Updated: 11.28.07
Read about our 2007-2008 Mentor Lunch Series below. Student comments on their Mentor Lunch experience are in blue.
Featuring Steve Pool, class of 1977
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Steve Pool is an award winning weathercaster for KOMO TV.
I am so grateful to Mr. Pool for the time he took to come and speak to us during the luncheon. It was a very rewarding experience. Mr. Pool talked to us about his career experiences, offered thorough answers to all our questions, and stressed the importance of persistence in the broadcasting career. Mr. Pool was so relaxed that the atmosphere in the luncheon was very laid back and allowed for a comfortable environment. I am very glad that I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Pool.
Clara Arriola
This opportunity was terrific. Meeting Steve Pool was a wonderful opportunity to gain a first hand experience of what he went through as a student like ourselves. I was very astonished on how his strong motivations as a student led him to his career that he finds very passionate towards. He was very informative and willing to share many of his routes that he took as a student. He was a very laid back and relaxed, and he made us all feel comfortable and wanted us to realize that success comes with passion.
Helen Kim
Steve Pool gave an insightful view on what it takes to achieve in the business world. It was great to have a UW alum come back and inspire myself and other classmates. I have been very impressed with his charity work and hope to give back to the community as much as he does.
Zack Midles
I really enjoyed the lunch. Mr. Pool was able to answer nearly all of my questions before I asked them. I appreciated his speaking on the qualities that one should have when you're trying to get into broadcasting. It echoes what my stepdad is always telling me, "You have to show you're 'hungrier' than the next guy." Thanks for the opportunity,
Daniel Tyler
Featuring John Dresel, class of 1982
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
John Dresel is the owner of Nailgun Content Solutions, an e-commerce service provider specializing in on-line merchandising and product descriptions for several of the largest on-line retailers, service providers and referral sites. Their largest client is Amazon -- Nailgun Solutions created 150,000+ product descriptions for their web-site. They also create product description for hundreds of hotels located around the globe and also college descriptions and course descriptions for large college referral sites.
Dresel is a rising star in Seattle's business world, with expertise in e-commerce, marketing, sports marketing, and business. Before starting his own e-business he was president of Tully's Coffee and worked as a sports executive.
Lunch with John was very insightful regarding the many challenges and successes one will face in the business world. There are not many former executives willing to discuss the many tough career decisions, as John did. I thank him for his incredible insight and wish him much success for the future.
Brad Holly
The lunch was very inspiring and Mr. Dresel's message was great about choosing the right path in life. I had a great time.
Inderjit Singh
It was great to meet Mr. Dresel. Hearing that he had some of the same complications that I'm going through now and then seeing how successful he has become really gave me hope. "Which ever path you choose is the right one."
Aaron Graham
This was my first mentor lunch that I attended, when I first planned on attending the luncheon I was quite nervous and envisioned that Mr. Dresel would be someone that wasn't approachable because of his status as a past CEO of Tully's. But, at the luncheon I was pleasantly surprised when Mr. Dresel talked with us in a down to earth language that everyone could understand and made us feel comfortable associating with him. I really enjoyed hearing about Mr. Dresel's past and how he became who he is today. For me it wasn't only inspirational it gave me more insight to what I want to do. Thanks again,
Jon Tomono
Featuring James Cornell, class of 2001
Thursday, October 18, 2007
James Cornell works in sales and marketing for Office Max, western division. As a student at the UW, he worked for KOMO Radio 1000 and worked at Fox Sports Net Northwest, an affiliate station of Fox Sports Net, after graduation. Cornell is a dedicated Husky and has a lot of great advice for students ready to go out on the job market.
I really liked having the opportunity to talk with someone that has been in my shoes. It's comforting to know that whatever degree I will graduate with, there are always many more options. I also realized the large importance of networking. It helps having a little one on one guidance.
Morgan Sullivan
James Cornell's advice is very valuable. I find it admirable that he was so passionate about letting us in on his experiences and thoughts. I appreciated every minute of his time with us.
Deeckla Eretz-Kedosha
James was terrific. He renewed in me a sense of excitement and anticipation about going out into the working world. It sounds like he's really found his niche and completely enjoys what he's doing. One of the key points I took away from the talk was the understanding that networking is extremely important.
