What is Running Start, and why has WWPR chosen it as a pro bono client?
Running Start is a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to inspiring young women to run for political office. WWPR selected Running Start for our 2024-2025 pro bono partnership to empower and elevate the next generation of female leaders in politics, aligning with our commitment to support women and children in the D.C. area. It is important to note that politics is the core of their mission, not just leadership.
We asked CEO and founder, Susannah Wellford, for her favorite story on an alum’s success. She said, “We all know what people want to hear – a few years ago the first congresswoman who went through Running Start was elected, Lauren Underwood. Very exciting for sure. But that isn’t the measure of who we are. We have trained 27,500 alums, all of whom are active in doing things that make us proud, even though all aren’t elected to office.” She is proud that Running Start prepares women for political leadership, whether they run for Congress, serve in a nonprofit, or speak out in student government.
How can WWPR members contribute to this partnership? Running Start needs your expertise. They have very little in-house support for communications but a big story to tell! Your skills – especially in messaging, media relations, digital communications, branding, and crisis communications – can significantly impact Running Start’s mission, enhancing its visibility and influence. If interested, sign-up to join the Pro Bono committee here!
What are the expected outcomes of the collaboration between WWPR and Running Start? The partnership aims to boost Running Start’s reach and effectiveness, enabling more young women to receive the training and support they need to pursue political leadership.
How does this partnership benefit WWPR members? Working with Running Start provides a unique opportunity for professional growth and networking. Members can apply their skills in a new context, gain insights into the nonprofit sector and political communications, and contribute to meaningful societal change.
Where can members learn more or sign up to get involved with Running Start? For more information or to join the Pro Bono Committee’s efforts with Running Start, sign-up for the Pro Bono committee here contact Kelsey Flora (kelsey.flora@wwpr.org) or Alicia Aebersold (alicia.aebersold@wwpr.org). Read more about Running Start at runningstart.org.
21 DC-area female communicators will be recognized on June 18, 2024 at the 14th annual awards ceremony; Seven winners will be revealed during the awards event
WASHINGTON, June 6, 2024 – Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR), a professional development and networking organization for female communicators in the nation’s capital, today announces the finalists for its 14th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards (ELAs).
The ELAs honor outstanding rising stars, ages 25-35, in the Washington, D.C. metro area who have excelled in communications and related fields. The 21 finalists are grouped into the following categories: Small/Boutique Agency, Mid-Size Agency, Large/Global Agency, Government, Non-Profit, Corporate and Trade Association. One winner from each category will be revealed on Tuesday, June 18, at the annual awards ceremony.
This year’s finalists represent the top three candidates in each of the seven categories, as determined by a distinguished panel of judges. The 2024 ELA finalists are:
Grace Venes-Escaffi, specialist, CES and industry communications, Consumer Technology Association
Jen Bristol, senior director of communications, Solar Energy Industries Association
Laura Ambrosio, manager, policy communications, Consumer Technology Association
“The 2024 Emerging Leaders Awards celebrate the next era of women in communications,” said Chelsea Echavarria, President, WWPR. “This year’s finalists represent how robust the communications field truly is. We are proud to honor women, year after year, who are changing the landscape and empowering their communities and other professionals. We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments.”
Renowned D.C. journalist and Washington Correspondent for Cox Media Group (CMG) Kirstin Garriss will serve as the keynote speaker for this year’s event. The awards celebration will be held at 1000 Maine at The Wharf June 18 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Reserve your spot today.
Sponsorship opportunities can be found here or by contacting sponsorships@wwpr.org.
ABOUT WASHINGTON WOMEN IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is a member-based professional society cultivating and inspiring female communicators to reach their full potential in the DC market and beyond. The organization is committed to providing leadership opportunities, professional development, mentorship, and industry networking. Visit us at wwpr.org, connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @WWPR and on Instagram @WWPRDC.
For more information: Contact Emerging Leaders Awards Co-Chairs Ranata Reeder and Charmaine Riley at ela@wwpr.org.
Mental health researcher Patrick Corrigan has long maintained that one of the biggest stigma-busters is interaction with individuals who have lived experience with mental illness. As communicators, we know firsthand how positive personal storytelling can open hearts, minds and conversations about mental health and other sensitive or stigmatized issues.
I’ve spent many years as a “story facilitator,” guiding youth and adults through the process of sharing their mental health recovery journeys — always with a mutual eye toward diminishing prejudice and fostering help-seeking behaviors. What I’ve learned is that revealing these stories can come at a great cost to the story owners. They often are told how helpful sharing will be for an audience, but not how painful it might be or the consequences it can carry.
