2008 - Speakers

Danielle Fagre Arlowe is Senior Vice President of State Government Affairs for the American Financial Services Association (AFSA), the national trade association for the consumer credit and finance industry. Founded in 1916, AFSA's nearly 400 active member companies, which account for approximately $350 billion in outstanding consumer receivables, include auto finance companies, credit card issuers, mortgage lenders, and large and small consumer finance companies. Prior to joining AFSA in late 2003, Ms. Fagre was Director of Government Affairs and Legislative Counsel for credit card issuer Metris Companies in Minnesota, where she developed and executed the company's legislative and regulatory strategy, its new law compliance program and oversaw its Political Action Committee.

Dan Gainor, the T. Boone Pickens Fellow and the Vice President of the Business & Media Institute, is a veteran editor with more than two decades' experience in print and online media. He has served as an editor at several newspapers including The Washington Times and The Baltimore News-American. Mr. Gainor also has extensive experience in online publishing - holding the position of managing editor for CQ.com, the Web site of Congressional Quarterly, and executive editor for ChangeWave, published by Phillips International. He has worked in financial publishing in his last two positions, launching new services for ChangeWave and Agora Inc. Mr. Gainor holds an MBA from the University of Maryland Robert H. Smith School of Business and a master's in publications design from the University of Baltimore. As an undergraduate, he majored in political science and history at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Mr. Gainor lives in Maryland and volunteers as a media and issues speaker with the Close-Up Foundation.

Gainor has made hundreds of radio and TV appearances. In addition to the Fox Business Network, his appearances include: CNBC's "Power Lunch," Fox News' "Hannity & Colmes" and "Fox & Friends," as well as CNN's "Paul Zahn Now." He has appeared on local or national radio shows in every state including: the Jerry Doyle Show, the Chuck Harder Show, Battleline with Alan Nathan, The Right Balance, Janet Parshall's America, the Thom Hartmann Show, Money & More, the Gordon Liddy Show, America at Night, Dateline Washington, the Lars Larson Show, the Jim Bohannon Show, Home Talk USA, The Weekend, Mancow, Money Dots on Main Street USA, American Family Radio, and Entertainment USA.

Dr. Amiso M. George, APR, is an associate professor of Journalism. A three time graduate of Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, she joined the Schieffer School of Journalism from the University of Nevada, Reno, where she was the director of the public relations sequence at the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism. Dr. George had taught public relations at University of Texas at San Antonio and Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio. She was internship coordinator at both institutions.

Dr. George has published widely in journals as Southwestern Journal of Mass Communication, Journal of Nonprofit Marketing and Business Communication Quarterly. She has contributed chapters to Business Research Yearbook and such texts such as Public Relations in Emerging Democracies. She has presented on numerous occasions at national and international conferences, including AEJMC, International Communication Association (ICA), Association for Business Communication (ABC), and International Association of Business Disciplines (IABD) conferences.

She has also presented at more than a dozen communication and public relations workshops in the Unites States and internationally.

With an eclectic professional background, Dr. George was a consultant for C-SPAN-TV from 1995-1997, worked as a stringer for the Africa Service of Voice of America Radio; program host and producer for WOUB-FM, (NPR-affiliate), Athens, Ohio; and reporter-anchor, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Port Harcourt, Nigeria. She has done public relations consulting for the Center for Afro American Studies, Ohio University, Texas Public Relations Association (TPRA) Conference 2000, San Antonio, TX; and nonprofit agencies in San Antonio, TX, Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and Reno, Nevada. Dr. George is also editor at large for Celebrate Your Heritage (CYH), a monthly magazine for Africans in the diaspora.

Dr. George is the winner of the Distinguished Faculty Teaching Award, University of Texas at San Antonio in 1999. She also won the Stephen H. Coltrin Award for Excellence in Communication Education in 1998. She is listed in Who's Who Among America Teachers in Colleges and Universities for 1996, 1998, 2002, and 2005; International Who's Who in Business and the Professions 2003; and Who's Who in Texas Public Relations, 1998-2002, and 2006. She received Best of Texas award for advising award-winning student team at the Texas Public Relations Association (TPRA) Student Case Study Competition.

Dr. George serves on the editorial board of the Journal of African Communication. She is a member of AEJMC, the Association for Business Communication (ABC), IABD, and PRSA. She is the APR Accreditation Chair for the Greater Fort Worth PRSA, and a former board member and vice chair of Ohio University Alumni Association, 1998-2002.

Dr. George's teaching and research areas include public relations, corporate communication and crisis communication.

