ABOUT
Dr. Richard J. Atkins is the founder / CEO of Improving Communications, a New York-based corporate education firm.
Rich has had several New York-centered travelogue articles published in BMW Owners News. Rich has interviewed and written about numerous celebrity personalities including Vertical Horizon's Matt Scannell, Rush's Neil Peart, Semisonic's Jacob Slichter, producer/guitarist Doug Derryberry (Bruce Hornsby's band), singer Arnold McCuller, and luthier/guitar maker Michael Tobias.
Dr. Atkins's Media Terrorism™ presentation has been delivered at numerous locations throughout North America. He has been a guest on television’s Jobline and Taming the Cubicle Jungle, and radio’s The Skillpreneur and Ivory Tower shows, and has been quoted in articles appearing in South Florida's Sun-Sentinel, Long Island Business News, and the Erie Times-News. His doctoral research on canine learning styles was the subject of an article titled "One Size Does Not Fit All" in the March 2006 issue of Dog Fancy Magazine. Dr. Atkins is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Presentations
- Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
- November 2009 Human Resources Association of New York Career Planning & Professional Development SIG, New York, NY – "Improving Presentation Skills: How to Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking."
- November 2009 Delaware SHRM State Conference (DE SHRM) - Newark, DE – Concurrent session presenter.
- October 2009 SHRM Vermont State Conference, Stowe, VT – Concurrent sessions presenter.
- November 2008 Human Resource Management Association of Rhode Island (HRMRI) - Warwick, RI - Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- October 2008 Human Resources Association of the Twin Tiers (HRATT) - Elmira, NY - Annual conference keynote and session presentation.
- September 2008 Tuscaloosa Human Resource Professionals (THRP), Tuscaloosa, AL - Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- June 2008 Gateway SHRM, Jersey City, NJ - Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- March 2008 Genesee Valley Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (GVCSHRM), Rochester, NY - Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- February 2008 Human Resource Management Association of Rhode Island (HRMRI), Warwick, RI - Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- January 2008 Central Illinois Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (CIC-SHRM), Springfield, IL - Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- January 2008 East Valley Human Resources Association (EVHRA), Tempe, AZ - Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- October 2007 SHRM-Atlanta 17th Annual Southeast HR Conference, Atlanta, GA – Concurrent session presentation.
- October 2007 Jersey Shore Association for Human Resources (JSAHR), Neptune, NJ – Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- September 2007 Human Resource Association of Palm Beach County (HRPBC), Boca Raton, FL - Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- September 2007 Human Resource Association of Treasure Valley (HRATV), Boise, ID - Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- September 2007 Mid-Florida Society for Human Resource Management (MFSHRM), Lakeland, FL – Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- August 2007 Austin Human Resources Management Association (AHRMA), Austin, TX – Concurrent session presentation.
- June 2007 Westchester Human Resources Management Association (WHRMA), White Plains, NY – Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- June 2007 Acadiana Society for Human Resource Management (ASHRM), Lafayette, LA – Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- May 2007 Society for Human Resource Management of Tompkins County (SHRMTC), Ithaca, NY – Concurrent Session presentation.
- May 2007 Professionals in Human Resources Association (PIHRA), El Segundo, CA – full-day Business Grammar & Usage class.
- May 2007 Eastern Indiana Human Resources Association (EIHRA), Richmond, IN – Tenth Annual Management Leadership Conference keynote address.
- April 2007 Human Resource Management Association (HRMA), Milwaukee, WI – Spring Conference concurrent session presentation.
- March 2007 Human Resources Association of the Midlands (HRAM), Omaha, NE – Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- November 2006 Southern Tier Association for Human Resources (STAHR), Binghamton, NY – Monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR)
- February 2007 Georgia State Conference.
- November 2006 Upstate New York Conference.
- November 2006 Ohio State Conference.
- October 2006 Illinois State Conference.
- International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR)
- September 2008 Kentucky State Conference speaker.
- March 2007 Virginia State Conference speaker.
- November 2006 Albany-Capital Region Chapter meeting.
- International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI)
- March 2008 New Mexico Chapter (NMISPI), Albuquerque, NM – Annual conference full-day workshop presentation.
- December 2006 – ISPI Orange County (ISPI-OC) Chapter meeting.
- Other Organizations
- July 2009 John Jay College of Criminal Justice: BRAVO! Summer Employee Institute Program – “Effective Business Writing” concurrent session presenter.
