Social media panel first in 2011-12 series

(THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. - Aug. 17, 2011) Three social media experts who have used Facebook, Twitter and other platforms to successfully promote large and small businesses will speak at the first event in the California Lutheran University 2011-2012 Corporate Leaders Breakfast Series.

The breakfast and panel discussion will be held from 7:30 to 9:15 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley.

The panelists will be CKE Restaurants Public Relations Director Beth Mansfield, Socialmash Media Founder Shawn Mulchay and AskPatty.com CEO Jody DeVere. Jim Rondeau, director of operations and programming for KCLU, will moderate.

Mansfield joined CKE Restaurants Inc., the $1.3 billion parent company of popular fast-food brands Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, in 2007. Her many duties include managing media relations, corporate messaging and issues management. She helped launch the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, YouTube channels and Flickr sites, watching them grow from a handful of fans and followers to more than 2 million across all platforms. Her latest foray into social media is Google+.

Convinced that traditional marketing was costly and ineffective, Mulchay founded Socialmash Media to help small and mid-sized businesses ranging from national automotive parts distributors to the local Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf to develop their brands through online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. He also took on projects for the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce. Mulchay oversaw the acquisition of his company by a private technology consultancy group in February.

DeVere runs AskPatty.com Inc., a Thousand Oaks-based website, blog and marketing agency that provides automotive education to women and training and support to automotive retailers. DeVere works with Rain-X, Shell Oil and Mobil1 Motor as a spokesperson for car care and safety, is the CEO of the Women's Automotive Association International and serves on the Car Care Council Women's Board and the Collision Industry Foundation Board.

The Corporate Leaders Breakfast Series brings members of the business and civic communities together to share ideas and hear from prominent leaders in the region. The series will continue with presentations by David Flaks, vice president of strategic initiatives for the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., on Nov. 10 at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills; Deckers Outdoor Corp. CEO Angel Martinez on Feb. 2 in CLU's Lundring Events Center; Ventura County Executive Officer Michael Powers on March 15 at the Ventura Beach Marriott; and Nova Medical Products CEO Sue Chen on May 1 in Lundring Events Center.

The Reagan Library is located at 40 Presidential Drive. Reservations are requested by Friday, Sept. 2. To RSVP or for more information, contact Sharon Nelson at smnelso@callutheran.edu or (805) 493-3150, or go to http://www.callutheran.edu/clb.