Bill Himpler is the American Financial Services Association's (AFSA) Executive Vice President for Federal Affairs. Bill and his team have enhanced AFSA's presence in the political debate affecting a number of issues that impact member companies' ability to offer affordable credit options to American consumers. Bill came to AFSA from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development where he headed the congressional relations office. Prior to joining HUD in 2002, Himpler was director of legislative affairs for Barbour Griffith & Rogers, Inc. and was tax counsel/legislative director for Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL). He has also served as a senior legislative assistant with Rep. Charles Canady (R-FL) and was a policy analyst and press secretary for the House Republican Study Committee.

Gary Kearns is president of Experian Decision Analytics, the business group that provides data intelligence, analytics, software, consulting and fraud prevention to help clients optimize profitability and improve performance. In his current role, Mr. Kearns is responsible for the group's strategic vision and day-to-day operations. He has a strong background in the risk management industry with noted expertise in statistical analyses, business development, loss mitigation and strategic initiatives.

Prior to joining Experian in January 2006, Mr. Kearns served as managing director and global leader of Risk Solutions - Credit Risk Services with Standard & Poor's, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. He was responsible for operations in North America, Europe and Asia, and maintained a strong focus on credit risk management solutions for financial institutions, insurers, asset managers, regulators and corporations.

Mr. Kearns experience includes senior management positions with several large financial institutions, including Bank Austria Creditanstalt American Corporation, FleetBoston Financial, Mellon Bank Corporation and Chemical Bank Corporation. He attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and earned his bachelor's degree in International finance.

Steven Lambert is president and chief executive officer of Nissan Motor Acceptance Corporation (NMAC) where he oversees general operations and exercises complete discretionary authority over daily operations.

Previously, Lambert served as the director of financial planning and budgeting for Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA); manager of Nissan and Infiniti Division finances; manager of vehicle pricing, contests and incentives; and manager of business planning and financial systems, among other positions.

Before joining Nissan in 1992, Lambert was section head for sales, earnings, cash and tax planning at Hughes Aircraft Company in El Segundo, CA.

Lambert earned his bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering at Brigham Young University (BYU) and his M.B.A. from BYU's graduate school of management.

Dennis McCuistion is a former bank CEO who consults with financial institutions and other businesses on top management issues. He facilitates strategic planning sessions, offers advice on boards and leadership issues and serves on the board and audit committees of two NYSE companies.

Dennis is the author of The Prevention and Collection of Problem Loans, and co-author of Selling Strategies for Today's Banker: A Survival Guide for Tomorrow and The Seven Challenges Facing Bankers in the Future…and How to Meet Them.

He is the host and executive producer of the award winning McCUISTION television program on PBS, syndicated weekly throughout the U.S. The McCUISTION Program provides an intellectually stimulating and objective forum of ideas, always "Talking About Things That Matter With People Who Care."

Andrew Morrison, chair-elect for the American Financial Services Association (AFSA), began his career in the financial services industry in 1979 when he joined British merchant bank Dresdner Kleinwort, formerly the Kleinwort Benson Group. During his tenure with Dresdner Kleinwort, Morrison worked in both North America and the United Kingdom. In 1981, he relocated from London to Chicago, where he oversaw the South and Southwest regions. Morrison opened an office in Dallas in 1985 as senior vice president of Kleinwort Benson North America. He returned to his roots in 1987, serving as the first credit officer of the company's securities division and later as deputy head of group credit in London. Morrison has been with Brundage Management/Sun Loan Company since 1990.

In addition to his role at Brundage Management/Sun Loan Company, Morrison is on the National Institute of Consumer Credit Management board; has served on the Fund Distribution Steering Committee of United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County; and is past chair of the Families and Communities Human Development Council. In 2005, AFSA recognized him with the Distinguished Service Award, which is given to individuals who have contributed significantly to the industry's growth on a national level, advanced its objectives and quality, and raised its image.

Probably the most prominent American political consultant, Dick Morris is almost universally credited with piloting Bill Clinton to a stunning comeback re-election victory in 1996 after the President lost Congress to the Republicans two years before. Called "the most influential private citizen in America" by Time magazine, Morris helped steer Clinton to the center and away from the liberal policies he had pursued in his first two years in office. Morris is also credited with advising Clinton to sign the welfare reform bill of 1996 and getting him to back a balanced budget, both key centrist positions.

Morris began his relationship with Clinton in 1977 when he handled the Arkansas Attorney General's successful campaign to become the youngest Governor in the nation. Morris did not work on Clinton's defeat for re-election in 1980 but did oversee his comeback victory in 1982 as well as his Arkansas re-election victories in 1984, 86 and 1990.

