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Storyteller Finds Niche in Keynote and Motivational Speaker's Marketby Cuthbert A. Jones  Portland, Oregon: Working as a
personal coach to assist executives in bettering their presentation
skills or delivering a keynote talk to dentists or industrial
designers, storyteller Will Hornyak has carved out a niche in the
professional speaker's market. A graduate in journalism at Marquette
University in l976 and a former reporter in Latin America, Hornyak gave
up his press pass to pound nails and study mythology and storytelling.
He seems to have found his true calling. Hornyak now earns a living as
a full-time storyteller, much of it coming from professional
organizations, business and educational associations.
 "We
invited Will to offer a keynote at the Oregon Dental Assoc. annual
meeting," said Dr. John McCoombs, chair of the speaker's committee. "He
was thoroughly engaging. His stories passed on ideas which transcend
cultural boundaries." Said Tim Syfert, head of an industrial
design team at the automotive interiors mega-plant for Johnson Controls
in New Holland, Michigan: "We continue to refer to Will's presentation.
His workshop was one of the most valueble our team attended. He brought
us directly into the storytelling process." Hornyak teaches
storytelling to MBA students at Portland (Oregon) State University and
to communication's majors at Marylhurst University and performs
throughout the United States.
He finds themes in his repertoire
of 60 stories culled from world mythology and legend which resonate
with a wide scope of listeners.
"Society is so fragmented these
days and we hunger for the common roots of our humanity," said Hornyak.
"When we gather around a story we gather around a fire that warms,
illumines and feeds our imagination without regard for political
persuasion, belief or race."
Some of Hornyak's recent programs presentations:
- The Oregon Dental Association
- The American Cancer Society
- The Oregon Department of Human Resources
- The Portland Business Roundtable
- The Owen M. Panner Inn of Court (Trial Lawyers Assoc.)
- Johnson Controls
- Western States Accounting Executives
- American Assoc. of Art Therapists
- National Assoc. of Death and Grief Counselors
- Multnomah County Diversity Conference
- Oregon Employers Council
- Seaside Health Promotion Conference
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