Lorraine Howell started Media Skills Training in 1998 after 12 years as a television news and talk show producer in the San Francisco Bay Area. She coaches top executives and professionals on how to be more effective when speaking to the media or making public presentations. Lorraine is a specialist in message development, presentation skills, media interview skills, and crisis communications. In October, 2008 she returned for the second year to coach the five finalists in the Forbes.com national Boost Your Business Contest in New York City.

Her book Give Your Elevator Speech a Lift! (Book Publishers Network, June 2006) is a step-by-step guide through her proven process for creating a winning elevator speech. Lorraine’s method helps eliminate the verbal clutter when answering the question “What do you do?”

As the Senior Segment Producer on the top rated news show “Mornings on 2″ at KTVU, the Fox affiliate in Oakland, she specialized in booking exclusive, live interviews with top names in the news, public figures and celebrities. She produced live broadcasts from the White House and from the Capitol in Washington, D.C., from the 1996 Republican & Democratic National Conventions, and from “Camp O.J.” during the Simpson murder trial in Los Angeles.

At KPIX, the CBS affiliate, she produced live, hour long programs featuring breaking news stories, controversial issues and emerging trends, and a long list of celebrities on the number one morning talk show “People Are Talking.”

She speaks on media relations and presentation skills at conferences and seminars. Her clients include Starbucks Coffee Company, Microsoft WIO & EIO, REI, Group Health Cooperative, Children’s Hospital & Regional Medical Center, The Mountaineers Books, Vulcan, Inc., ZymoGenetics, Arcadia Biosciences, Attenex, Avvo, Kibble & Prentice, People To People Ambassador Programs, Her Interactive, Inc., digeo, NPower, Oasis Productions, Foundation for Russian American Economic Cooperation, Edelman Public Relations Worldwide, Vander Houwen Public Relations, Hosfeld and Associates, U.S. Small Business Administration, University of Washington EMBA Program.

She is a Cum Laude graduate from the University of Washington, Phi Beta Kappa. Lorraine is also a member of Women in Communications, Women Business Owners, eWomen Network, Public Relations Society of America, the National Speakers Association, and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce.