Judith Barnes believes in the art, science and often magical benefits of communication.  She is an educator, entrepreneur, speaker and writer with a four-decade consultancy in communication that has provided ample, amusing and often inspiring material for her books: Change, a beautifully illustrated story for all ages about a small snake, a big lesson and the impact of a word; Good To Be Here, a collection of essays on moments in life; and the useful and often humorous How Not To Suck At Communication and How Not To Suck At Mentoring. Her essays have aired on public radio, and she was co-writer and executive producer for a short film on personal responsibility screened at many festivals (www.thecruxmovie.com) and featured on a public television program. Barnes has an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Communication from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She was also a founding officer of a company commercializing micro fuel cells as a future power source, and has been active on behalf of civic, education and arts organizations in her community.  When not on a plane, she lives in Albany, NY with her cigar-loving cat.