NEWSLETTER: October 2010
In this issue:
WWPR Presents: The Art of Event Planning
Upcoming Events
PR Woman of the Year Pro
September Brown Bag Recap
Member Spotlight
Membership News
Pro Bono Client Updates & Committee News
Emerging Leaders Awards News
Industry News
Employment Opportunites
You might have noticed the WWPR logo in this month’s newsletter. This is the first phase of the roll out of our rebranding efforts, which will include a new website launch in the coming weeks.
“We believe this new branding initiative and corresponding website will lead to greater visibility of the outstanding programs this organization offers members,” said Debbie Friez, President of Washington Woman in Public Relations. “WWPR is a dynamic organization offering education and networking opportunities to the DC public relations community. By creating a new brand experience, we hope to project our commitment to innovative learning and networking opportunities.”
WWPR Presents: The Art of Event Planning
Please join WWPR and learn how to effectively plan events for your organization and/or your clients. Our expert panel will guide you through the planning process and equip you with insider tips on how to plan budgets, secure sponsors, utilize current technology trends, and organize all logistics. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from corporate and nonprofit event planners as well as venue and facilities managers.
When: Wednesday, October 27, 2010, 12 – 2 p.m.
Where: GolinHarris International, 2200 Clarendon Blvd, Suite 1100,
Arlington, VA 22201
Register: Click here to register
Expert Panel:
Tim Holbert is executive director of the American Veterans Center, a non-profit, educational foundation based in Arlington, VA. The Center produces documentary work, publications, and speaker events featuring veterans and active duty military personnel. It is also the primary organizer of the nationally televised National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, DC.
Christopher Fulghum is a senior account executive with Hargrove Inc. Fulghum collaborates with clients to identify the goals and objectives for each event, conceptualize themes, and implement design and technical elements. He has worked with major public relations firms, and his clients include the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, GE, Credit Union National Association and Accenture. He has been intricately involved in many monumental Hargrove, Inc. projects including the 2005 and 2009 Presidential Inaugurations, the 2004 G-8 Economic Summit in Sea Island, GA, and the 2009 G40 Summit in Pittsburgh, PA.
Becky Boles is a vice president of consumer marketing team for Golin Harris’ Washington D.C. office. Since joining the agency in 2000, Boles has worked for a variety of consumer, public affairs, government and non-profit clients, including McDonalds, the Dow Chemical Company and the U.S. Postal Service. Her areas of expertise include creating and managing strategic international, national and local integrated media relations campaigns and events and building third party support and celebrity partnerships.
Michelle Mobley serves as account director for VRS Meetings and Events. VRS is a full service event management firm that offers a complete scope of services to insure professionally executed and innovative events. Michelle works with a team to create event concepts, develop budgets, negotiate contracts, and finalize small details that make the difference! Her past event management experience includes work for Fortune 500 Companies, professional sports franchises, non-profit fundraising, and the 54th Presidential Inauguration.
Moderator: Bill McCarren is executive director of the National Press Club, the “World’s Leading Professional Organization for Journalists.” In this position Bill runs the business side of the Club which hosts more than 2,000 events per year at their 50,000 square foot facility in downtown Washington, DC.
Upcoming Events
Happy Hour/ Networking
hosted by DC Flacks
Monday, Oct. 25, 2010, 6:30 p.m.
Good on Your Feet!
A two-day workshop on dynamic speaking skills! Hosted by The Eloquent Woman, Denise Graveline
Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2010 at 8:30 a.m. to Thursday, Nov. 4, 2010 at 4:30 p.m.
*10 percent off for WWPR Members!
IABC’s Silver Inkwell Awards Gala
Every year, DC-area business communicators gather to recognize those communication projects that stand out above the rest in terms of effectiveness and excellence. Join us on October 26 for the Silver Inkwell Awards Gala, the communication community’s “Signature of Excellence” that focuses on outstanding communication programs that have supported business objectives.
Dr. Mark Drapeau, the Director of Public Sector Social Engagement for Microsoft, will be this year’s keynote speaker. At the Gala, Drapeau will discuss the importance of focusing on outcomes as opposed to merely outputs; Government 2.0; and the impact of social media on everyone from the government to every day communicators.
