Biographies

Colleen Martell, principal, has worked in high tech public relations since the early 1980s, having held three PR and marketing communications positions inside technology companies as well as senior management positions at two independent PR agencies. She started Martell Communications in 1994, working with large clients such as Borland, Informix, Nikon, and Visa, as well as start-up companies like 2Market (part of America Online), ConsenSys Software Corp., ISDNet, and WhiteLight Systems.

Before starting Martell Communications, Colleen was vice president of Rourke & Company, a Boston-based PR agency. She established the San Jose, Calif. office and brought on new business to the agency. She worked with her clients to increase exposure with financial analysts, market research analysts, and the trade and business press.

Prior to Rourke & Company, Colleen managed a business unit as a group account manager at Franson, Hagerty & Associates, a PR agency in San Jose. She spent four years with Franson, working with numerous high tech clients in the graphics, networking, telecommunications, semiconductor, and software markets.

On the corporate side, Colleen worked with two semiconductor companies, National Semiconductor and Integrated Device Technology (IDT), and a networking company, Vitalink Communications Corp. (now part of Network Systems). At Vitalink and IDT, she built the marketing communications departments, managing the advertising, public relations, trade show and literature functions. She started her PR career at National Semiconductor, spending three years handling product publicity.

Colleen has a bachelor's degree in Public Relations with a minor in Business from San Jose State University. She has also been an instructor in public relations at San Jose State University and she's a member of the Forum of Women Entrepreneurs.

Lisa Figlioli, PR counselor, advises technology companies on public relations strategy and tactics. She develops, directs and implements PR campaigns, conducts communications research, implements media- and consultant-relations programs, and writes promotional materials.

In the past few years, she has helped introduce one of the nation's first electronic-shopping services (2Market - part of America Online); garnered credibility and national media coverage for a brain-to-computer device (IBVA Technologies); managed a product-review program, Web-site intro and product update intro for a market-development software company (MarketPlace Information Corp.); maintained ongoing publicity programs for a technology advertising agency (Global Media Representatives) and a software training company (KeyStone Learning Systems); managed speakers' bureaus for divisions of major companies (IBM and Visa International); and placed case history articles for a sales-automation system (Medior, part of AOL) and for an application-development software tool (Borland).

During her 15-year career in communications, Lisa has held senior positions in two Shandwick-owned -- and two independent -- high-tech agencies, and has consulted to several others. Her clients have included some of the largest, most innovative and fastest-growing companies in the industry: The IBM PC Company, IBM Microelectronics, Fujitsu Microelectronics, British Telecom, Dayna Communications, Sun Microsystems, ALPS America, Star Micronics, The Learning Company, Advanced RISC Machines, Soft-Switch, and Xilinx.

Lisa also has held internal posts in the communications departments of such major organizations as Arthur Andersen, Intel, National Semiconductor and Boston University.

Prior to working in the PR field, Lisa was a newspaper reporter. She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, and holds a master's in PR from Boston University and a bachelor's in journalism from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Lisa is based in Greenwich, Conn., near New York City.

Cynthia Lempert, PR counselor, has been involved in high tech product management and public relations for over ten years. Prior to consulting, she was a business unit director for Walt & Company Communications, a Santa Clara, Calif. PR agency. During her two plus years with the firm, Cynthia was responsible for bringing in several major accounts, including Epson America's retail and OEM divisions. In addition, she managed public relations programs for Hitachi Data Systems, Maxtor Corporation, Hitachi Data Systems and several divisions of Intel Corporation.

Prior to joining Walt & Company, Cynthia worked for Manning, Selvage and Lee, in Los Angeles and Hill and Knowlton, in Waltham, Mass. Her responsibilities included the development of strategy and communications programs and all aspects of management for several accounts, including: Digital Equipment Corporation, Motorola Computer Division, Epson America Inc., and several software startups.

Cynthia began her high tech career with Interleaf, Inc., a technical publishing software company based in Waltham, Mass. As part of the international product management team for software and hardware applications, Cynthia served as the chief liaison for Interleaf's 11 subsidiaries, overseeing product specification, quality assurance and sales programs.

Cynthia holds a bachelor of arts degree in Art History/Theatre and Economics from Bucknell University and is currently working towards her masters in non-profit administration and management from the American University, Washington, D.C. She is active in several women's business organizations.

