“The Strauss Media Strategies team is very proud to once again be a highest-tier platinum sponsor of WWPR and we’re honored to have been a sponsor and affiliated with WWPR for more than a decade. The firm is committed to supporting WWPR in its goals of empowering women and applaud WWPR’s mission to provide leadership opportunities, professional development, mentorship and industry networking events to its members,” says Richard Strauss, president, Strauss Media Strategies, Inc.
Strauss Media is a well-known and deeply respected name in the business of radio and television PR outreach services. Richard Strauss formed Strauss Media Strategies right here in Washington, DC following his work for three years at the White House as the nation’s first-ever White House Radio Director in the Clinton Administration and before that in the 1992 Clinton for President campaign. At the White House, Strauss was responsible for creating and implementing radio communication strategy for the Executive Office of the President. Strauss is considered one of the nation’s premier experts on radio and television public relations and political communication. Strauss is from California and graduated from UCLA with a degree in political science with a concentration in communications.
Somehow, 2018 has flown by, and my schedule is already filling up for the holiday months. To get a handle on holiday parties, family vacations and end-of-year reviews, I suggest planning now for some key WWPR events that will round out this year.
Amanda Cate – WWPR 2018 Co-President, Senior Governmental and Political Outreach Manager, American Society of Anesthesiologists
Already this month, WWPR has hosted its Annual Media Roundtable, allowing PR professionals to become familiar with current best practices in media outreach. We also brought back our Rise & Shine morning series with a morning of motivation from Philippa Hughes, and joined forces with Curley Company for a workshop on creating effective and engaging videos at Airbus. Missed any and want to catch up? Read all about it on our blog.
If you’re riding the #WomanCrushEveryday wave and looking for even more inspiration from outstanding DC communicators, buy a ticket for WWPR’s Woman of the Year Awards Luncheon on Friday, November 9. This is a must-attend event, so you’ll want to be sure you’re there for our awards presentation, silent auction, and keynote speaker (check out who you’ll hear from this year!). Pro tip for this event: ask your work if they’ll sponsor a half or full table so you can attend with your colleagues!
Are you an established professional with at least 15 years of experience in communications? You may be interested in our *new* Senior-Level Communicators series in partnership with AARP. The first breakfast, hosted by WWPR Woman of the Year and PRSA Hall of Fame honorees Martha Boudreau and Debra Silimeo, will be on November 30 and spaces are very limited.
In December, we’ll celebrate a successful year at our annual holiday party, so look out for details on that soon.
My best suggestion for how to close out 2018? Start thinking already about what you want to accomplish in 2019 and take steps towards those goals, while also appreciating what you’ve already achieved. See you on November 9 at Woman of the Year!
WASHINGTON, Oct. 24, 2018 — Today, Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is thrilled to announce the three finalists for its 29th annual Washington PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon. The organization received a record-breaking number of nominations for exceptional women leading the communications industry in the D.C. Metro area. Nominees were judged on demonstrated ability in the communications field, contributions to the community and industry leadership qualities.
The finalists for WWPR’s 2018 Woman of the Year Award are:
“We received an impressive group of nominees this year and this was an incredibly tough decision for our judges,” said Amanda Cate, Co-President of WWPR. “These three women have made exceptional contributions in their industry and in the D.C. communications community, which we look forward to celebrating during this event.”
Kirsten Suto Seckler, Chief Brand and Communications Officer of Special Olympics International, will provide keynote remarks at the event during a fireside chat with event emcee and WJLA anchor Nancy Chen. Suto Seckler was also honored as a PR Woman of the Year finalist in 2009.
“We are particularly excited to have our WWPR community hear from Kirsten at this year’s event,” said Danielle Veira, Co-President of Washington Women in Public Relations. “As a leader in mission-driven work who has made a significant impact on both the people she serves through her day job and the next generation of female communicators she inspires, Kirsten embodies what it means to communicate, collaborate and conquer.”
In partnership with lead sponsor AARP, the luncheon will be hosted on Friday, November 9, 2018, at the Fairmont Hotel. The Woman of the Year luncheon, established in 1990, is WWPR’s signature event. 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 today and follow the conversation online using the hashtag #WOY2018.
For additional information, please contact WWPR Woman of the Year committee co-chairs Taylor Leaming and Christin Lewis at woy@wwpr.org
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.
WWPR’s Hit Play Video Workshop had it all—intentional networking, a killer panel, key takeaways, and, best of all, a hands-on component. Attendees not only learned skills they can immediately apply in their job or side hustle, but also walked away with a work-in-progress video.
It’s my first time attending something like this and I’m already hoping there will be more like it.
Article written by Melinda Tolliver, WWPR Member, Manager, Digital Media, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
The program kicked off with a panel led by digital expert Caitlin Donahue, SVP at Curley Company. She was joined by Celene Di Stasio, COO & creative director of DC Visionaries and co-founder of ShortKlips, and Cristina Rayas, content creator at The Center for Community Change and writer & director of fun of TheMUES Productions.
Here were a few of my key takeaways from the panelists:
Unsurprisingly, there’s a lot going on in video production. Cristina compared video production to organizing a dinner party. One must consider: How formal is it? Are you letting them into the kitchen or just having them at the table? How will you be presenting the meal? Strategy is important when producing an effective video.
Set clear expectations. That goes for yourself, your clients, your colleagues, and your video team whether you’re client side or in-house. Caitlin pressed that all parties need to understand timelines and what you’re asking from your producer. Educate everyone about what goes into the process. Cristina has also learned that empowering individuals within her organization is a game-changer—since doing so, her colleagues have been more eager to come up with ideas and get in front of the camera.
