In this issue:
Upcoming WWPR Events You Won’t Want to Miss
Upcoming Events
Employment Opportunites
August Brown Bag Luncheon Recap
Pro Bono News
PR Woman of the Year News
Membership News
Member Spotlight
Industry News
Partnership Events
On Monday, August 30, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Cedar, WWPR will join DC Flacks to celebrate their anniversary happy hour. For more information and to register click here.
Recap of the July Executive Communicators Event with Bill Novelli
by Jeffrey D. Porro
July’s WWPR brown bag featured long time public relations professional Bill Novelli, offering his thoughts on the role of PR in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Novelli, now a professor in the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, and previously, he co-founded Porter Novelli, headed Committee for Tobacco Free Kids and served as CEO of AARP.
Novelli used a witty and colorful recounting of his PR career to illustrate the importance of staying focused on the needs of society. He noted that, “I didn’t start out as a change agent, but as a soap salesman” for Unilever. But throughout his journey from selling soap to teaching courses on CSR and nonprofit leadership, he was guided by an interest in social change. His goal was always to take on the kind of social problems that “prove their worth by attacking back.”
Two of the biggest lessons he learned, were first that no sector of society – corporations, nonprofits, government, academia – can afford to ignore significant social problems. And all sectors must work together to take on those problems. PR professionals, he said, have a special role to play in promoting that kind of cooperation. They are well positioned to seize the emerging opportunities to promote public private partnerships tackling social issues. He added that PR executives should put their strategic vision to work to help companies see how CSR and social change can not only help society, but boost the corporate bottom line.
Novelli capped his presentation with a lively Q&A session, and then presided over the awarding of copies his book, 50+: Igniting a Revolution to Reinvent America, as door prizes to lucky listeners.
Upcoming PR Events in DC
Making a Mobile Website
Sponsored by Web Content Mavens | Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Cause Marketing Today
Hosted by AMA-DC | Thursday, September 16, 2010
Advertising Week DC 2010
Hosted by DC Ad Club | Monday, September 20- Friday, September 24, 2010
Fall Happy Hour
Hosted by Young MC | Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Turning a Campaign into a Conversation
Hosted by IABC DC/Metro Washington | Thursday, September 23, 2010
Thoth Awards Gala
Hosted by PRSA-NCC | Thursday, September 23, 2010
Breakfast with Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos and author of Delivering Happiness!
Hosted by AMA-DC | Tuesday, September 28, 2010
DC Flacks September Happy Hour
Hosted by DC Flacks | Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Meet the Media, Hosted by Business Wire
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 | RSVP to Neelima Yelamanchili
September Brown Bag Luncheon
Hosted by WWPR | Thursday, September 30, 2010
Account Director, Ogilvy Business Solutions, Ogilvy PR
Vice President, Social Marketing, Ogilvy PR
Account Director, Partnerships Specialist, Social Marketing, Ogilvy PR
Account Supervisor, Hispanic Outreach Specialist, Social Marketing, Ogilvy PR
Senior Public Relations Specialist, American Bar Association
Online Communities Specialist, Department of State
Communications Associate, NAACP
Marketing Associate, Towers Watson
Director of Corporate Communications, CEB
Account Supervisor, Ketchum
Media Relations Professionals, APCO Worldwide
Account Coordinator, TTG
Officer Employee and Customer Communications, Amtrak
Sr. Associate, Communications, Pew Center on the States
Communications Director, The Campaign for America’s Future
Account Supervisor, Jaffe PR (e-mail Shani Magosky)
If you have a job opening at your company, e-mail marketing@wwpr.org to include it in next month’s newsletter.
WWPR’s August brown bag luncheon, A Communicator’s Guide to Robust Resumes,Hiring Hints and Interview Insights, featured Kate Perrin, CEO of Professional Solutions, LLC, the Washington area’s only public relations temporary agency; Ken O’Quinn, a professional writing coach who conducts on-site workshops and one-on-one coaching for global PR firms; and Eron Shosteck, founder and CEO of ResumeRevision.com, a full-service resume rewriting, executive coaching, and strategic career counseling firm. Former WWPR PR Woman of the Year, Pat Wheeler, moderated the session.
There are as many old rules that are relevant as there are new ones and personal connections are still key and social media is an excellent means of making those connections. Adapt each resume and cover letter to the specifics of the job and think about everything you post online.
Interestingly, some of the advice paralleled that given at WWPR’s Media Roundtable. Just like when pitching a reporter, make sure you know the exact name and spelling of the person you are contacting and get the title right.
A sample of the valuable advice offered:
- Your resume should not be longer than 500 words, two pages maximum with and one-inch margins on all four sides.
- Avoid buzzwords. Everyone is a “team player” who “thinks outside the box.”
- Showcase your successes, explain what wouldn’t have happened without you.
- Put an executive summary at the top of your resume and NEVER include an objective.
- Maintain a portfolio – clips, client letters of thanks and work samples and NEVER leave it behind.
- Update the style of your resume, not just its contents.
- The right suit won’t get you the job…but the wrong one could keep you from getting it.
