BELLINGHAM - Microsoft Vice President Julie Larson-Green will be the keynote speaker at the 12th Annual Western Washington University Bellingham Business Forum on Wednesday, Nov. 14.

Doors open at 11:30 a.m. at the Hotel Bellwether ballroom, with lunch service beginning at noon; the keynote address begins at 12:45 p.m.

Larson-Green, a Western alumna with a degree in business administration, oversees the design of the company's Windows operating system. She is currently leading her team in preparation for the release of Windows 8, the first Windows operating system designed from the start to work for both PCs and tablets, which she described as a "complete re-imagining of Windows, from the chip to the interface."

Before working with Windows, Larson-Green worked on the Microsoft Office software products. She received her master's degree in software engineering from Seattle University and is a native of Whatcom County.

Individual tickets are $100 each. Table sponsorships are available. Reservations can be made online at foundation.wwu.edu/bbf or by calling 360-650-6825.

All proceeds support student scholarships.

Reach DAVE GALLAGHER at dave.gallagher@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2269. Visit his business blog online at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/business or get updates on Twitter at twitter.com/BhamHeraldBiz.