LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE:
Professional Women in the Collections Industry invites all registered CRS attendees to a special presentation.
Executive Relationship Building and Strategic Partnerships
Laurie Firestone - Former White House Social Secretary
In her presentation, Laurie Firestone will discuss how the President of the United States, during her term at the White House, valued the importance of building strong partnerships with world leaders. Getting to know leaders over a meal was the first step to building world class and long-lasting partnerships.
From Heads of State to CEO’s to Non-Profit Organizations, Laurie has designed and implemented entertaining strategies to achieve specific goals. A State dinner at the White House is a magical event, and invitations are exclusive and coveted. In Laurie’s presentation, you will go “behind the scenes in Washington” and learn about the preparation, tradition, politics, and protocol of an official state dinner.
Drawing from her recently published book, “An Affair to Remember: State Dinners for Home Entertaining,” Mrs. Firestone will share anecdotes, photos, and menus of state dinners that she helped plan for visitors such as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II of England and President Gorbachev of the former Soviet Union. In addition, she will discuss business entertaining etiquette and the value of understanding these protocols.
Invitation Only – Limited spaces available. Registration required.
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Sponsored by the Professional Women in the Collections Industry
BIOGRAPHY: A California native, Laurie G. Firestone, has followed a high profile career in politics and fundraising. In 1980, Vice President George H. W. Bush and his wife, Barbara Bush, selected Laurie Firestone to take on the role of Social Secretary for the Vice President’s Office. Later, in 1988, Laurie was named White House Social Secretary by the President and Barbara Bush. Her duties included planning and executing state dinners, luncheons, and receptions for the President and First Lady. President Bush also appointed Laurie to represent the US and lead a Delegation to Mauritius.
In 1993, Laurie co-founded the event planning firm Firestone & Korth, Ltd. The company built an impressive list of corporate and bipartisan political clients. In addition, the firm managed special events for the first President Bush, President Ford, and Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
In 1997 Laurie assumed the position of Director of Development for the Office of Regional Programs and Special Projects, University of Southern California Advancement, in Orange County and San Diego. Her focus was using special events to further the school’s fundraising efforts in Orange County.
Starting during her time with the Bush administration, Laurie has made numerous public appearances including the role of protocol analyst on CNN, color commentator for C-SPAN Television Network’s coverage of a White House State Dinner, and discussing White House entertaining on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” For the film The American President, Castlerock Entertainment asked Laurie Firestone to be their White House consultant.
Laurie is also a frequent public speaker at various organizations across the country including: Presidential Libraries, Fortune 500 corporate events, and various social organizations. Laurie was a recipient of the 2009 Hubble Award of Initiative during this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield, MS.
Mrs. Firestone is a Board Member of the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities, the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library Foundation, and the Isabel O’Neil Foundation in New York. She has been closely associated with several other civic and charitable organizations over the past two decades. She is the mother of four and grandmother of ten.