Gail Farrell, writer, offers a wide range of writing services to technology companies, including newsletters, white papers, press kits, technical and tutorial articles, case histories, speeches, and annual reports. These materials may convey company positioning and strategy to a business audience, or in-depth product information to a technical audience. Clients have included Borland International, ISDNet, ConsenSys Software, New Vision Systems, KeyStone Learning Systems, Packet Engines, Shomiti, Galaxaco China Group LLC, Polaroid, Digital Equipment Corporation, Unisys, Polycom, Telco, Telematics, Pillar, Octel, and Kubota, Hitachi Data Systems, Wyse Technology, Ungermann-Bass, 88Open, and Resonex.

Gail has covered many of the major products and technologies that have evolved in the past 20 years, such as data communications (including networking and internetworking bridges and hubs, ISDN remote access products, and gigabit Ethernet ASICs); computers from microprocessors to mainframes (including fault-tolerant, parallel, packet-switching, and digital imaging processors); software (including RapidPDM [product development management] systems, client/server application development software, digital imaging software, and software that enhances the pattern fidelity of photolithographic tools for the semiconductor industry); factory automation; fiber optics, CAD/CAM/CAE; telecommunications; expert systems; image compression; CASE; and customer service organizations.

Previously, Gail was director of technical writing at Hill and Knowlton's Advanced Technology Division in Waltham, Mass., where she worked with Computervision, Lotus Development Corporation, BBN Advanced Computers, Xerox, and Teleos. As senior technical writer at Newsome & Company, Inc. in Boston, Mass., Gail created proposals and programs for clients such as Honeywell's Information, Customer Service, and Manufacturing Automation Divisions; Visage; PictureTel; Ztel; and CCMI/McGraw-Hill. Gail also was senior technical writer at Creamer, Dickson, Basford, in Providence, R.I., where clients included Prime Computer, Brand-Rex, BOSCOM, Norton, and Raymark. As an account executive at The Nigberg Corporation in Framingham, Mass., Farrell's clients included BBN Computer, Comtal, Datamedia, and Galileo Electro-Optics.

Gail started her career at McGraw-Hill Publications as a reporter for Business Week and Electronics. She ultimately became Boston bureau chief of Electronics. Gail is a graduate of Tufts University with a bachelor's degree in French.

Debra Kelley has been working in high tech public relations for over fifteen years, having worked for both corporations, such as Hewlett-Packard, Intuit and ChipSoft, as the PR Manager, as well as PR agencies as the account executive.

At Martell Communications, she's worked with a number of clients on their PR programs, such as Silicon Light Machines, Terisa Systems, and WhiteLight Systems. Before working with Martell Communications, she handled PR for Intuit Inc.'s products and services including Quicken, Open Financial Exchange and Quicken Financial Network (www.qfn.com).

Prior to working with Intuit, Debra worked for ChipSoft, the leading supplier of tax preparation software for consumers and professional tax preparers, as director of public relations. Before that, Debra spent three years running her own PR agency in Southern California, working with manufacturers local area network (LAN) analysis software, twisted-pair LAN wiring products, TCP/IP and SNMP network protocols, text-retrieval software, computer-facility design software, single-in-line memory modules (SIMMs), uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), and graphics and multimedia product resellers.

She also worked with Franson and Associates, a leading independent PR agency, representing clients with products including personal computer systems and subsystems; personal computer software; PC add-in boards; PC-to-minicomputer communications products; LAN products for IBM, DEC and Apple Computer markets; and enhancement products for Hewlett-Packard technical workstations. She started her career with Hewlett-Packard, handling the company's personal computer product public relations for several years.

Debra received her B.J. (Bachelor of Journalism) from the University of Missouri, in the magazine sequence with a special emphasis in science writing.

With over 14 years of public relations and marketing experience, Betsy Wahlquist is a public relations consultant with both an agency and a client-side background.

Working with PR agencies, her clients have included: Edelman Public Relations, Patrick Corman & Associates, Martell Communications and BigSky PR. As a consultant, Wahlquist's clients have included: Xinet, Inc., Sellectek, Anderson Soft Teach, Parallax, Visual Numerics, Data General, Silicon Graphics, Global Village Communications, Sony, Netscape, CommerceNet, Internet Shopping Network, Claris and Inverse Network Technology.

Her corporate public relations posts were at Silicon Graphics and SuperMac Technology while her technology agency jobs were at Ketchum Communications and Hodskins Simone & Searls. Wahlquist's expertise is in media relations and strategic consulting.

