Michael B. Koep as an Inland Northwest "Renaissance Man.” An avid world traveler, educator, accomplished visual artist, award winning poet and a touring rock musician, Michael’s spirit is imbued in the arts.  The Invasion of Heaven is his fiction debut. He lives in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho with his wife and son.

J. Damian Birkel is a Certified Career Counselor and the Founder of Professionals In Transition ® Support Group, Inc. (PIT®), a national non-profit organization founded in 1992 to assist downsized employees.

His latest book,The Job Search Checklist, Everything You Need to Know to Get Back to Work After a Layoff (as told to Linda Speaks) will be published this Fall by the Ameican Management Association's AMACOM Book Division.

Nationally recognized for its unique program, Professionals In Transition®) has been highlighted in numerous printed and electronic publications including the CNN, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, Fortune, NPR, Parade Magazine, and many others.

He is a recipient of the Jefferson Award for "Outstanding Public Service Benefiting the Local Community." The award has honored nationally recognized history makers, side by side with grassroots "unsung heroes" and include: Barbara Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Oprah Winfrey.

Having lost a job as a result of downsizing and survived three company reorganizations, Birkel established PIT to create "safe space" where members could discuss the issues surrounding unemployment. He has written widely about career topics in numerous publications and is the co-author of Career Bounce-Back!, and the Career Bounce-Back Workbook..

Prior to joining Forsyth Tech, Birkel built a successful career in marketing management over a 22-year period with leading Fortune 500 corporations, including Sara Lee Corporation, Dillard's Department Stores (Higbee's) and Macy's (The May Company Cleveland).

He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Cleveland State University and was the graduate assistant of Dr. John P. Wilson, PhD. (one of the world's experts on Post Delayed Stress Syndrome and war trauma).

Specialties:Career Counseling, Public Speaking, Seminars, Group Facilitation, Non-profit Management, Marketing, Product Development, Publishing. Author and National Employment Expert Commentary (Television, Radio, Newspaper and Internet).

Jim Harold is America’s most popular paranormal podcast host.  With his two free programs, The Paranormal Podcast and Jim Harold’s Campfire, Jim has developed a loyal following that spans the globe. As a result, he has also become a published author with his New Page Books release Jim Harold’s Campfire: True Ghost Stories in 2011.  In 2013, Jim released a sequel: True Ghost Stories: Jim Harold’s Campfire 2

This latest release is currently (as of October 2013), the #1 Supernatural Best Seller on Kindle.

In 2005, Jim created The Paranormal Podcast.  After over a decade of working on the business side of media, Jim decided it was time to dust off his broadcast training and step back behind the mic.  A life long interest in the paranormal, combined with his love of broadcasting and technology, resulted in some the most successful podcasts of their type to date. Jim has worked in radio, business to business media and has written, hosted and produced award winning video programming over the course of his career.

He holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Communication Theory and Methodology and is accredited as a Certified Digital Media Consultant by the Radio Advertising Bureau.  Jim has also had the opportunity to teach at the university level.

Jim’s free podcasts are regularly among the top Podcasts on iTunes in their respective categories competing with mainstream media publishers such as NPR and many others.   Jim lives in Ohio with his fantastic wife and (two) daughters. He is incredibly thankful for them and his loyal audience.

All too often, organizations implementing operational excellence (OE) do so without addressing the human and cultural implications of such a change strategy. They conduct studies, move equipment, reduce work in process, collocate employees and change measurement systems, all focusing on minimizing waste and improving the flow of value through the value stream, but they overlook the human impact of these changes, the mindset and belief system that must accompany it. As a result, they find themselves “reworking” the initiative, an unfortunate and wasteful irony. Be it manufacturing, service, administration or product development, the result is the same. Without clear understanding, buy-in and commitment, the initiative does not lead to sustained culture change. It simply fades into history as another “flavor of the month.”

Recognized as an international expert on leading culture change, John Murphy helps organizations address this issue head on. The author of 15 books on related topics, and a guest on over 400 radio and television stations, Murphy teaches leaders worldwide how to integrate the culture piece (of OE) with the systems, structural, and “tools” components. Approaching the change process with an integrated strategy leads to powerful, measurable, sustainable results.

