CommCore Team

Managment Team

Andrew D. Gilman

Andrew Gilman, President and CEO of CommCore Consulting Group, has been a communications strategist, crisis counselor and keynote speaker for more than twenty-five years. Co-author of the best-selling book Get To The Point (Bantam 1990), Andrew is also a lawyer and award-winning journalist. Most recently he was selected as Educator/Trainer of the Year by PR News. He and CommCore were also selected as public relations counsel for the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Washington, DC.

He frequently is called upon to help senior executives prepare for media interviews, new business presentations, board meetings, testimony before Congressional committees and regulatory agencies, expert witnessing in lawsuits, appearances on TV and radio, road shows, analyst presentations, and investor meetings. Andrew also develops and directs the CommCore training and consulting services. His copyrighted training innovations include the Two-Minute Talking Memo, Art of the Sound Bite and Message Mapping for media interviews.

As a crisis communications expert, Andrew’s experience includes providing advice to the University of Virginia Medical Center in the baby-switching incident and counsel to Johnson & Johnson during Tylenol I. The J&J assignment included coaching Chairman James Burke for interviews on 60 Minutes and in other national media. He also prepared senior Lockheed/Martin executives for Congressional hearings following the Challenger accident. Andrew conducts crisis simulations for General Motors, pharmaceutical companies and industry associations, where he teaches participants how to take control of news events instead of just reacting to the next fact. Andrew created CommCore’s industry leading software product Crisis Plan wRiter, a program that helps clients create a data base and respond in crisis situations.

As a journalist, Andrew has experience as a reporter for trade and consumer publications, as well as a radio reporter and host. On radio, Andrew was a frequent contributor to National Public Radio’s award-winning programs “All Things Considered” and “Morning Edition.” His articles have appeared in The New York Times, National Law Journal, Christian Science Monitor, Risk Management Newsletter and the Washington Business Journal. He has received awards from the Fund for Investigative Journalism and has been nominated for Sigma Delta Chi and National Magazine Awards.

Andrew is often called upon to help professional service firms including law firms, public relations and advertising agencies, and financial services firms to improve their media and marketing programs. He has conducted professional development seminars, and has helped partners and associates prepare for client presentations, “beauty contests” and internal meetings.

Andrew is admitted to the Bar in New York State and Federal Courts. He has delivered Grand Rounds at Yale University, and has lectured at Harvard University, Wharton School of Business, American Bar Association, China External Trade Development Council in Taiwan, American Association of Advertising Agencies, New School of Social Research, American Society of Association Executives, Cable Telecommunications Industry Association and D.C. Bar Association. He is a member of the Board of the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network. He holds two degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Masters of Science in Education. His law degree is from Fordham University. In addition to Get to the Point, he recently contributed two chapters to When Lightning Strikes, a Crisis case study book compiled by Wayne Pines, as well as a feature article in the PR NEWS Media Training Guidebook.
 

Jerry Doyle is principal of CommCore and heads the New York practice. Aside from managing and growing operations, Jerry spearheads marketing efforts and business development for the firm.  He delivers communication skills workshops worldwide.

Jerry works with clients to write content for and manage training programs.  He assists clients by combining the meeting objectives with a training program that helps reinforce the content.  These programs have been developed for financial, healthcare, insurance and technology firms.  In addition to managing hundreds of programs in the U.S., Jerry has conducted seminars in Mexico City, Barcelona, Madrid, London and Prague.

Prior to joining CommCore in 1999, Jerry enjoyed a successful career in healthcare public relations, working for Edelman Public Relations Worldwide and Earle Palmer Brown. During this time, Jerry worked on campaigns and coordinated press events for pharmaceutical clients Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Schering-Plough and Wyeth.

Jerry’s articles regarding crisis communications and media relations have been published in The Regan Report, The Advertiser and Media Insider. Jerry has also delivered talks to graduate students and entrepreneurs at New York University, Columbia University, University of Virginia and Manhattanville College on such topics as Effective Financial Presentations and Developing Different Strategies for U.S. and Foreign Press.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Finance Administration from Mount St. Mary’s College in Maryland.