Mental Health Awareness Month is an opportunity to focus on storytelling that highlights the journeys of people who have experienced challenges like mental illness, abuse, suicidal ideation or trauma. A laser focus during this time can yield valuable attention and resources for these issues. Most people with lived experience want to share their testimony in service of the greater good. As story facilitators, we also have a responsibility to ensure that story owners are protected during this process and understand the value and potential price of what they’re sharing.
The best way to approach story facilitation is to view people with lived experience as fellow professionals, acknowledging their right to control how and when their stories are shared. Over the years, generous story partners have helped me hone advice for working with mental health story owners, as well as other individuals who are considering revealing personal experiences for the benefit of others.
Establish boundaries. First-time storytellers are often eager to help others by sharing their journeys. In some cases, they can be blinded by this motivation. Encourage story owners to think about what aspects they want to share — not everything has to be fair game. For example, would sharing a traumatic family experience have unanticipated personal or professional repercussions? Will sharing certain details put them in legal jeopardy? Could recounting their experiences impact their own wellbeing?
Control consent. Allow the story owner to control how their content is shared. Be prepared with an agreement that includes the intended platforms, formats and audiences for the story. Provide a time limit on how long your organization can use the story without permission or updates.
Find purpose. Work with story owners to identify the goal of sharing, then help them refine the story to ensure that the most salient points are included. Not all stories have to start at the beginning.
Look for objectivity. Communicators and advocates know what stories “sell,” which means that we might not be completely objective when we’re helping story owners find their comfort zone. Advise them to seek the counsel of family, friends or a mental health provider to determine what they want to reveal about their journey. They will be able to help identify areas where an individual’s vulnerability could have consequences.
Encourage openness and honesty. Even if someone has fully prepared for their story debut, the act of sharing can make them feel exposed. Remind them that, if they’re caught off guard by their own emotions, it’s OK to reveal that to the audience. It’s also perfectly fine to end the experience, if needed. Self-protection should be paramount, and the ultimate decision about how to do that should lie with the story owner.
Brenda K. Foster, M.P.A., is a senior vice president at Vanguard Communications in Washington, D.C., and an instructor for the graduate program at American University’s School of Communications. She was named a PR News Top Woman in PR and was a finalist for WWPR Woman of the Year.
May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month and National Foster Care Month. Foster parenting is when an adult provides temporary care for children who are unable to live with their biological parents for reasons such as abandonment, neglect, abuse, or parental incarceration. Becoming a foster parent was a full-circle moment for me. Born and raised in Washington D.C., I spent time in foster care as a young child until being formally adopted by my paternal grandparents. Being able to provide a haven for at-risk youth was a calling I always knew I wanted to fulfill.
I was serving as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair for WWPR when late one afternoon, my partner and I received our first placement call for a vivacious 12-year-old girl with noted mental health challenges. Having an institutionalized mother, and a father who felt incapable of caring for the child’s needs, she arrived shakily at our doorsteps but was too fearful to come inside our home. After some coaxing from her social worker, she listened as I assured her that I understood her fears and revealed much of her story mirrored my own. We eventually were able to show her to her new bedroom. Today, we are currently fostering our third child. Our latest placement occurred after their biological mom, who suffers from severe mental health issues, became incarcerated.
Currently, D.C. has nearly 2,500 children who have been placed in either traditional or in-home foster care. Nearly all the children are Black (82%) or Hispanic (16%).
Black adults in the U.S. are more likely than White adults to report persistent symptoms of emotional distress. Yet Black people are far less likely to seek care for mental health issues. Statistics reveal that about 25% of Black Americans seek mental health treatment, compared to 40% of White Americans.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, some barriers to mental health care include:
Black people have historically been negatively affected by prejudice and discrimination in the U.S. healthcare system. We are less likely to receive guideline-consistent care. Provider bias, both conscious and unconscious, and a lack of cultural competency can result in misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment. This ultimately leads to mistrust of mental health professionals and creates a barrier for many to engage in treatment.
Black adults are underrepresented in medical research. In 2020, only 8% of participants in trials for new therapeutic biologics and molecular entities were Black.
Socioeconomic factors can make treatment options less available.
In nearly every foster care placement call we have received, mental health illness has undoubtedly played a significant role.
As a byproduct of the foster care system myself, and a communications professional for the World Bank, I feel especially equipped to speak to children who are in the throes of displacement. As a foster parent, I listen with empathy, use patience, and always try to lead with positive reinforcement. I make a point to create a safe space to share feelings – the good, the bad, and the ugly feelings. We speak of therapy in a positive light and acknowledge mental health wellness as important as physical health. Many foster children will be subjected to therapy at some point while in the system, so it’s important to me that they enter those rooms without shame. According to the American Society for the Positive Care of Children, adolescents with foster care experience are diagnosed with PTSD at twice the rate of U.S. war veterans.
