As Director of the K-12 group in Microsoft's Education Customer Unit, Kathryn Yates leads the efforts to improve Microsoft's position in K-12 education. This includes sales and marketing activities, industry relations, public relations, and product planning.

Prior to her position in the Education Customer Unit, Kathryn directed communications in the Developer Division where she was responsible for brand and line marketing communications. In addition, she managed communications and brand development for the launch of the Microsoft consumer line of products, then called Microsoft Home.

Yates joined Microsoft in September 1987 as a marketing manager in Microsoft Press. Prior to Microsoft, Yates was a marketing and sales manager in the trade book division of Harper & Row Publishers, New York, and an advertising manager for Pitman Learning in Belmont, California, an educational publisher producing Learning Magazine and Classroom Computer Learning.

Kathryn Yates holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California at Santa Cruz.

Rich Seidner
Friday Keynote Speaker

Rich Seidner is Executive Director of Business Development for K-12 Education for Oracle Corporation, the world's second largest software company. Rich has been directly involved in the strategic application of technology solutions to K-12 Education for over ten years with both Oracle and Digital Equipment Corporation. He is a graduate of Shippensburg University (Pennsylvania) and the University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Executive Development Program.

Rich is responsible for the strategic development and initiation of Oracle's solution portfolio for K-12 Schools. He will be speaking on Oracle's approach to enabling school district technology solutions that include each functional area of school operations. Rich will address the trends in school technology and the significant impact of the web on K-12 technology initiatives and student learning.

Rich is a participating member of the National Coalition on Technology in Education and Training, The Association of School Business Officials, the Software Publishers Association, and the Center for Instructional Leadership and Technology.