Thank you for attending

Thank you for attending Ragan's Speechwriting and Public Affairs Conference.  Below you will find the speaker slide decks and handouts for your reference.

Click here to view our event slides with additional awards, events and council information.

The Ragan team took notes for you, too! View the executive summary here.

Materials are intended for attendee use only. Please do not distribute.

We encourage you to book mark this page, or save the website URL, for future use.

Thursday, March 31, 2022

FIRESIDE CHAT
Moving Forward: How to Bridge Divides and Decrease Partisan Gridlock
Andrew Yang, Former Presidential Candidate and Founder, Forward Party

Speechwriters Braintrust: Practical Secrets of Writing Amazing, Authentic Speeches
David Levey, Speechwriter and Public Affairs Officer, Formerly with the Drug Enforcement Administration
Shannon (Marshall) Marone, Public Affairs Manager, Brunswick Corporation
Katye Riselli, Speechwriter, Former First Lady Laura Bush
Alexandra Robinson, Deputy Speechwriter, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Martin J. Walsh

Gaining Social Compliance: Proven Techniques for a More Persuasive Public Affairs Strategy
Karen Naumann, APR, Snr. Instructor, Public Affairs, U.S. Department of Defense’s Information School

DISCUSSION
Be a Goldfish! What Ted Lasso Teaches Speechwriters and Public Affairs Pros About Empathy
Lee Gordon, VP of Global Communications & PR, Brunswick Corporation

Image Is Everything Case Study: The PIO and Public Affairs Rebranding Guide
Scott Thomsen, President, National Association of Government Communicators

“Mixternal” at Work: Integrating Internal, Executive Communications and Public Affairs
Mia Blessing, Public Affairs Lead and Internal Team Leader, NASA

CRISIS PLANNING SPECIAL FOCUS
Comms Before the Storm: The Best Defense Is to Seal the Windows!
Philip Ballard, Chief Communications Officer and Head of Investor Relations, HotelPlanner
Ivy Cohen, President and CEO, Ivy Cohen Corporate Communications

Navigating Social Media Roadblocks: Going Beyond Buzz to Serve Your Public
April Leonard, Social Media Manager, City of Kansas City, Missouri (KCMO)

Strong Speeches Require Strong Action: How to Turn Execs and Experts into Leaders
Jim Ylisela, Co-Founder and Senior Partner, Ragan Consulting Group

Beating Disinformation: A Media Resource Kit to Earn Trust in the Era of Subjective Truth
Sally Lehrman, Founder, The Trust Project

FIRESIDE CHAT
Building Consensus: The Power of Empathetic Leadership and Authentic Storytelling
Fiona Ma, Treasurer, The State of California

Bonus Materials