Media Alert
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Megan Edmondson (703)993-1090
medmond3@gmu.edu
Communication industry forum prioritizes participant learning with its largest mentoring session yet
Pathways to your Future doubles mentoring time of last year’s forum with 19 mentors
FAIRFAX, Va. – Oct. 5, 2018 – George Mason’s Department of Communication and the Insight Committee host the annual communication forum, Pathways to your Future, on Tuesday Oct. 23, 2018. The venue is Dewberry Hall in the Johnson Center on Mason’s Fairfax campus.
Sports broadcaster, Lindsay Czarniak, gives the keynote address. All students are welcome to attend.
Pathways to your Future has the largest mentoring session of Mason’s communication forums, with six sessions, each 20 minutes long. Mentoring lasts two and a half hours, more than twice that of last year’s hour-long mentoring. The change is the result of student feedback requesting more time with mentors to discuss professional development skills and opportunities.
Since her 2000 graduation from James Madison University, Czarniak reported for ESPN’s SportsCenter from August 2011 to August 2017. Before that, she co-hosted the George Michael Sports Machine, covering events such as the 2008 Summer Olympics. In February 2018, stock-car racing team, Joe Gibbs Racing, announced Czarniak joined as a digital-content producer. The Northern Virginia native is one of many communication professionals attending the forum.
The mentors and their affiliations are:
• Paige Healey, internal communications, Northrop Grumman
• Lori Lawson-Dischner, digital-engagement specialist, U.S. Department of State
• Patrick Rooney, legislative director, U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman John Faso, New York
• Matt Guilfoyle, associate superintendent for communications and technology services,
Prince William County Schools
• Logan Rice, news bureau lead, Northrop Grumman
• Cameron Batten, vice president of U.S. card communication, Capital One
• Lauren Lawson-Zilai, senior director of public relations, Goodwill Industries
• David Greer, vice president of communications, National Association of Realtors
• Jeff Sadosky, partner, Forbes-Tate Partners
• Andy Cuneo, senior manager of corporate communications, Polycom
• Karlene Koh, corporate public relations representative, Northrop Grumman
• Laura Neal, post-production manager, Smithsonian Channel
• Angie Goff, broadcast journalist, NBC4 Today, NBCUniversal Inc.
• Bill Lord, formerly general manager at WJLA, WRC
• Julie Murphy, partner and vice president, public relations, Sage Communications
• Rebecca Ballard, senior vice president and managing director and head of communication and culture, Hill+Knowlton Strategies
• Amy Derrickson, human resources manager, Hill+Knowlton Strategies
• Suann Lee, account manager, WTOP News, FederalNewsRadio.com
• Tony Wyllie, senior vice president of communication, Washington Redskins
The annual fall forum is sponsored by the Department of Communication’s Insight Committee, which is comprised of senior working professionals from various paths of communication.
“The committee connects students and professionals, giving young communicators opportunities to learn skills and success strategies from those in the industry,” said Carolyn Cuppernull,
chair of the Insight Committee.
A breakfast reception will be sponsored by Northrop Grumman. The global aerospace and defense technology company based in Falls Church, Virginia, is a long-time supporter of the forum, Department of Communication, and Mason students.
For more information, contact Megan Edmondson at medmond3@gmu.edu
# # #
October 12, 2018