Nominations Now Open for Washington PR Woman of the Year 

Know a PR visionary who is deserving of the title “Woman of the Year?” Now is your chance to honor her by submitting a nomination for the 2017 Washington PR Woman of the Year awards – taking place on Friday, November 17.

Established in 1990, Woman of the Year is WWPR’s signature event, and a must-attend networking luncheon and ceremony for Washington’s PR community honoring the achievements of those who define the true meaning of “WomanUp” and have reached a pinnacle in the profession.

Nominating is easy; simply submit a recommendation and current resume for your nominee on our website.

​To learn more about eligibility requirements and submit your nomination, visit: https://wwpr.org/womanup-dc/

Nominations close on Thursday, August 31. Contact woy@wwpr.com with any questions.

Member Spotlight: Sarah Beccio and Her Dedication to Native Causes

This month’s Member Spotlight is on Sarah Beccio, who recently launched her own female Native-owned strategic communications and public relations company to fill what she felt was a need in her community. Sarah chatted with WWPR about her passion for Native American relations, new venture, and her morning routine.

Passion for Native American Relations

Even before stepping out on her own, Sarah’s career was focused in Native American relations. Her first position was at the National Congress of American Indians where she worked as a communications associate. During her time here, she worked with the White House on the Generation Indigenous Initiative and put together the first-ever Tribal Youth Gathering – which she describes as an incredible experience.

From there, she moved on to the Department of Interior as a public relations specialist at Indian affairs, then onto the National Indian Gaming Commission as the director of public affairs.

Her New Venture

The mission of Sarah’s business, Indigecomms, was inspired by a clear need in the Native community. There was a recent incident when a tribe was facing a crisis and needed professional assistance, but found that the PR firms they turned to lacked a clear understanding of sovereignty and the cultural sensitivity to assist the tribe in dealing with mainstream media. That’s where she found her niche.

Since then, Indigecomms has started assisting professional sports teams on their Native American outreach among other projects, including a budding partnership with Running Start.

In addition to her business, Sarah is filling another need in the Native community. Along with her brother, she’s recently started a nonprofit organization aimed at Native American youth called Codetalkers. Her mission is to educate and support the next generation of code talkers.

What She Loves About WWPR

Sarah’s favorite thing about being involved with WWPR is the collaboration of backgrounds and experiences. She appreciates that the organization brings together a great group of women who empower and support each other. As a member of WWPR’s Professional Development Committee, she provides her expertise and assistance in setting up for the different events put on by the committee.

Outside the Office

When she’s not at the office, you can find Sarah sampling new restaurants or exploring the great outdoors. Additionally, she values spending time with friends and family, most notably at a weekly sushi date with a group of close friends. She describes it as her time to relax and catch up, and lean on an important support system.

In the morning… 

Sarah’s number one priority when she wakes up? Checking what’s on Twitter. Additionally, she likes to get her workouts in early: her current obsession is with OrangeTheory Fitness, but she’s also been known to hit an early morning SoulCycle or SolidCore class. Post-workout she’ll stop by Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks, then hop in the shower while listening to NPR. Off to work after that!

Article by Melinda Tolliver, a digital communications specialist who has worked in a variety of settings throughout her career. She loves the thrill of stringing together powerful, eloquent messages in under 140 characters, and creating thoughtful visuals to go with it. Her current position is with the Association of American Law Schools as a digitally-focused communications coordinator. Follow her tweets and ‘grams at @mmptolliver.

#WomanUpDC and Secure Your Spot for WWPR’s #ELA2017 Today

Early bird registration for this year’s Emerging Leaders Awards is happening now! The cost of registration is currently $35 for members and $45 for non-members. Early bird pricing ends on Saturday, August 12, so make sure you register today.

In the meantime, mark your calendars to join us at WeWork White House on Tuesday, September 12 from 6:30-8:30PM! We can’t wait to honor the bold and courageous women who showcase what it means to WomanUp on a daily basis.

For additional information about the WWPR Emerging Leaders Awards, visit here or email the WWPR Emerging Leaders Awards co-chairs, Sabrena Pringle and Sara Tuman, at ela@wwpr.org.

You can help us spread the word on social media using the hashtags #WomanUpDC and #ELA2017.  See you at this year’s Emerging Leaders Awards!

