After more than two years as a witch, I will be leaving the Eastwick fold on Friday, September 21, for The Conversation Group. A few people may know that I first met Barbara and Giovanni (former EW principal) at a PRSA Counselor’s Academy conference. The conference is geared toward very senior PR folks – VPs and principals – and I was the most junior person there with less than two years under my belt. Needless to say, I held my own, and won Barb and G over with the now infamous Black Martini, also known as a chocolate espresso martini.

The past 2+ years have seen some big changes for Eastwick – office moves and office additions – and for me – move to Silicon Valley and promotion to Senior Associate. Four years ago, I never would have thought that I’d have passionate discussions about the 802.11n standard (still not ratified), or become intimately familiar with wikis. I’ve had some incredible clients during my time here – Ruckus Wireless, Vyatta, and BroadLogic to name a few. The entire Eastwick team has really become a family to me, and I’ve learned so much. I’ve made some really great friends that I’ve had some great times with – G, thanks again for bailing us out of the SJ jail – and I know I will continue to into the future.

Living here in Silicon Valley, we are right in the middle of daily innovation, disruption, and evolution. Being in PR, we see how communications are changing, and how people want to participate in the conversation, not just be spoken to. On October 1, I’ll be joining The Conversation Group which was recently launched by partners Giovanni Rodriguez, Ted Shelton, and Chris Heuer. As the Director of Integrated Media Campaigns, I’ll be working with the team to help global brands that are seeking better ways to participate in the new communications landscape. It will be an exciting, new adventure!

I’ll miss working with my colleagues and clients on a daily basis, but I believe that once a witch, always a witch. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone at the upcoming Black & Orange Bash! Cheers!

Barbara Bates, BroadLogic, Chris Heuer, Eastwick, Eastwick Communications, Giovanni Rodriguez, Networking, PR, Ruckus Wireless, Ted Shelton, The Conversation Group, Vyatta, Wireless