In addition to Clinton, Morris has handled the winning campaigns for more than 30 Senators or Governors including Republican Senate Majority leader Trent Lott and former Governors Bill Weld of Massachusetts and Pete Wilson of California.

In recent years, Morris has turned to foreign campaigns and served as chief strategist for Mexico's reformer Vicente Fox in his upset victory in July 2000 over the PRI after the party had ruled the nation for 71 years. He also was the chief strategist for the winning campaigns of Fernando de la Rua (Argentina), Jorge Battle (Uruguay), Chen (Taiwan) and, most recently, for Viktor Yushchenko, the Ukrainian presidential candidate who was poisoned during his campaign. He also handled the winning campaign for the new President of Mexico, Felipe Calderon.

In the United States, Morris has become a familiar figure as a commentator for the FOX News Channel. He is well known for hard hitting, nonpartisan, objective commentary about the U.S. political scene. He writes a weekly column for the New York Post and the Hill Magazine in the U.S. and the National Post in Canada.

He has written nine books including five New York Times best sellers. The best sellers are: Behind the Oval Office, his memoiir about the Clinton years; Off With Their Heads, about the war of terror; Rewriting History, a biography of Hillary Clinton he wrote with his wife, Eileen McGann; Because He Could, about Bill Clinton, also with Eileen; and Condi vs. Hillary, promoting Condoleezza Rice for president, written with Eileen. His other books are Power Plays, Vote.com, The New Prince and Bum Rap on American Cities, which he wrote in the 70s.

In November of 1999, Morris founded a website in the U.S. called Vote.com where people may log on to vote on the major issues of the day. Their opinions are then e-mailed to their Senator, Congressman and other significant decision makers. Over three million people have used this site to express their views.

As park of his work with Vote.com, Dick, along with his wife, lawyer Eileen McGann, founded Legalvote.com, an online jury focus group service. They have conducted online focus groups in over 100 cases and their clients include two of the top insurance companies in the U.S. as well as many of the major plaintiff lawyers in the nation.

He lives with his wife of 29 years, Eileen McGann, in Florida.

Stinebert served as president and chief executive officer of the Arlington, VA-based Manufactured Housing Institute (MHI), which represents the interests of manufacturers, lenders, and communities that produce, sell, finance and purchase factory built homes. Prior to joining MHI in 1998, he was president and chief executive officer of the National Concrete Masonry Association (NCMA). Other past positions include serving as executive vice president and chief executive officer of the American Subcontractors Association and executive director of the Association of Wall and Ceiling Industry International (AWCI). Mr. Stinebert has 30 years of knowledge and experience in managing national trade associations with key highlights in government affairs and advocacy; strategic planning and implementation; technical standards and regulations; and economic and statistical data collection.

Lori is a senior consultant in Hewitt's Talent and Organization Consulting Practice, located in Lincolnshire, Illinois. She has over 20 years of experience both in consulting and corporate HR, primarily focused on Compensation. She has consulted with clients on broad based compensation issues including global compensation strategy and design, total compensation strategy, incentive plan and base salary design, sales effectiveness and sales compensation, performance management and compensation processes and administration.

In addition to over 16 years with two other national compensation consulting firms, Lori has spent the last five years working as the Director of Global Compensation within the corporate HR function of several companies. The combination of strategic thinking, technical expertise and practical experience has enabled her to advise companies on how to effectively design and implement new reward programs, processes and technologies. Most recently, she has been the Director of Global Compensation for Discover Financial Services and Underwriters Laboratories Inc. Some of the projects and initiatives that Lori has led include:

Past clients include Bissell Homecare Company, Baxter International, TAP Pharmaceuticals, Mount Carmel Healthcare System, Northwest Mutual Insurance, Deibold, and Monsanto. Lori has a B.S. from University of Illinois and an MBA from Loyola University of Chicago. She has delivered speeches and workshops for the Chicago Compensation Association, the Minneapolis Compensation Association and the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.

Mark Zandi is Chief Economist and co-founder of Moody's Economy.com, Inc., where he directs the company's research and consulting activities. Moody's Economy.com is an independent subsidiary of the Moody's Corporation and provides economic research and consulting services to businesses, governments and other institutions. Mark's research interests include macroeconomic, financial, and regional economics. Recent areas of research include studying the determinants of mortgage foreclosure and personal bankruptcy, an analysis of the economic impact of various tax and government spending policies, and an assessment of the appropriate policy response to bubbles in asset markets. In addition, Mark conducts regular briefings on the economy. He is frequently quoted in national and global news outlets. Dr. Zandi received his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania, where he did his research with Gerard Adams and Nobel Laureate Lawrence Klein, and he received his B.S. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.