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WWPR Board Proposed Bylaws Changes

Updated 01/04/2018

The WWPR Board voted to propose the following updates to the organization’s bylaws noted below in bold font. These proposed changes will be up for a vote to the WWPR members at the Annual Meeting on January 25, 2018.

2017 Proposed Bylaws changes:

Proposed change to Article V, The Board, Section 1: The Board Chairs shall be comprised of a maximum of 21 WWPR members in good standing, elected by the attendees at the Annual Meeting and Board Induction Lunch of WWPR.

Proposed change to Article V: The Board, Section 2: Chairs shall be elected for a term of one year and then may request in writing a second term in that position to the President, Vice President, and Past President. A written request must also be sent to the above named if a Chair wishes to stay on the Board for a second term, but in a different position. It is up to the discretion of the President, Vice President, and Past President to decide if individuals will stay on the board in any position for more than one year on the Board.

Proposed change to Article VI: Board Chairs, Section 1: The Chairs of WWPR Shall be a President, a Vice President, a Past President, Content Strategy Chair, Digital Strategy Chair, Membership Chair(s), Pro Bono Chair(s), PR Woman of the Year Chair(s), Professional Development Chair(s), Emerging Leader Award Chair(s), a Secretary, Sponsorship Chair(s), a Treasurer, and other chairs as needed to maintain operations for WWPR (up to the maximum allowed board positions). These are responsible for the management of the organization, and each is elected for a one-year term. Board Chairs must be WWPR members in good standing.

President’s Note: November

We’ve had a terrific #WomanUp year, culminating in celebrating three accomplished 2017 Woman of the Year Finalists on November 17:

  • Kathy Baird – Managing Director of Content and Social, North America, Ogilvy & Mather  
  • Amy DeMaria – Senior Vice President of Communications, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
  • Samantha Villegas – President, SaVi PR, LLC

These women embody the heart of #WomanUp, of being bold, courageous, and persevering through even the most difficult challenges in both work and life.

Congratulations to Amy DeMaria for being named 2017 Woman of the Year Honoree! Thanks for inspiring all of us!

One of the things I most enjoy is the invigoration and inspiration I take away from Woman of the Year. I always leave the room having heard words I needed to hear, like “open your own door” to help yourself in your career. Don’t wait for someone else to help you or rescue you–be your own heroine.

This year keynote speaker Evan Ryan, Executive Vice President of Axios, shared empowering words about women leaders and confronting workplace harassment. Her message encouraged all of us to fight this pernicious problem and noted the recent strides made on this issue.

She also tied her remarks into the #WomanUp theme. As WWPR has explored what it means to #WomanUp, we have celebrated bold, courageous, and resilient women who make a difference every day in both their professional careers and personal lives. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves and how we persevere through even the most difficult challenges.

We’ve learned about being bold and creative, maintaining our confidence, taking risks, and acting despite fears or uncertainty, and persisting through difficulties and even failures. We’ve learned that #WomanUp doesn’t mean perfection or easy achievement, but instead means enduring, learning, and growing.

The last question left to explore: why do we #WomanUp? When we look around our community–we can see many answers. We do it to make the world better; to improve our communities. We do it to support our families. We do it for causes great and small. We do it to solve problems or because we see something that needs to be done. We do it because we are ambitious. We do it because that is just who we are as women leaders.

So thanks to all of you for all that you do to #WomanUp! Keep up this great and hard work–and know that WWPR supports you.

Thanks to Mary McGinty and Elise Perkins, our co-chairs for Woman of the Year, for putting on a gorgeous and memorable event! Thank you all to the Fairmont Hotel for being terrific venue hosts. Thanks to premiere event sponsor AARP and our other supporting event sponsors. And deepest thanks to WWPR’s annual sponsors for making this and all of our events possible.

We hope to see you for our final WWPR event–the annual Holiday Party on December 19th at Mission!

Best,

Kelly-Mack-US-Department-Health-Human-Services-2

 

 

 

Kelly Mack, 2017 WWPR President

WWPR Names Amy DeMaria 2017 PR Woman of the Year

November 20, 2017 — Washington, DC — Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) named Amy DeMaria, senior vice president of communications at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the 2017 PR Woman of the Year.

DeMaria was announced as this year’s awardee at the 28th annual Washington PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon on Friday, November 17, 2017, at the Fairmont Hotel.

The event, hosted in partnership with lead sponsor AARP, honored three finalists who have reached a pinnacle in the profession. This year’s finalists included DeMaria; Kathy Baird, managing director of content and social, North America, Ogilvy & Mather; and Samantha Villegas, president, SaVi PR, LLC.

“Each year, we are overwhelmed by the impressive talent our Woman of the Year event highlights,” said WWPR President Kelly Mack. “All of these women are examples of excellence in communications and we are thrilled to have Amy, a woman who uses her gifts to passionately advocate for others, as our 2017 PR Woman of the Year.”

