2023 UnSummit Speaker Bios

Evolution of the Media Landscape and Intro Keynote

Julie Fine, Texas Bureau Chief for Bloomberg News
With more than 20 years of experience in media, Julie Fine is currently the Texas Bureau Chief for Bloomberg News. Previously, she spent 10 years as the Political Reporter at NBC 5 Dallas/Fort Worth where she interviewed Presidents, Senators, and the major newsmakers in North Texas. A native of Buffalo, New York, she has lived in Texas since 2013.

Evolution of Truth in Media

Scott Baradell, APR, CEO and founder of Idea Grove
Trust expert Scott Baradell is CEO and founder of Idea Grove, recipient of the 2020 Pegasus Award for Small Agency of the Year. Idea Grove helps its clients secure trust at scale through its unique Grow With TRUST approach. Scott is an established authority on trust and editor of the online publication Trust Signals, as well as author of the recently published book Trust Signals: Brand Building in a Post-Truth World.

Evolving Your Career Development Panel

Linda Goelzer, Director of Public Relations, Balcom Agency (Moderator)
Linda is a seasoned public relations expert with a passion for storytelling and media relations. After securing a degree in radio/TV/film from Baylor University, she started in the industry as a news reporter for TV stations in Wichita Falls, Texas, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. During this time, Linda pursued a path in health and medical reporting, which later led her to transition into the world of PR within a health care setting. Since then, Linda has held positions as public relations director at Carter BloodCare; marketing manager and sales support at NOVADAQ (now Stryker); public relations manager for Presbyterian Dallas Hospital of Texas Health Resources; and news and PR specialist for Presbyterian HealthCare System before the merger. When she's not shining a light on narratives, you can find her hiking national parks, photographing nature or enjoying a Baylor football game.

Teddi Cliett, APR, Director, Three Box Strategic Communications
Teddi joined the Three Box team as a public relations intern in 2018. Since then, she has delivered impactful, strategic and award-winning programs to a range of Three Box clients. As a Director, she collaborates with account teams to deliver strategic planning and creative execution for programs that help move the needle for clients in the healthcare, nonprofit and consumer spaces. Teddi also manages Three Box Impact, the agency’s pro-bono communications program for nonprofits. Teddi is Accredited in Public Relations (APR), an active member of the PRSA Dallas chapter and co-chairs the Nonprofit Workshop Planning Committee.

Dawn Kahley, Vice President of Strategic Communications, Children’s Health
Dawn Kahle serves as Vice President of Strategic Communications at Children’s Health, where she manages internal and external communications for the health care system. An award-winning communicator, Dawn worked with a wide variety of global and national consumer, healthcare, consumer technology and enterprise software organizations during her time at Weber Shandwick. In 2014, Dawn was named one of the top women in business by The Dallas Business Journal. She is a member of the Leadership Dallas Class of 2020 as well as the board for Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, where she served as board chair in 2020-2021. Dawn is a graduate of Oklahoma State University where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.

Jamaison Schuler, Vice President, Global Corporate Communications and Community Engagement, Celanese
Jamaison leads global communications at Dallas-based Celanese (NYSE: CE), a global leader in chemistry producing specialty material solutions used across most major industries and consumer applications. The Corporate Communication team is spread across offices in the United States, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and China. Previously, Jamaison led communications at dairy giant Dean Foods and is also a former Adjunct Lecturer in Corporate Communications and Public Affairs at Southern Methodist University. His experience also includes pharmaceutical PR for Eli Lilly and Company and a number of years at Borshoff, an Indianapolis-based communications agency. He earned APR from PRSA in 2004.

In his spare time, Jamaison is a fused glass artist, small business owner and YouTube creator, establishing Four Leaves Glassworks in 2018 and then developing and launching his own line of kiln-formed art supplies in 2021. 

Patricia "Reace" Alvarenga Smith, APR, Senior Vice President and Head of U.S. Communications for LIBERTY Steel U.S.A.
Patricia “Reace” Alvarenga Smith has been a PRSA member since 1998, and a PRSSA member before that. She currently serves as Senior Vice President and Head of U.S. Communications for LIBERTY Steel U.S.A. She joined LIBERTY from Republic National Distributing Company where she was responsible for the development of integrated communications strategies and provided executive leadership with thought leadership council. Prior to that, Smith held positions of increasing responsibility at Dean Foods, as well as at Dex Media and Texas Health Resources.

Smith currently serves as the Southwest District Director on the National Board of Public Relations Society of America and was president of PRSA Dallas in 2010. Smith graduated from UT Arlington with a degree in Communications.

 Understanding Evolving DEI Conversation

Thomas Bennett, SVP FleishmanHillard
Thomas Bennett is a military veteran with over 20 years of experience. Currently, he is Senior Vice President at FleishmanHillard, a global PR agency that was recently named Agency of the Year by PRWeek. In his role, he helps to lead and build the profile of the agency’s global health equity offering. Additionally, he acts as a senior strategic counselor for clients in all areas of health equity and Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). Prior to FleishmanHillard, Thomas spent over 14 years working for multiple companies and organizations in the healthcare industry including the American Heart Association, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Dallas Children’s Medical Center. Thomas currently co-chairs PRSA’s National Black Voices Affinity Group. Thomas graduated from Fisk University and received his MBA from Belhaven University.

