SPEAKERS BUREAU / ABOUT US / STAFF DIRECTORY

Meet_staff

We at Premiere Speakers pride ourselves on our hard work to make booking speakers a breeze for you, but that doesn't mean we don't like to have a little fun along the way.

Click on a profile below to learn more about the different personalities behind Premiere. We have offered up ten fun and insightful facts about each member of our crew. You will also find one lie buried in the list. If you are curious as to which fact is a lie, or if you believe you know which it is and want to double check, email them to find out the truth.

Duane Ward

Duane Ward

(615) 261-4000 x1015 |

Duane Ward, founder of Premiere Speakers Bureau comes to this profession from many years in public relations and marketing. Raised in Florida, schooled in Missouri, and holding positions in Michigan, Texas, and Virginia before moving to Nashville to begin Premiere, Duane loves the challenge of building a loyal client base for the bureau. "Great Speakers and Customer Service are the keys," he says of the future of Premiere and the industry. Duane and Kathy have two children and four grandsons who have the full attention of their doting grandparents!

Click here to catch Duane in a lie...

Brandon Arora

Brandon Arora

Faith & Non-profit Events

(615) 261-4000 x1010 |

Brandon draws from his many years in the entertainment industry to provide truly excellent service to our speakers and clients. His desire to help those around him extends beyond his work environment to his efforts to affect his local community through his church’s outreach ministries. He, along with his wife and 3 children, strive to be a positive influence to those around them.

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Ryan Giffen

Ryan Giffen

K-12 & University Events

(615) 261-4000 x1018 |
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I was born and raised in Dallas, TX... enough said. Danica and I have two amazing sons: Will who is 4, and Eli, born on Jan. 5th, 2012. My best days will likely include wrestling with Will, changing Eli :), eating Chicago style pizza (or any pizza) and enjoying some good ESPN highlights. An interesting fact about myself is that I have traveled to 23 countries and once lived in a thatched roof mud hut for 3 weeks... on purpose.

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Shawn Hanks

Shawn Hanks

Associational & Political Events

(615) 261-4000 x1011 |
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Shawn Hanks adds experience in multiple fields to Premiere Speakers. Over the course of eleven years, he has gained valuable experience assisting associations, benefit events and faith-based organizations. Shawn is an avid football and basketball fan. He and Heather are P90x'ers. (Yes, he knows it is obnoxious to bring it up.) He is a frequent reader and a musician. One of his passions is orphan care - primarily in Ethiopia. He serves on the board of Project 61 (p61.org,) and he and Heather often travel to Ethiopia to assist the organization. As native Texans, Shawn and Heather have enjoyed living in Southeast and Central Texas and, currently, Middle Tennessee. They are the proud parents of Mia (8), Ethan (6), Ella Kate (4) and Ava (2.)

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Brian Lord

Brian Lord

Corporate Events

(615) 261-4000 x1005 |
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Since January, 2000, Brian has served as Senior Vice President. Prior to Premiere, Brian was with the William Morris Agency as well as his own agency. He has been interviewed on the BBC, been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and multiple industry publications, and has presented at the National Speakers Association Annual Conference. Brian has been a member of both the Technology Committee (07-09) and Continuing Education Committee (06-07) for the International Association of Speakers Bureaus. He married his wife Krista in April, 2001, and they have enjoyed establishing their home in Franklin, Tennessee with their two daughters Brooklyn and Sydney. In his free time, Brian competes in triathlons and marathons, and enjoys art, reading and history quite a bit, too. Brian graduated with a degree in political science from DePauw University. www.twitter.com/premierebrian

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Michael Smallbone

Michael Smallbone

Meeting Planners & International Events

(615) 261-4000 x1030 |
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Michael has been with Premiere for seven years, and has in that time developed a specialized knowledge of speakers in the areas of Healthcare & International Business. He additionally works with third party event planners, and assists them in creating speaker proposals for their variety clients.

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Lisa Faber

Lisa Faber

(615) 261-4000 x1007 |
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As an Event Guru, Lisa works with both clients and speakers in handling the details and logistics of their events, helping to ensure that each event booked will be a success for everyone involved. Lisa has one teenage son (Micah) and spends her time between the Nashville area and her small farm located in rural northwest Alabama. In her spare time, Lisa enjoys spending time with her son, reading, playing board games, running, and traveling as much as she can.

