The 5th Women in IT Conference

"Paving the way - Leading the next Generation of Women in IT"

March 13, 2009
 

 

Personality of Business

Blake Woolsey - Executive Communications Consultants, Mitchell Communications

 

Blake is the director of training and facilitation for Mitchell Communications Group, Inc., an
integrated communications firm offering public relations, training and facilitation services,
advertising, creative design and production. Under Blake’s leadership, the company’s training
division offers a wide variety of organizational and leadership development products and services
through its proprietary ProFound® training series.
Blake is a Certified Master Facilitator through the International Institute for Facilitators. Upon
receiving her certification in 2007, she was the first in the state of Arkansas. She is an outstanding
speaker and facilitator and has spoken to many groups on a wide variety of business and
motivational topics including maximizing your intangible assets, proper business etiquette, being a
person of influence, leadership and public speaking. Prior to joining MCG, she was partner and coowner
of Executive Communications Consultants, LLC with Elise Mitchell.
Blake has also been involved in the fundraising program at the University of Arkansas since 1997, a
program which recently completed its goal of $1 billion through the Campaign for the 21st Century, a
seven-year capital campaign. In this capacity, she has been responsible for cultivating relationships
with alumni, corporations, foundations and individuals throughout the nation to increase private
funding. Her greatest achievement was participating in and receiving a gift of $50 million from The
Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation Inc. in 1998. At that time, it was the largest gift ever to
an American business school. She also had the privilege of coordinating the inaugural Arkansas
Business Hall of Fame celebration.
Prior to entering the development profession, Blake worked in public relations orchestrating
national and local publicity for Riviana Foods Inc., The Home Depot, Coca-Cola, the American Red
Cross, Community Blood Center of the Ozarks and St. Luke’s Hospital.
In addition, she has been recognized and selected as a community leader. As president of the Junior
League of Northwest Arkansas in 1999, she was instrumental in the organization affiliating with the
Association of Junior Leagues International. She was chosen as one of Fayetteville’s Young Top Five
1999 and one of the Top Ten Young Arkansans by the Arkansas Jaycee’s and one of the Top 20 Young
Americans by the Junior Chambers of Commerce. In 1999, she was recognized by the Northwest
Arkansas Business Journal as one of the community’s “40 Under 40.” Also, she was recognized in
2001 by the Northside ISD in San Antonio, her alma mater, with the Pillar of Fairness Award. She is a
sustaining member of the Junior League of Northwest Arkansas and an active member of the
Fayetteville Junior Civic League.
Blake has a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Dallas. She is married to Wayne Woolsey
and they have three boys, Page, Declan and Jett. They moved to Fayetteville from Houston, Texas, in
1994.