If you’re outsourcing, avoid the common mistakes clients make. Celene implored those seeking video production companies to loop them in early in the process to ensure your video is as effective as possible. It’s what they do and they can give important feedback on audience and message targeting before you’ve committed time and resources to something that won’t work. But, trust your vision and your message—and make sure to communicate that with the videographer or producer.
And my favorite tip?
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good, because authentic video is working. Though Cristina has had a lot of success with higher production videos, she’s also seen a lot of success on social media with personal 30-45-second videos. On the producer side, Celene tells clients that, if they don’t have a big budget, start by testing short clips to find out what’s working for your audience. In her mind, the message is what’s important, not the quality.
After learning from the amazing panelists, we broke off to collaborate in small groups and produce our own videos. The goal was to build conversational content, also known as a quick clip—quick to make & quick to disappear.
To help us along, Celene and her co-founder allowed us to test ShortKlips, their online video editing platform that provides a shortcut to production by outsourcing work to a network of video producers.
My group (s/o to my amazing team!) chose to build a video around what one wished they knew before entering the communications field. Luckily, we had Cristina to help our team brainstorm and design our creative brief before we went to filming. She provided a good set of ears for bouncing ideas and insight from her experience producing similar videos.
The story we chose was inspired by one of my teammates, who described a time she surprised herself in the office. She did a fabulous job on camera as Celene walked us through how to record a high-quality, short and sweet video with just our iPhones and good lighting.
Now, as the group’s project manager, I will be working with ShortKlips to produce our video for WWPR to use—how cool is that? Not only did I walk away with immediately applicable skills, but I also got connected with five professionals in an out-of-the-box way and learned a new tech platform.
I can’t wait to share my group’s video with the WWPR community! Stay tuned for the final product on WWPR’s social media platforms and my own Twitter account (@mmptolliver).
By Lindsay Young, PR Woman of the Year Committee Member
Every year, Washington Women in PR honors one exceptional woman who has made contributions to her field and currently resides in the Washington, D.C. metro area with a special award – the Woman of the Year. Established in 1990, Woman of the Year is one of WWPR’s signature events, and a must-attend networking luncheon and ceremony for Washington’s PR community honoring the achievements of those who have reached a pinnacle in the profession.
Here are five reasons why you (Yes, YOU!) should attend:
1. It’s a Chance to Celebrate Women
Throughout the years, the WOY award has honored individuals who have displayed true leadership throughout her career – both in public relations and the community – and shown their devotion to the advancement of fellow women. And who doesn’t love celebrating successful women?! Our keynote speaker, Kirsten Suto Seckler, said it best:
“I think the Woman of the Year award is an interesting and important award. When you can highlight successful women in this industry and you can call out their achievements it is very important. This award is important, especially now more than ever.”
2. It’s a Great Networking Event
The Woman of the Year event is the premier event for women in the public relations industry in the Washington, D.C. metro region. Just picture it: You walk into the Fairmont, and it is filled with successful women who serve in executive and senior-level roles…. AND YOU! Washington D.C. has been named one of the top cities for public relations professionals and you have the chance to meet some of them. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to network with women of this caliber in your field. If you’re nervous about networking, check out some of these tips.
3. You Get to Support the Nominees and their Life’s Work
The Woman of the Year event recognizes three women who have dedicated their careers to being public relations leaders. Previous winners have held top positions in government, agencies and Fortune 500 companies; led nonprofit boards; been active in mentoring other women; and given their whole hearts to a variety of causes. Winning this award is a major success for the nominees and you are supporting them by attending the event! Previous recipient, Christina Nicols, expressed her gratitude in receiving the award: “After 25 years in communications and market research, it was a thrill to be recognized by my peers for contributions to the field. Being named WWPR’s woman of the year 2015 was especially gratifying because I have built most of my career in Washington, among so many strong, talented women and men in the industry.”
4. You Get to Attend a Cool Luncheon During the Work Day
This luncheon is decked out in encore and its attendees. It takes place at the beautiful Fairmont Hotel located in west-end D.C. You’ll have the opportunity to network with others in your field, learn more about what they are doing, as well as listen to inspirational stories and advice from leaders in our field. Last year’s WWPR president said she leaves the Woman of the Year luncheon feeling “invigorated and inspired” and “hearing the inspirational words I needed to hear.” And who doesn’t love a Friday lunch away from work?
5. FemaleCamaraderie
We love women supporting women. Women can be powerful allies for each other in their careers. The PR Woman of the Year Award acknowledges this by creating an annual experience fostering camaraderie among women in public relations. Now more than ever, it is important to mentor, support and communicate with other women in our industry. Here’s what 2016 WOY recipient, Martha Boudreau, said about the Woman of the Year event: “It is an honor to be named the Washington PR Woman of the Year and to be surrounded by so many accomplished women who share my passion for the industry. Every year this event serves as a major platform for recognizing women at all levels who are using the power of communications to inform, educate and create change. I applaud WWPR for their history of mentoring the next generation of leaders and for highlighting the work of industry leadership.”
The Washington Woman of the Year Event is for everyone. Whether you’re 20 years into your career, or just starting out, this is the perfect event to celebrate women in our field. Don’t miss the opportunity to buy your tickets! The event will be held on Friday, November 9 at 11:30 a.m. at the Fairmont Hotel. Buy yours today!
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