Boeing Co. executives Garth Cook and Edna Sharpley will address Coastal Carolina University students on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 5 p.m. in the James J. Johnson Auditorium of the E. Craig Wall Sr. College of Business Administration.

The speakers will focus on the importance of knowing foreign languages and cultures in the globalized world. Lecturers will give real world examples of how knowledge of German, Italian, French, Spanish and other languages and cultures enhance employment opportunities and career growth within the Boeing company. The speakers will discuss how they benefited from learning a foreign language and why knowing a foreign language without being familiar with the culture can hinder successful communication.

Cook has been the Boeing South Carolina (BSC) education relations leader since August 2010. In this role, he oversees Integrated Education Strategy, ensuring alignment of K-12 and higher education initiatives with South Carolina business and community partners. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in business administration from City University in Seattle, and a doctor of educational leadership degree from Seattle University. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining Boeing in 1988.

Sharpley is an international global trade controls specialist with Global Trade Controls (GTC). She earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the School of Business Management at the Northwest Christian University and has been at Boeing for 10 years.

The Johnson Auditorium is located in Room 116 in the Wall College. Pre-registration for this event is encouraged at career@coastal.edu.