Nicholas F. (Nick) Peters

Nicholas F. (Nick) Peters, Senior Vice President of CommCore Consulting Group, is a senior executive in communications solutions for the public relations and corporate and marketing communications needs of Fortune 500 companies, top agencies and major associations. Nick is responsible for business development and major accounts at CommCore. He is a former multiple national award-winning major market and network print and broadcast journalist.

Previously Nick was SVP Marketing & Strategy for On The Scene Productions in their Los Angeles headquarters, providing client counsel, and due diligence and implementation for TV, radio and Internet-based digital media product development and strategic partnerships. 

Nick spent the prior 18 years at Medialink in a variety of senior management roles, including oversight of all live and taped broadcast and streaming operations, consultative sales and marketing, and executive committee involvement in corporate governance. 

In 1993 he managed the Medialink production and operations teams that executed the broadcast components of Pepsi’s successful crisis response to a nationwide copycat tampering hoax involving cans of soda.  In 1999 Nick conceptualized and oversaw development of the public relations industry's first website dedicated to the delivery of downloadable multimedia files to online news operations.  This initiative became a joint venture between Medialink and Business Wire from 2000 to 2003.

As a journalist he was a producer and news writer at CBS News in New York, working for correspondents Dan Rather, Christopher Glenn and Charles Osgood among others. 

Previously he was News Director, executive producer and on-air anchor at WHYY-FM (NPR) Philadelphia. His department won a dozen national and state awards for excellence in radio journalism from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Columbia University, the Sigma Delta Chi Association of Professional Journalists and the Associated Press. He was also an award-winning print reporter for major daily newspapers in Indianapolis, Raleigh and Philadelphia.

Nick is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania.

Consultants

Emily Avila, Senior Consultant

Emily Avila is a business communications consultant who has worked in television and public relations for sixteen years. She has focused on health care communications for the last nine years. Her career started in television as a news reporter, producer, assignment editor and public affairs director.
She formerly managed production of an award-winning weekly television medical news magazine, PULSE, which aired on the local ABC affiliate in Sacramento, CA, as well as eleven countries throughout the Pacific Rim. Currently this program is featured on cable channel Discovery Health.

She has been the media spokesperson for major academic medical centers in California, representing the organizations to national, regional and local media. She also trained and prepared clinicians and administrators for a variety of print and broadcast media interviews.

She has taught public relations and business communications classes at San Jose State University’s Professional Development program and has written for several public relations and marketing magazines, including the e-business magazine ClickZ. She won the C. Everett Koop American Heart Association Media Award in 1995, as well as the International Association of Business Communicators video production and writing awards in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1996.

Len Biegel, Senior Consultant

Len Biegel is a widely recognized expert in crisis communications, training and management. He counsels Fortune 500 corporations and trade groups on crisis planning, and provides communications training for spokespersons. 

 
He played a key role in the Tylenol product-tampering cases and other crises ranging from environment to safety. Len created the most extensive emergency preparedness program in the cruise vacation industry, and authored the widely acclaimed post-9/11 guides for The Business Roundtable. Most recently, he has been involved in a range of crises for American Airlines, General Electric, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Hershey Foods, Tyco International and others.   

Len formerly was Executive Vice President and head of Weber Shandwick's Global Crisis Management Practice.  An Emmy award-winning television broadcaster, Len served in senior media and crisis management positions at Rowan & Blewitt and Burson-Marsteller. He also has served as a consultant to the White House Conference on Small Business, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, AT&T, IBM and the Israel Broadcasting Authority.

He began his career as manager of special events for CBS in New York . He also served as program director and executive producer for Metromedia (now Fox) in New York and Washington . For two years he taught at George Washington University as an associate professorial lecturer.

Len holds a bachelor's degree in education from New York University and studied management at NYU's Graduate School of Business Administration. 


