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Martha Boudreau Named Keynote Speaker for Washington Women in Public Relations’ Woman of the Year Luncheon

 

AARP Chief Communications & Marketing Officer and 2016 Woman of the Year to Speak at Signature Event

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR), the DC-based professional organization advancing women in communications, announced today that Martha Boudreau, chief communications and marketing officer, AARP, will deliver the keynote address for its 30th annual PR Woman of the Year celebration.

Boudreau was the 2016 WOY award recipient and, in her current role, is responsible for setting enterprise brand and communications strategy as well as unifying AARP’s voice throughout the organization’s extensive channels.

“Martha has served as a guiding light to our WWPR board and membership, offering her counsel, thought-leadership, and mentorship to the organization,” said Amanda Cate, president of Washington Women in Public Relations. “As our 2016 Woman of the Year, we couldn’t imagine a keynote speaker that is more fitting to help us look at our past, present and future.”

The Woman of the Year luncheon, which honors the achievements of those who have reached a pinnacle in their profession, is one of WWPR’s signature events and a must-attend networking luncheon for Washington’s PR community. This 2019 year marks a milestone year honoring the 30th anniversary of the event with the theme “Pearls of Wisdom” to commemorate three decades of recognizing exceptional women in the communications industry. The luncheon will be held on Friday, November 15, 2019, at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown DC. For more information, please visit: https://wwpr.org/woman-of-the-year-awards/. 

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. For more information, please visit: https://wwpr.org/.

President’s Note: October 2019

WWPR 2019 President, Senior Governmental and Political Outreach Associate Director, American Society of Anesthesiologists

As I watch the trees begin to turn colors beautiful shades this fall, it is a fitting tribute to many changes I’m currently experiencing in my personal life — all good ones, I promise!  And throughout these changes, I am thankful for the WWPR community which continues to offer support, mentorship, guidance, and friendship through it all.

Appropriate for the upcoming season of thankfulness and gratitude, I am eagerly awaiting the 30th anniversary of the Woman of the Year luncheon.  This is just one opportunity for WWPR to look back at how far the organization has developed, applaud those who have supported it along the way, and look ahead to our exciting future.  I invite you to join us at this signature event where we will hear from our keynote speaker, AARP Chief Communications and Marketing Officer and former Woman of the Year Honoree Martha Boudreau, and we will recognize the three finalists for this year’s award.  As it is our 30th anniversary, our theme this year is “Pearls of Wisdom” and we will be highlighting the past 29 Honorees and their suggestions for all of us as we continue our careers.

Looking for more ways to be involved in WWPR?  Have a suggestion about what other programming you’d like to see?  This is a friendly reminder to complete our short membership survey.  And just as I’m thankful to WWPR for supporting me through all of life’s changes, I urge you to do the same: whether you need a new mentor, you’re looking for your next gig, or you just want to make more friends in the industry.  WWPR is full of ways it can support you — you just need to know where to look!

In the meantime, if you have any suggestions for moving (anyone else in Fort Totten?), selling an apartment, or anything related to WWPR, please send me a note to president@wwpr.org.  I look forward to seeing you on November 15 at the Woman of the Year Luncheon!

Member Spotlight: Stephanie Wight

Public Relations guru Stephanie is excited to be a WWPR member and
Co-Chair of the Professional Development group 

Background in Public Relations

Stephanie currently works at The Reis Group, a boutique public relations agency that focuses solely on health, healthcare, and social issues. She’s been with the firm for seven years since graduating from college with her degree in communications (after doing a million internships!) The most challenging part of her job is making tough decisions—whether it’s a recommendation to a client or a response to a reporter—and avoiding typos while doing everything as quickly and efficiently as possible! The most exciting part of her day is always different—it could be writing a blog about a patient’s personal health story, pitching reporters on a breaking news story, brainstorming creative ideas for a campaign launch, or securing a keynote presentation for a client’s CEO.

Becoming a WWPR Member

Stephanie joined WWPR several years ago to connect with and learn from other PR professionals. She believes WWPR is a really strong organization and the leadership has always come across as very thoughtful, well-organized, and resourceful.  She joined the professional development committee to get more involved, help out, and meet new people. She believes the saying is true, “you get out of it what you put into it”. The more involved she has become in the organization, the more valuable it has been.

Keeping up on PR trends

To keep up on the latest PR trends, Stephanie joined Michael Smart’s “Inner Circle” group, a training and coaching program for PR professionals, that focuses heavily on media relations. Listening in on his monthly webinars and reading his weekly emails helps her keep up with trends. He is always exploring new strategies or new ways to approach tried and true tactics. In addition, she attends PR events and award ceremonies, like the Platinum PR Awards Gala in NYC last month, which helps spark ideas for future campaigns.

Trends in Public Relations

Stephanie sees two trends in public relations: data and owned content.  She believes data is increasingly important for news coverage, and it’s expanding beyond customized surveys and published research. Organizations can analyze their internal data to create news nuggets. Secondly, she sees that as publications cut their news staff in half, and earned media coverage is harder to place, it’s important to pay attention to owned content and think creatively about how to break through the noise to engage your target audiences.

Favorite Things to Do

Stephanie loves FOOD and exercise. She chronicles her foodie adventures on Instagram (@DC_licious), and recently ran her first 10-mile race, the Army 10-miler. She also love ClassPass (great variety in workouts!), checking out fun events or new restaurants in the city, and traveling as much as possible (this year was her “year of the bachelorettes”).

