AWPA 2016 Annual Meeting

 

Glen Bolger, Partner and Co-founder, Public Opinion Strategies

Glen Bolger is one of the Republican Party's leading political strategists and pollsters. He is a partner and co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies, a national political and public affairs survey research firm whose clients include leading political figures, Fortune 500 companies, and major associations. Public Opinion Strategies has 17 U.S. Senators, eight governors, and more than 40 Members of Congress as clients. Roll Call newspaper, a newspaper that covers Capitol Hill, noted Glen “has quickly emerged as the pollster of choice for House and Senate Republicans.” In 2009, Glen served as pollster to Bob McDonnell’s come-from-behind Gubernatorial win in Virginia. For his work on that campaign, Glen was named the “Pollster of the Year” by the American Association of Political Consultants. During 2008, Glen handled polling for three winning Senators, including the special election of Roger Wicker of Mississippi and freshman Senator Mike Johanns. Overall, Glen polls for nine U.S. Senators, five Governors, and thirty Members of Congress.

Shira Harrington, Founder and President, Purposeful Hire, Inc.

Since 1994 Shira Harrington has been helping employers and their staff make purposeful connections with one another. With successful practices in generational diversity, recruiting, and career coaching, Shira is keen on finding the “higher purpose” in every hire. As a keynote presenter on managing the multigenerational workforce, she brings her extensive research and her unique, ‘real world’ perspective of the world at work to bridge the perceived gaps between the generations and prepare executives for the coming labor shortage. Differences in work ethic, life values, work-life expectations, teamwork, communication styles and relationship to authority are just some of the challenges facing employees of each generation.  Shira plays an active role in the Washington, DC metropolitan human resources community. She is Past President of the Human Resources Leadership Forum; she was the Vice President of Programs for the DC chapter of SHRM; and she runs a vibrant online community for HR professionals in the DC area.  Shira earned a Masters degree in Public Relations with a focus on employee communications from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Ronald “Steve” Murphy, Market Intelligence Manager with Gerdau

In his position Steve supports customers, sales and senior management with market knowledge and global economic information on long steel products. You may know Steve as the producer of the “Gerdau Weekly Market Update”, a weekly newsletter published by Gerdau.  In addition to econometric analysis, Steve also develops long products market-size forecasts using various mathematic modelling techniques.  From 1991 through 2007, Steve held various positions in quality control, operations and sales at Chaparral Steel in Midlothian, TX.  Prior to that, Steve worked at Lake Ontario Steel in Whitby, Ontario, and at Algoma Steel in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Steve’s 37 year career in the steel business started in 1978 after graduating from Cambrian Arts of Applied Technology in Sudbury, Ontario with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering Technology.  Steve earned his MBA from the University of Texas in 1996.