Successful Transitions – Profile of Bright Beginnings Teacher Denise Day

Denise Day starts her mornings at Bright Beginnings by keeping an eye out for a specific child.  She greets all the kids and their parents as they come in, offering a warm welcome to everyone as they arrive at the center.  She knows that this specific child has a harder time than the others in the morning, often arriving frustrated and upset.  Denise rushes over to comfort the toddler and her mother when they arrive, attempting to make the transition as smooth as possible.

Comforting people through transitions both big and small is part of what Denise does best in her toddler classroom.  She got to know her toddlers and their parents when she was in the infant classroom and moved over to the toddler classroom to provide continuity of care.  “Denise is very adaptive in her work with infants and toddlers, and her strong passion for working with young children provides rich opportunities to develop for the toddler age group,” said Yasmin Shaffi, the education manager at Bright Beginnings.

Denise proudly tells a recent developmental success story of a child who just learned to walk in her classroom.  “She came to the center at age one, and wasn’t walking or standing.  She was pretty shaky.  I encouraged her, worked with her, and tried to build her self-esteem – now she’s walking all over the place!”

Success stories at Bright Beginnings are very familiar to Denise – she’s one herself.  She started as a parent at Bright Beginnings in 1996, using their services for her two young daughters and taking advantage of the resources available for parents.  She became a parent aide while she was working to get her GED and then transitioned to a full time teacher when she earned her Child Development Associate (CDA) with an Infant and Toddler endorsement.  Currently, Denise is completing her associate’s degree in early childhood at the University of the District of Columbia.  Her experiences allow her to encourage parents and to create a positive, welcoming environment that’s focused on the future.

One of the unique things about Bright Beginnings is their holistic view on the family and their support for parents.  Through initiatives like the parent resource center, support groups, and providing parent and child learning opportunities in the home environment, Bright Beginnings helps parents move toward self-sufficiency while ensuring children are ready to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.  There’s a huge demand for their services; Bright Beginnings has started construction on a second center that will allow them to meet more of the demand for infants and toddlers.  It wouldn’t be possible without teachers like Denise.

“She collaborates with co-teachers, she’s supportive and motivated to improve our services, and she has great relationships with the parents,” said Shaffi.  It’s clear that the parents and staff at Bright Beginnings appreciate Denise and the work she does, but that sentiment goes both ways.  When asked what she’d say to the parents, she said “I would thank them for allowing me to work with their children.  They are their child’s first teacher.  I try to share my story to encourage them, I assure them that their children are safe, and I support them however I can.”

Need PR? Apply to be WWPR’s next pro bono client!

Are you a DC metro nonprofit serving local women and/or children? Do you need help getting the word out about the work you do?

Apply to be WWPR’s next pro bono client and get services like:

  • strategic planning
  • branding
  • messaging
  • media training
  • media outreach and monitoring
  • event planning
  • digital communication and/or website support
  • social media engagement

Since 1993, the WWPR pro bono committee has worked with 501(c) 3 organizations that give back to women and children in the DC metro community. For the past three years, the committee partnered with Bright Beginnings, Inc. (BBI), which assists homeless infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families.

“The pro bono services offered by WWPR were extremely valuable to Bright Beginnings. WWPR provided guidance, when drafting communications and marketing literature, revamping a press list, or sending media alerts,” said Dr. Marla M. Dean, Executive Director/CEO of BBI.

WWPR’s goal is to provide professional development and networking opportunities for PR practitioners in the Washington, DC metro area who are women. That’s why its more than 350 members are passionate about amplifying other local organizations whose missions also support women.

It’s this passion that drove the committee in 2016 to jump on opportunities to help BBI secure news coverage of its 25th anniversary and opening of a new center in Ward 8, launch its #BrightFuturesatBBI social media campaign and brainstorm concepts for a new promotional video.

Previous WWPR pro bono clients include the Financial Literacy Organization for Women & Girls, the Children’s Law Center, DC Rape Crisis Center, Safe Shores–the DC Children’s Advocacy Center, and Thrive DC.

Let the WWPR pro bono committee members put their passion to work for your organization, too! Apply for the 2018 and 2019 term, and become the next WWPR Pro Bono Client. The deadline is August 7, 2017. Please note: the deadline has been extended to midnight August 7 to allow interested applicants more time to submit the required materials. Read eligibility requirements and download the application here.

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