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"As one of the [State Department's] Ambassador Seminar participants
last week, I had initially felt there wouldn't be much use in my attending
the media section. After all, for eight years I'd earned my living as
a television journalist. You made that a misconception, indeed." Carl
Stokes, the late U.S. ambassador, Cleveland mayor and WNBC-TV (New York)
news anchor |
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| Group leaders appraise the seminar | |
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"Your presentation, Write Like the News: Pump Up Your College
Entrance Essay, was lively, effective, engaging, and certainly relevant
to the Dunbar seniors writing college entrance essays. Combining traditional
writing skills with journalism skills is an idea whose time has come.
I commend you on the active style of instruction which transformed formerly
sleepy, inactive Saturday morning children into an animated, engaged
audience." Cynthia M. Jones, Advisor, National Honor Society, Dunbar
Senior High School, Washington |
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"Enduringly
positive feedback on your programs for our reporting and editing staff
. . . Some aspects of our sports packaging have been 'fixed' and others
are being looked at." Taylor Buckley, Senior Editor, USA
Today |
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"Your presentation
entitled 'Brief Briefs' before the membership of the Vermont Bar Association
during its annual meeting was excellent.
Your use of current news articles with outstanding examples added to
the professionalism you personified before the group." Charles J.
Ochmanski, Executive Director, Vermont
Bar Association,
Montpelier |
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"Hank's unique blend of intellect and humor made what would have
been a dull subject very informative and entertaining." Lou Nordstrom,
Management Information Systems Education Administrator, USAir
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"Your use
of live television broadcasts and newspaper articles brings a refreshing
approach to learning effective writing skills. The
unique way you emphasize the importance of leading with the future and
focusing on key elements of writing is very relevant to our work." Viola
M. Forrester, Manager, Staff Development,
National Academy
of Sciences |
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"'Lead with the future', your philosophy of placing the most
important point up front in a written document and leaving history and
background until later, was new to us and excited lively discussion both
during and long after the seminar. . . Everybody was happy and enthusiastic
about the seminar. As the elected spokesperson for the more than 20 people
who attended the seminar I had the advantage of hearing everyone's opinion
regarding the seminar. No negative comments were expressed. Each day
we wondered how eight hours could pass so quickly without making us tired.
You gave us in three days what would normally be four or five days' worth
of information and still we wanted more! . . . I was impressed by how
quickly you conveyed to us so many subtle points about English and about
how journalism style and legal reasoning apply to writing in the Accounting
Department of the World Bank." Jorgen Halberg, Senior Management
Systems Officer, World Bank |
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"The impact of your presentation was clearly evidenced in the
'before' and 'after' speeches that participants made. The improvement
was remarkable, and made all the more dramatic by having the speeches
captured on video-tape." Laurette Bennhold-Samaan, Training Administrator,
Peace Corps |
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"Your seminar, 'Speak Like the News,' for the spouses of our senior
diplomats, received rave reviews . . . straight '5's', the top mark . .
. As the spouse of a former American ambassador, I just wish I had attended
one of your courses earlier." Bonnie Anderson, Deputy Director,
Overseas Briefing Center, U.S. State Department
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"The Bureau of European and Canadian Affairs held a Budget and Management
Workshop in Paris . . . which was highlighted by a full-day seminar, for
75 budget officials from 30 American Embassies, conducted by Hank Wallace
. . . Through his innovative use of a live Voice of America newscast, timed
perfectly for us to tune in to the newscaster's leadoff story, Hank illustrated
how effective it can be to 'lead with the future' . . . A master speaker
who instantly puts his audience at ease while commanding their full attention,
Mr. Wallace sprinkles his presentation with wit, humor and variation. Who
could have guessed that our day with Hank would include illustrative sentences
from that very day's International Herald Tribune, and that we too would
learn how to prepare ourselves for public speaking." Albert W. Jarek,
Supervisory Budget & Management Officer, European and Canadian Affairs,
U.S. State Department |
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"We found
your workshop fast-paced, informative, concise and very enjoyable.
In addition to informing and convincing our readers from the
start, our letters and memos are definitely shorter and to the point.
Congratulations on successfully capturing and holding the attention
of a group of demanding
marketing managers." Eric A. Button, Marketing Manager, Oncology
Diagnostics, Hybritech, San Diego |
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"An audience
of 125 professional trainers can create formidable problems for even
the most experienced speaker. We are known as a 'tough'
audience. Their response was uniformly enthusiastic . . . Your fresh
journalistic approach to writing and speaking was both informative
and entertaining,
and was aimed precisely at the experience and intellectual level of the
audience. Your pacing of the presentation, your humor, the spontaneous
dialog and the opportunity for many audience questions made for an effective,
efficient and useful program. You provided the audience with exactly
what it wanted and moreover, you provided exactly what you said you
would provide." Art
Casabianca, Program Chair, Training Officers Conference, Washington |
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Each group leader's title at time of review |
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