| In This Issue |
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Emerging Leaders Awards: Get Involved! Recap: Nonprofit and Philanthropy Communications Panel |
| From the President |
 Dear WWPR friends,
I’m so pleased to be serving as WWPR President this year. Over the years, I’ve come to rely on the professional development and networking opportunities provided by WWPR and it’s an honor to be at the head of the table as we launch another year.
We’re already off to a great start! We had an exceptional keynote speaker at our Annual Meeting in January, Martha Boudreau, who shared valuable insights for being successful in the communications field. A key takeaway was that the skills needed to be successful in our career will change constantly. Thankfully, WWPR’s wide range of monthly events offer communicators the opportunities to arm themselves with a growing list of skillsets. [Read more tips from Martha]
Our first professional development event of the year, “Nonprofit & Philanthropy Communications,” sold out right away with 150 registrants. We received incredible feedback from the panelists and attendees, which confirms that WWPR is continuing to address the ever-changing challenges in the communications industry.
It was wonderful to see many familiar faces at our Annual Meeting and nonprofit panel discussion. WWPR is an incredible resource for both professional growth and for relationship building. Our events tend to be small in size so attendees can have the opportunity to meet one another and nurture friendships. I know many deep and valuable relationships that have been fostered and strengthened by WWPR. As 2014 President, I plan to reinforce and strengthen this sense of community among our members, sponsors and partners, while also working with the Board of Directors to make sure we’re meeting the changing needs of our membership.
I invite you to reach out to me directly (lauren@wwpr.org) and share your suggestions and/or thoughts for the upcoming year. Also, if you’re interested in getting more involved with WWPR, please join one of our committees. We have an exciting roster of events set up for the year and I look forward to seeing many of you.
In closing, I’d like to thank our 2013 Co-Presidents Tina Beaty and Kendra Kojcsich. Tina and Kendra have shown unfaltering dedication to WWPR.
Thank you and I look forward to another successful year!
Lauren Smith Dyer 2014 WWPR President
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| Emerging Leaders Awards: Join the Committee! |
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Interested in getting more involved with WWPR? The Emerging Leaders Awards (ELA) co-chairs are looking for dedicated members to join the ELA committee. Join us and help make the 2014 ELAs another great success!
Committee members will support the ELA co-chairs with a variety of activities, including:
This is a great opportunity to network with DC-area industry leaders and fine-tune your event planning and writing skills. Email ELA@wwpr.org for more information on how to join the 2014 team.
Help decide what day of the week the ELAs should be held by voting here. Voting closes on February 28.
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| Recap: WWPR NonProfit and Philanthropy Communications Panel |
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By Shannon Murphy, Burson-Marsteller, WWPR Professional Development Committee Member
On Thursday, February 6, the Professional Development Committee and Johns Hopkins University (@JHUComm) welcomed over 100 attendees to participate in a panel discussion on nonprofit and philanthropy communication. Guest panelists from The Case Foundation, United Nations Foundation, AARP and the Melanoma Research Foundation shared insights into the importance of engaging stakeholder groups, utilizing social and digital media and identifying foundational traits and tactics for success. The panel was moderated by Kelly Mack, Account Supervisor at Environics Communications and WWPR Professional Development Committee Co-Chair.
Panelists included:
Each of these leaders spoke to how aligning a foundation or association’s mission and business strategies with communications resonates well with key audiences. It’s through this alignment that social platforms and stakeholder engagement motivate target groups to raise their voices and build a community of support.
Tim Turnham of the Melanoma Research Foundation shared, “It’s important to understand your group’s corporate culture and voice and leverage those resources that are available to you. There is no end to the things we can do, but there is a limit to the things we should do. It’s the things we should do that make the biggest impact.”
The Case Foundation’s Allyson Burns followed up on Tim’s comment sharing that in the nonprofit sector it’s important to be fearless, to jump in and to show success along the way. The group shared how social media is a tactic that has great impact, allowing groups to open dialogue with target groups and track results every step of the way.
To learn more about upcoming WWPR professional development events, visitwww.wwpr.org/events.
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| Professional Development Update |
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Don’t miss WWPR’s March Brown Bag Panel Discussion, “A Crisis-free Life vs. a Crisis-charged Workload” on Tuesday, March 11, 12:00 noon-1:30 p.m. at the Case Foundation, 1717 Rhode Island Ave., NW, 7th floor, Washington, DC 20036. Experts from the field will explore work-life balance for women in demanding work environments, such as crisis communications. Learn how these women in high power positions juggle competing priorities and diffuse crises in all facets of their lives. Join WWPR, in tandem with LEVICK, for what is sure to be an engaging discussion.
Presenters include:
Cost: Free to WWPR members; $20 for non-members. Register today to be a part of this exciting conversation!