Registration is now open for the Silver Inkwell Awards gala. Visit www.iabcdcmetro.org to purchase your ticket.
IABC/DC Metro appreciates the generous support of this year’s Silver Inkwell sponsors: ColorCraft, Colburn House Publishing, Marketing & Graphic Design, Dimension Creative Promotions, and Marvin T. Jones Photography.
For more information about sponsorship or other questions, contact IABC/DC Metro Silver Inkwell Award co-chairs, Lauren Lawson-Zilai or Michael Clendenin at silverinkwell@iabcdcmetro.org.
2010 Washington PR Woman of the Year Honorees Selected
WWPR is pleased to announce the three honorees for this year’s Washington PR Woman of the Year Award. The winner will be selected from the following honorees at WWPR’s signature award ceremony on Wednesday, November 10 from noon to 2 p.m. at the Mandarin Oriental in Washington, D.C. Registration starts at 11 a.m.
To purchase tickets click here.
WWPR PR Woman of the Year Award Honorees:
Donna Vincent Roa, PhD, ABC, CSR-P, Managing Partner & Chief Strategist, Vincent Roa Group LLC
Johanna Schneider, Executive Director-External Relations, Business Roundtable
Debra Silimeo, Senior Vice President, Hager Sharp
Click here to read more about our honorees.
The PR Woman of the Year Award is presented to a public relations practitioner working in the Washington Metropolitan area who has demonstrated leadership, integrity and community involvement. This year marks WWPR’s 21st annual award luncheon.
Dee Dee Myers, former White House Press Secretary, will serve as the keynote speaker. Myers recently joined The Glover Park Group as Managing Director in its Public Affairs practice. She served as White House Press Secretary for two years under the Clinton administration, from 1993 to 1994, and is the first woman and second-youngest to hold that position.
Additionally, a benefit raffle will be held during the event where a portion of the raffle proceeds will go to WWPR’s pro bono client, the Children’s Law Center, the leading legal services provider in the District for at-risk children and their families.
If you would like to volunteer to help with this year’s event, please e-mail Emily Deck and Rachel Henderson, PR WOY Co-Chairs, at woy@wwpr.org.
Thank you to our 2010 sponsors!
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Johns Hopkins University MA in Communication
Bronze Sponsors
September Brown Bag Recap:
WWPR Executive Communicators Committee Brown Bag Lunch: The Latest Tech Trends and How They Impact PR
By Jeffrey D. Porro
“Eye opening” and “jaw dropping” were some of the phrases floating around the room after the October 6 Washington Women in Public Relations brown bag luncheon presented by Amy Webb, head of Webbmedia Group, an international digital strategy consultancy. Her presentation on “The Latest Tech Trends and How They Impact PR” was a rapid-fire introduction to emerging technologies that are or will be changing the way PR pros reach their key audiences.
Webb began by pointing out that “social media” is not a single technology, but at least five. She then combined descriptions of the hottest developments in mobile, e-readers, tablets, connected TV, and the web with very specific examples of how members of the audience could use them. For example, in describing the new services and networks offering “check-ins” – enabling people to use their mobile devices to let others know exactly where they are – she pointed out how a PR pro could use check-ins to leverage the demonstrations scheduled for Washington at the end of October.
She also recommended web sites and other sources that allow PR specialists to see the new tools in action and try them out. These included sites that allow users to learn a lot about a particular journalist’s interests and online profile. “Find someone’s usernames, and you can track them on all their networks,” she said.
While the technologies she reviewed were definitely cutting edge, she made clear her presentation rested on one of the most basic axioms of PR: know your audience. “If the people you want to reach are on a network or using a technology, and you’re not,” she said, “You have to change.”
Other takeaways:
• Generate engagement that’s habit forming;
• Use exclusivity and peer marketing to spread your message; and
• Make your clients’ “voice” on networks personal, not institutional.
