NEWSLETTER: November 2011

In this issue: Heathere Evans-Keenan Named Washington Woman of the Year Upcoming Events WWPR Blog Get Involved Member Spotlight Articles of Interest Job Board Sponsor Spotlight Heathere Evans-Keenan Named Washington PR Woman of the Year On November 16, top DC-area public relations professionals joined Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) in honoring Heathere Evans-Keenan, APR, president of Keenan, PR Inc., as the 2011 Washington PR Woman of the Year. A panel of communications industry judges selected Evans-Keenan based on her exceptional influence, dedication to the public relations field, and her community involvement. Evans-Keenan founded Keenan, PR, Inc., in 1999. She is also the founder of the Independent Public Relations Alliance. She has received numerous awards for her public relations work and was a 2008 Washington PR Woman of the Year honoree . Evans-Keenan does pro bono consulting with The Children's Law Center, a former WWPR pro bono client, and mentors students and new professionals. Christine Till, director of communications at Venable LLP, and Donna Vincent Roa, PhD, ABC, CSR-P, managing partner and chief strategist, Vincent Roa Group LLC, were celebrated as honorees at the event. All of the honorees impressed the attendees with their remarks on their experience in the communications industry and shared lessons learned. The event featured a keynote address by Jen Psaki, senior vice president and managing director, Global Strategy Group, a former White House deputy communications director and nearly five-year member of the Obama communications team. Psaki discussed her experience with the White House communications team and the advances that professional women have achieved.. A raffle was held to benefit WWPR's pro bono client, Thrive DC, a nonprofit organization that works to prevent and end homelessness by providing vulnerable individuals with a comprehensive range of services to help stabilize their lives. Congratulations to all of the honorees and thank you to our sponsors and volunteers for their important contributions to WWPR's annual signature event! Top Upcoming Events For full information about our exciting events and programs, please visit our Events page. WWPR members receive member rates for PRSA-NCC and AWC events. - PRNews Facebook Conference: December 1 - IPRA's Holiday Luncheon & Networking Celebration: December 1 - The One Party: December 7 - Put More Power and Precision in Your PR/PA Writing, PRSA-NCC Writing Seminar: December 8 - WWPR Holiday Party: December 13 - PRSA-NCC Holiday Party: December 19 Top WWPR Blog On the WWPR Blog you will find recaps of the monthly professional development seminars, news about upcoming events, and insights on communications trends and issues. Here's a sneak peek of what you'll find on the blog:

• Meet the 2011 Washington PR Woman of the Year Honorees

All members are invited and encouraged to contribute to the WWPR Blog. Please send submissions to debbie@wwpr.org. Top Get Involved with WWPR Today! Here are a number of great ways to get involved with WWPR and make the most of your membership. For more information visit our Committees page. Volunteer on one of WWPR's committees

• Interested in serving on the board next year? We're looking for dedicated members who want to lead our committees and help plan our signature events. For more information, please email kendra@wwpr.org.
• Looking to build your graphic or web portfolio? Join our website committee and leave your mark on the WWPR website. Help manage the website, contribute content, and plan for future site enhancements. Knowledge of WordPress, HTML and photo editing software would be helpful but not required. For more information, please email Kate Barrett, website chair, at website@wwpr.org.
• Help publicize Thrive DC events and create a communications plan. Join the Pro Bono Committee by emailing probono@wwpr.org.

Top Member Spotlight Member Spotlight: Rebecca Noel Growing up, Rebecca Noel always thought she wanted to work in marketing. But, after taking her first public relations class at the University of Maryland, she found her true calling. After four internships and campus involvement as the PR director for the student programming board, Rebecca knew PR was the right fit for her. Most recently, Rebecca joined the Food, Beverage and Nutrition team at Porter Novelli in Washington, DC, working on behalf of clients such as The Laughing Cow, SOYJOY and Nature Made Vitamins. She supports the team on day-to-day public relations programs by creating media monitoring reports, developing media materials and implementing media relations, digital communications and stakeholder outreach, and more. Upon entering the PR industry after graduation in 2010, Rebecca wanted to become involved in the Washington PR industry to grow professionally and learn from other professionals in the area. She thought WWPR's Marketing & Communications Committee would allow her to work on her social media and communications interests. Since joining the committee, Rebecca has written several Member Spotlights for the WWPR newsletter and helped with the marketing and PR for WWPR events. Top Articles of Interest

• 10 habits of successful PR client-agency relationships (Ragan's PR Daily)
• The Google+ Pages Land Rush: Highlights and Recommendations (Lois Paul & Partners blog)
• Study: More People Using QR Codes (PRNewser)

Top Membership News New Members - Andrea Adleman, Consultant - Melissa Beattie, American Staffing Association - Fred Kaiser, Central Michigan University - Sue Hensley, National Restaurant Association - Chieko Noguchi-Scheve, Archdiocese of Washington - Raegan Weber, The Center for Education Reform - Beth Huffman, Dechert LLP Renewals - Trish Donnally, ForrestPerkins - Debra Silimeo, Hager Sharpe - Jennifer Sergent, Washington Design Center - Erica Hurtt, The Clearing House - Erin Wendel, American Physical Therapy Association - Lauren Lawson-Zilai, Goodwill Industries International, Inc. - Shamia Holloway, Shamia Holloway - Kirsten Seckler, Special Olympics - Helen Mitternight, Vanguard Communications Interested in joining or renewed your membership? Simply complete the online membership form. To learn more, please contact Leslie Rutledge, Membership Chair, at membership@wwpr.org. Top Job Board: DC Employment & Volunteer Opportunities Our Jobs section offers WWPR members and website visitors a central location to see who's hiring in PR, communications and related disciplines in the DC metropolitan area.  Positions will remain active on the site for 30 days unless removed by the poster, ensuring the list includes only active job openings. Post an open position by visiting www.wwpr.org/jobs. It's easy and free to connect with outstanding communications professionals in our area! Please contact web@wwpr.org with questions or feedback. Top Sponsor Spotlight D S Simon Productions has been a leading media and business communications company since 1986. An award-winning broadcast PR and social media video firm, D S Simon Productions specializes in satellite media tours, Internet media tours, b-roll production and distribution, corporate and web video, video players, ground tours, co-op tours and radio tours. D S Simon Productions is an official Newsroom Resource of the Radio-Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) and the National Press Club (NPC). Their staff consists of newsroom veterans and journalists, award-winning producers and broadcasters, innovative editors and technical directors, seasoned public relations professionals and polished corporate communicators. For more information visit www.dssimon.com. Top