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Ken Fitzpatrick

Ken Fitzpatrick

(615) 261-4000 x1035 |

Ken came to Premiere with six years of experience in the transportation industry. After graduating college, Ken began his own company providing ground transportation to schools, churches and nonprofit organizations. Ken now handles the transportation for book tours and speaking engagements that require considerable ground transport. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Ken now lives in Nashville and enjoys biking, traveling and reading.

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Heather Rawdon

Heather Rawdon

(615) 261-4000 x1006 |
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Heather has been praised by many top CEOs, Presidents of Universities, and industry leading meeting planners around the world for her dedication toward making sure each event is a success and every expectation of both speaker and client are accurately communicated to every party involved.

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Josh Smallbone

Josh Smallbone

(615) 261-4000 x1040 |

Josh has been traveling for many years domestically and internationally. His traveling experience helps Premiere Speakers when planning logistics for speakers. Josh's expertise in book publishing also assists in making books a part of most speakers events.

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Carl Ware

Carl Ware

(615) 261-4000 x1045 |
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Carl has expanded the definition of "Event Guru" at Premiere in his two years on staff. He has led initiatives to create a more client friendly process, successfully advanced events for hundreds of speakers in many countries and diverted potential event disasters by acting quickly to rebook speakers flights after last minute cancellations and venue changes.

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Jeanne Bergstrom

Jeanne Bergstrom

(615) 261-4000 x1008 |

Jeanne came to Premiere Speakers in August of 2005. She brings several years of accounting experience in the convention, exhibit & health care industry with her. She loves outdoor activities,traveling and being with family & friends. She is a Nashville native and now lives in Franklin.

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Brian Moyer

Brian Moyer

(615) 261-4000 x1017 |

Brian brought a diverse background to his seat in the Accounting Department in 2010. While his resume contains phrases such as Business Degree, Controller, and Inventory Management, he's most proud of working to earn titles of Christian, Husband, and Father. He lives in Franklin with his wife Carla and daughter Kenna.

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Sherry Olson

Sherry Olson

(615) 261-4000 x1014 |

Sherry came to Premiere Speakers in 2004 after working for 16 years in the entertainment industry. Originally from Michigan, Sherry has also lived in Boston, Massachusetts, and Los Angeles, California. She now oversees all accounting functions for Premiere. Sherry and her husband, Steve, live in Franklin, Tennessee. They have two sons, Eric and Craig.

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Jennifer Lain

Jennifer Lain

(615) 261-4000 x1000 |

I was born in Texas and lived in Houston for over 19 years. I have been married for 25 years with 2 college aged kids. I am a certified teacher and taught in Texas and Tennessee before moving career paths to Premiere Speakers Bureau. In my free time I love to play piano, read, cook, and spend time with my family.

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Josh Smallbone

Josh Smallbone

(615) 261-4000 x1040 |

Josh has been traveling for many years domestically and internationally. His traveling experience helps Premiere Speakers when planning logistics for speakers. Josh's expertise in book publishing also assists in making books a part of most speakers events.

Click here to catch Josh in a lie...

Grant Weaver

Grant Weaver

(615) 261-4000 x2009 |

I was Born and raised in Colorado until the age of seven. My Family and I moved to Nashville in 1993. I have spent most of my life in Nashville besides, four years in Chattanooga, TN, where I attended UTC, and One year spent in Florida.

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Alex Kranzusch

Alex Kranzusch

Marketing & Web Content

(615) 261-4000 x1020 |

Alex was born and raised in Montgomery, AL. He went on to study Graphic Design at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Alex is a sucker for nostalgia and is used to people mispronouncing his last name. Alex is proudly the newest member to the Creative department, joining the team in late 2011.

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Anthony Lassiter

Anthony Lassiter

Information Technology

(615) 261-4000 x1023 |

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Chris Yount

Chris Yount

Information Technology

(615) 261-4000 x1016 |

Chris was born on the East Coast of the US, traveled extensively, saved a puppy from a runaway train and then (the only obvious follow up to saving a puppy) joined the Premiere family as a designer and developer. Chris runs the Creative and IT/Development departments, and spends his free time searching for new adventures with his wife Chrystal (and yes, they are well aware of how confusing it is being Chris and Chrys Yount).

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109 International Drive, Ste 300   •   Franklin, TN 37067   •   615.261.4000