Dan Broden, Senior Consultant

Dan Broden, an attorney and former national television anchor and reporter, has provided presentation and media skills training for a wide variety of clients. These clients include CEOs and other C-suite executives from such companies as Kodak, IBM, Pitney Bowes, Johnson & Johnson, Delta Airlines, Gillette, and Eli Lilly.
 
Dan runs a communications coaching consultancy and recently headed up the Communications Training Network at Ketchum, one of the world's leading public relations agencies.   During his time there, Dan coached a variety of spokespeople, including physicians, attorneys, executives, athletes, and celebrities.  

Dan also lectures regularly on communications training topics, most recently at Columbia University , NYU, and Rutgers University .
 
Prior to Ketchum, Dan spent seven years with Court TV, the national cable network. During his tenure there, Dan was a news anchor, show host, reporter, and producer. In those capacities, Dan covered high-profile legal stories including the Presidential Impeachment trial, both Oklahoma City bombing trials, the JonBenet Ramsey murder investigation, the O.J. Simpson criminal and civil trials, and the first Bosnian war crimes trial in The Hague, Netherlands.  
 
Dan earned his B.A. from Brown University and his law degree from The George Washington University Law School.    He is fluent in Spanish and conversant in Japanese, having taught English to executives in Japan for a year before entering law school.

With over 12 years of on-camera and media experience, Marjorie brings a unique understanding of presentation and message delivery skills. Marjorie's experience includes film, national television, live presentations, press conferences and radio. As a presenter and spokesperson she has represented Sony Electronics, Chevrolet, Home Depot and Children's Miracle Network Telethon.   
 
Marjorie is passionate about helping individuals understand the messages they communicate in settings beyond the podium- in their posture, dress, email and technology usage, and conversational skills. She is a strong believer that life is a series of presentations, where we communicate messages in every interaction. All of these “presentations” impact our ability to change and influence different audiences.  
 
As a media and presentation coach she focuses on the audience first. After understanding an audience, we can effectively determine ways to connect and communicate the desired message. Again, using verbal and non-verbal awareness of how we impact those around us.
 
In addition to corporate work, Marjorie has counseled numerous non-profits and individuals in areas of marketing, public relations, partnership development and presentation skills.   She has worked with organizations including Muscular Dystrophy Association, Bread for the World, New Leaders for New Schools, and National Charity League. She has served as Vice President for the American Marketing Association and is frequently called on to lecture in academic and industry focused settings including American University's Women in Politics Institute.
 
Marjorie received her bachelor's degree in Advertising and Spanish from the University of Texas and her Master's in acting from Drama Studio London. Her studies and stage performance experience uniquely qualify her as an expert on voice and movement technique. She works with CommCore clients to improve the use of vocal qualities, tones, articulation and speech. In addition she helps individuals build awareness of their physical presence, movement and posturing as they communicate in a variety of settings.

Laine Conklin brings over twenty years of experience as a marketing professional, writer and teacher. She has worked with CommCore for the last 17 years delivering executive communications coaching for senior executives and spokespeople. Her experience runs the gamut from start-up companies to Fortune 100’s including Pfizer, eBay, Time Warner and Deutsche Bank. CEO’s of note that Laine has counseled include Meg Whitman and John Donahoe of eBay, Bob Greifeld of the NASDAQ, Jeff Jordan and Scott Thompson of PayPal and Jack Dorsey of Twitter.

Recognized for her peer-level coaching and ability to transform technical concepts into laymen’s language, Laine is sought after by senior executives in the healthcare, technology, financial services and consumer goods sectors. Laine specializes in executive/leadership communications, presentation, media, and meeting facilitation skills. Her efforts also extend to managers, salespeople, and representatives who speak to various audiences including customers, employees, analysts, investors and the media. She has worked with consumer advocate groups, specifically, Consumer Reports president and spokespeople for press inquiries, as well as government advocacy.

Laine has worked with many spokespeople involved in global communications including the president of Tom Online in China, the president of Latin American Operations for Swiss Re, the president of Mercado Libre , the online marketplace for Latin America, and the head of operations for NASDAQ in India.

