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The principals of WPNT represent more than 80 years of combined
experience in media and public affairs. Our competence
comes
from our experience. Our passion comes from the belief
in
what we do, and the value it brings our clients. Our
backgrounds
are in executive management, business, corporate
communications,
journalism, government relations, and strategic
consulting.
AIRPORT
DIRECTIONS TO WPNT OFFICES |
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WPNT Principals
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Eileen Wixted
WPNT & Associates
4401 Westown Pky Suite 116
West Des Moines, IA 50266
Phone: 515.226.0818
Fax: 515.226.0828
ewixted@wpntworld.com
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Alison Gregory-Pope
WPNT & Associates
5900 NW 86th St Suite 300
Johnston, IA 50131
Phone: 515.331.9638
Fax: 515.993.3842
apope@wpntworld.com |
Stephanie Nora
WPNT & Associates
1078 Spruce Street
Winnetka, IL 60093
Phone: 847.784.1949
Fax: 847.784.1954
snora@wpntworld.com |
Ray Thompson
WPNT & Associates
13910 Champion Forest Drive Suite 107
Houston, TX 77069
Phone: 281.444.3007
Fax: 281.444.0101
rthompson@wpntworld.com |
Selected WPNT Associates
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Alison Freeman
WPNT & Associates
708 Wills Point Drive
Allen, TX 75013
Phone: 972.359.6683
Fax: 972.359.7308
afreeman@wpntworld.com |
Scott Pope
WPNT & Associates
5900 NW 86th St Suite 300
Johnston, IA 50131
Phone: 515.331.9638
Fax: 515.993.3842
spope@wpntworld.com |
Jim Hibbs
WPNT & Associates
4401 Westown Pky, Suite 116
West Des Moines, IA 50266
Phone: 515.226.0818
Fax: 515.226.0828
jhibbs@wpntworld.com |
Lauri Freking
WPNT & Associates
4401 Westown Pky, Suite 116
West Des Moines, IA 50266
Phone: 515.226.0818
Fax: 515.226.0828
lfreking@wpntworld.com |
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WPNT
Press Corps/Analyst Corps
One distinguishing feature
of our approach to business strategy and communications
training is our use of Press & Analyst Corps members
and WPNT Associates to address particular
clients needs. Our stable of outstanding
talent includes thirty-six specialty
professionals in the U.S. and abroad.
Among them are international
protocol advisors, web casting experts, high profile
speech writers, a linguistics professor, an on-camera
coach for network news anchors, trainers with
multiple language skills, a member of the
White House Press Corps, crisis management
experts, and in-country communications
experts in Europe, Asia, Latin America and elsewhere.
All are covered by our strict confidentiality and
non-disclosure agreements.
WPNT
A/V Technicians
Further, professional audiovisual technicians
with state-of-the art recording, editing, sound and
lighting equipment staff our communications training
programs. Our technicians have extensive experience
in television news, feature films, commercials, and
audio and video production in the US and
abroad. They are top professionals and
provide participants with realistic and
practical exposure to today's multimedia
technology. Again, all personnel involved in WPNT
programs are bound by strict confidentiality and non-disclosure
agreements. |
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| WPNT Principals'
Biographies |
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Eileen Wixted |
Eileen is a strategic communications
veteran with core competencies in the nuclear and healthcare industries.
As a strategist and communication trainer, she
has helped clients navigate brand-damaging
issues as well as prepared clients to face
hostile media and intense government
scrutiny. Medical errors, landmark health
care events, plant scrams, and radiological issues
are familiar to Eileen. She has also authored a media
guide for covering nuclear issues. In addition, Eileen
spent 14 years as a broadcast journalist and is the
recipient of an Emmy Award.
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Alison Gregory
Pope
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Alison Gregory Pope is an Emmy award
winning former
television news anchor-reporter who now specializes in
assisting clients to communicate complex information to
diverse audiences. Her clients include global companies in
the pharmaceutical, healthcare, agricultural, high tech,
manufacturing, business and professional services fields.
Her work has taken her around the world and includes
training clients preparing to communicate major
announcements, significant developments in research,
business strategy, and in advance of product launches. She
has prepared clients for crucial regulatory hearings and
approvals such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
advisory panels, providing guidance during Nuclear
Regulatory Commission (NRC) exercises, as well
as training clinical scientists, physicians, medical
specialists, chemical and nuclear engineers to communicate
complex data in terms lay audiences can grasp quickly and
act on. Alison began her television news career in 1979 in
Denver and worked as an anchor, producer and consumer
investigative reporter. In 1989, as a founding partner of
Wixted Pope Nora Thompson & Associates (WPNT), Alison helped
develop our cutting-edge communications training programs
in presentation and media training, issues management,
analyst communication and more.
