NWC to host communication conference

A professional conference focusing on effective communication will be held on the campus of Northwestern College Aug. 10 through 12.

Titled Courageous Communication, the conference is being sponsored by Northwestern College Graduate School & Adult Learning and the college’s Franken Leadership Center in partnership with Pizza Ranch. The professional development opportunity is for those who want to develop their skills in negotiation, conflict resolution, remote communication and public speaking.

Former KTIV-Sioux City news anchor Kristie VerMulm will be one of the keynote speakers. VerMulm earned several Emmy Awards and broadcasting honors, including Overall Excellence in Anchoring and Reporting. She left the evening news last December to become the director of communications for United Real Estate Solutions.

Among the other speakers will be Dr. Chris Gurrie, a communication scholar at the University of Tampa; Paul Ten Haken, president of Click Rain, a digital marketing firm in Sioux Falls; Scott Peterson, CEO of Interstates Companies; Dr. Rick Melmer, South Dakota’s former secretary of education; and Angela Ten Clay, communication manager for Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield and president of the Iowa chapter of the American Marketing Association. Sessions will also be led by three college presidents: Greg Christy of Northwestern College, Kurt Dykstra of Trinity Christian College and Dr. Alethea Stubbe of Northwest Iowa Community College. 

Conference registration is open until July 27; the Courageous Communication fee is $400 until July 15 and $450 starting July 16. Northwestern College alumni can attend the conference at a discounted rate of $350. Overnight accommodations are separate from the conference fee and are being provided by the Hampton Inn, Orange City, and the Holiday Inn Express, Sioux Center. Visit www.nwciowa.edu/lead for conference details and to register.