| 2013 PR Woman of the Year: Call for Nominations | Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) invites you to nominate yourself or another female public relations professional for consideration of the 2013 Washington PR Woman of the Year award. The award will be presented at WWPR's 24th annual Washington PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon, to be held at the W Hotel on Wednesday, November 13, 2013 from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon began in 1990 and has honored the most talented women in the public relations profession. The event celebrates the achievements of the honorees and announces the winner. View the list of WWPR's previous PR Woman of the Year winners here. NOMINEE QUALIFICATIONS - The nominee must be a female professional with a minimum of 10 years of experience in the public relations field, at least three of which have been in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area (she must also currently reside in this area).
- The nominee exemplifies the true characteristics of a leader in the public relations field. She is a visionary, a standout representative of her company or organization, has the perseverance to face almost any challenge and is someone that can strategically link a project/campaign to lasting results.
- The nominee does not have to be a member of WWPR.
Nomination and supporting materials must be received no later than midnight onFriday, September 27, 2013. Email your information to Woman of the Year Co-Chairs, Mara Vandlik and Avelyn Austin at woy@wwpr.org . EVENT SPONSORSHIPS To sponsor WWPR's PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon, please emailsponsorships@wwpr.org. RAFFLE GIVEAWAYS To make a raffle donation for this year's luncheon, please email woy@wwpr.org. CONTACT INFORMATION For more information or if you have questions, please contact Woman of the Year Co-Chairs, Mara Vandlik and Avelyn Austin, at woy@wwpr.org . Return to top |
| Call for 2014 Board Nominations | | Are you interested in getting more involved in WWPR and taking your leadership in the organization to the next level? Consider applying for a 2014 board position. Emailinfo@wwpr.org to request an application. Applications are due by September 27th. Return to top |
| Professional Development: WWPR Fall Events | | Our fall calendar is packed with events. Sign up now so you don't miss out on one of these great opportunities! Speed Networking Back by popular demand, be sure to register for WWPR's annual Speed Networkingevent! Like speed-dating for professionals, but bring lots of business cards for exchanging contacts! We'll also have plenty of time for open mingling. This event is a great way for meeting communications folks across the industry. As a special highlight, the event will feature our newest Emerging Leaders Awards honorees. Join us Wednesday, September 18 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for networking, light appetizers and drinks at the National Association of Home Builders, 1201 15th St., NW, Washington, DC. The cost is $10 for WWPR members; $20 for nonmembers. Register now. WWPR Media Roundtable Receive tips for PR pitching from the other side of the fence! Ever wonder why sometimes your PR pitch gets a bite and sometimes it falls short? Hear directly from members of the media at the annual WWPR Media Roundtable on Tuesday, October 22nd, 12:00 noon-1:30 p.m at the American Chemical Society, 1155 16th St., NW, Washington, D.C. This year's program will have a broadcast focus and the panel of reporters, producers and editors will be moderated by a member of Strauss Media Strategies. Take advantage of the chance to meet members of the press, hear their stories and pick their brains over lunch! A catered lunch will be provided. The cost is $15 for WWPR members; $30 for nonmembers. Registration is open. If you have a suggestion for a future program topic, please email PD Co-Chairs, Melanie Jordan and Erica Hiar at professionaldevelopment@wwpr.org. Return to top |
| Trends of the Trade: Reaching Multigenerational and Culturally Diverse Audiences | | Reaching Multigenerational and Culturally Diverse Audiences Trends of the Trade is a monthly column written by WWPR member Cory Churches exploring, well, trends in PR.Follow her @Coricita or reach her at Cory.Churches@gmail.com. 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 Globalization has taken root. We no longer speak to a narrow and local audience to communicate the value of our organization, highlight the differences between our companies and competitors, and assume business as usual is an acceptable way to conduct our operations. Our markets have always been culturally diverse but recently, that trend is accelerated. According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau's population projections, by 2060 nearly one in three U.S. residents will be Hispanic, and the Asian population will more than double from 15.9 million in 2012 to 34.4 million in 2060. How do you modify and customize your message and delivery to reach younger and more culturally diverse audiences? Where do future customers find messages? Who are their influencers for decisions? How are they motivated to action? How do you make them care about your mission? There is a library of research out there that analyzes demographics, parses audiences, and delineates action plans to engage these new markets and segments. This is not new. What is new is the shift to blending messages in which audiences see themselves reflected. Organizations from Volkswagen to Home Depot and The Nature Conservancy to the Environmental Defense Fund are modifying their products and messages to appeal to and recruit younger and more culturally diverse audiences, buyers, employees, and members. READ MORE Return to top |