She has prepped many CEO’s and CFO’s for Keynote Addresses and specializes in content as well as delivery. Her client list also includes many celebrities, athletes, and authors, including President Bush’s daughter for her book on disenfranchised youth in Latin America. She has written promotional material, developed communication strategy programs and road show presentations for new and Fortune 100 companies.

Laine also has experience in marketing research and writing. She has written for medical journals, and worked as an independent report writer for pharmaceutical firms, biotech and medical device companies.

Larry Gilman, Senior Consultant

Larry Gilman is a communications coach with more than 24 years of experience. He has led more than 800 training workshops for more than 10,000 people.
 
Larry's experience spans Fortune 500 companies to start-ups. He has extensive healthcare experience through his work with hospitals, managed care providers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.  He also has deep experience in the technology and entertainments sectors. In finance, Larry has prepared clients for IPOs, road shows and analyst/investor presentations. Some of his clients include General Motors, AT&T, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, eBay, Qualcomm, Coca-Cola, Nokia, UPS, Zurich , and numerous federal agencies. As CommCore's Los Angeles based consultant, Larry has many opportunities to work with celebrities.     
 
Larry counsels clients during product launches, transitions, and other critical milestones.   He works with clients to develop compelling messages for a wide range of presentations and media interviews. He works with CEOs, senior executives, R&D directors, product managers, and other spokespersons.   
 
Larry's media experience has been both in front of and behind the camera. As an actor and an award-winning director, Larry has appeared in Broadway and off-Broadway productions, as well as numerous television programs and featured films.
 
He is a member of The Screen Actors Guild, Actors Equity Association and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. Larry is a founding member of The Actors Institute in Los Angeles and in Who's Who in America. He is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College.

Ed Gold leads CommCore’s professional business writing workshops. He is a writer and writing consultant with over 20 years of experience working for clients in business and government.

A graduate of the University of Maryland with an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins University Writing Seminars, Ed taught writing at the University of Maryland for twelve years. He has trained staff writers for the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Postal Service, Societe Generale Bank, American Urological Association, Citibank, the American Society of Association Executives, the American Bankers Association, Tenneco, Dreyfus Benefits Division and over seventy trade and professional associations.

Ed specializes in plain English writing. He has written a wide range of materials for the Congressional Research Service, U.S. General Accounting Office, National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Department of Education, the State of Michigan, Montgomery County (MD), IBM, and several Washington law firms.

Howard Greenstein, Principal Consultant/Program Developer - Social Media

Howard Greenstein is CommCore's Principal Consultant and Program Developer for Social Media. From the early days of “on line communities” to the currnt world of social media he has been a recognized Social Media Strategist, involved in cutting edge technology applications. His recent Social Media Strategy assignments with clients in the TV, law and non-profit space have shown tangible results, increasing communications and outreach with customers and constituents.

Howard Greenstein's years of experience in the technology world, combined with his background as an executive coach , help him bridge the gap between business needs and technology requirements, allowing him to facilitate difficult business conversations and focus on the required results of any project.

His background includes a role as “Technical Evangelist” for Microsoft's Developer Relations team, where he helped gain acceptance and adoption of Internet Explorer and Windows Media, obtaining marketing and product feature requirements from top corporate partners like CBS, Fox and Clear Channel. For J.P. Morgan he helped deploy such futuristic projects as desktop video conferencing, online collaborative tools and the World Wide Web in 1993-95.

Howard Greenstein has had roles in several New York startups, and has been an administrator and is currently a lecturer at New York University. He is co-founder and head of the New York City Chapter of The Social Media Club. As a networker and community builder, he is the only person to have been elected to the Board of Directors of three major New York technology trade organizations: New York Software Industry Association (NYSIA), NYNMA, and the World Wide Web Artist's Consortium (WWWAC). Howard was the Director of Operations for the Twin Towers Fund, which distributed over $216MM to the families of the rescue worker heroes killed at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Alexander Kippen, Senior Consultant

Alexander Kippen joined CommCore in 2002, providing preparation for news interviews and message development to clients including Fortune 500 CEO's, professionals (physicians, engineers, accountants, other subject matter experts), and executives. He has also trained entertainers like actress Lorraine Bracco and athletes like Troy Aikman.
 