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Stephanie Nora
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Stephanie is a seasoned executive and
broadcast journalist who provides strategic
counsel and training services at the highest
organizational levels. Succession changes,
product recalls, plant closures, litigation
and operational crises are issues on which she has
assisted clients in the airline, business consulting,
manufacturing and health care fields. Stephanie served
as the head of public affairs and chief spokesperson
for a leading Rocky Mountain tourism and
recreation industry. She spent several years
reporting and anchoring for network
television affiliates, and produced for
"Donahue" and "Good Morning America".
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Ray Thompson
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Ray is a veteran public affairs executive
with extensive experience in leadership
communications, business strategy and issues
management. He excels in helping clients in
the energy, chemical, utility and technology
industries tell their story under difficult
circumstances. As director of issues management for
a Fortune 10 company, he coordinated state and federal
lobbying, external relations and advocacy on high-profile
public policy issues. He has extensive
experience in crisis management as an on-
scene director of communication strategy and
has been seen on U.S. networks, CNN and in
the international media.
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WPNT
Associates' Biographies |
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Alison Freeman
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Alison leads WPNT's growing presence in
Dallas and has extensive experience in media training, presentation
training and executive speech coaching. Her clients include some of the
largest, most recognizable companies in Texas and elsewhere. She has
special expertise in the utility, technology, and retail industries.
Alison spent 15 years in the news media business, including serving as a
reporter and anchor for affiliates of ABC, CBS and NBC in various markets
around the country. More recently she completed advanced studies in
"stakeholder dialogue" and "community outreach."
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Scott Pope
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Scott Pope has nearly 30 years of
experience as a veteran of
news and as a seasoned communications strategist and
trainer. Scott specializes in coaching individuals and
teams to a higher level of strategic communication whether
they must present to stakeholder audiences internally or
externally, or develop and deliver high stakes pitches to
customers and partners. He has worked with large and small
companies and many leading consumer brands and their
spokespersons who participate in media interviews, high
profile scientific and industry conferences, expert
testimony, who moderate advisory panels and lead or
facilitate major meetings. His clients include companies in
the pharmaceutical, healthcare, consumer product,
agricultural, utility, and manufacturing industries. He has
prepared presenters for scientific presentations at the
annual meetings of American Society of Clinical Oncology,
American Diabetes Association, American Heart Association
and more. He has also trained clients for major media
interviews such as 60 Minutes, NBC's Today Show, the New
England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, the New York Times, and
has prepared spokespersons and country managers across the
world for dozens of international interviews. Scott's
award-winning television journalism career included the
roles of anchor, reporter, producer and political analyst. |
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Jim
Hibbs
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Jim is a seasoned trainer and consultant
with a background that includes media and crisis communications, along with
investor presentation and conference training with Fortune 100 companies.
He has worked with companies to prep for important investor calls and
meetings. As a former television news reporter, anchor, and news manager
with the New York Times Broadcast Group, Jim brings a unique perspective to
communicating and how to develop a clear message. Jim is a member of the
WPNT Nuclear team that services two-thirds of the nuclear plants in the
United States. Jim's work in high stress, crisis communication situations
brings an element of understanding that is vital in the training of key
personnel. Jim has been awarded for his writing and reporting skills from
the AP, Iowa Broadcast News Association, Northwest Broadcast News
Association, and was the lead reporter for a national Emmy winning
newscast. Jim has covered four presidential campaigns, reported for NBC
affiliates across the country and covered the Super Bowl. Jim is a graduate
of Drake University.
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Lauri Freking
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Lauri is a native Iowan with 11 years of
experience in television news and video production in public and private
sectors. She spent five years as a television news reporter, photographer
and video editor for the NBC affiliate in Sioux City, Iowa and the CBS
affiliate in Madison, Wisconsin. Lauri ran WISC's only news bureau and
continued to shoot, write and edit news stories as a reporter in the
bureau's coverage area. As a general assignment reporter, Lauri covered a
broad range of news events ranging from human interest stories to crime and
business news. Lauri spent six years in public broadcasting as a producer
and writer for statewide Iowa Public Television. Her experience includes
creating award-winning educational content for K-12 schools and producing
content for the local programs, Student Voices and Zoom Iowa. Lauri also
produced, wrote and hosted live, interactive fieldtrips using video
conferencing technology. A familiar face to Iowans, Lauri is a host for
Festival, IPTV's annual fundraising broadcast. She is the recipient of a
Telly Award for her work in broadcasting. Lauri received her B.A. degree in
Journalism and Mass Communications from Iowa State University.
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