Deb Sofield

http://www.debsofield.com

Deb Sofield is an award-winning speaker, presenter and executive speech coach who trains men and women throughout the nation for success in public speaking, presentation skills and message development in the U.S. and abroad. She helps executives and elected officials become skilled public speakers by polishing their natural abilities.

Through intense one-on-one sessions, workshops, and seminars, Sofield helps executives and elected officials become skilled public speakers. A former press secretary and advertising agency owner, Sofield understands what reporters and stakeholders expect from executives and public figures. She prepares her clients for presentations, interviews, and road shows.

A seasoned political strategist, Sofield has advised Members of Congress, Secretaries of State, and numerous other elected officials on campaign strategy and message. Her political roles have ranged from Campaign Manager, Assistant Finance Director and Press Secretary. Working as a Publicist, Sofield has managed print, television, and radio media relations, directed campaign publicity, and implemented crisis management plans. Deb Sofield has an impressive record of winning hard fought campaigns and public policy referendums.

One of Sofield's passions is helping women succeed in today's marketplace. She speaks nationwide on, The Un-Spoken Rules of the Game, 5 Strategies for Successful Women and Public Speaking for the Professional an intensive public speaking/presentation class. Her company WAVE - Women Achieving Victory Every-time is a professional development forum that sponsors seminars and workshops exclusively for women across the nation. Another one of her passions is electing more women to political office. Under the auspices of WAVE she has developed a campaign school that is designed and targeted to women running for political office in the southeast. The intense schedule immerses its students in the critical aspects of campaign strategy and tactics.

Sofield recently won the Order of the Palmetto - the State of South Carolina's highest honor awarded by the Governor. She was chosen as one of Greenville's "Best & Brightest." She was chosen by GSA Business Journal as one of the areas "Most Influential Women in Business," and was awarded the "Order of the Jessamine" for her outstanding leadership and service to her community. She was named "Communicator of the Year" by the Association for Women in Communications. Sofield was named by Greenville Business Magazine as "Best of Greenville - 'Politician.'" She has also been listed as one of the "50 Most Influential People in Greenville." Sofield also won the prestigious Toastmasters District 58 Communication and Leadership Award this award represents the top speaker award for the state of South Carolina. She was also awarded the Strom Thurmond Excellence in Public Service honor for her work with women in politics and was chosen as the 2005 ATHENA AWARD recipient by the Greenville Chamber of Commerce for her work with young people and aspiring politicians. She is a member of the National Speakers Association - America's leading organization for experts who speak professionally nationwide.

Deb Sofield is a visiting professor, teaching public speaking at Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government - Women in Public Policy Program, the Woman's Campaign School at Yale University (where Sofield is President of the Board), the University of South Carolina's School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the Thurmond Institute's Self Civic Fellows program Ethics in Government program at Clemson University. Sofield also works with the International Republican Institute of Washington, DC teaching, Communications Training for Civil Society in Sri Lanka and Indonesia. She recently joined CLIME The Center for Liberty in the Middle East as a mentor and trainer. She is also on the board of the Southeastern Institute for women in Politics - a South Carolina political campaign-training program. Deb recently returned from Bangladesh, she was chosen by the International Republican Institute to be an election observer for the countries first election since government rule seven years ago.

Sofield holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Public Speaking. She is a graduate of Leadership America - one of the longest running national women's leadership programs in the world, Leadership South Carolina, Leadership Greenville and the Woman's Campaign School at Yale University.

Sofield is President of the Board of Directors of the Women's Campaign School at Yale. She also served on the Advisory Committee for Leadership South Carolina - the States oldest leadership development program. Sofield served as a member of the Board of Visitors for Columbia College, one of the oldest women's colleges in the nation, and as a board member for the South Carolina Children's Theater. She also served on the Greenville County Flood Mitigation Task Force and City of Greenville Small Business Committee. And as Chairman of the Greenville County Museum of Art Commission.

Sofield was one of the youngest licensed, women auctioneers in the State of South Carolina.

Sofield owns four companies: WAVE - Women Achieving Victory Everytime a seminar firm; The Original Little Fur Coat Company - a textile company; Salvation Salsa - a food production company; and her Executive Speech and Presentation Coaching firm.
Deb Sofield was a member of Greenville City Council - representing district 1 (served two terms). In her first city council election she overwhelmingly won every precinct and holds one of the highest vote victories in a City election. Recently, Sofield was elected to the Commission of Public Works for the Greenville Water System. Sofield is the first woman to hold this position since its inception in 1918.

In 2004 Deb Sofield was chosen by The American Council of Young Political Leaders as a delegate to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Sofield was one of six rising political figures chosen from across the nation as a delegate for the two-week political study program. In 2006 Sofield was chosen by The American Council of Young Political Leaders as a delegate to the Asia-Pacific Summit held in Tokyo, Japan. In 2007 she joined ACYPL on a trip to Mexico to view and better understand the US Mexico boarder crossing issue. Recently, Sofield served as a host for a young political leaders delegation tour of Israel and the Palestinian states.