Chip Conley is the founder and CEO of Joie de Vivre Hospitality, California’s largest boutique hotel company now celebrating its 20th anniversary. Starting out with virtually no industry experience, Chip opened his first hotel, The Phoenix, in San Francisco’s edgy Tenderloin district on a wing and a prayer. The company now consists of over 40 award-winning hotels, restaurants and spas across the state. Each unique property is designed to produce what Chip calls “identity refreshment” for his guests. The company gleans inspiration for each hotel from popular magazines such as Rolling Stone (The Phoenix), The New Yorker (Hotel Rex), Real Simple “meets” Dwell (Vitale), Wired (Avante) and others. Chip and his company’s time-tested techniques have been featured in Business 2.0, TIME, Fast Company, Fortune, People and other leading publications—so many magazines, so many new hotel possibilities!
A popular speaker and innovative leader, Chip is regularly consulted by corporate, civic and academic institutions for his opinions, guidance and wisdom on building and maintaining a successful and transformative enterprise—
involving areas such as organizational leadership, creative business development, corporate social responsibility and spirit in business. In his new book, PEAK: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo From Maslow, Chip shares
his unique prescription for success based on the iconic Hierarchy of Needs. His new theory illustrates how Employees, Customers and Investors are ultimately motivated by peak experiences—and he demonstrates how to create these for each using real-world examples from his own company and others.

http://www.chipconley.com

Bill Cremen has been the General Manager of a Guest Ranch, overseeing the operations of a hotel, restaurant, recreation, and equestrian program.  As a High School Principal and the President of a large not-for-profit program serving troubled teens, Bill has worked closely with Mental Health, Social Service, Education, and Law Enforcement Officials, Judicial Courts, and families in need of guidance towards a healthier lifestyle.

Venturing in to the corporate world, Bill has specialized in working with companies and their employees in the enhancement of soft skills techniques for over the past two and a half years.  As a result, organizations that have attended Bill’s trainings have benefited through better communication in the workplace, higher morale, collaborative teamwork, and overall increased productivity. 

Bill Cremen’s trainings are highly interactive, presented in language that is easily understood, informative, motivating, and inspiring.  Most importantly, attendee’s acquire tools that they are immediately able to utilize towards enhancing a healthier and more productive work environment.

 Dr. Liz Thach (pronounced “tosh”) is a management and wine business professor at Sonoma State University in the Wine Business Center where she teaches in both the undergraduate and new Wine MBA programs.  In addition, she has 15 years of executive and management level experience at Fortune 500 companies and has done consulting and research projects for more than 20 different wineries.  Liz has published over 30 articles in wine business journals and two books:  Wine – A Global Business and Wine Marketing & Sales.  A fifth generation Californian, Liz finished her Ph.D. at Texas A&M and now lives on Sonoma Mountain where she tends a small hobby vineyard and makes homemade wine.  She is also a 2nd year candidate in the Masters of Wine program headquartered in London

 David Turgeon, BA (Honors), MBA, G.J., has a career in business management that spans almost thirty years. A Business Management, Strategic Planning, & Brand Marketing Consultant since 1996, David has distinguished himself with clients in the luxury retail, destination marketing/tourism, & non-profit industries.Clients include the May Company, Macy’s Inc. (formerly known as Federated Department Stores), Crystal Cruises, PIER 39, The California Welcome Centers, The Redwood Empire Association, & The Napa Valley Conference & Visitors Bureau. 
As a Business Management, Organizational Strategy & Brand Marketing specialist, his work with luxury retailers, travel destinations, and non-profits takes an integrated, customer-centric approach that focuses on the alignment of strategic business plans, finance & contract management, brand marketing and marketing plan development, merchandising, and training & development with core brand identity and brand promise principles.
Since early in 2005, Turgeon has been involved with The Napa Valley Conference & Visitors Bureau and currently holds the position of Interim Executive Director.

 DVD author and film maker, James Forbes (“Bearshead Napa Valley”) speaks fluent Food & Wine, learnt as Tour Guide and Tasting Room Manager (Niebaum-Coppola, Chateau Montelena, Domaine Chandon, La Reserve Wine Shop in London, and Moet & Chandon in France) and also as Head Chef of his own London-based Film Location catering business. He holds the Wine & Spirit Education Trust Diploma, and a degree in Philosophy. He first arrived in Napa Valley in 1977, and has lived here full time since 1993, making movies for Cakebread, Silver Oak, Grace Family Vineyards and St Supery. The Bearshead series of DVDs on the Wine & Spirit regions of the World are extremely comprehensive, covering the History, Terroir and winemaking of each area. The Napa DVD consists of 88 interviews with leading winemakers, winery owners, viticulturalists and Historians, and is the essential tool for anyone interested in graduating from Geek to Wine Guru.

