Linda Shields

Linda Shields is the president of her company, Speaking with Authority, where she works as an executive speech and voice coach. She specializes in teaching women to speak with authority, confidence, and credibility, often working one-on-one or in small groups to address visual, verbal, and vocal elements of communication. She is also a professor of communication at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she has taught for many years and finds great joy in watching students overcome their fears of public speaking. Shields earned a bachelor's degree in speech and a master's degree in speech and language pathology with a specialization in voice from the University of Michigan, where she also completed a double major in theater. Her professional experience includes more than 20 years of keynoting across the country. She volunteers at Theater in the Park by leading vocal workshops for actors and serves on the board of directors of the Cooper Charitable Foundation in Raleigh, which supports unsheltered women through education, job placement, and housing assistance.