Professional Development

- CCA Institute

Writing Workshop and General Session 1Trained as a physicist, Michael Long is an award-winning author, speechwriter, screenwriter, and playwright.He is co-author of The Molecule of More, a Top-Ten Bestseller at Amazon and Audible, translated into over twenty languages. As a playwright he is a two-time winner of the Neil LaBute New Theater Festival. He has also been a grand-prize finalist in screenwriting at the Slamdance Film Festival.

A popular speaker, Mr. Long has addressed audiences around the world on writing and on the practical science of creativity, including in a keynote at Oxford University. He teaches writing at Georgetown University.

For more, visit MikeLongOnline.com.

Molly McPherson, M.S., APR, is a nationally recognized expert in crisis public relations in the age of social media. She is the author of the book, Indestructible: Reclaim Control and Respond with Confidence in a Media Crisis and is a well-known Pop Culture & PR expert on TikTok. Molly helps organizations manage issues – from emerging to crisis – by combining her knowledge of current communication practices with years of media and crisis management experience.

In addition to hosting the podcast “The Indestructible PR Podcast with Molly McPherson,” she frequently speaks to executives and organizations about communication trends, crisis communications, and public relations. Through her experience in FEMA’s Office of External Affairs during post-Hurricane Katrina efforts, and as Director of Communications for the Cruise Line International Association in Arlington, Virginia, Molly created a proven public relations framework for responding to a public backlash both online and in the press.

Follow Molly on her YouTube channel, @mollymcpherson on Twitter, @molly.mcpherson on Instagram, and @mollybmcpherson on TikTok.

Dori Lichty, Beaver Dam, Wis., knew early on she was going to be a full-time communicator. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, River Falls, Wis., with a bachelor’s in agricultural marketing communication and went to work for the newspaper industry, followed by cheese marketing. In 2007, she started in agricultural cooperative communication and continued on that path. Today, Dori Lichty is the communication specialist with CentralStar Cooperative, Waupun, Wis., specializing in internal communication, recruiting, merger/acquisition communication, video production, and social media for the multi-state genetics and milk-testing cooperative. Dori has won several Cooperative Communicators Association (CCA) awards for her leadership and work projects, has participated in round-table discussions with CCA, and currently sits on the CCA Board of Directors. She is married to her husband, Steve, and they dairy farm with their two children. Dori enjoys opportunities for professional development; reading low-stress, happy-ending stories; second-handstore shopping; making crafts; and showing Holstein and Jersey cattle with her family. She is also an active member of the Dodge County Dairy Youth Advisory Committee.

Karen Jones is the youth and young producer specialist for GROWMARK, Inc., a regional cooperative providing agriculture-related products and services and grain marketing primarily in the Midwest and in Ontario, Canada. She develops, manages, and administers GROWMARK’s involvement in youth programs and serves as GROWMARK’s representative at events involving young people’s activities. She also manages the GROWMARK Foundation.

Karen joined GROWMARK in 2004, after receiving a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Communications from the University of Illinois. Her professional experience includes employment in GROWMARK’s agronomy division, marketing services department, and corporate communications.

Raised on a grain farm in central Illinois, Karen was a 10-year 4-H member and active in FFA, earning her American FFA Degree in 2001. She remains active with her hometown FFA alumni chapter, as well as serves on the board for the Woodford County CEO Program, is leader of the Roanoke Happy Hustlers 4-H Club, and serves on her county 4-H Foundation board. She also volunteers at her church and her daughter’s school.

Karen and her husband, Christopher, farm in cooperation with Karen’s family. They have a nine-year-old daughter.

Chellie Phillips is a sweet-tea-sipping, sassy Southerner with a passion for helping dynamic, career-minded professionals write their own success stories. She’s a coach, corporate trainer, and speaker, as well as the author of three award-winning books: When In Doubt, Delete It!, Get Noticed, Get Hired and Culture Secrets. For over 25 years, she has used her first-rate public relations and communication skills to strategically share the cooperative message. She’s been instrumental in creating a company culture that encourages employee support, growth, and community. Chellie is on a mission to help others create and find meaning and value in the workplace.

Maura is the Senior Leadership Communications Manager for NRECA, where she provides communication support for NRECA’s board of directors and members, and special projects.

Currently at NRECA, Maura leads the Young Adult Member Engagement initiative, which helps co­ ops develop a workforce that can adapt to changes and meet contemporary expectations.

Before joining NRECA, Maura served as Cooperative Relations Manager for an electric co-op in Indiana, spokesperson for the Indianapolis Zoo, Internal Communications Manager for a hospital system, and managing editor of a daily newspaper.

She holds bachelor’s degrees in communications and English, and an MBA.

Since founding VanDenBerg Web + Creative in 1999, Rebecca VanDenBerg has helped hundreds of businesses look great online. With over twenty-three years’ experience, she combines web development expertise with design savvy to build websites that capture attention and convert to sales.Rebecca credits her “just figure it out” farm upbringing for her strong work ethic and resourcefulness. Whether designing sites for farmers, bakers, contractors, or veterinarians, Rebecca finds creative solutions for their online marketing needs. She brings clarity, organization, and results to each website project, freeing business owners to do what they do best: run their businesses.

Brianna serves as manager of marketing and member relations at Oklahoma Electric Cooperative, where she has worked since 2006. Her team manages the production of all co-op print and digital communications — internal and external — social media engagement, advertising, campaign development, communications strategy, key accounts, energy efficiency programming, youth and leadership programming and more. Her prior work as OEC’s editor and creative director earned dozens of state and national awards, and she has presented on a variety of communications topics in an effort to share successes and challenges her co-op has faced. She has served on the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association’s Council of Rural Electric Communicators since 2018 and helps coordinate the annual Spotlight on Excellence awards program. She and her husband, Corey, with their son, Bryson, live in Moore, Oklahoma, where she actively supports community development through her volunteer and civic work.