More info from www.bearshead.com

Steven E. Lederer
Director, Napa County Department of Environmental Management
Director, Napa County Green Business Program
Director, Napa County Animal Shelter
Manager, Upper Valley Waste Management Agency. Steve Lederer has been employed by the County of Napa as the Director of Environmental Management since July, 2006. The Department is responsible for protecting the health of the public through various programs, including inspections of retail food facilities, public pools, labor camps, and mobile home parks; permitting of small water systems, on-site sewage systems, and wells;
permitting of facilities which possess hazardous materials, medical waste, and underground storage tanks; emergency response support and cleanup of hazardous materials releases; and managing or supporting the two joint powers authorities that oversee solid waste management operations. From 2001 until 2006, Steve was Deputy Planning Director in the Conservation, Development, and Planning Department, responsible for the Permitting Section of the Department. Activities include review of applications for all business related Use Permits and similar entitlements (except applications for vineyards) and making recommendations to the Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors on proposed permits. 
Mr. Lederer worked at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo from 1982-1993, starting as a project engineer and finishing as the Head of Nuclear Test Engineering.  After leaving Mare Island Mr. Lederer joined Harding Lawson Associates, a civil, planning, and environmental consulting firm, where he was the manager of the Water Resources and Engineering Group. Mr. Lederer was born and raised in New York, but has resided in Napa County since 1982. He graduated from Tufts University with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Lederer and his wife have a merged family of six children who enjoy activities such as skiing, hiking, and bowling.

 Richard C. Rybicki advises clients on all aspects of labor and employment law. Mr. Rybicki also specializes in traditional labor law under the National Labor Relations Act, the California Agricultural Labor Relations Act, the California Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, and the federal Railway Labor Act. He has represented health care, winery, agricultural, transportation and other industry employers in collective bargaining, arbitration and proceedings before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the California Agricultural Labor Relations Board (ALRB) and the California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB).
Mr. Rybicki peaks regularly on wrongful discharge, employment discrimination, union/management relations and other labor law issues. He is a past chair of the Sonoma County Bar Association Labor and Employment Law Section, a member of the Napa Chamber of Commerce Business Builders Committee, and an advisor on the Napa Valley College Hospitality Programs Advisory Board.  He currently teaches Hospitality Law as part of the Napa Valley College Hospitality and Management Program. 
Mr. Rybicki received his J.D. (concentration in Advocacy) from Cornell University and his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.  He is admitted to practice in California and before various federal District Courts, Courts of Appeal and the United States Supreme Court.

For the past 15 years, Barbara has held leadership roles for various healthcare corporations where she focuses on helping to improve bottom-line results through employee satisfaction, productive teams, and excellent customer service.
As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Barbara has run a private psychotherapy practice serving individuals, couples and groups.  As well, Barbara has served on college faculty teaching clinical psychology and improvisational theatre classes – focusing on the use of theatre skills in working with individuals and groups, improving communications, and creating satisfying and productive relationships.
Barbara is passionate about the use of communication skills to inspire and motivate a workforce.  As President of Workplace Communities, Barbara is interested in helping organizations create and maintain inspiration and passion in their workforce, despite the everyday challenges we all experience.

 Theresa Dorr, Active Club Management is a specialist in providing efficient solutions and consulting for wine clubs. Her success in Fortune 500 companies as well as emerging markets has brought a fresh view to making clubs profitable.
Theresa’s work in the corporate world was recognized with the International IBM Quality Achievement Award and she has drove success in developing new markets and building communities in the wireless and Microsoft industries. Combining her experience in the corporate and small business environments allowed her to step out of the box that too often bogs clubs down.
Theresa believes that Wine Clubs are much more than a batch process. “Clubs can be a tremendous community of loyal and profitable clients that can be the key to success for many wineries.”
In addition to co-found and help develop a cutting edge club solution for direct to consumer wine clubs (Active Club Management) Theresa offers insight and key knowledge through the Wine Club Forum and Best Practices (www.ActiveClubForum.com), articles, and speaking opportunities.
Contact Information:
Theresa Dorr
Toll Free; 866-450-CLUB(2582)  Info@ActiveClubManagement.com   www.ActiveClubManagement.com    
Wine Club Forum and Best Practices: www.ActiveClubForum.com

 Chris graduated from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and the University of Illinois, Chicago with a Masters of Business Administration in Marketing and International Business. He visited Napa Valley after graduation and realized he could combine his years working in the restaurant industry, his love of the sciences, food and wine, a need to fulfill his creative side and his business acumen in a career as a winemaker. He moved to Napa in 1995 and began the study and pursuit of an artistic winemaking career.
As a result of that move Chris received his Masters of Science in Horticulture from the Department of Viticulture and Enology at the University of California, Davis.  He gained experience at Domaine Carneros Winery, at Domaine Chandon - California and at Tenute Antinori, Santa Cristina Estate in Montefiridolfi, Italy.
Carpenter joined the winemaking team at Lokoya in 1998 as assistant winemaker and stepped into the winemaker position in 2000.  He was named Cardinale Winemaker in 2001, and La Jota Winemaker in 2005.
Chris lives in Napa Valley with his wife, Tina and daughters, Maggie and Sadie. He established the Napa Valley Convivium of the Slow Food Movement in 1998 and is currently the Convivium Leader and Vice Chair on the Slow Food USA Board of Directors, overseeing 12,000 members nationwide.  He is an alumnus of Class 34 of the California Agricultural Leadership Foundation.

www.napalife.com  

www.traveltastes.com