Recently, we received a standard home check-in from the Child and Family Service Agency. Social workers will often stop by your home to do wellness checks on the children you have in care. I left the room to give them privacy and allow for honest responses. Perhaps the most gratifying moment of my life came when the social worker asked our current foster kid what she does when she feels unsafe or scared. I was later informed that her response was, “tell Ms. Jewel.”
Jewel McFadden is a publications officer at the World Bank and 2023 WWPR DEI chair.
The public relations field is exhilarating – the adrenaline rush of scoring a major media hit, the dopamine boost of an interview opportunity, the thrill of a press mention. But for those of us with ADHD, that very excitement and its inevitable emotional peaks and valleys can be a double-edged sword. The ups are incredibly rewarding, but the downs can be mentally and physically crippling. After being diagnosed with ADHD two years into my first PR role, I’ve learned some hard lessons about protecting my well-being in this fast-paced, high-stress industry.
Recently, I experienced a breaking point that crystallized how unsustainable my coping methods had become. One mistake, seemingly minor in hindsight, left me in the fetal position on the couch, wracked with tears I couldn’t control. In that moment, I realized no amount of late nights, early mornings, or frantic inbox monitoring could compensate for unmanaged ADHD in a career that trades on urgency, multitasking, and emotional volatility.
PR and any professional services can be challenging for many reasons. We’re constantly on the lookout for the next press hit or interview opportunity. It is mentally taxing to be pulled in many directions, often with multiple matters needing your attention at the same time.
For those of us with ADHD brains, public relations presents unique challenges. While stressful, it is also extremely satisfying. Watching a client get mentioned in the news, hearing about a new opportunity to get media, getting that cold email from a reporter, or getting that surprise news mention that almost never happens. Knowing I am making a difference for them—this is the part I love.
Our ability to think differently and make unique connections gives those of us with ADHD a creative edge for developing fresh pitches and uncovering compelling story angles. Our tendency to approach solving problems in unconventional ways that our neurotypical colleagues might not can greatly benefit client teams. When we’re interested in a subject, our ability to hyperfocus makes tasks like crafting persuasive op-eds truly enjoyable. ADHD can be a superpower in this field.
However, working in PR subjects you to activities that spike your dopamine, like being on your phone. Dopamine production does not happen for people with ADHD the same way it does for neurotypical people. We also take rejection and criticism very hard – which comes as part of the job. It’s addicting and fun, and if you’re not careful, the crash can be devastating.
Jen Peters, Senior Associate at Collaborative Communications Group
While this career comes with built-in stressors for the ADHD mind, I’ve found strategies to safeguard my well-being:
Trust your gut – If you feel like something is wrong, follow your instinct. Mental health issues are hard enough on their own and can be very difficult to get help when you need it, in the way you need it. Take it from me – don’t wait until you’re sobbing on the couch. Make the call to your doctor, tell a colleague you need to take a break. Trust that you know what you need in the moment – and then do it.
Do something else – You need to take a break. Some mental health professionals recommend a digital detox, which seems impossible to people who work in PR – because what if we miss that call or email? The reality is, you’ll burn out if you don’t. Take one intentional break from devices during the day. For me, I have incorporated an hour of reading a book before bed. And I try to limit screen time by walking the dogs and listening to podcasts or audiobooks for at least two hours after I wrap up work.
Use the new AI tool and don’t feel guilty about it – I recently started incorporating more AI tools into my workflow, and I’m not sure if it’s the reformed Catholic guilt, guilt from being a woman who feels like she can’t ask for help, or my Capricorn Sun, but I sometimes insanely guilty. The reality is, AI is here, and if there are ways to hack my life (responsibly), it’s worth it to stress a little less. Sometimes, I ask ChatGPT to summarize an article and draft a social post. All of the time, I let Grammarly check for my typos and make suggestions.
Remember: You are worth more than your engagement outcomes –You know the feeling of sending out a great story idea and not getting any attention? That crushing letdown? Remember, securing media coverage doesn’t dictate your value, especially in a media environment that is becoming increasingly competitive.
Taming the PR emotional rollercoaster requires self-awareness, self-compassion, and protective habits. It’s an ongoing journey, but one that allows me to thrive in a field I love without sacrificing my mental health. For my fellow ADHD public relations professionals, know you aren’t alone in this battle – with the right coping toolkit, we can conquer the unique demands of this career. And at the very least, please know you’re not alone.
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