Windy City Members

Stan Piskorski

Stan is the Founder and President of Windy City Professional Speakers Toastmasters Club.  Throughout his 30 year career in sales, sales management and sales training, Stan has focused on working for organizations that specialize in improving employee performance. As a consultant he is able to bring to bear his broad experience in areas such as employee selection, public speaking, incentive planning, career development and professional development as well as his extensive knowledge of the sales training field in order to address the key issues of his clients.  In addition to his classroom work, he is a frequent guest speaker at meetings and conferences of local, regional and national associations.  Click here to reach Stan by e-mail.

Matt Bell

Tammy Cook

Conor Cunneen

This Irishman’s ebullient, down to earth communication style has been likened to “James Joyce meets Tom Peters,” and “He’s like an Irish Dilbert.”  Conor is the author of Why Ireland Never Invaded America, described as the “most creative business book you will read all year.” His business skills were honed in Ireland, UK and USA where he was VP Marketing, Unilever. Once you hear him, you will not be surprised to learn that Conor Cunneen is a winner of Chicago Toastmasters Humorous Speaker of the Year. The subject was Customer Service in San Quentin, and you can listen to it at www.IrishmanSpeaks.com .

Conor has spoken in the UK, USA and Ireland in the past year. A prolific writer, he has been published 30 times in US, UK, Australia and Ireland. He has been referenced in numerous publications and is a regular co-host of JobTalk on Chicago radio 1530am. Client comments include: “When you come into a room, the room lights up” and “I have never heard a speaker with the double whammy combination of humor and substance that I heard from you today." Keynotes include: The Gift of the GAB (Goals, Attitude, Behavior), Why Ireland Never Invaded America, and Brand Ireland: From 'The Quiet Man' to 'The Celtic Tiger'.

Conor’s Brand Promise is QCHE – Quality, Content, Humor, Easy to work with. Contact Conor at 630 718 1643 or click here to email him.

Barbara B. Dwyer

Barbara holds a Master of Social Work degree from George Williams College. Prior to her work with Benedictine University she managed the City of Naperville Social Services Division for six years. Her professional career began in 1981 when she established and directed The Comprehensive Counseling Center, Ltd. a community- based marriage and family therapy practice.

Invited back by popular demand to numerous Fortune 100 and religious organizations Barbara’s presentations focus on achieving personal excellence in business and in life. Her more popular topics include communication skills training, attitude training, leadership, team building, stress management and finding purpose. Barbara delivers her expertise with warmth & humor. Visit www.BarbaraDwyer.com to learn more!

Pat Evans

Pat started a business out-of-his-house and achieved Inc 500 status with 1019% growth and sold his firm for $60 million. Patrick is a maverick who presents an energetic, motivational sales/marketing keynote or seminar. Believe In Yourself! Click here to contact Pat about bringing this keynote to your organization!

Bill Forssander

Bill Forssander, the President of CODA Consulting Group, Ltd combines extensive management and leadership experience at industry-leading companies with his achievements in the fields of music (recorded performer) and creative writing (published author) to provide unique, thought-provoking and entertaining treatment of significant subjects. Bill provides keynotes, breakout sessions and workshops customized to fit client objectives. Some topics include:

• Proactive Change: The Key to Sustained Success

• The New Workforce: Age Diversity is Good Business
• The Myths and Methods of High Performance Leadership
• Conflict: The Positive Possibilities of the Inevitable
• The Good News About Mature Minds and What You Can Do About It

Clients say:

• "Your presentations were a real value-added to our annual conference." Debra Lynn Ross, Consorta Director of Communications, Consorta, Inc.
• "Bill is a quality speaker who provides his audience with a valuable experience." Raymond Wyzguski, M.S.I.R., President, Valley Human Resources Association
• "Outstanding! Our audience found Bill's talk inspiring and empowering. Very important material." Jan Hall, Resident Program Manager, The Breakers of Edgewater Beach

Contact Bill at 630-357-2632 or billf@codaconsultinggroup.com

Maya Hennessey

Maya is a national consultant, trainer, and author of If Only I’d Had This Caregiving Book for professional and family caregivers, and author of numerous articles on women and addictions.  The November 2004 edition of Counselor Magazine named Maya a woman making a difference in the field of addictions. Maya is featured in the Bill Moyers PBS TV series on addiction titled Close To Home.  Maya has been on TV and radio, and is featured in numerous teaching videos. Maya develops training curriculum for staff working in addictions, child welfare, criminal justice and domestic violence, and conducts training of trainers. Contact Maya at www.mayahennessey.com

Andy Kaufman

Andy Kaufman is president of the Institute for Leadership Excellence & Development Inc. (I-LEAD), which provides keynote presentations, training, and consulting services for clients around the world who want to radically increase productivity and deliver results. Andy's rich background consists of over 25 years of experience in executive management, technology, team building, and project management, including leadership roles at ACNielsen and Baxter.

He is the author of Navigating the Winds of Change: Staying on Course in Business & in Life, How to Organize Your Inbox & Get of E-Mail Clutter, and Shining the Light on The Secret, a Christian worldview response to Rhonda Byrne's book and movie The Secret, all published by Zurich Press.

Popular keynotes and workshops include:

• "Beyond the Rock and the Hard Place: How to Deal with Conflict More Effectively" (also available as e-learning)

• "Real World Project Management"

• "Lipstick on a Pig: How Illusion Leads to Crisis"

• and leadership keynotes that are customized to your organization and culture.

To learn more about Andy, please visit www.i-leadonline.com.  For hospitals looking to address the Joint Commission Standard LD.2.40, please visit our website dedicated to managing conflict in healthcare. To learn more about the relationship-building and referral generation system that Andy uses, click here.  Click on the banner and you can send a couple cards for free!

Debra Lane

Debra Lane shares stories from her life, such as milking goats at 5:00 a.m. before law school, and how her son's tarantula led to a lop-eared rabbit. She offers a workshop entitled  "Let Your Stories Flow."  Debra has served as Toastmaster District Parliamentarian and Area Governor. Click here to e-mail Debra or call (630) 789-0464.

Valencia Ray, MD

Valencia Ray MD, President and owner of Core Confidence Coaching, brings a practical yet powerful approach to the services she offers. She is a dynamic and inspiring speaker, author and mindset coach who has a unique ability to translate and synthesize information from cutting-edge science and personal development, into an easy to understand and user-friendly format for the general public.

As a professional mindset and life coach, she specializes in helping you to eliminate mental stress, successfully navigate transitions and purposefully create a life you love. As a physician and eye surgeon, Dr. Ray owned and operated her busy medical practice for nearly two decades before deciding to take her next step forward by selling her practice and expanding her ability to share this life changing material on a full-time basis. For more information, please visit: www.ValenciaRay.com.

Jenny Riddle

Jenny Riddle is an accomplished, storyteller, speaker, singer, and writer. She is the founder of “In Character: Jenny Riddle’s One-Woman Shows” where she brings books to life. In each dramatic book review, Jenny creates an intimate portrait of her famous real-life subjects, such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Jackie Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Rosemary Clooney, Judy Garland, and Barbra Streisand. Jenny “wears the hats,” both literally and figuratively, of her subjects to develop a complete and complex review. Where appropriate, Jenny sings some of the standards made famous by their subjects. Jenny also works as a consultant for those in business who are eager to incorporate the power of storytelling into their presentations. She has taught English, speech, and drama at the high school and college levels and has been active in music and theater throughout her life. Contact Jenny at 630-834-3986 or click here to e-mail her.