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Christy McDonald is a speaker and moderator who helps organizations clarify and embark on the interesting and necessary conversations they need to improve leadership, resilience, empowerment, and empathy.
She’s an Emmy-winning television and radio journalist in Detroit known for her revealing
interviews with Fortune 500 executives and Michigan political leaders.
Christy’s path as a television and media personality has inspired her work as a speaker on resilience to management teams, women’s leadership groups, and private events.
Christy’s moderation brings focus and understanding to custom events. Her moderation training program prepares employees for impactful conversations.
Christy works one on one with leaders and executives to improve the impact of their speaking events by optimizing their presence, scripting and flow.
As a journalist and media personality in Detroit, viewers have connected with Christy’s personal story of growing up in Michigan, working in television, and raising a family. It’s that precarious balance of work and caregiving that has inspired Christy’s passion of elevating the voices of women in leadership.
“I’m always fascinated with the path women in leadership positions take. Specifically, those sliding door moments of decision and where you get the guts to make them.”
– Christy McDonald
Christy’s path as a television and media personality in Detroit has inspired her speaking series to management teams, women’s leadership groups, and private events. Christy’s relatable humor and empathy connects with audiences of all types, and she draws on her TV stories and leadership interviews to talk about vulnerability and resilience and how that inspires authentic presence at work and in life.
Christy also works privately with leaders and executives to improve their speaking skills and elevate their impact across meetings, presentations, and speaking events.
Christy is known as one of the most prepared and provocative moderators around. Her ability to put guests immediately at ease draws out the most memorable comments and discussions at political events, business forums, and community conversations.
What Christy Has Moderated
In August 2020, Christy lost her husband, Detroit radio personality Jamie Samuelsen, to colon cancer. Right before he passed away, Jamie went on the radio to encourage his listeners to get a colonoscopy. Christy has continued to raise awareness for early colon cancer screening in Jamie’s memory.
She partnered with 97.1 The Ticket and the Detroit Tigers for a tribute baseball game with a portion of ticket sales going to free colonoscopies in underserved communities. Christy also launched a social media early screening campaign in March 2022 for Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, culminating in a dozen local/national media interviews and work with the American Cancer Society.
To support early colorectal cancer screening:
Visit Colorectal Cancer Alliance or The American Cancer Society.