Susan B. Martinez, Ph.D., is a writer, linguist, teacher, paranormal researcher, and recognized authority on the Oahspe Bible with a doctorate in anthropology from Columbia University. The author of 3 books, including Time of the Quickening, she is the book review editor for the Academy of Spirituality and Paranormal Studies

Ronna Prince, Founder, Modern Mastery™, Global Wholeness Corp, Intuitive Counselor, Coach, Workshop Leader and Inspirational Speaker

RonnaRonna Prince is the writer and producer of Sacred Journey of the Heart, a film about the science and spirit of our connection. She is also an intuitive counselor and coach, a guide to sacred sites around the world and a songwriter. Ronna created a step-by-step personal growth process that she trademarked as Modern Mastery™. She guides clients through the process of transition and creating a new reality that aligns with each person’s unique talents and dreams.

Ronna presents workshops throughout the US on topics of spirituality and conscious change-creation. She is a certified Radical Forgiveness Coach, an aura-soma practitioner and a licensed teacher of the Institute of HeartMath™ tools and techniques. Ronna’s goal with the film, Sacred Journey of the Heart, is to encourage viewers to “dive in” and to make the connection to their hearts and to the hearts of all.  We are connected and the place of connection is the heart.

The film is part of a larger project that Ronna envisioned in 2005 entitled “Global Wholeness.” Global Wholeness Corp is a non-profit corporation whose mission is to bring healing and wholeness to oneself, our communities and the whole earth through the power of love. Global Wholeness supports projects that bring healing and wholeness to communities through charitable giving.

Heidi Barham thinks of hospices as being much more than simply places where people go to die. By her accounting, they can prove life-enhancing for patients who might no longer benefit from medical intervention, providing them with art therapy, music therapy, spiritual consultation and a chance to leave a legacy perhaps in the form of a video that shows them playing the piano.

Ms. Barham, chair of African American Outreach Committee for the Hospice of the Western Reserve, is working alongside other members of that committee to spread that message at health fairs and other similar events. She realizes that it might take quite a while for that message to have its full impact. But she is pleased that increasingly more African Americans are utilizing the hospices where she works. And she is also encouraged when she receives calls from people, some of the prominent, who had previously spoken against hospice care but have changed their attitude when they saw home much it benefitted a loved one.

Bullying was once considered nothing more than a normal part of childhood, something that children must simply learn to tolerate. But Linda Culbreth is working to help people understand that bullying is a more serious matter than is commonly assumed, having the potential to scare people for life. And more to the point, she maintains that it does not have to happen.

She has spread this message through her book best selling book, Bullies + Teen Dating = Bullying, and by developing an anti-bullying program that involves teens, parents and educators. Linda has also spoken to thousands of people throughout the country about these matters.

Zach Friend has worked for more than one politician and in this publication' ON MESSAGE' he gives real insights into the world of communication and how anyone can use his techniques to make their businesses and personal lives more successful.

Zach Friend is a policy, public affairs and communications expert who has worked for Barack Obama and John Kerry’s presidential campaigns, the White House Council of Economic Advisers, U.S. Senate, Congressman Sam Farr and the Democratic National Committee (DNC).


With Obama for America ’08, Zach was a press secretary and spokesman in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, handling planning, writing and media relations in the Greater Philadelphia market. For appearances and interviews, he staffed and briefed Barack Obama, Joe Biden and other campaign principals and surrogates. 



As Deputy National Director of Special Projects for the DNC, Zach helped lead the field staff for John Kerry’s campaign. Additionally, he designed message and campaign strategy for Native American outreach in battleground states.



Before the Kerry campaign, Zach served with Senator Daschle, Congressman Farr and the Council of Economic Advisers as a  staffer, researcher and writer. 

He has been quoted by MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, ABC, CBS, National Public Radio, the LA Times, the Boston Globe, Politico, the Huffington Post and others. 



In June of 2012, Zach was elected to the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors representing the 2nd District - which includes Aptos, La Selva, Corralitos and portions of Capitola and Watsonville.
 
Previously, Zach was the Press Information Officer and a Crime Analyst for the Santa Cruz, California Police Department. In addition to directing communications strategy and acting as the department's spokesman, he analyzed crime statistics to help design more effective prevention and enforcement strategies. This included bringing predictive policing to the department, a complex mathematical model that helped predict when and where crime would occur.
 
He has been published extensively on issues related to public management, law enforcement resource allocations and health and economic policy. Zach has a Masters degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University and a BA with Honors in History from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Margaret Johnston has spent decades improving people's eyesight. Now she offers clearer vision on a higher level.

http://www.faithbeyondbelief-book.com/

After a quarter century practicing Optometry, Margaret Placentra Johnston now offers people clearer vision of a different sort - through her writing. The author of Faith Beyond Belief: Stories of Good People Who Left Their Church Behind, she feels the spiritual development stages have the power to bring an end to religious intolerance and should be part of the general knowledge of our culture.

