Pathways to your Future Press Release

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 
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