 Alexander developed CommCore's Internet-based Professional Profile ™ - a link to a personal promotional platform. Users can post their profile on the password-protected website, including news articles and book excerpts as well as video samples from speeches and TV appearances.
 
He began as a political reporter in Washington, DC, covering Congress, the first Bush and then Clinton administrations for Canada's Global Television Network and later for the Fox Morning News. His stories ranged from debates over the Clean Air Act and NAFTA, to the first Gulf War and sanctions against Iraq. After running a Washington production company with clients that included political talk show host John McLaughlin, Alexander became a Managing Director with Hill & Knowlton in Washington and New York, providing media counsel and media training for both established and emerging corporate clients.  Alexander has contributed reports to CNN, National Geographic, written for The Washington Monthly, The Washington Post, New York, Creative Screenwriting, the SAIS Foreign Observer, and also taught journalism as an adjunct professor at American University in Washington DC.  He is an international policy and economics graduate of George Washington and Johns Hopkins SAIS universities focusing on U.S. policy in the Persian Gulf.

Peg Nichols, Senior Consultant

Peg Nichols is a communications expert with more than 20 years of experience.   She counsels CommCore clients to craft and deliver effective messages to a wide range of audiences.   Peg also is a seasoned communications strategist, with extensive media and public speaking experience.
 
Previously, Peg was the Director of Communications and Media Relations for Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.   As a member of the senior management team, she led the organization's communications program.   This included directing media relations, crisis communications, outreach to key publics, and targeted public policy efforts. She also was executive editor of the organization's bimonthly publication, Attention!®.
 
At the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, she developed and implemented strategic public information initiatives designed to raise awareness of mental illness as a brain disorder.   This included serving as a media spokesperson on children's mental health issues including appearances on local and national television news programs. She also held communications roles at Spectrum Science Communications, The Detroit Medical Center, Sheraton Hotels, and Fleishman-Hillard Public Relations.

Peg is widely published in the area of communications and mental health.   She also has conducted numerous speaking engagements and media interviews - including interviews on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, the Diane Rehm Show, The Washington Post , The Chicago Tribune, Redbook.   She has delivered speeches on behalf of the The American Psychiatric Association, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, and also developed a communications training tape for an Eli Lilly sales team. She has served as an adjunct professor of communications at the American University , Washington , D.C.  

She holds an undergraduate degree from Central Michigan University and is pursuing a Masters from Johns Hopkins University .   

Cary Pfeffer

Cary Pfeffer is an accomplished communications training expert with nearly three decades of experience in journalism and public speaking. As a news anchor and reporter in Phoenix and Los Angeles, Cary has covered nearly every major news story. His work has been featured on CBS, NBC, and CNN, and also profiled in the New York Times.

He leverages this experience to provide counsel to CommCore clients on media communications and presentation delivery. Based in Phoenix, his clients include Rackspace Managed Hosting, Coldstone Creamery and America West Airlines. He also co-anchors ABC 15's Daybreak Sunday newscast at KNXV-TV.

Prior to CommCore, Cary was a news anchor with KPHO-TV in Phoenix, where he won an Emmy in the category of “Anchor of the Year.” There, Cary led an 80-person newsroom and anchored the 5:00, 6:00 and 10:00 PM newscasts. Notably, he has interviewed President George W. Bush on two occasions while covering the national conventions. Utilizing his presentation and facilitation skills, Cary has managed contentious town public meetings and debates on topics such as economic growth, education, and domestic violence.

Cary also was an anchor and reporter for KCAL-TV in Los Angeles, covering the O.J. Simpson trial, the Northridge earthquake and the Malibu fires. Prior to his six years in Los Angeles, Cary was a political reporter at KPNX-TV in Phoenix where he covered high profile stories such as the Los Angeles riots, the Charles Keating trial, and the first-ever impeachment of a sitting governor, Evan Mecham.