Dr. Dana Ardi is a leader in the executive coaching and recruitment field. She is Managing Director and Founder of Corporate Anthropology Advisors, wirking with human capital to advise and transform businesses. She lives in New York.

Dr. Dana Ardi is the Managing Director and Founder of Corporate Anthropology Advisors, a consulting firm that provides human capital solutions to companies building value through people. The firm’s services include:

• Executive Search
• Organizational Design
• Team Building
• Tactical Human Resources
• Talent Management
• Workforce Planning
• Consulting and Coaching
• Succession Planning

An expert in the fields of talent management, organizational design, recruiting, assessment, and leadership, Dr. Ardi creates enhanced value in companies by matching the most sought after talent with the best opportunities. Ardi’s twenty-five years of experience and global network give her the ability to map the competition and talent in unexpected ways, bringing companies the most creaitvie

She also coaches senior management, boards, and investors on the art and science of building high caliber teams, providing them with the skills to attract top-level management, design ideal organizational structures, and deploy people against strategy

Dr. Ardi has served as a Partner/Managing Direcor at CCMP Capital and JPMorgan Partners, and was a Partner at Flatiron Partners. Earlier in her career, she was an operating executive at R. R. Donnelly & Sons and at McGraw-Hill. She also has a background managing and leading executive search firms.

Dr. Ardi served on the board of AMC Entertainment Inc. from 2009 until the company’s sale in 2012. She is an officer at the Creative Arts Council of the Museum of Modern Art, New York City, and a member of the Royal Society of the Arts. She is part of the Leadership Council of the New York Foundation of the Arts as well.

Dr. Ardi has a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a masters degree and doctorate from Boston College. She is the author of THE FALL OF THE ALPHAS (St. Martin’s Press, October 2013).

Author of 5 books including Magical Housekeeping and the brand-sparkly-NEW Magical Fashionista: Dress for the Life You Want.

Tess Whitehurst, author and feng shui expert, writes and teaches about the connection between form and spirit, seen and unseen, known and unknown. Her message is that we are completely empowered to heal ourselves and others, to live bravely, and to experience the life of our dreams.

In addition to authoring the mega-popular Magical Housekeeping, the IPPY award-winning Good Energy Book, the brand new Magic of Flowers, and the forthcoming Magical Fashionista, Tess has authored three other books/e-books, as well as numerous articles about living a magical, joyful, and empowered life. Her books have been translated into nine languages and her articles have appeared such places as Llewellyn’s Annuals, Law of Attraction Magazine, Whole Life Times, and Writer’s Digest. She’s also appeared on morning news shows on both Fox and NBC, as well as on the Bravo TV show Flipping Out. She’s a graduate of the Western School of Feng Shui, and lives in Los Angeles.

Cherilyn Bridget Avalon is happily married, Loves her four amazing children and their spouses, and seven beautiful grandchildren. She is an entrepreneur always creating and designing something. She became a graphic artist over 30 years ago and loves to write as she resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. She then started a company called Ascension Oils and a series of workshops which helps people raise their consciousness. the Divine Mind, She shares her story of children, life, love and loss and how she emerged with an ultra-expanded consciousness available to us all.

Alice Ruth Bolton, better known as Ruthie Bolton and also by her former married name of Ruthie Bolton-Holifield, is an American former professional women's basketball player. She played at the collegiate, Olympic and professional levels of women's basketball. Bolton played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 1997 through 2004 with the Sacramento Monarchs. She played collegiately at Auburn University, teaming with her older sister, Mae Ola Bolton. Bolton has also served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Reserves as a transportation officer.

Eric Williams has covered the Seattle Seahawks Beat for the Tacoma News Tribune since 2006. 

Never having met a metaphor he could not twist beyond recognition, Art has been illuminating, agitating, amusing and annoying Puget Sound sports readers for a long time.

Along with Steve Rudman, he co-founded Sports Press Northwest because it didn’t seem right that the Google monster should aggregate daily journalism into oblivion without at least a flesh wound from somebody.

Thiel and Rudman labored under the Seattle Post-Intelligencer globe until the print edition died an undeserved death in March, 2009. Art continued on at its online successor seattlepi.com while working on SPNW’s creation. His radio commentaries can be heard Friday and Saturday mornings and Friday afternoon on KPLU-FM 88.9.

In 2003 he wrote the definitive book about the Seattle Mariners, “Out of Left Field,” which became a regional bestseller. In 2009, along with Rudman and KJR 950 afternoon host Mike Gastineau, Thiel authored “The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists,” a cross between historylink.org and Mad Magazine that has become mandatory reading for any sports fan who has an indoor bathroom.

