Conference 2008

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GUEST SPEAKERS

Mark Greenfield is a highly regarded, influential member of the higher education web community. He is an accomplished speaker who frequently presents at a wide range of higher education conferences and meetings where his thought provoking commentary on the impact of emerging technology on college campuses challenges audiences to rethink their basic assumptions about web communications.

Mark has worked at the University at Buffalo for over 20 years. He has been a full time web professional for the past 12 years, currently serving as Director, Office of Web Services. He began his career at UB as a supervisor for Instructional Technology Services where he played a significant role in integrating technology into the classroom. Mark has also served as a visiting instructor in UB's former School of Informatics. His research interests include emerging technologies, the social web, the mobile web, the Millennial Generation and their use of technology, and the impact of globalization and technology on the academy.

Mark spends his spare time working as a consultant assisting organizations in developing strategies that leverage the full potential of emerging web technologies.

Mark's other professional interests include customer service and the application of the principles of total quality management in higher education. Mark has given several presentations both locally and nationally on how to incorporate Stephen Covey's seven habits into customer service.

Born and raised in Hamburg New York, Mark currently resides in Clarence. His other interests include sports and music. An avid golfer and tennis player, he has retired from his favorite sport of lacrosse. He has held many coaching positions including lacrosse at Hamburg High School, The Nichols School, and Buffalo State College; and Girl's Tennis at Hamburg High School. Mark coached the UB Men's Lacrosse team for 11 years where he compiled a 170 - 45 record and led UB to national prominence on the college club lacrosse scene.

Making his first television appearance on Comedy Central, he is now one of the few comics to do the complete late night circuit including The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and Craig Kilborn. He has also appeared on 100 Television shows including VH-1's "Super Secret Movie Rules", Comedy Central's "Premium Blend" and "USO Comedy Tour."

Marley is a regular at the Aspen and Montreal Comedy Festivals. This year the Montreal Just For Laughs Festival voted him "Best of the Fest" and "Talk of the Fest." He has played Las Vegas quite a bit over the years including Harrah's this year.

After recently celebrating his 15th year in comedy Marley continues to shine. He released his 11th CD and 4th DVD just in time for the holidays as a CD/DVD combo. It has 2 hours of Bob's performances taped around the world. He has a weekly radio call in segment with several radio stations around the country called "The World According to Bob." A featured comedian on XM and Sirius satellite radio systems that continually makes new fans around the country.

Marley's brand of high energy and off beat observation of everyday life things has captured the minds of fans of all ages including teenagers to grandparents in their 80's. Marley isn't waiting for things to happen, he is building his audience up one city at a time using the internet, radio appearances, and promotions.

Many movie fans will recognize his biggest movie appearance in the movie 'Boondock Saints' where he co-stars with Willem Dafoe. His comedic take on "Detective Greenly" inspires fans to come up to him and quote lines from the film.

Audiences are in for a treat whether they catch this Mainer's act on stage or on screen.

Despite this ill twist of fate, Travis has continued to persevere and defy the odds. With an intense rehabilitation regime, he has regained some movement in his right arm. While coming to grips with his life as a quadriplegic, Travis returned to Boston University less than a year after his accident. Four years later, he graduated with a degree in Public Relations from Boston University's prestigious College of Communication. In the storied history of BU Terriers hockey, Travis Roy's #24 is the only jersey to have been retired.

In 1997 Travis wrote his autobiography with Sport's Illustrated's E.M. Swift titled "Eleven Seconds". The book chronicles his accident, rehabilitation, and perseverance through personal tragedy.

An articulate advocate for individuals living with spinal cord injuries, Travis is a frequent speaker on the hope research carries and the need for increased funding, including testifying before a US Senate Committee hearing for The National Institute of Health in Washington, DC, addressing the Massachusetts state legislature and providing testimony to the Maine state legislature. In 1997, Roy founded the Travis Roy Foundation that focuses on finding a cure for spinal cord injuries and provides grants to spinal cord injury survivors in financial need to help them purchase costly adaptive equipment necessary to live more active and independent lives.

Actively involved in the activities of the Foundation that bears his name, Travis is a popular motivational speaker and has also worked as a color commentator for college hockey games on ESPN and WMTW-TV8 in Maine. A Boston, MA resident, he spends his summers with his family on Lake Champlain in Vermont. Travis can also be found supporting his Terriers at Boston University hockey games, or with a paint brush in his mouth working on his latest work of art.

Kathleen reports directly to the EFC Board of Directors.

Before taking the position of EFC President, Kathleen held the lead staff position on higher education issues for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce. In that capacity, she spent three and a half years working directly with key members of Congress on higher education issues and has played a leading role in numerous pieces of bipartisan legislation designed to improve the nation's higher education system.

Prior to joining the committee, Kathleen served as chief of staff and director of corporate communications for the Education Finance Council (EFC) from 1998 – 2001. Prior to joining EFC, she served as the federal relations director for the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA). As the head of PHEAA's Washington office, Kathleen acted as a liaison with Congress, the Department of Education and numerous student financial aid organizations. She was responsible for monitoring new and pending legislation and its impact on the FFEL Program, students, and schools as well as several administrative functions.

Prior to her position at PHEAA, Kathleen served for five years as the director of communications and public relations for the Connecticut Student Loan Foundation. She previously served as the assistant director of financial aid at D'Youville College in Buffalo, New York and as a program analyst at the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation in Albany, New York.

She received her B.A. from D'Youville College in 1982 and a Masters in public administration from the University of New Haven in 1991. She also completed a Masters Degree in communications; journalism and public affairs at American University in 1998.