Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Kirk Snyder is nationally recognized as an authority in the field of career development and the study of work in contemporary society.
At the University of Southern California, he teaches business communication in the Marshall School of Business and heads his own consulting firm, Equality Career Group, Inc. In addition to his current role at USC, he has held several senior-level leadership positions in the field of higher education as well as teaching theories of career development for six years in the USC Rossier School of Education.
As an author, researcher and educator, Snyder's work has generated attention from many of the world's most prestigious publications including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Miami Herald, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, and The Advocate. His debut book in 2003, Lavender Road to Success, was named by Amazon.com as one of the best books of the year as a top ten editors' pick. His new business leadership book, The G Quotient (Jossey-Bass/Wiley), based on a landmark five-year research project will be released in June 2006. He holds an undergraduate degree in business from the University of Southern California and a graduate degree in communication from Perpperdine University.
For more information on Kirk, please visit www.kirksnyder.com.
Barry Herstein is the SVP of International Payments Marketing & Communications for American Express. He is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to grow the International Charge Card franchise in all proprietary Amex markets outside the US. In addition, he is responsible for achieving full "through the line" integration of all customer communications internationally.
Prior to joining American Express, Herstein was the Chief Marketing Officer at the Financial Times (FT) Group, where he helped transform the FT into a global power-brand for business news, information and insight. Previously, Herstein was Managing Director, Global Marketing for Citibank's Global Consumer Bank where he was responsible for leading the development and implementation of strategic initiatives to grow market share amongst affluent customers. He led the efforts which successfully re-established CitiGold as a growth engine for the international consumer business.
Herstein began his career at Avon Products, Inc. where he attained the position of Group Vice President, Marketing, responsible for leading the company's U.S. marketing organization - including product development, catalog merchandising and all creative development.
Herstein earned an MBA from the London Business School, London, England. He graduated suma cum laude from Boston University School of Management, where he earned a BS in finance & marketing. He serves on the Board of the José Limon Dance Foundation (America's oldest repertory dance company), and the London Business School Alumni Board. He's also served on the Board of CBS MarketWatch, and was an advisor to the US Council on Public Relations, and the US Council on Competitiveness.
In January 2006, City Council Members overwhelmingly chose Christine C. Quinn to be Speaker. As the first woman, openly gay, and Irish Speaker, she brings a new perspective to the diverse challenges facing each of New York City’s distinct communities. Speaker Quinn has set a proactive agenda for the Council to be an incubator for big ideas, and to be an initiator of legislative and policy initiatives that improve people’s lives. In short, she is working to make government more accessible to New Yorkers in all five boroughs.
Since 1999, Speaker Quinn has served as the representative for the 3rd Council District of Manhattan. She has been a long time pioneer for equal rights, comprehensive health care, improved schools, tenants’ rights and affordable housing. Prior to becoming Speaker, she was the Council's Health Committee chairperson. In that role, she worked vigilantly to pass the ban on smoking in all workplaces, expand access to emergency contraception to rape survivors and other women in need, increase the availability of mammograms citywide, and secure millions of dollars for HIV prevention services.
Before being elected to the City Council, Speaker Quinn served for five years as Chief of Staff to Council Member Thomas K. Duane. She then worked as Executive Director of the New York City Gay and Lesbian Anti-Violence Project. During her time with the Anti-Violence Project, Mayor Guiliani appointed her to be a member of the New York City Police/Community Relations Task Force.
Speaker Quinn has been rated one of the fifty most powerful women in New York City by the New York Post, and one of the most influential New Yorkers by New York Magazine. She served as a delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention and was appointed to the 2004 Convention's Platform Committee.
She and her partner, Kim Catullo, live in Chelsea with their dogs Andy and Sadie.
Christie has over 22 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations and grass root-organizing efforts. She is immediate past president of the National Board of Directors for GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network) where she remains on the board. She holds a Masters degree in Organizational Development, is an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow and a member of the Women's Leadership Board for the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Christie has held corporate executive positions in Change Management, Human Resources and Organizational Efficiency. She is a speaker in a variety of forums and provides life-coaching services to several clients across the United States.
Twice elected trustee of the Fremont Unified School District, Christie co-founded the Fremont Education Foundation, which provides funding to the school district for their music programs. She is also the founding chair of Greatschools.net, a non-profit organization providing a comprehensive online guide to public schools nationwide.
An experienced political consultant, Christie has successfully managed seven school district bond campaigns throughout California in a given year and was the Field Director for the 1992 Presidential, Senate and Congressional races in Southern Alameda County.
Christie currently shares her gifts as an executive coach and consultant who specializes in helping individuals and organizations break through their previous limitations and step up to what her new company brands a “spirited contribution”. Christie has released her first commercial CD (Keep the Lights On) and an inspirational book, “The ABC’s of an extraordinary life”. http://www.spiritedcontribution.com
Christie resides in Fremont, California with her wife Jane and is the mother of 3 children; twins age 28 and a 19 year old son.