Meeting & Dinner: panel discussion on Economic & Employment Trends in the Triad  

October Section Meeting - Economic And Employment Trends in the Triad: How the Local Section and its Members Can Be Better Prepared to Support and Benefit from Current Trends

Join us Tuesday, October 17 for a panel discussion on how all Professionals in the area will be impacted by current trends, moderated by Sheila Robinson, the dynamic publisher of North Carolina Career Network Magazine.

COST: $20.00 (free if only attending Speaker program)

Discussion Panel will include:

• Sheila Robinson - Publisher, North Carolina Career Network Magazine

Sheila Robinson spent fourteen years at DuPont leading North America Marketing Division of DuPont’s global textiles. While at DuPont Sheila was responsible for all Marketing Communications and Public Relations functions for DuPont’s apparel business, including advertising, media relations and crisis management, retail promotions and trend presentations.

With a special knack and passion for professional development and career advancement, Sheila decided to turn adversity into opportunity and started a publication to help individuals who may be experiencing the obstacles she endured throughout her career. North Carolina Career Network Magazine is a publication that provides ideas, solutions, and resources to business professionals whether they are established in their career, seeking career advancement, recent college graduates or in career transition. The magazines also includes a section called “Create Your Own Career,” for individuals that are interesting in leaving the workplace to start their own business.

• Perry Noakes - Director of Engineering & Quality, Dell Inc

Perry Noakes serves as director of engineering and quality for Dell Americas Operations. Mr. Noakes and his team are responsible for managing process and product introduction, test engineering support as well as quality and strategic business process improvements in DAO manufacturing. Previously, Noakes also served as director Server Storage manufacturing and as Dell’s chief quality officer. Prior to these roles Mr. Noakes directed Dell’s manufacturing operations in Austin and led the company’s Americas supply chain management and manufacturing engineering teams.

Mr. Noakes came to Dell in October 1999, from Motorola, Inc. During his 29-year career with Motorola, he served as corporate vice president for the company’s communications enterprise. In addition, Mr. Noakes also served as corporate vice president and general manager for Motorola’s radio products group and vice president of the company’s Asia operations in Singapore.

Mr. Noakes holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Florida Atlantic University.

• Greg Brownstien - Piedmont Triad Partnership

Greg Brownstein is vice president for marketing at the Piedmont Triad Partnership. As Vice President, Marketing, Greg is responsible for implementing the marketing initiatives for the Partnership, both internal and external.

Greg came to the Partnership from the Piedmont Triad Research Park in Winston-Salem where he was director of marketing for the park’s not-for-profit management group, the Idealliance.

Prior to joining the Partnership, he held marketing and public affairs positions with a variety of area businesses and organizations including the Greensboro Area Chamber of Commerce and Guilford Technical Community College.

Formerly a member of the White House Communications Agency, Greg holds an A.B. in Journalism from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.F.A. from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

• Melani Wilson - Aerotek Professional Recruiters

Professional Engineering recruiter since 1998, Melani also manages Greensboro’s largest exclusive account Thomas Built Buses and heads up the Greensboro Aerotek office with her partners:

• G Kassandra Kaan - Engineering Account Manager for Western Triad territory, started in engineering recruiting in 2000.
• Ren Asplen - Engineering Account Manager for Eastern Triad territory, started in engineering recruiting in 2003.
• Pat O’Connor - N.C. A&T University