“Woman Up,” WWPR’s 2017 theme for the luncheon, was woven throughout the event. Keynote speaker Evan Ryan, executive vice president of Axios, centered her remarks on a call to action for all women to “Woman Up” and support each other—whether in solidarity against a culture of sexual harassment or in joining forces to empower emerging leaders.

2016 Woman of the Year and AARP’s Executive Vice President and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer Martha Boudreau applauded the accomplishments of the three finalists and passed the baton on to DeMaria.

“I am beyond honored to receive this award, and it’s especially humbling in Washington, DC, home to some of the world’s most talented and accomplished women,” said DeMaria. “The award recognizes not only my work, but also the contributions of my talented team, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the people whose lives are affected by this disease every day.” 

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 and honoring the most talented women in the field. The event also highlights the organization’s commitment to serving the surrounding community with proceeds from the annual raffle going to WWPR’s pro bono client. This year’s raffle proceeds went to support 2017 pro bono client Bright Beginnings, Inc.

In the wake of the devastating hurricane and wildfire season this year, WWPR also presented a $1,000 donation to the American Red Cross. The donation was accepted at the luncheon by American Red Cross’ Vice President of Communications Elizabeth Penniman who shared some of the relief efforts that the organization has led and continues to lead in communities across the country.

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.

# # #

Let’s raise a glass—and some cash—for BBI!

This has been a devastating year for a lot of people around the globe: victims of flooding in Texas, wildfires on the West Coast and hurricanes in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Americans rose to the occasion to help their fellow citizens across the country. But, we shouldn’t forget our neighbors—families living right here in the DC metro who are in need.

Many of you are by now no doubt familiar with WWPR’s pro bono client, Bright Beginnings, Inc. (BBI). This Giving Tuesday, WWPR is hosting a special happy hour event in partnership with Bar Louie to raise money for the group.

On November 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Bar Louie DC (701 7th Street NW), 20 percent of happy hour sales from WWPR and our guests will be donated to BBI. We will have the sidebar area—with its own full bar and menu—reserved for the event, and WWPR plans to provide some appetizers!

Our goal is to raise $200 for BBI, so the more the merrier! Come out and bring your friends, family, roommates, coworkers and/or significant others. There’s no admission fee for the event, but a flyer is required for entrance. You can download the flyer, which also includes details about the event, here.

We hope you’ll come out and join us to have some fun, meet some of the staff of BBI and support them in their wonderful work to encourage literacy in young children from underprivileged DC families!

To learn more about BBI’s mission to end homelessness for families and provide early education to young children, visit www.brightbeginningsinc.org.

3 Ways to Make Your Pitches Stand Out

Article by Whitney Richardson, Director of Agency Communications, Northern Virginia Family Service
Twitter: @wprich

There’s no “one size fits all” for media outreach. Make sure you know who you’re contacting and what they’re looking for.

If there’s one thing this year’s WWPR Annual Media Roundtable proved, it’s the importance of knowing the person you’re pitching. Each reporter and editor has his or her personal preference for how and when to contact them, whether it’s how you address them, what type of punctuation you use or how much information to include in your email.

“Brevity is always best,” noted Delece Smith-Barrow (@DeleceWrites), education reporter for U.S. News and World Report. One 250-word paragraph gets to the point, and should include important data, dates and sources. Most media professionals are reading your pitch on their phones, so the easier you make it to skim, the more likely it will be read.

Particularization in contact and outreach is as much a part of efficiency as it is protecting reputation and brand, both for the media outlet and the media professional. Blasts from an unknown source can look suspicious, for example, from a security and a reliability standpoint. The more personalized it is, the more likely it will spark a conversation.

Looking for more ways to make your communications stand out? Try one of these tips:

  • Visuals: Nicholas Johnston (@AxiosNick), editor at Axios, noted his envy for great visual representations of data, such as a fascinating stat or emerging trend. PR practitioners should consider what numbers are most compelling in their pitches and find a way to tell that story visually.
  • Expert sources: Angela Greiling-Keane (@agreilingkeane), deputy tech editor at POLITICO Pro, lamented the deep sourcing that her competitors are able to accomplish in areas her department doesn’t cover. Similar sources for her beats would be extremely helpful. Even if a story has already broken, the panelists agreed that, for certain platforms, a timely follow-up pitch for an expert source can be helpful for future pieces.
  • Podcasts: Clinton Yates (@clintonyates), contributor for The Undefeated and co-host of ESPN’s The Morning Roast, forecasted podcasts would continue to grow in the next five years as part of individual brands. PR practitioners can put them together themselves, with the caveat that subscribers will most likely be people who have already bought into the brand, or pitch to podcasts hosts, such as the column- and beat-specific podcasts POLITICO Pro produces, to reach a broader audience.

One thing all four panelists agreed on: The press release isn’t dead. There’s a time and a place for the information included, even if it’s simply as a record of an event. Just don’t forget to add the date it was released.

“It’s one of my pet peeves,” Smith-Barrow stated. “If a press release doesn’t have the a date, I can’t tell how timely it is. But they’re typically well-written and have all of the information in them.”

 

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