Roya Zahed
Thank you so much for the opportunity to have a mentor lunch with Mr. James Cornell. It was an inspiring meeting getting to talk with someone who is a recent graduate of the same program we are in. He had so much good advice about finding your own way in the work world and experiencing life. I learned a lot about different communication and business avenues and that you don't have to do something you don't want to do, you can love your job and be successful in the ways you want. He told us never to do something just because it is what other people think you should do. It was a great opportunity and so many of my questions were answers and nerves were calmed regarding graduating and finding a good job. It was such an amazing experience to meet with him. I really appreciated his time. Thanks again,
Kristen Johansson
Featuring: Jeff Pinneo, class of 1980
Friday, October 5, 2007
Jeff Pinneo was appointed president and CEO of Horizon Air in January 2002. He has nearly 30 years of aviation experience, 25 of them with Horizon Air and Alaska Airlines.
Pinneo served as vice president, Customer Services, at Horizon beginning in 1990. In that role, he oversaw Horizon's largest division, which included station operations, inflight services, security, and food and beverage service. At Horizon Air, Pinneo leads a team of more than 4000 employees.
Prior to joining Horizon, Pinneo served in Alaska Airlines' marketing department as director of advertising. He also was responsible for the original implementation of frequent flyer program.
Pinneo held various roles in airline sales and tour/charter marketing. He began his airline career in 1977 as a flight attendant for Continental Airlines while completing his undergraduate degree.
Pinneo served as Chairman for the Regional Airline Association in 2006. He is currently serving Washington State University Business School National Board of Advisors, Northwest Medical Team Puget Sound Leadership.
I was very grateful for the opportunity to meet Mr. Pinneo because of his success in an industry that I am interested in pursuing. Mr. Pinneo shared his experiences with us and provided us all with valuable insight and support. The information and advice that Mr. Pinneo gave us was very inspirational and relevant to our future careers. This was one of the best mentor and networking experience I have had as a student here at the UW. Thank you very much to communication department and Mr. Pinneo.
Michael Sela
The lunch with Jeff Pinneo was truly an inspiring opportunity. He is a remarkable man who taught us to be grateful for every step we take in our lives. Thanks!
Deeckla Eretz-Kedosha
Thank you for the opportunity to attend the mentor lunch. Mr.Pinneo was a great choice for this program. He had many useful ideas, comments and insights for us that I think will prove to be useful now and in the future. Also, he was a really nice person to have lunch with. Just two of the many points that stuck with me, (slightly out of context here) 'treat people as if they were your parent's friends' and 'every one-on-one interaction is an opportunity to make an impression on many people'
Annalisa Giust
I though lunch was a very informative session. For instance, Mr. Pinneo is a walking example of success through the Communication program here at UW. He also gave me some personal advice on MBA programs and career. Besides schooling, Jeff informed us how important communication and networking is in the business world. I was very happy to have lunch with Jeff and the results of our conversation. I look forward to more lunches with other executives in the future. Thank you,
Brad Holly
It was great to hear from both Jeff Pinneo and Jerry Baldasty about the value of treating people in a business scenario how you would like to be treated. I never really thought about each interaction being an interview and I feel like that's a very important philosophy to have. I feel like this is a very positive way to treat people in your everyday interaction. The overall experience was both very informative, but also a nice way to put a human face to a success story. I feel that the entire meeting had a very positive effect on how I view the value of hard work as well.
Rachel Eden
Featuring Mike Seely, class of 1996
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
A native Seattleite, Mike Seely is managing editor at Seattle Weekly. He got his start in journalism a couple years after graduation writing back-page satire pieces for the Weekly, under the tutelage of now editor-in-chief Mark D. Fefer, and soon evolved to writing features. After interspersing manifold freelance writing obligations with public affairs and political stints for the likes of Maria Cantwell, Seely fled Seattle in 2002 to accept a staff writer's position at the alt-weekly Riverfront Times in St. Louis, Missouri. In his three-and-a-half years there, he won multiple national awards as a general assignment reporter, including three first prizes in the National Association of Black Journalists' Salute to Excellence competition. He returned to Seattle as a staff writer at the Weekly in March 2006, and was promoted to managing editor in August of that year. He still writes more than he should, mainly about really unhealthy food and sports as the paper's Bottomfeeder columnist and Buzzer Beater blog administrator. He and his domestic partner, Cary, have no children, two cats, one car (an'85 Volvo, this being Seattle) and one cellphone. Seely refuses to learn how to text message, and considers Blackberries and iPods to be the devil's handiwork.
