Al Guyant is an award-winning trainer, speaker, author, facilitator, meeting moderator, media coach, and consumer affairs professional.  He is a partner with Capital Communicators Group of Madison, Wisconsin, a training and consulting firm specializing in human communications and services.  He is co-author of Manager's Tough Questions Answer Book and Beat The Press. 

Al has prepared line staff and CEOs for ‘60 Minutes’, ‘Dateline’, and other tough-question formats.  Al has handled more than 20,000 news media contacts and consumer complaints in his career.

He has lectured for the UW-Madison, Michigan State Uni., Kansas Univ. and Texas A&M.  Al Guyant has trained thousands of people from government agencies and private industry for thinking on your feet, handling difficult people, public speaking, meeting management, quality improvement, writing skills, consumer negotiation and collaboration, and how to create successful news media relations.  The attendees included company presidents, division managers, line staff, clerical assistants, politicians, and many others. 

Al has founded state and national organizations and consumer networks to improve customer service and program funding.  He has organized large state and national consumer conferences and is often a featured speaker.  He has more than 17 years experience in consumer affairs and public information with the Wis. Public Service Commission and other government agencies.  Al has ten years experience as a newspaper reporter or editor with The Milwaukee Journal, Janesville Gazette and other news media.

Al has appeared before the U.S. Senate, Wis. State Senate, Wis. State Assembly, Missouri Legislature, Pennsylvania Legislature, Alaska Public Utilities Commission, and Colorado Public Service Commission.  He has also advised state and federal agencies on consumer programs and policies.  He has been a consultant to political campaigns and holds a BS degree in Criminal Justice from the UW at Milwaukee.

Marni Bekkedal is a Ph.D. neuroscientist with expertise in brain chemistry and the processing of emotions.   Dr. Bekkedal has taught numerous college courses about the brain, and mentored many children and young adults with workshops in brain and behavior, and the neurological effects of licit and illicit drugs. 

Her courses emphasize the importance of the brain in emotions, stress management, and controlling our behaviors.  Dr. Bekkedal has taught at colleges for more than six years, and students across three states have appreciated her ability to make complex neuroscience easy to understand and applicable to daily life.  

By providing participants with a strong understanding for how the brain influences emotions and behaviors, her courses and workshops motivate participants to take charge of their lives and be good leaders for those around them.   Dr. Bekkedal also has a passion for enriching the development of strong, healthy brains in children. She spent five years as the deputy director of a neurobehavioral toxicology laboratory, studying the effects of toxic compounds on the brain and early brain development.  

She has provided brain development workshops for parents and for professional child caregivers, and serves on the Board of Directors for Community Coordinated Child Care.  In her current position, Dr. Bekkedal uses her scientific and neurotoxicology expertise to guide research of the health consequences of exposure to contaminants in our environment.