DAVID MYRON
Editorial Director, Speech Technology magazine
(New York)

David is responsible for the general direction and day-to-day operations of CRM magazine and Speech Technology magazine, their Web sites, weekly email newsletters, and Webinars. In addition to story assigning and editing responsibilities for each publication, he spearheads the direction of CRM’s annual Market Awards and Service Awards and Speech Technology’s Speech Industry Awards. David is also the conference program director of the annual destinationCRM and SpeechTEK conferences, where he also presents and moderates.

A multiple award-winning writer and editor, David brings more than a decade of business and technology writing experience to CRM and Speech Technology magazines and their associated products. His articles have appeared in magazines from leading media publishers, including CMP Media, Forbes, Freedom Communications, Primedia, and Ziff Davis. David’s work has been cited in various business strategy books, including Best Face Forward: Why Companies Must Improve Their Service Interfaces with Customers (Harvard Business School Press), Return On Customer: Creating Maximum Value From Your Scarcest Resource (Doubleday), and What Women Really Want: How American Women Are Quietly Erasing Political, Racial, Class, and Religious Lines to Change the Way We Live (Simon & Schuster). David is also quoted in a variety of newspapers, including The Arizona Republic, The Chicago Tribune, and Newsday. He is also a co-author of the research report "CRM Market Forecast: 2002-2003" (Primedia) and co-author of the book Application Service Providing: The Ultimate Guide to Hiring Rather than Buying Applications (SCN Education).

David started at CRM magazine in October 2001 as a senior editor covering customer service and the contact center industry. After a stint in 2004 at American Demographics magazine, covering Generation X buying and behavioral trends, he returned to CRM in January 2005 as editor-in-chief. In August 2006, after Information Today Inc. acquired Speech Technology magazine, David became the editorial director of both publications. Prior to his first period at CRM magazine, he worked on PC Magazine’sIT Insider Series, covering CRM and wireless technology. He also served as the founding editor of Small Business Solutions Provider, a monthly supplement to Small Business Computing magazine, and as the founding online editor of the Small Business Computing and Home Office Computing Web sites. Prior to that David was the small business editor at CMP Media’s VARBusiness magazine. He received a BA in print journalism from Hofstra University.

LAURA HEGYI
Senior Designer
(Medford)

Laura is responsible for the art direction, design, and layout of CRM magazine and Speech Technology magazine. Since joining parent company Information Today Inc. in 1992, Laura has also served as senior designer for ONLINE magazine. In addition, she is credited with redesigning many of the company's publications, including CRM magazine, Speech Technology magazine (which won an APEX Award for Best Redesign), Information Today, KM World, and The Library Resource Guide. Her book covers include The Underground Rail Road, Net Effects, and Assessing Competitive Intelligence Software. Laura's 26-plus years of design experience include 14 years at Atlantic City magazine, and she also designed and produced publications for The Miss America Pageant, the LPGA, and the New Jersey Department of Tourism. Laura has received several design accolades for her work on CRM and Speech Technology magazines including 2007 and 2006 APEXs (Awards for Publication Excellence) from Communications Concepts; 2007 and 2006 Tabbie Awards from the Trade, Association and Business Publications International; the 2007 Award of Excellence from the ASBPE; and the 2004 American Graphic Design Award.

LEONARD KLIE
Senior Editor, Speech Technology magazine
(New York: 212-251-0608, Ext. 110)

Len is responsible for assigning and editing content for the magazine, Web site, eNewsletter, and related materials. He writes at least one feature and Deployments story in each issue and contributes to daily news coverage on the Web site.

Len got his start in journalism more than 15 years ago; various reporting, photography, and editing roles at several weekly newspapers in New York preceded his switch to trade publishing. He has served as the managing editor at publications covering foodservice and recreational activities for U.S. military and government entities, and at college campuses around the country. Most recently he served as managing editor at Food Logistics magazine, covering the warehousing and transportation of food and related products in the retail supermarket industry.  

Len is a graduate of Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., where he earned a BA in communications, with a concentration in journalism. He also has minors in Spanish and history.

LAUREN SHOPP
Assistant Editor, Speech Technology magazine
(New York: 212-251-0608, Ext. 111)

Lauren covers a variety of topics related to speech technology for both the print publication and the news section of the magazine’s Web site. In addition, she is also responsible for tracking and slotting contributed articles for the magazine. She is interested in the areas of speech analytics and the use of speech software and applications in adaptive technologies.
 
Lauren graduated from Syracuse University in 2007 with a BA in magazine journalism. While at Syracuse, she worked as an assistant editor at the university’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Orange, and served as arts and music editor of the campus’ monthly, student-run lifestyle magazine, Jerk Magazine. She was awarded second place in the Columbia University Golden Circle Award for College Journalists for feature writing and received the “Best College Magazine” award from the Society of Professional Journalists for her work with Jerk Magazine. In addition, she served as a reporting intern at the Pennsylvania newspaper, the Lancaster Intelligencer Journal.

RYAN JOE
Editorial Assistant, Speech Technology magazine
(New York: 212-251-0608, Ext. 103)

Ryan has a BA in English from UCLA, where he covered arts & entertainment for the Daily Bruin, and an MFA in writing from Columbia University.  He has been published in Movieline, Autograph Collector, and the Comic Book Net Electronic Magazine.

LA SHAWN FUGATE
Publisher
(Lexington)

La Shawn has a BA in advertising/journalism with field of concentration in marketing from the University of Kentucky. She has been in sales for 13 years and with Speech Technology Media for 4 years.

As an Army brat, La Shawn has traveled and lived in various parts of the world and has come to know Kentucky as her home. She loves cooking, entertaining and interior decorating.

Contact La Shawn for the following:
Print and online advertising
SpeechTEK sponsorship and booth space

SARAH FORTNEY
Integrated Marketing Manager
(Lexington)

Sarah joined the Speech Technology Media team as integrated marketing manager in September 2005. A native of Eastern Kentucky, Sarah now resides in Lexington with her son, Calvin. She is a graduate of Transylvania University and St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas. In her free time, Sarah enjoys traveling, watching movies, listening to music, and spending time with her friends and family.

Contact Sarah for the following:
Print and online advertising
SpeechTEK sponsorship and booth space

SHEILA WILLISON
Marketing Manager, Events & Circulation
(Lexington)

Sheila joined the Speech Technology Media team in August 2004 and is responsible for the circulation of Speech Technology magazine as event marketing for SpeechTEK. Previously, Sheila was an event coordinator for Roche Harbor Resort in the San Juan Islands and the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Contact Sheila for the following:
SpeechTEK or Speech Technology magazine Marketing
Speech Technology magazine circulation
Mailing or email list removal

DAWNEL HARRIS
Director of Web Events
503-590-5560