Thank you, Mile Seely, for taking the time from your busy day to share your views on good writing as a business and a career. I found the information to both interesting and useful. We had a variety of questions that you answered thoughtfully.
Mike Baker
I liked that Mike Seely was in print and he was really open and down to earth. It was a good connection to make. I learned a lot about the weeklies in Seattle and freelance work, and I was able to get another resume out there. Overall, it was a great experience.
Celeste Flint
I came in late and was afraid that he would be offended but he was very laid back and warm about my tardiness which was a plus for me because it put me at ease. He answered a ton of valuable questions about freelance journalism and how to protect your self as a freelancer. He was intelligent and personable and that is one of the things that helped to cultivate an environment where none of the students were afraid to ask "dumb" questions because the pressure that normally exists in these settings wasn't present.
Choclit' Handley
Featuring Lisa Hughes, class of 1990
Friday, September 28. 2007
Emmy Award-winning journalist Lisa Hughes is news anchor for CBS4 News.
Hughes joined the station in June 2000 after working as a correspondent for
CBS Newspath, the CBS-TV Station Group's satellite news service
Prior to joining CBS4 Hughes traveled the world for CBS Newspath, reporting stories for CBS4 including extensive coverage of Washington, DC and Capitol Hill, as well as the Pope's visit to Israel in 2000.
Before joining CBS, Hughes worked as a reporter and weekend anchor at KIRO-TV in Seattle, Washington beginning in 1995. She was a main anchor and reporter for KBCI-TV in Boise, Idaho from 1992-1994, and was an anchor and reporter for KCBY-TV in Coos Bay, Oregon from 1991-1992.
Among her many honors for her work in journalism, Lisa was an Emmy Award nominee in 2000 for news anchoring and received an Emmy Award for Hard News Story in 1996. In her first year with CBS4, Hughes was named Best Newcomer in TV News by Boston Magazine and Best News Anchor by the Improper Bostonian. Hughes was honored by the Idaho Press Club for Best Live Shot in 1994, and Best Live Shot and Best Series in 1993. The Idaho State Broadcasters Association also recognized Hughes for Best News Story in 1993-1994.
It was neat to meet such an accomplished anchor and to have the opportunity to discuss the future of news media. Although my interest is in print media, meeting her gave me a clearer picture of how print and broadcast media interact.
Celeste Flint
First of all, she's just as well rounded as she is gorgeous. The mentor lunch gave me not only the opportunity to ask my own questions but to hear the questions of my peers that I may not have thought about on my own, but nevertheless needed answers for. The experience was elegant and beneficial.
Choclit' Angel Handley
While I'm not as interested in broadcast journalism as some of the other students, I really enjoyed meeting Lisa Hughes. The opportunity was not only a great chance to learn how to get into that particular profession, but how to make contacts in all types of fields. The University seems to really be making an effort to provide opportunities to students in the professional world.
Chrissy Heckeroth
The mentor lunch was a great experience to receive first hand knowledge from not only a UW graduate, but also an Emmy-Award winning broadcaster. Ms. Hughes was immensely helpful in guiding students with a plan in which to fulfill their goals within the broadcasting industry. Her stories of reporting and interviewing inspired me to follow my own goals of working in broadcasting. I am very fortunate to have attended this mentor lunch, Ms. Hughes' advice will stay with me throughout the rest of my career.
Anna Petrocco
Sitting down with Lisa Hughes made me excited about all the opportunities available after I graduate. Her passion encourages me to pursue my work in journalism. The advice she gave was so very helpful and reemphasized the importance of education. It was truly an inspiring experience that will have a profound effect upon my chosen career path. Her professional skills not only could help a future anchor women, but anyone interested in success!
Julia Rice
The mentor lunch with Lisa Hughes provided wonderful insight into the world of broadcast journalism. Lisa was very easy to talk to and gave us a lot of valuable information. Because UW no longer has a broadcasting focus within the journalism major, I think it is important for those students who are interested in pursuing broadcast journalism to be able to network with local reporters and anchors, and to hear from experienced professionals like Lisa. Thank you!
Amara Russell
Alumni and Development Manager
206-543-2717
UWAA
Husky Sports
Columns
Magazine
University
Book Store
UW Home Page