A graduate of Pacific Lutheran University as well as two dead papers and a live one, the News Tribune of Tacoma, he has become a fan of entrepreneurial online journalism because it allows him to continue a lifelong passion to take the English language to places it rarely visits willingly, and does not involve the cleaning of kennels or stables.

JEANNIE PECK:

Jeannie Peck has worked and studied in the natural health field for over 20 years. She studied at Clayton College of Natural Health and Pan American University’s School of Natural Medicine earning her degree as Doctor of Natural Medicine (DNM).  She has attended many specialty certification courses including Functional Diagnostic Nutrition®, Mastering the Thyroid, Gluten Intolerance and Leaky Gut, Laboratory Assessments, Herbal and Mineral Medicines, and Jin Shin Jyutsu®.  She is a Sanctified Healer and vested in the sanctuary of Knighthood with the Sacred Medical Order of the Church of Hope, SMOCH, an international medical missionary organization that provides medical needs around the world.   She has committed herself to serving the needs of the community and living a life of the Beatitudes.

Jeannie teaches the clients of Health by Design Natural Clinic at two locations in Lancaster County, how to improve, maintain and prevent health conditions using nutrition and natural modalities. Her additional certifications include Jin Shin Jyutsu® Student Practitioner, often referred to as needle-less acupuncture, and Self Help Instructor. She is a certified Tai Chi for Arthritis Instructor, a certified Self Help Instructor with the Arthritis Foundation, and holds a lifetime certification through the Health Preservation Association teaching Tai Chi and Qi Gong for Wellness programs.

Jeannie and her staff at Health by Design Natural Clinic provide functional assessments of hormone, digestion, intestinal barrier, immune, and detoxification systems.  They address the underlying cause of symptoms associated with these systems with simple healthy lifestyle changes and professional supplementation.  Their services include functional nutritional counseling for adults and children, healthy eating plans and healthy weight loss plans, non-invasive health screenings, and various fitness classes including Tai Chi, Qigong, Yoga, and Interval Fitness.

EMILY GIVLER:

Emily has been training and working in the natural health field for over a decade. She came to Health by Design Natural Clinic in 2010 with an extensive background as a chiropractic technician, board certified chiropractic Radiologic Technologist, and Usui Reiki Master. She earned her certification as a Dietary Supplements Counselor through the Holt Institute of Medicine in 2011. She is a Certified Jade Therapeutician, having completed extensive training with Professor Dr. Charles McWilliams, who developed Jade Therapy.

Emily is trained as a PSYCH-K® Facilitator to provide clients a simple and direct way to change self-limiting beliefs into beliefs and behaviors that support goals and aspirations, particularly in areas of health and body issues. She finds this to be a wonderful adjunct to the Healthy Weight Loss plans she offers for individuals and families.

Emily focuses on healthy weight loss, healthy eating plans, food sensitivities counseling, and heads up our children’s nutrition department offering nutritional support for children.  Helping children is an area dear to her heart, both as a mother and because of the years she spent volunteering at the S. June Smith Center, working with children with special developmental needs. She is excited to be able to share the message about good nutrition with our youngest clients and their families!

Lochlann Jain is an Associate Professor in Stanford's Anthropology department, where she teaches medical and  legal anthropology.

Jain's first book, Injury (Princeton University Press, 2006), analyzed injury as a civil rights issue and product liability law as a place to better understand how Americans value physical health. The book was praised as: “a first-rate work of critique” (American Bar Foundation), “a provocative, sophisticated, and ambitious analysis” (Law & Politics Book Review), and “an impressive feat of interdisciplinary scholarship” (American Anthropologist).

Trained as an interdisciplinary scholar, Jain has used literature in oncology, law, history, and literature, as well as anthropology and memoir to analyze and explain how cancer has become definitive of life in the United States.

Jain is the recipient of numerous prizes and fellowships, including grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the National Center for the Humanities, the Stanford Humanities Center, and the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford.

Author and educator, Mary Rockwood Lane, along with Michael Samuels MD, has put together this wonderful pulication 'Healing with the Arts'.  Wonderful practical tips in a 12 week program that is transforming lives.

Leon Cooper has had a varied work experience in civilian life:inventor, with patented products used throughout the world; CEO of his own computer company; CFO of two major corporations; now a writer. During WWII he was Boat Group Commander for his ship, leading Higgins Boats carrying assault troops in a number of invasions of Japanese-held islands. His experiences during WWII led to questions he had, even at the time. Were there compelling reasons for each of the major battles? Could some battles have been avoided, saving American lives, while still allowing us to gain the ultimate victory?