Latosha Herron Bruff, Senior Vice President of Inclusion & Community Engagement at the Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC)
Latosha Herron Bruff is the Senior Vice President of Inclusion & Community Engagement at the Dallas Regional Chamber (DRC). With more than 20 years of advocating for marginalized communities, combined with her background in real estate, Herron Bruff brings a wealth of knowledge and a commitment to projects that promote diversity, equity and inclusion for all. Prior to the DRC, Herron Bruff spent more than 10 years with Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity working to improve the quality of life for diverse communities across southern Dallas. A Dallas native, Herron Bruff holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Texas and an executive certification in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion from Cornell. She has served on boards and councils for several organizations including Children’s Health, Desoto Economic Development Corporation, Southern Gateway Deck Park and The Dallas Entrepreneur Center at RedBird.

Evolution of Technology in PR Panel

Sandy Diaz Haley, Founder & Principal, SDH Communications (Moderator)
Sandy has 20 years of strategic communications experience and has worked for global PR agencies representing both domestically and in Latin America, Canada and Australia. In her most recent corporate role, Sandy served as Vice President of DEI at Mr. Cooper Group. Today, Sandy is the founder of SDH Communications, helping organizations define what they stand for and connect with audiences through communications, DE&I strategies, and employee engagement.

Sandy is the founder of a Bada$$ Ladies of DFW, a professional network of 2K+ professionals. She was named a Top 100 Most Influential Latinas of 2023 by Latin Leader Magazine and received the 40 Under 40 award from PRSA in 2021. When she diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2014, she told herself she’d be ‘the best damn thing that ever happened to MS,’ learning and advocating as much as she could for herself and others and has represented the National MS Society as a patient advocate ever since.

Brittany Gbur, Vice President, Technology at BCW
Brittany Gbur is a Vice President in the Technology practice at BCW. She works with companies across B2B and B2C enterprise and consumer technology teams to execute 360 communications programs spanning thought leadership initiatives, media relations, crisis communications, influencers, product and service launches, partnerships, awards and events. ​Prior to joining BCW, Brittany served as Vice President at a boutique public relations firm based in New York where she counselled a range of companies from start-ups to global corporations across technology, healthcare, finance, pet care, health and wellness, and non-profit industries. 

Brittany currently sits on BCW’s Professional Development Think Tank of North America and the Professional Development Committee in Texas. Brittany graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a B.A. in Public Relations and Theater, and a minor in International Studies. ​

Jacqueline “Jacque” Lambiase, Ph.D., Director of the Certified Public Communicator Program at TCU
Jacqueline Lambiase, Ph.D., served as a professor of strategic communication at TCU and UNT for 27 years, heading up the public relations program at UNT and serving as department chair at TCU. Recently retired from full-time teaching, she still directs the Certified Public Communicator Program at TCU. Her research has focused on digital communication, sexuality in advertising, and the importance of organizational listening for earning trust with stakeholders. Before spending time on college campuses, she served as a spokeswoman for an East Coast electric utility and as a journalist in Texas.

Tripp Westbrook, President/Chief Creative Officer of Firehouse
Tripp Westbrook is an innovative, convention breaking agency leader and President/Chief Creative Officer of Firehouse. Honing his craft at nationally recognized creative agencies like Fallon, the Martin Agency and GSD&M, his thinking and expertise in challenging category status-quo has driven clients like Lennox, Interstate Batteries, National Cheerleaders Assn., Nothing Bundt Cakes and more. His work has been recognized by virtually every major advertising award show and includes one of USA Today’s top 100 Super Bowl commercials of all time. 

Contending with an Evolving Crisis Keynote

Kari Streiber, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Dallas Zoo
For almost 25 years, Kari has put her love of storytelling to work helping brands connect and communicate with consumers. From small start-ups to some of the largest technology and CPG names in the business, she has led PR, corporation communications, crisis PR support, strategic planning, and brand marketing efforts. Her current role at VP of Marketing and Communications at the Dallas Zoo is simultaneously her most challenging, and most rewarding. She guides a team and manages all-things branding for the Zoo and is so proud to have the opportunity to tell stories and help shape the communication strategies for one of the best Zoos in the country. The content is rich, the local and global impact is deep, and the animals are amazing! Kari is a born-and-raised Texan, a Longhorn alum, and loves spending her downtime (what downtime?) with her husband Paul and her Bernedoodle Henri.

Evolving a Sports Brand Conversation

Gina Miller, VP of Media & Communications, FC Dallas
Gina Miller is an award-winning journalist who is currently the Vice President of Media and Communications for FC Dallas, North Texas SC, the National Soccer Hall of Fame and Toyota Stadium. She oversees the organizations’ broadcast, social and digital media operations as well as public relations efforts. She consulted on Dallas' successful FIFA™ World Cup 2026 bid campaign. The Dallas native has served as a sportscaster in Dallas, Los Angeles, Knoxville and Guam. In Dallas while at the CBS duopoly, she also hosted Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Stars and Texas Rangers pre- and postgame shows with Derek Harper, Randy White, Brent Severyn and Mark McLemore, respectively. She has been nominated for multiple Lone Star Emmy awards and won a prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award as well as WISE DFW’s Heart and Soul Woman of Inspiration Award and is a 2023 PRNews Changemaker award winner.

Gina also has a thriving consulting practice where she helps clients become more confident and commanding on-camera and in front of a microphone. Calling on her 20-plus years of broadcast media expertise as well as experience as a Senior Talent Consultant with California-based research and consulting firm SmithGeiger, Miller has helped executives, athletes and professionals from all industries level up their communication practice.