Back by popular demand, WWPR will host an evening of Speed Mentoring in partnership with Hager Sharp, Thursday, April 10, 6:30-8:30 PM at Hager Sharp’s offices, 1050 15th St., NW, Suite 600E, Washington, DC 20005. This event will bring together seasoned professional women with women still carving their career paths, enabling the sharing of knowledge and experience.
Cost: $20 for WWPR members; $35 for non-members. Light refreshments will be served. Registration is open.
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| PR in Politics |
| The Role of Public Relations in Politics is a monthly column written by WWPR member Margaret Mulvihill, examining the role of PR in politics.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect those of Washington Women in Public Relations
SCANDAL AND PANIC
Watching politicians panic when their careers begin to unravel has become a keenly observed global sport. We watch scandals unfold in real time on prime time television. We read the online ‘insider’ scoops and the newsprint. In their panic, the damaged ones turn to their agency of record to begin the daunting task of damage limitation and mitigation. Few politicos think ahead to a crisis situation. The evidence shows that they wait until something happens! Crisis management should be in the PR portfolio of any individual politician or organization. In reality, it rarely is. Also rare is the PR shop that provides a dedicated crisis management team as part of its regular portfolio.
CRISIS MANAGEMENT
We have all seen organizations brought to their knees. Sometimes it is a mistake made by one individual, but more often than not it is a flawed, top-down management strategy. It would be very interesting to know how many politicians and organizations have a budgeted line-item for crisis management. Today, something that happened 20, 30, even 40 years ago, is likely to be dredged up to become fodder for the networks. Indeed, the changing face of the news reporting community increases the need for all to have access to a crisis management specialist in a hurry.
Margaret Mulvihill is Director of Communications at Lawson Mulvihill in Washington, DC. Follow her on Twitter: @LawsonMulvihill
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| Member Spotlight |
| This month’s member spotlight features WWPR Professional Development Committee member Neveah Bradshaw, Marketing and PR Specialist for BLR Holdings, Inc. She is also enrolled in the M.A. of Strategic Communication program at American University.
Q: How did you get started in communications?
A: My affinity for communications developed at a young age. My parents often tell stories of a young me who was inquisitive, talkative and very interested in people and their stories. I even analyzed commercials beyond the Super Bowl and magazine ads. Formally I got started in communications while perusing my undergraduate degree at Virginia State University. A professor of mine took me under her wing and showed me the ropes. She even helped me secure my first internship. During my internship, because of the incredible mentorship from my supervisor, I secured a front page story for the non-profit.
This experience solidified my choice of pursuing a career in public relations.
Q: What inspired you to get involved with WWPR? Q: What do you feel is your biggest accomplishment professionally?
A: My biggest professional accomplishment will be graduating from American University with a Masters in Strategic Communication this May! Deciding to pursue a graduate degree is a huge career step, especially in a program like mine that was designed for the working professional. It has been challenging to say the least, but I am confident that this will strengthen and define the future of my professional career.
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| Articles of Interest |
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| Upcoming Events |
If you have a suggestion for a future program topic, please contact the Professional Development Committee at professionaldevelopment@wwpr.org.
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| Jobs |
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– Manager, Social Communications and Strategy, ASAE – Press and Media Relations Manager, Americans for the Arts – Media Relations, Healthcare, Advocom Group – Account Supervisor, Edelman – Account Supervisor, Employee Engagement, Edelman – Senior Account Supervisor, Health Alliances, Edelman – Vice President, Digital Energy, Edelman – Market Strategist, Sage Communications
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| Membership
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| January New Members
– Caren Auchman, FleishmanHillard – Lauren Rosenthal, Chorus America – Jamie Elise Zuieback, Latham & Watkins – Melissa DePaulis, Busboys and Poets & Eatonville Restaurant – Kimberly West, FleishmanHillard – Candice Coleman, The ELOCEN Group – Norah Heintz, Adfero Group – Julie Johnson – Leah Weatherspoon, American College of Trust and Estate Counsel – Marcia Newbert, Edelman – Meredith Balenske, FleishmanHillard – Caitlin Grady, Edelman
January Renewals
– Sarah Woessner, Financial Services Institute – Andrea Summers Huggins – Stephanie DuBois, National Community Pharmacists Association – Hillarie Turner, Spectrum – Amy Malerba Hemingway, Edelman – Anne Redmiles, Westland Enterprises, Inc. – Kate Perrin, PRofessional Solutions, LLC – Melanie Jordan, PRofessional Solutions, LLC – Melissa Zuckerman, Hager Sharp – Rachel Henderson, United Nations Foundation – Kimberly Brown, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists – Melanie Pipkin Kozel, American Red Cross – Anne Marie Borrego, American Red Cross – Veronica LaFemina, Food Allergy Research & Education – Rachel Griffith, National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition
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| Sponsor Spotlight |
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Learn more at www.adferogroup.com. |