Caren West and Chad Shearer/Caren West PR
It all came together over breakfast at the Flying Biscuit in Candler Park when Caren West and Chad Shearer officially decided to join forces and launch a full service public relations and graphic design firm. It made perfect sense.
The two had already worked together on numerous projects over the years, had an arsenal of experience under their belts, and were committed to not only staying ahead of trends, but also setting them. Cheesy as it may sound, they both also share the same philosophy: Do what you love, work hard and success will follow. Sadly, (but not for CWPR’s clients), both Chad and Caren are addicted to getting results, making miracles happen and 5-Hour Energy drink.
Eight years and several awards later, CWPR is one of the Southeast’s leading boutique firms specializing in lifestyle, entertainment and events. Clients have included: GUCCI, Camp Bisco Music & Arts Festival, STK Atlanta, Jeffrey Fashion Cares, WSB-TV for Monica Pearson’s retirement and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
You can follow Caren on twitter at @CarenWest and Chad at @chadavid
Laura Flusche/Museum of Design Atlanta
Laura Flusche, Ph.D. is currently the Executive Director of the Museum of Design Atlanta (MODA); from 2010 to 2013, she was MODA’s Associate Director.
Prior to joining MODA, Laura lived for fifteen years in Rome, Italy, where she served as Assistant Academic Dean on the University of Dallas Rome Campus, taught art history and archaeology to university undergraduates, and worked on the Palatine East Excavations, supervising excavations and contributing to the publication of archaeological findings.
In 2001, Laura co-founded the Institute of Design + Culture in Rome (iDC), a not-for-profit organization that offered on-site seminars about art, archaeology, history, and culture to Rome’s visitors. As president of the iDC, Laura conceived and implemented educational programs, hired and supervised faculty, and assisted with client relations and with the creation and maintenance of the organizational image.
Laura has studied Arts Administration at the Savannah College of Art and Design. She holds a Ph.D. in Ancient Roman and Etruscan Art and Archaeology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a Master’s degree in Italian Renaissance Art also from the University of Illinois.
Chris Sanders is Vice President of OND – an Atlanta based consultancy that helps organizations create and manage mission-perfect teams by leveraging intellectual diversity. OND developed an innovative science called Method Teaming to help organizations identify the natural talents of their people and then align these talents to the specific team based roles. The results are higher performing teams that sell better, are more productive and engaged, collaborate better, and innovate more effectively – all of which translates into better top and bottom line business performance. Prior to joining OND, Chris held executive roles with Accenture and Ernst & Young.
Rebecca Harrell is Regional Vice President of Randstad Staffing, Office and Administration division. She is responsible for the sales strategy, operations and market growth for Office and Administration in the Atlanta market. She brings over 20 years of sales, recruitment and operational leadership and has had a proven track record of delivering strong financial results while developing and implementing strategies and programs that enhance, evolve and strengthen a high performance culture.