Meet the Experts (MTE) is a speaker-series sponsored by the Council for Retail and Sales (CRS).  Each event in the series addresses an important topic in the retail and sales professions and features a subject matter expert(s).

Are you an author? Do you like to write or ever wanted to publish? Do you like different types of books? You are in the 'write' place!

The Council for Retail and Sales is holding a symposium on reading, writing and retailing. Join us at the DeSales University Center in Center Valley, PA for an exciting event that celebrates the joy of writing, reading, and retailing! Whether you're a bookworm, a writer, or a publisher, this event has something for everyone.
Immerse yourself in a world of creativity with engaging sessions by renowned authors, journalists, and publishers. Get inspired as they share their writing journeys and offer valuable tips for aspiring writers.

Don't miss the opportunity to participate in interactive table topic breakout sessions led by experienced authors. Learn new techniques, unleash your creativity, and discover your unique writing voice.

Whether you're a book enthusiast, a writer in the making, or simply looking for a fun day out, 'Reading, Writing, & Retailing' is the place to be. Mark your calendar and get ready for an unforgettable experience at the DeSales University Center!

Ticket price includes lunch. Panelists subject to change based on schedules.

Tickets are $30 each. For student tickets, contact elaine.thode@desales.edu.

Thank you to our sponsors!

- Meet the Experts -

Shelley Dennis headshot

Shelley Dennis

Writer, ABC - The Conners

Maria_Rodale headshot

Maria Rodale

Author, Publisher

Dan Lauria headshot

Dan Lauria

Actor, Playwright, Author

Ramsland Katherine headshot

Dr. Katherine Ramsland

Author, Professor

Danny Roebuck headshot

Daniel Roebuck

Actor, Screenwriter, Filmmaker

VICKI MAYK HEADSHOTS

Vicki Mayk

Journalist

Shelley Dennis was born into a family of Choctaw storytellers in small-town Oklahoma (population 700). A self-proclaimed hillbilly, she experienced major culture shock when she moved to Milan and made a living being tall and hungry. She then moved to LA where she took her modeling stories to the stage and the page. She’s toured alongside Wayne Brady, doing both standup and improv and acted in everything from soap operas to multicams. In 2020, Shelley was one of four selected for the Native American Showrunner program. She became a Staff Writer on Spirit Rangers at Netflix, was in the 2021 Disney General Entertainment Writing Program, and is now starting her third season on The Conners at ABC as Executive Story Editor.

Dan Lauria is most loved and recognized as the dad on the highly acclaimed Emmy winning, ABC television show, The Wonder Years. Lauria is a familiar face to the stage having performed, written, or directed over 50 professional stage productions. Dan is currently starring in a play he wrote, Just Another Day, which will open Off-Broadway in the near future. When Lauria is not on screen or a Broadway stage he and his Godson, Julian Farnsworth, are writing children’s books. The most popular one is The Godfather Tales.

Vicki Mayk is a journalist, nonfiction writer, magazine editor and higher education content writer. Her narrative nonfiction book, Growing Up on the Gridiron: Football, Friendship and the Tragic Life of Owen Thomas, was published in 2020 by Beacon Press. A journalist with credits in regional and national publications, she has also edited university magazines. She teaches adult nonfiction workshops and leads a writing retreat at the Jersey shore, Words in the Sand.

Dr. Katherine Ramsland teaches forensic psychology and behavioral criminology in the graduate program at DeSales University, where she is the Director for the Center for Teaching Excellence. She has appeared as an expert on more than 200 crime documentaries and was an executive producer on Murder House Flip and A&E’s Confession of a Serial killer: BTK. The author of more than 1,500 articles and 72 books, including The Serial Killer’s Apprentice and How to Catch a Killer, she pens a regular blog for Psychology Today. She is currently writing a fiction series based on a female forensic psychologist who consults on death investigations.

Maria Rodale is an author and former CEO and Chairman of Rodale Inc, publisher of books and magazines. She is a board member and the former co-chair of the Rodale Institute, an independent scientific research and education non-profit that studies regenerative organic vs. chemical agriculture. Maria has received awards for her lifetime of service and activism, including the National Audubon Rachel Carson Award in 2004, United Nations Population Fund’s Award for the Health and Dignity of Woman Everywhere in 2007, and The Auburn University International Quality of Life Award in 2014. In 2017, she received an honorary Doctorate Degree from Delaware Valley University.

Daniel Roebuck was born in Bethlehem, PA. Roebuck is constantly challenging himself with each new film, theatre or tv role and has expanded his horizons further by producing and directing horror-themed documentaries. Roebuck wrote, produced, directed, and starred in several faith-based movies made in the Lehigh Valley. He writes for numerous publications on the subject of horror movies and has written a children’s book.