New Role with WWPR

Article was written by Florence Sumaray, Digital & Marketing Communications Expert; WWPR Member

Stephanie is excited to dive into her new role as the Co-Chair of Professional Development with WWPR! Their committee is brainstorming events for next year, so feel free to share any ideas or suggestions! Stephanie.Wight@WWPR.org.

 

 

Sitar Sustainers’ Monthly Gifts Transform Childrens’ Lives

Susannah Rosenblatt,
Founder and Chief Strategist, Rosenblatt Communications
WWPR Pro Bono Committee Member

WWPR’s nonprofit pro bono client Sitar Arts Center provides children and teens across the District with high-quality, affordable afterschool and summer enrichment opportunities in visual, performing, and digital arts. The community mainstay, which serves more than 900 young people largely from families with low incomes, depends on hundreds of donors to grow and thrive. 

That’s why every October Sitar highlights its monthly giving program, Sitar Sustainers. Sitar Sustainers create lasting, year-round change by providing a stable stream of support for the students and programs at Sitar. Sitar Sustainers make a real impact in our city: Surveys of students, alumni, and volunteers show that arts education boosts young people’s self-expression, collaboration, and confidence. And Sitar alumni are more likely to play active roles in their communities. Donating a fixed amount to Sitar every month is the easiest and most effective way to support the students at Sitar as they develop critical thinking and leadership skills through multidisciplinary art classes that help them succeed in life. 

“With Sitar, I didn’t have to worry about it,” said musician and arts professional Anjali Lalani, of her continuous monthly donations since 2012. “I knew the money was going to be used well.”

Lalani first learned about Sitar through her master’s in arts management program at American University. “I heard a lot about them, the work they did, their best practices and reliability,” she explained. “I knew about the organization and respected it.”

Lalani had already experienced firsthand the transformative power of the arts for kids while volunteering with a musical theater nonprofit in New York City. There, she witnessed children with limited resources learning to focus, be punctual, and take pride in themselves through lessons in acting, singing, and dancing. “That’s when I really started to connect afterschool arts instruction as a valuable life event with the benefit of more than just something that was fun to do,” Lalani said. 

Lalani herself enjoyed ballet and studying classical viola growing up. Her mother, also a musician, grew up with limited resources but was committed to enriching her children’s lives through pursuits ranging from theater to pottery. Lalani’s love of the arts has “been a major part of adding to the quality of my life,” she said. Her artistic inclinations have shaped her career path and hobbies: She works at the National Museum of African American History and Culture as the Smith Fund Interns and Fellows Program Administrator and plays viola in a quartet. “The arts training I had helped me a lot in my regular life, learning skills like discipline and passion.”

Those formative experiences solidified Lalani’s support of Sitar’s mission to bring the arts to diverse Washington, D.C. families and help young people reach their full potential. This month Sitar joins 25,000 national Afterschool Alliance partners in Lights on Afterschool, a national advocacy day that shines a light on the importance of sustainable afterschool programs like Sitar’s. The nearly two decade-old movement unites 1 million Americans in rallies nationwide to guarantee kids have access to quality, affordable afterschool activities.

In Lalani’s view, Sitar is vital to D.C.’s small but vibrant arts scene. Here in Washington, Lalani is grateful for the array of accessible, family-friendly cultural activities⁠—including Sitar: “Sitar is an organization I can give to and feel good about.” 

To join the Sitar Sustainers monthly giving community, visit https://donatenow.networkforgood.org/sitarsustainer. 

Press Release: WWPR Announces Finalists For 2019 Washington PR Woman of the Year Award

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WASHINGTON, DC (October 9, 2019) — Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) announced today the three finalists for its Woman of the Year Award. This 2019 year marks the 30th anniversary since WWPR introduced the esteemed award, which was created to recognize senior-level PR practitioners reaching the pinnacle of their career and who have contributed tremendously to the industry, their community and served as mentors in the field. 

The 2019 Woman of the Year Award Finalists are:

  • Maura Corbett, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Glen Echo Group
  • KayAnn Schoeneman, Marketplace Leader and Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, Ketchum
  • Susan Waldman, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Meals on Wheels America

“This year marks a major milestone for our organization and the professionals who have been a part of this incredible celebration, fostering leadership across the communications industry here in DC and beyond,” said Amanda Cate, President of WWPR. “As we applaud these individuals for their hard work and dedication, we also extend our applause to the community and to those who surround our finalists because we all know success cannot be achieved alone.”

The finalists will be recognized and one honoree will be named at the annual luncheon on Friday, November 15 from 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the Hotel Fairmont Washington D.C. Georgetown. In honor of the 30th anniversary, this year’s theme is “Pearls of Wisdom” to commemorate three decades of recognizing exceptional women in the communications industry. This unique luncheon offers both seasoned and emerging industry leaders the opportunity to network and exchange personal and professional experiences of other women in the business, how they got there and what it takes to excel in our industry.

The organization received a wide-breadth of nominations of exceptional women leading the communications industry in the D.C. Metro area. Nominees were selected by a panel of judges and evaluated on their demonstrated ability in the communications field, contributions to the community and industry leadership qualities.

The Woman of the Year luncheon, established in 1990, is one of WWPR’s signature events. It is an annual experience fostering camaraderie among women in public relations, culminating in this must-attend event that honors the achievements of those who have reached a pinnacle in the profession.

Register to attend the event and follow the conversation using the hashtag #WOY2019. For additional information, please contact WWPR Woman of the Year committee co-chairs Taylor Leaming and Jacqueline Wilson at woy@wwpr.org.

About Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR)

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.

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