what's hot in Business Books

A lively and fun discussion about your favorite business books.

Bring your favorite business book and join other progressive learners to discuss it.

• We all know lifelong learning is a requirement in our world.
• No one has time to read every good book.

This is a great way to get timely insights on several at one time. It's sure to be a delightful evening with ATW members and friends. You will leave the session with new insights, the reviews of others and a list of books to add to your summer reading list.

Please join us for some great interaction and thoughtful discussion.

Agenda:
6:00 - 6:30 pm Registration & Meet and Greet
6:30 - 6:45 pm Announcements and Sponsor Recognition
6:45 - 7:15 pm Mentoring Session
7:15 - 8:45 pm Program – Book Discussion
8:45 - 9:00 pm Drawings and Wrap Up

Food:
Appetizers

Cost:

Before April 10:
$15 for members
$25 for non-members