Prior to working in high-technology public relations, Wahlquist did promotions and advertising for seven motion picture studios, 7-Eleven, and Kentucky Fried Chicken.

She holds a B.A. in communications from the State University of New York at Albany.

Lynne Verbeek learned about the computer industry hands-on by being the first employee of Computer Currents Magazine in 1982, when it was a kitchen table start-up. She helped create the first issue and was the managing editor for 9 years, as the company grew to over 50 employees and published 3 regional editions. She's attended numerous computer shows as an exhibitor.

High-tech public relations draws on her computer industry knowledge, contacts in the computer media, skills in understanding and organizing media campaigns, and writing to targeted markets. Some accounts she's worked on include Netscape, Pinnacle Systems, Learning Company/SoftKey, and Comptons. She has experience in many areas of the computer industry, from consumer products to enterprise computing. Lynne has published articles in PC Computing, Sun Journal, CompuServe and Parents Press magazines. She won an award from Parenting Publications of America for her interview with the late Benjamin Spock.

Lynne enjoys the challenges and changes of the fast-paced computer industry, which are an integral part of the culture of Menlo Park, California, where she resides with her husband, journalist David Needle. She graduated from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada with a BA in Psychology.

Chris Di Salvo started PR consulting, through the name Professional Effects in November, 1984. Since then, she has helped a variety of businesses and government entities obtain visibility through public relations, marketing communications and advertising techniques.

Before starting Professional Effects, Chris was teacher-coordinator for the South County Regional Occupational Dental Assisting Program in Gilroy. She was instrumental in developing the program and taught dental assisting for twelve years.

Chris is very active in the San Jose community. She is vice president at-large for San Jose Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce's Board of Directors, a past Commissioner for the City of San Jose Parks & Recreation Department, and president of the YWCA Board of Directors of Santa Clara County. She is past-president of the South Bay Public Relations Roundtable and the 1991 Chairperson for Women In Business, a San Jose Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce program.

Chris is a part time adjunct professor in San Jose State University's Public Relations Degree Program. She is a graduate of the public relations degree program at San Jose State University. Chris recently wrote the book, San Jose-Silicon Valley: Primed for the 21st Century, about Silicon Valley that is now available in bookstores.

Hollie Wendt, PR counselor, has worked in high technology public relations and marketing communications for the past 15 years, holding positions inside technology companies as well as creative and account positions within a public relations agency. She consults with startup graphics and Internet companies as well as several larger clients such as Picture Network and NewTek Incorporated.

Before starting her consulting business, Hollie held a marketing communications position with Skyway Freight Systems, a Union Pacific Company, in which she was the company liaison and spokesperson with all the business and trade press as well as top Union Pacific management. She worked extensively on company positioning and corporate events while at Skyway. She was responsible for all public relations, advertising, corporate events and marketing planning.

Prior to Skyway, Hollie held management level marketing communications positions at three companies: Signal Technology, a digital signal processing software company; WaveFront, a 3D animation software company now owned by Silicon Graphics; and CMC, a networking and software company now owned by Rockwell International. In these positions, Hollie set-up and managed marketing communications departments and was responsible for all aspects of advertising, trade shows, public relations and product collateral.

Before entering the corporate arena, Hollie worked for 5 years at the PR agency of Franson and Associates in San Jose, where she held several positions in creative and account services. Hollie has an extensive background in graphic arts and printing production.

Hollie has a Bachelor's Degree in Advertising and Nutrition from San Jose State University. Hollie is based in Aptos, California.

JULIE EDWARDS LEVY

Julie Edwards Levy has worked in high technology public relations and marketing communications since 1987, having held several senior and management-level public relations and marketing communications positions inside technology companies and independently. These companies included Informix, Silicon Graphics and Borland. Independently, Julie has worked with companies including Spyglass, Netscape, SurfWatch Software and IDG Books Worldwide.

Most recently, Julie was part of the public relations team that launched SurfWatch from SurfWatch Software, the first and leading content filtering software package for Internet material. She was an integral part of the highly-visible public relations efforts that supported the company from the product's introduction to the Supreme Court overturning the Communications Decency Act, making content filtering software an acceptable alternative to government censorship of the Internet.

Prior to working independently, Julie was the senior marketing communications manager for Borland International, where she managed the company's corporate identity system, retail product packaging, sales and marketing collateral materials and advertising.

Julie has a bachelor's degree in English with a minor in Art and Psychology from Willamette University.

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