Microsoft VP, WWU alumna to speak at Western's Bellingham Business Forum Nov. 14

Microsoft Vice President Julie Larson-Green will be the keynote speaker at the 12th Annual Western Washington University Bellingham Business Forum on Wednesday, Nov. 14.

Doors will open at 11:30 a.m. at the Hotel Bellwether ballroom, with lunch service beginning at noon; the keynote address will begin at 12:45 p.m.

Larson-Green, a Western alumna with a degree in Business Administration, oversees the design of the company’s iconic Windows operating system, and is currently leading her team in preparation for the release of Windows 8, the first Windows operating system designed from the start to work for both PCs and tablets, which she described as a “complete re-imagining of Windows, from the chip to the interface.”

Before working with Windows, Larson-Green worked on the Microsoft Office suite of software. She received her master’s degree in Software Engineering from Seattle University and is a native of Whatcom County.

Table sponsorships are available at the $1,000 Mount Challenger, $2,000 Mount Shuksan, and $3,000 Mount Baker levels. The Mount Baker sponsorship establishes two named scholarships for the 2013-14 academic year for Whatcom County students. Reservations can be made online at http://www.foundation.wwu.edu/bbf or by calling (360) 650-6825.

All proceeds from the event support student scholarships. For more information about scholarship support, call (360) 650-3612.

Tables at the forum are rounds of 10, and all sponsorship levels include a served lunch. Sponsors fill nine seats and WWU fills the 10th seat with a university representative. Individual tickets are available for $100 each.

The Bellingham Business Forum is an annual opportunity for business and civic leaders to connect with friends of the university and to enjoy an address by a prominent professional.