Cary has experience in radio and newspaper, serving as a reporter in Phoenix and Omaha. He holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from Creighton University in Omaha.

Carol Preston, Senior Consultant

Carol Preston uses her more than twenty-five years' communications experience to help CommCore clients win in the court of public opinion.

Carol applies techniques learned as a writer, on-air reporter and talk show host to counsel clients how to control and be pro-active in tough interviews, educate audiences and deliver compelling presentations with comfort and ease.

She works with participants to build, practice and deliver memorable messages, which resonate with their key stakeholders.   She has counseled clients in healthcare, government, finance, technology, entertainment, telecommunications and the non-profit arena.
 
In healthcare, Carol has prepared physicians and scientists to address FDA advisory panel meetings on such issues as therapies for osteoporosis, women's health and blood disorders. Carol frequently is called upon as a crisis communications strategist to help clients handle hot-button issues including potentially deadly antibody immunities (PRCA), bio-generics, the continuing international blood plasma therapy shortage, a massive product recall and Good Manufacturing Practices. She has helped healthcare clients prepare for successful interviews with The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal , CNBC and 60 Minutes.
 
In technology and telecommunications, Carol has coached executives to conduct successful investor and analyst briefings and handle the tough Q&A, which inevitably follows the presentation.   She is an orals coach for a major defense contractor, which has won more than $300 million in lucrative government contracts as a result of Carol's presentation skills know-how.   She also has worked with clients on IPOs and product launches.
 
Carol spent most of her journalism career as an on-air news personality at the Mutual Broadcasting and the NBC Radio networks.   The Associated Press (AP) and United Press International (UPI) have honored Carol for her documentary on the Holocaust survivors.   She has lectured on media at George Washington University and has written Congressional testimony and speeches for CEOs.   She remains active with Bread for the City in Washington, DC after serving eight years on its Board of Directors.
 
Carol earned both her Master and Bachelor of Science degrees from Syracuse University.

During her years with CommCore, Mary has trained physicians, attorneys, senior corporate officers, and subject matter experts in a wide variety of disciplines. She has worked with Fortune 500 clients and start-ups, and has prepared clients for media coverage on everything from product launches to sexual harassment allegations. Mary frequently works with presentation teams and has helped clients like Sprint prepare successful government contract presentations. She has designed and implemented crisis training programs and also conducts many of CommCore’s witness training workshops.

Mary received an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Illinois and a law degree from the University of Virginia. She is a member of the Illinois and District of Columbia Bars. Following law school, Mary practiced for several years as a litigation attorney at Gardner, Carton & Douglas in Chicago and Swidler & Berlin in Washington, DC. Mary later served as the Director of Public Affairs for the International Council of Cruise Lines (ICCL), the trade association representing the passenger cruise line industry, where she was primarily responsible for creating and delivering the cruise industry’s messages on a variety of legislative initiatives, legal issues and safety measures. Her public affairs experience at the ICCL included work with Congress, the State Department, the Department of Transportation, the Immigration & Naturalization Service and the Federal Maritime Commission.

Dr. Karen Strauss helps organizations and individuals succeed in communicating their messages clearly and effectively — often in adversarial settings. She specializes in translating technical scientific language into understandable terms for lay audiences. Karen conducts educational seminars to improve participants’ abilities to present information in a variety of settings including public hearings as well as regulatory and legislative hearings. Her clients have included Sprint, Delphi Automotive Systems and Pfizer.

Karen has appeared on national television, narrated educational films, and participated in a wide array of public and media events.

Before her career as a communicator and consultant, Karen worked for Westinghouse Electric Corporation in Strategic Planning, Nuclear Safety and Licensing, and as Project Engineer for two nuclear power stations in Spain.

Karen earned a Masters in environmental health sciences and a Doctorate in public health from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa, with honors in economics, from Sweet Briar College.