- There are many ways to look for a job, leverage them all and remember that personal connections are the key.
- Most important tip: It is not about you. It is about what you can do for your potential employer.
Pro Bono News
Pro Bono Committee Call for Entries
WWPR’s pro bono committee is opening the search for its 2011-2012 client. Applications will be available at wwpr.org. The deadline is Friday, October 15, 2010. Please e-mail probono@wwpr.org to request an application or for any questions!
2010 Washington PR Woman of the Year News
Nominations Due Wednesday, September 15!
Would you like to recognize a deserving, female professional for her public relations creativity and skills, community contributions and leadership qualities? If so, please consider nominating her for the 2010 Washington PR Woman of the Year Award. WWPR is now accepting nominations for this prestigious honor. Nomination information, award criteria and other required information can be obtained by visiting here. Nominations are due by midnight EST on Wednesday, September 15, 2010, and can be e-mailed to WWPR’s President, Debbie Friez, at Debbie@wwpr.org.
Register for the PR Woman of the Year Event!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010, 12 – 2:00 p.m.
Location: The Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Oriental Ballroom, Washington, D.C.
Nearest Metro: Smithsonian Metro Station
Purchase tickets here.
Ms. Dee Dee Myers will serve as the keynote speaker for our Washington PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon. Myers served as White House Press Secretary during President Clinton’s first term and was the first woman and second-youngest person to ever hold the position. Recently she was a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and a popular lecturer on politics, the media and women’s issues. Just this week she announced she will be taking a new position at the Glover Park Group, as managing director of its public affairs practice. The Glover Park Group is an independent, strategic communications firm in Washington, DC. Myers told PRNewser, “It’s time for me to add another dimension to my work,” she says. “People would come to me before this and ask [for] help. This opportunity brings a lot of great colleagues with a range of expertise and resources to do a lot of great work.”
Sponsor Our Signature PR Woman of the Year Event
If you are interested in becoming a sponsor for this event or donating a raffle item, please visit wwpr.org or email PR Woman of the Year co chairs, Rachel Henderson and Emily Deck at woy@wwpr.org for more information.
Join the PR Woman of the Year Committee
If you would like to volunteer your time to this year’s event, please join the PR Woman of the Year Committee, by sending an e-mail to woy@wwpr.org. The next committee meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 9, from 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at:
Ogilvy Public Relations, 1111 19th St. NW, 10th Floor, Washington DC 20036
Closest metro stops: Farragut North, Farragut West and Dupont Circle
Dial-in number: 800-531-3250; ID: 4832445
Membership News
New Members
Angela Corpus, Barnes & Noble Inc., Community Relations Manager
Deb Fiscella, Center Stage Marketing, President
Colleen Flynn, LIFT, Manager of Communications and Media Relations
Sarah Harrell, Public Relations Professional
Shamia Holloway, Capital Area Food Bank, Communications Manager
Amy Martin, Amy Liz Martin Consul, Principal
Judith Ostronic, Direct Impact, Vice President of Business Development
Elizabeth Thorp, Issue Dynamics Inc., Vice President
Kerry Turner, Washington Theological Union, Director of Communications
Renewals
Alexandra Caldwell, National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), Communications & Public Affairs Specialist
Margaret A. Ferry, International Communications Consultant
Jennifer Schelman, International Food Information Council, Director of Public Outreach & Tech Management
Emily Sutton, American Red Cross National Headquarters, Senior Advertising Specialist
For more information about becoming a member of Washington Women in Public Relations, e-mail membership@wwpr.org.
Member Spotlight: Margie Newman
Margie Newman is a WWPR member who wears many hats in the DC communications community. Recently, WWPR partnered with DC PR Flacks, a group Newman founded and now serves as organizer, to celebrate the group’s one year anniversary with a happy hour for the more than 350 DC PR Flacks members and guests.
When she isn’t spending her free time acting as a social media guinea pig and head cheerleader for the technologically curious, Newman works as a communications and media relations manager for the Pew Center on the States. This is a division of The Pew Charitable Trusts that identifies and advances effective solutions to critical issues facing states.
“The work we do at the Pew Center on the States helps state government run more efficiently and effectively while enhancing the quality of life for its citizens. Knowing that I’m contributing to fact-based, relevant and meaningful work is quite fulfilling,” said Newman about her current work.
Beyond smarts and charisma, Newman credits effective networking for getting her “in the door” at current and previous jobs. She always has a business card handy, sends hand-written thank you notes, hosts a stellar Linkedin profile, follows punctuation rules like they’re going out of style and is “freakishly optimistic.”
In addition to her role at The Pew Charitable Trusts and her involvement with DC PR Flacks, Newman doles out advice, pep talks and how-to’s via a monthly “Chic Geek” productivity and new media column for Her Nashville magazine. You can also find job tips and social media revelations on her personal blog, Flack Rabbit.
Industry News
WWPR President Debbie Friez Featured in Alumni Review, UND Alumni Association Newsletter
25 Essential Social Media Resources You May Have Missed, Mashable
Your Startup on the Cheap, ReadWriteWeb