In this issue:

PR Woman of the Year
Past WOY Update
Upcoming Events
WWPR Blog
Get Involved
Member Spotlight
Articles of Interest
Job Board
Sponsor Spotlight

Join us for WWPR’s 22nd annual Washington PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon on Tuesday, November 15!

This event celebrates three public relations professionals who are leading our industry through integrity and ground-breaking ideas. Join us for the award announcement of our 2012 Women of the Year during a plated lunch and raffle drawing, benefiting Thrive DC, WWPR’s pro bono client.

Mingle with the area’s top communications professionals at this WWPR signature event at the Capital Hilton’s Presidential Ballroom.

11:30 a.m. — Registration, raffle ticket sales and networking
12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m. — Luncheon, speaker and award announcement

Click here to RSVP. Email your questions to PR Woman of the Year Co-Chairs, Laura Cilmi and Emily Hughes at woy@wwpr.org.

It’s not too late for your company to sponsor this signature event! Contact Lisa Newman at sponsorships@wwpr.org for more information.

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Catching Up with Sarah Temple, 2009 WWPR Woman of the Year

By Melinda Semadeni

Communications has always been Sarah Temple’s passion. From her start as an editorial assistant at The Financial Times in Canada she realized the power of the written word. In her 20 year career she has worked for corporate public relations, public institutions, and non-profits with a focus on social marketing, strategic alliance development, and health communications.

Currently Temple works as senior vice president and chief of client affairs in Ogilvy Washington’s social marketing practice. At Ogilvy she has advised CDC and National Institutes of Health clients on social marketing initiatives ranging from women’s health and cancer to family history and children’s health. Earlier this year, Temple and Ogilvy colleagues worked on a pro bono basis assisting the Gender Equality Project with positioning and messaging for the group’s launch at the World Economic Forum-an effort to engage corporations in fostering equal opportunities by establishing a global standard and certification system in gender equality.

Temple considers curiosity a key element in keeping communicators sharp in the ever-changing landscape of digital media. “Curiosity will help you succeed. You must question assumptions and data, be willing to wrestle with a complex problem and ferret out the ambiguity. Social media may be a game changer in how we communicate and engage but the basic tenets of public relations hold true. Strategies don’t change; the latest new tool needs to be applied strategically as it did 10 years ago,” said Temple.

She believes WWPR is valuable opportunity for women communicators of states in their career because it provides a space for women to share industry best practices, their war stories, and connect. Temple was honored by WWPR as Woman of the Year in 2009. She enjoys volunteering as a judge in the Emerging Leader Awards and moderating WWPR professional development panels.

A native of Calgary, Temple holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toronto, has served as an adjunct professor of PR and corporate communications at Georgetown and was a board member of the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts & Culture, part of the National Park Service.

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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.

WWPR & PRSA-NCC Speed Networking Social: November 1

DC Week: November 4-11

PRSA-NCC “The Changing Landscape of Social Media – What Communicators Need to Know” Program: November 9

WWPR PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon: November 15

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WWPR Blog

Have you checked-out the WWPR Blog recently? You will find recaps of the monthly professional development seminars, news of upcoming events, and communications insights.

Here’s a sneak peek of what you’ll find on the blog:

All members are invited and encouraged to contribute to the WWPR Blog. Please send submissions to debbie@wwpr.org.

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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

  • 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.

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Member Spotlight

Member Spotlight: Ivy K. Pendleton
By Rebecca Noel

Ivy Pendleton has been interested in public relations, marketing, and communications since her days as an undergrad at Tuskegee University, where she served as Director of Public Relations for the Student Government Association. Since then, Ivy has worked in PR and marketing for a telecommunications company in Atlanta and freelanced before moving back to the Washington, DC area to obtain her Master’s degree in Health Communications from Trinity University and eventually starting her own firm, TCA PR.

TCA PR, a full service public relations agency in Washington, DC, focuses on the nonprofit, international and healthcare sectors.. Most recently, Ivy took the role of Public Information Officer and spokeswoman for the Historical Southern Sudan Referendum, which is working to decide the unity of Sudan or the Secession of South Sudan, for the International Organization for Migration and South Sudan Referendum Commission. In only two months, she led her team to achieve more than a million media impressions, high visibility on social networks and a 99 percent voter turnout in the U.S.

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Articles of Interest

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Membership News

New Members

– Sharnequa Steed, AAAS

– Lauren Anderson, Fifth Estate

– Amy Buckley Reingold

– Catherine Cochran, USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service

– Nicole Lanciano, YMCA of Metropolitan Washington

– Allison Vennerberg

– Priya Ramesh, CRT/tanaka

– Maria Novick, The George Washington University School of Business

– Rockhelle Johnson, Conference of State Bank Supervisors

Renewals

– Emily Hughes, National Environmental Strategies

– Elizabeth Stuckle, Nuclear Regulatory Commission

– Portia Palmer, Palmer Global Communication Group

– Pat Wheeler, Cultural Tourism DC

– Luana Bossolo, American Psychological Association

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.

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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.

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Sponsor Spotlight

Vocus is a leading provider of cloud-based marketing and PR software that helps organizations reach and influence buyers across social networks, online and through the media. Vocus provides a suite of software for online marketing, social media and PR that makes it easy for organizations to generate online visibility, build their social networks and attract new customers in today’s new customer-led buying cycle. Headquartered in Beltsville, MD, Vocus has been recognized as one of the best places to work in metro-Washington, D.C. For more information visit www.vocus.com.

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