UW speakers reach out to community

Brian Richards will be the first to admit that his project is a work in progress. But oh what progress he’s already made.

Richards, hired in January 1999 to reinvigorate the UW Speakers Bureau, has taken something that worked and improved it. He’s been instrumental in organizing and expanding the program that delivered about 30 UW experts - up from less than 10 the previous year - to speaking engagements throughout the Puget Sound region in 1999. Richards and the speakers in the program are on pace to more than double that figure in 2000.

Michael Reagan’s lecture about his artwork was arranged by the UW Speaker’s Bureau.

“We’re still in our infancy,” said Richards, who also serves as coordinator of the UW Visitors Center. “We’re already starting to grow, but we can grow so much more. I think it will only get bigger and better.”

The UW Speakers Bureau is a collection of about 200 faculty and staff who are willing to share their varied expertise with community groups. Civic groups call, fax and e-mail their requests to Richards. He then identifies an appropriate speaker. Final arrangements are made between the speaker and the organization.

According to at least one satisfied customer, the program is a huge success.

“They are very responsive and they work very hard to find a speaker for you,” said Nola Freeman, the activity coordinator at the Pike Market Senior Center. “They’ve got a wide variety of speakers and they’re very friendly. I really like working with Brian and the speakers.”

Freeman recently booked Mike Reagan, the director of Trademarks and Licensing, and Eugene Vance, a professor of French and Italian studies.

“It was a month ago that Eugene was here and they’re still talking about his presentation and the things they learned,” Freeman said about her clients.

She said the seniors were equally impressed with Reagan.

“People were coming to me all day and thanking me for bringing him in,” Freeman said, the day after Reagan gave a motivational speech based on his career as an artist.

Richards said the speakers are under no obligation.

“It’s based on their availability. I’m not an agent. I’m not going to book their time. They always have the option of saying no.”

But many of the speakers, like Reagan, just enjoy meeting with groups. Reagan, who one year spoke to 16 different groups, has been delivering variations of the same motivational speech since 1979. He said it’s important for him to let people know that he and the UW care about people in the community.

“The whole theme is to keep your dream alive,” he said. “Down at the senior center, I ran into a couple of people who love art. I’m going to put together a package of art supplies for them and give them my phone number so they can reach me if they need to. It’s something that keeps their minds going. It keeps that energy going and it lets them know that somebody from the University cares. That’s why I speak to these people. They’re important people who seem to get forgotten a lot of the time.”

Reagan said he too benefits from the speaking engagements.

“I’ve probably done 170 of these talks and I’ve never done one and not met someone who touched my heart.”

Richards said the program benefits the University, the speakers and, perhaps most importantly, the various community groups who use the service.

“Sometimes it’s difficult to show how we’re benefiting the public. Through the speakers bureau we can go out and say, ‘Here’s what we are doing for you taxpayers,’ ” Richards said.

Richards said the speaking engagements range from Lions Club and Rotary meetings to elementary schools. Faculty and staff reasons for participating in the program are varied as well.

“Some professors enjoy getting the exposure. There’s a multitude of reasons people are doing research and they want the public to understand that. Some are speaking because it helps them get funding. Others speak because it gets them out of the academic environment and forces them to clarify their thoughts for a different kind of audience.”

Richards said he will recruit new speakers with two mass e-mails this year, just as he did a year ago. He also has plans to encourage area school districts to use the UW Speakers Bureau. ¶

Steve Hill

Editor’s Note: To request a speaker, go to the on-line request form at: http://depts.washington.edu/visitors/UWSpeakers.html