Member Spotlight: Hillarie Turner
by Elisa O’Halloran
Hillarie Turner, a WWPR member, has more than 15 years of public relations experience in the health and science industry. Turner recently joined Environics Communications, a full-service North American public relations agency, as an account supervisor. Environics Environics Communications was founded in 1994, and has offices in Washington D.C., Toronto, and Montreal. Their expertise is in six sectors: health sciences; associations/non-profit organizations; consumer goods & services; technology/telecommunications; financial services; and sustainability & clean energy. They develop and implement integrated communications campaigns for clients.”I service the agency’s expanding roster of health care and life sciences clients, including for-profit companies and associations/nonprofit organizations,” said Turner about her new job.
Turner started working at Environics Communications in September and already feels like she has been there a lot longer! Turner adds, “My colleagues are fantastic. They are really dedicated, hard-working and very funny.” She acknowledges that effective networking helped her land her new job. “I met a “now” colleague at a WWPR event last year, so when I saw the job listed I knew about the agency,” said Turner. “My advice to other WWPR members about networking is to just get out there – serving on the WWPR board is such a great way to really know everyone. I was on the Board and then president for two years. I love seeing and staying in touch with former WWPR board members.”
In addition to the busy demands of her new job, Turner enjoys spending time with her two children, 2 and 6 years old. She also loves home design. You can find her at www.linkedin.com/in/dcmetropr and on Twitter @DCMetroPR.
Membership News
New Members
Nicole Cornish, Direct Impact/Burson-Marsteller
Jackie Dilworth, YMCA of Metropolitan Washington
Stephanie Holtzman, Jaffe PR
Emily Hughes, National Environmental Strategies
Etana-Niara Imani, Panache Public Relations LLC
Dana Korsen, Environics
Portia Palmer, Palmer Global Communication Group
Nicole Silverman, Qorvis
Manisha Vasudeva, American Red Cross
Membership Renewals
Luana Bossolo, American Psychological Association
Tammy Lemley, North American Network
Elizabeth Stuckle, Consultant
Pat Lovenhart, Lovenhart Research & Consulting
Pro Bono Client Updates & Committee News
Help the Homeless Walk on November 20
Join WWPR’s team at the Help the Homeless Walk on Saturday, November 20 to raise money for our former pro bono client, Doorways for Women and Children. To join us, log on to www.helpthehomelessdc.org, click on register, then search for our team, WWPR, then click to join. Each walker contributes $25. The registration deadline is Thursday, November 18. If you don’t wish to walk, consider making a donation to our team. Please email probono@wwpr.org if you have any questions.
Become a Santa for Children’s Law Center
WWPR’s pro bono client, Children’s Law Center has started its 2010 Adopt-a-Family Holiday Gift Drive. You can become a Santa and make a needy child’s holiday dreams come true. Santas will buy two items from the child’s wish list, shop for one clothing outfit and provide a holiday meal by purchasing a gift card. Sign up to help or get more information at www.childrenslawcenter.org or by emailing Erika Manderschied at emanderschied@childrenslawcenter.org.
The Pro Bono committee will be meeting to go through the applications we receive in nomination of new pro bono clients. If you are on the Pro Bono committee mailing list, you will be getting an email with the meeting date and place. If you would like to participate, please e-mail probono@wwpr.org to be added to our mailing list.
Emerging leaders Awards Committee News
We’re looking for a videographer to donate time to help us create an evergreen video encouraging submissions to our Emerging Leaders Awards. Please contact Lauren Lawson-Zilai, Past President and Emerging Leaders Awards Chair, at ela@wwpr.org.
Industry News
How to Back Up Your Social Media Accounts, INC. Magazine
Are We Still Talking About Pay Per Post?, Edelman
The Short Lifespan of a Tweet, Read Write Web
Employment Opportunities
Program Manager, The Advocacy Project
Communications Specialist, Home Builders Institute
Brand and Marketing Manager, Bread for the World
Spanish-speaking applicants for a mid-level management position, Chlopak, Leonard, Schechter & Associates
Account Executive, – Education Team, Hager Sharp
Chief of Marketing and Communications, AAUW (American Association of University Women)
Mid-Level Healthcare Communications Counselor, Fleishman-Hillard
Director of Media Relations, Health, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York or Washington, D.C.
Senior Press Officer, African-American Media, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, New York or Washington, D.C
Manager – Media Relations, Gibraltar Associates
Vice President of Communications, The Association of American Publishers (AAP)
