Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals Elects New Leaders at Governance|Wired, Its National Conference

SEATTLE, July 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals ("Society") opens its 67^th National Conference today in Seattle.  Members will elect new leadership, with Wendi S. Bickett of Enterprise Products Partners standing for Chairman, and Douglas K. Chia of Johnson & Johnson for Chairman-Elect.

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The Conference theme is Governance|Wired, and featured speakers include journalist and author Kurt Eichenwald, Alaska Air Group Chairman and former CEO William S. Ayer, Delaware Supreme Court Chief Justice Myron T. Steele, SEC Commissioner Daniel M. Gallagher, new SEC Division of Corporation Finance Director Keith F. Higgins, and New York Times "Deal Professor" Steven Davidoff.

Wendi Bickett is Assistant Corporate Secretary of Enterprise Products Partners in Houston, Texas. She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Society since 2008 and has served in various capacities including chair of both the Educational Programs Committee and the Nominating and Governance Committee.  She is the former President of the Society's Houston Chapter, and is a frequent speaker at governance seminars.

Douglas Chia is Assistant General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for Johnson & Johnson in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Mr. Chia was a member of the Board of Directors from 2007-2011 and was Chairman of last year's National Conference in Washington, D.C.

The following Society members are standing for election to the Society's Board of Directors:

• Jake Amsbary, Assistant Secretary and Securities Counsel, United Parcel Service, Inc.
• William R. Bergum, Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Badger Meter, Inc.
• Denise Horne, Corporate Vice President and Associate General Counsel, McDonald's Corporation
• Lisa Beth Lentini, Vice President, Global Compliance, Carlson Wagonlit Travel
• Arden Phillips, Governance Officer and Corporate Secretary, WGL Holdings, Inc.
• Lori Zyskowski, Executive Corporate, Securities and Finance Counsel, General Electric Company

An interview with the SEC's Keith Higgins is his first speaking engagement since taking on leadership of the Division of Corporation Finance in June.  In a separate panel, the five immediate predecessors to Mr. Higgins will discuss the outlook for SEC action in a range of areas. 

Noted author Kurt Eichenwald will be the luncheon speaker on Thursday, July 11. Eichenwald is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, and a New York Times bestselling author of three books. He previously worked for 20 years at the Times as an investigative reporter, columnist and senior writer. He is a two-time winner of the George Polk Award for excellence in journalism and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2000 and 2002.

Conference attendees have the opportunity to attend their choice of over 30 breakout sessions which will focus on a wide variety of governance topics.

About the Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals
Founded in 1946, the Society is a professional association of over 3,000 attorneys, accountants and other governance professionals who serve 1,800 public, private and not for profit companies of most every size and industry. Its members support the work of corporate boards and executive management regarding corporate governance and disclosure, compliance with the corporate and securities laws and regulations, and stock exchange listing requirements.

SOURCE Society of Corporate Secretaries and Governance Professionals