- March 2009 Rhode Island Association of Facilities and Services for the Aging (RIAFSA), Lincoln, RI – "The Power of Attitude" keynote address and breakout session presenter.
- January 2009 Greater New York Chapter of the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA), East Elmhurst, NY – monthly chapter meeting presentation.
- January 2008 Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario (HRPAO) Annual Conference & Trade Show, Toronto, ON – concurrent sessions presenter.
- May 2007 State University Human Resources Association (SUHRA), New York – concurrent sessions presenter.
- May 2007 Suffolk County Bar Association, Hauppauge, NY – "Communicating Your Way to the Top" panel discussion.
- May 2007 Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario (HRPAO), Toronto, ON – "Communication Essentials for HR Professionals" seminar (2-day class).
- April 2007 Chesterfield County Supervisory Leadership Conference, Chesterfield, VA – "Essential Qualities of Leaders" keynote address and breakout session presenter.
- January 2006 Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA – "Sales Principles for Dental Practices."
- April 2005 Society for Technical Communication (STC) Long Island Chapter – "The Value of Correct Punctuation."
- August 2003 Long Beach City School District, NY – "Bad Attitude: Confronting Views That Hinder Students' Learning."
- Media Terrorism
- May 2007 Long Island Library Conference.
- September 2005, Port Washington Public Library.
- November 2004 Long Island University, CW Post Campus.
Publications
- “Rocker & Roller: Rush Drummer Neil Peart Lives For Motorcycles (Interview).” American Motorcyclist, September 2009.
- “Motoport Ultra II Air Mesh Kevlar Jacket & Pants (Product Review).” BMW Owners News, August 2009.
- “There Are Roads & There Are Motorcycle Roads: An Interview With Bill Belei, Founder and Webmaster of Motorcycleroads.com.” BMW Owners News, July 2009.
- "Something New on the (Vertical) Horizon: ‘All Is Said and Done.'" mi2n.com, October 2008.
- "Flexibility Is the Key to Success." Inside HR/NY, September 2008.
- "The subdude Roads of New England." BMW Owners News, August 2008, BMWMOA.org, October 2007.
- "Riding California's Coast & Mountains: A Change of Scenery from Coast to Coast." BMW Owners News, February 2008.
- "Riding the Perimeter of Virginia." BMW Owners News, September 2007.
- "The subdudes - Street Symphony (Album Review)." The Music Box, August 2007.
- "Down Time For Musicians? Not Likely: A Candid Conversation with Matt Scannell of
Vertical Horizon." Bandradio.com, May 2007; Musicdish.com, August 2007. - "Roadshow: Landscape With Drums: A Concert Tour By Motorcycle (Book Review)."
BMW Owners News, March 2007. - "The Passing Lane, Right?: The Language of Courtesy on the Roads." BMW Owners News, February 2007.
- "Building Guitars and Riding Motorcycles: An Interview With Michael Tobias." BMW Owners
News, March 2006. - "When Dollars and Cents Meet Heart and Soul: The Cost of Dedication in the Music Industry." Musicdish.com, March 2006.
- "A subdude Album and Tour" (Behind the Levee album review). Gritz.net, Ftworthmusic.com, and Dallasmusic.com, January/February 2006.
- "Route 28 Through New York's Adirondacks." BMW Owners News, December 2005.
- "Motorcycling: The Perennial Gift-An Interview With Neil Peart." BMW Owners News, April 2005.
- "A subdude Trip Around New York." BMW Owners News, October 2004.
- "Obedience School Or Private Trainer - What Is Best For Your Dog?: An Analytical Look at Canine Learning Styles." K-9 Magazine, August 2004.
- "Urban Motorcycling: I Love New York More Than Ever." BMW Owners News, August 2002.
Rich's other interests include: motorcycling (85,000+ miles), cigars, cheese, theater, antiques, genealogical research (12 generations of family tree so far...), and music (electric bass guitar and the Chapman Stick Touchboard). His travel destinations have included most of the United States, Mexico, Canada, Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Turkey.
Rich lives in New York with his wife Patricia, children Ciara and Robert, and their dog, Casey (who was one of the pets used to provide comfort and solace to survivors at the Family Center for victims of the World Trade Center attack).



