NATIONAL SPEAKERS ASSOCIATION
Officers
Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP, President
Mark A. LeBlanc, President Elect
Sam Silverstein, CSP, Vice President
Linda Byars Swindling, JD, CSP, Secretary
Phillip Van Hooser, CSP, Treasurer
Rick Jakle, CSP, Immediate Past President
Stacy Tetschner, CAE, Executive Vice President
Founder
Cavett Robert, CSP, CPAE
Board of Directors
Kristin Arnold, MBA, CPF, CMC, CSP
Emory Austin, CSP, CPAE Eileen McDargh, CSP, CPAE
Francis O. Bologna, CPA Rebecca Morgan, CSP, CMC
Frank Bucaro, CSP, CPAE Randy Pennington, CSP
Ronald P. Culberson, MSW, CSP Ian Percy, CSP, CPAE
Roxanne Emmerich Howard D. Putnam, CSP, CPAE
Susan Friedmann, CSP Laura M. Stack, MBA, CSP
NSA Foundation
The Foundation serves NSA members and the public through:
• Financial help for NSA members and their families who are facing
health or natural disaster emergencies;
• Grants to NSA members who need help with their dues or
meeting registration fees;
• Scholarships for speech/communications students and professors;
• Oversight and funding for speaking-related research; and
• Grants to help charitable organizations communicate through
technology.
Founder and Chairman Emeritus
Nido R. Qubein, CSP, CPAE
Chair
Randy Pennington, CSP
NSA Foundation Board of Trustees
Lenora Billings-Harris, CSP Sam Silverstein, CSP
Susan Friedmann, CSP Laura Stack, MBA, CSP
Jane Jenkins Herlong, CSP Stephen Tweed, CSP
Don Hutson, CSP, CPAE Phil Van Hooser, CSP, CPAE
Mark Sanborn, CSP, CPAE Al Walker, CSP, CPAE
Speaker Editorial Advisory Board
Tracy Brown, Chair
Bonnie Budzowski, Managing Editor
Don Blohowiak Dave Lieber
Dale Collie, MA Susan Luke, CSP
Lois Creamer David G. Lewis
Ava Diamond, MS John Reddish, MS, CMC
Jolene Jang David Ryback, PhD
Craig Harrison Dan Thurmon, CSP
Eddie Leigh, MA Francine Ward, JD
Editor Design
Sally J. Clasen Bill Van Nimwegen
Editorial Office and Subscriptions:
National Speakers Association
1500 South Priest Drive • Tempe, AZ 85281
Tel: (480) 968-2552 • Fax: (480) 968-0911
Web site: www.nsaspeaker.org.
Advertising Sales
Ralph Bloch, Account Executive
Tel: (312) 640-0465 • Fax: (312) 896-5094
E-mail: Ralph@nsaspeaker.org
Speaker (ISSN 1934-9076) (USPS 012-886). Volume 1,
Number 3. Published monthly except February and August
by the National Speakers Association, 1500 S. Priest Drive,
Tempe, AZ 85281. Periodicals postage paid at Tempe,
Arizona, and at additional mailing offices. Contents
Copyright 2007 National Speakers Association, all rights
reserved. Subscription rate for NSA members is $35 of
$325 annual dues allocated to SPEAKER; non-member
subscription rate is $49 for 10 issues. Add $10 for
Canadian or international postage. POSTMASTER:
Send address changes to SPEAKER,
National Speakers Association, 1500
S. Priest Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281.
NEWS FROM HEADQUARTERS
Reminder: Convention Registration
Grants Available
NSA is accepting registration grant applications for the 2007 Convention in San Diego,
Calif., July 9–12. Who is eligible? Those who
could not otherwise afford the full cost of
registration for the Convention and have
been a member of NSA for one year as of
the date of application. It does not cover
the cost of travel or lodging; those
expenses will be paid by the member. Up
to 10 grants will be awarded for the Convention. The deadline for application is May
31, 2007. For more information on registration grants and a copy of the application,
visit the NSA Web site at www.nsaspeaker.
org. You may also contact Audrey O'Neal
at (480) 968-2552 or e-mail your request to
her at audrey@nsaspeaker.org.
Remembering Our Members
Dottie Walters, a founding
member of NSA, past
board member and founder of the NSA Greater Los
Angeles Chapter, passed
away on Feb. 14, 2007, at
her home in Glendora,
Calif. Dottie was a marketing genius, world-class speaker, best-selling author and a
speaking industry icon who helped launch
thousands of successful speaking careers.
She was the president and founder of Hospitality Hostess Service, the largest newcomer
welcoming agency and advertising company on the West Coast, as well as the Walters
International Speakers Bureau. She also co-founded the International Group of Agencies
& Bureaus, now known as the International
Association of Speakers Bureaus. Her book,
Never Underestimate the Selling Power of a
Woman, was the first book of its kind to celebrate women as powerful sales professionals.
“I worked with Dottie on the NSA Board, sat
in her audience as she addressed thousands in a motivational rally and witnessed
her tireless dedication to building her business and providing for her family. She has left
a lasting imprint and influenced many colleagues as they grew their own careers with
her guidance,” says Jim Cathcart, CSP, CPAE.
Merlyn Joyce Cundiff,
cofounder and past
director of NSA, passed
away on Dec. 20, 2006
in Scottsdale, Ariz. Cundiff was the author of
Kinesics: The Power of
Silent Command, which became a
national best seller following its release by
Prentice Hill, and coauthored with Cavett
Robert, We are in the People Business and
Professionals at Their Best. She was the
founder and owner of several businesses,
including Planned Achievements, Merlyn
Cundiff Investments and Associates, and
The Merlyn Foundation, a human and animal rights initiative.
“When Cavett Robert first created the
vision of an NSA, Merlyn was at his right hand
helping. She served as the first official secretary of our fledgling Association,” remembers
Past National President, Don Thoren, CPAE. “In
support of the enormous dedication and
enthusiasm of Cavett, Merlyn performed a
lot of the behind the scenes administrative
work required to bring a new organization
into existence. Merlyn had a bubbly personality and the heart of a servant leader. I, for
one, am thankful for the contributions she
made to our beloved NSA.”
Stacy Tetschner, CAE
Executive Vice President
