Laura Benjamin is President of Pinehurst Press Ltd. Communication & Career Strategies, a veteran-owned, woman-owned small business near Colorado Springs, Colorado. Since 1997, Laura has worked with private individuals, teams, boards and business owners who want to better communicate who they are, what they’ve done and what they can do for others. Her services include team and board development, feedback facilitation, strategic planning, blogging and social media training, interview and career coaching.

Her clients include private individual clients, US Army at Fort Carson CO, Goodwill Industries of Colorado Springs, Orient Land Trust, Colorado Trust for People with Disabilities, Colorado Horse Council, Certified Horsemanship Association, Pikes Peak Behavioral Health Group and many others.

Laura is a veteran of the USAF with seven years active duty service as a Paralegal. She volunteered on the Base Honor Guard, earned an USAF Commendation Medal, Marksmanship Medal and an Honorable Discharge. As a Senior Benefits and Human Resources Specialist, she promoted and administered employee benefit programs for 2500+ faculty and staff at the Rochester Institute of Technology and National Technical Institute for the Deaf. As Sales & Customer Service Team Manager at Current Inc., she supervised 100+ sales and service agents and led the Upsell Program to achieve unprecedented revenue goals through relationship-based sales and customer service strategies.

Laura is Past-president of the Colorado Springs Society for Human Resources Management. She is creator of the CARLA Concept™ Communication Model and author of the forthcoming book, Clear-Cut Confidence: How to Raise an Issue and Prove Your Point in 5 Simple Steps, 2010, Pinehurst Press Ltd. She is a contributing author to Safety, Health and Asset Protection Management Essentials, edited by Richard W. Lack, 2nd Edition, 2002, CRC Press Ltd. Her articles have been published in numerous magazines and her work has been featured on radio and television. Laura publishes three blogs and writes a monthly column for Southside Business News.

As a facilitator, keynote speaker and seminar leader, Laura has presented to more than half a million people worldwide. She was twice selected a Meeting Professionals International Platinum Program Speaker for her substantive content, interactive approach and entertaining style. She is certified in Situational Leadership®, Leadership Culturelink™ and the ConflictLens®. She is an Authorized Inscape Publishing Distributor and is highly skilled in using DiSC® Behavioral Styles Profiles, Team Dimensions, Time Mastery, Personal Listening and Workplace Expectations assessments.

Laura holds a BA in Humanities through California State University, Sacramento, with graduate studies at the University of Colorado. She attended the United States Air Force Leadership and Management Development Center’s Tort, Claims & Litigation School and United States Air Force Non-commissioned Officer’s Leadership School. Her community service includes volunteer work for the Colorado Division of Wildlife, Carousel Therapeutic Horseback Riding Center, Junior Achievement, Boy Scouts of America and Young Women of the West youth programs. She is a member of the International Association of Facilitators, the National Rifle Association and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Her business has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau of Southern Colorado.

Laura lives in a historic log cabin near Colorado Springs. She is the mother of three young adults and is tolerated by two cats. To read her articles and blogs, please visit www.LauraBenjamin.com for her articles, downloads, guest expert interviews and online classes. “Friend her” on Facebook @coloradocoach, find her on LinkedIn and if all else fails, please pick up the phone and call her office at 719-266-8088.