| PR In Focus: A Binder Half Full | | PR in Focus is a monthly column written by WWPR member Jessica Williams exploring a wide range of topics and current events from a public relations perspective 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 Recent news speculating about whether Janet L. Yellen will be appointed as Chairman of the Federal Reserve has prompted further discussion about Obama's track record on increasing the number of women in his Cabinet. Eight months into his second term, the reviews are mixed and rightly so. As I wrote in February, "continuing to nominate women and minorities to high-level posts speaks a thousand words that Obama is committed to improving the diversity of his administration." And yet, on the eve of another high-level appointment, it appears that the President has yet to come out ahead in fulfilling both the image and campaign promises he promoted in his reelection campaign. In June, Samantha Power and Susan Rice were nominated by Obama to the positions of U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and National Security Advisor, respectively. Both appointments were ultimately confirmed by the Senate and many (myself included) were heartened to see these posts filled by highly accomplished women. Having served as a U.S. Department of State intern as an undergrad at the U.S. Mission to the UN, I was especially pleased to see another woman succeed Rice in a post that is fraught with challenges-not the least of which is representing the U.S. in an institution that has the unfortunate image problem of being anachronistic and ineffective. READ MORE Jessica Williams is Vice President at C.Fox Communications, a mission-driven strategic communications agency with offices in Silver Spring, MD and Washington, DC. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/oysterviewpoint Return to top |
| Tips from Campus: LinkedIn Cold Contacting -- No or Go? | | Tips from Campus is a monthly column written by WWPR member Jordan DeJarnette exploring a wide range of topics from a student's perspective including guidance to young PR professionals beginning their careers in public relations. 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 I was first introduced to the ingenious concept that is LinkedIn during my freshman year of college in a first year studies class. Twitter and Facebook were already familiar to me as a resource to connect with friends, but the thought of a professional social media network had never crossed my mind. Since then, and especially in my senior year as I am starting to think about employment after graduation, LinkedIn has quickly become one of my most visited, and useful networking resources. Like most people, I am connected to anyone that I have personally crossed paths with -- from friends, to past employers and even professors. I was speaking with my mentor last semester as school was starting to get into its final weeks about tips I could use to help secure a fall internship. One of her first questions to me was, "Have you reached out to employees of the companies that you're interested in on LinkedIn?" I was confused. "But, I've never met them before," I quickly responded. She proceeded to let me in on one of the best kept secrets for young professionals -- it's okay to connect with people that you've never met before. READ MORE Return to top |
| Member Spotlight | By Kimberly Brown of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists and WWPR Emerging Leaders Awards Committee Member  On July 18, three Emerging Leaders Awards honorees were named at WWPR's signature event that celebrates young women (ages 23-30) who have significantly impacted the communications field and show the potential to make their mark on the industry as a whole for many years to come. This month's Member Spotlight features ELA honoree Rachael Glaws, Principal and Founder, RGI events & public relations. 1. Congratulations on being an ELA honoree. What does it mean to you to be honored by your peers in Washington? Absolutely everything. It's extremely rewarding to be honored by women who know the ins and outs of this industry - and what it takes to forge a successful career in it, especially in this very unique city. I'm so very appreciative of this recognition. 2. What made you choose the PR/Communications field and what makes you stay? How long have you been in the field? I fell into the field very much by accident -- I was working in entertainment and through being very short staffed at my position at the time I was tasked with a very communications heavy workload. I discovered not only was I so passionate about that aspect of my job - but I was really good at it - and made the transition to public relations. I've been in the field now for 10 years. 3. What kind of projects do you get excited about? When have you been most proud? I love building platforms for a message -- pulling together elements to attain client goals in unique and unexpected ways. I always refer to it as 'Materializing the message' -- which I think is really a great way to describe it - taking what an organization stands for and making it physical, making it impactful - igniting change and the advancement of ideas. I'm most proud of being able to operate my firm for 5+ successful years - everyday I go to the office where I'm proud of the team and what we have accomplished, and what we have in the incubator ready to unleash next. 4. In your ELA video intro you said you're most proud of Jump Start. What inspired you and your team to develop this program? JUMP START! - it's a specialized scalable suite of public relations services designed specifically for small businesses and entrepreneurs which aims to make effective public relations accessible and affordable. Since I opened RGI we have been continuously approached by small businesses seeking PR advice -- and unfortunately, we couldn't work with many of these incredibly inventive and amazingly passionate projects because they just can't commit the timeline or operating capital to a PR campaign as fully formed as it needs to be in order to achieve success. I was really bummed out about missing these opportunities and I knew there had to be a way to bridge the gap. That, coupled with the experience of growing a small business organically from the ground up has made me especially passionate about this project. Any day I have a heavy JUMP START! Agenda -- I'm incredibly anxious to start my day! Return to top |
| Jobs | | - Director of Marketing, Weather Analytics - Media Relations Assistant, Z Communications Company - PR and Community Relations Manager, Enviva - Health Communication Specialist, WESTAT - Vice President, Linsey Careers (executive search firm) - Volunteer Intern for Communications, Congressional Budget Office - Event Planner/Coordinator, MANCON - Public Affairs Assistant, MANCON - Strategic Planning Specialist, MANCON - Communications Assistant, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine - Communications Assistant, Vanguard Communications - Account Supervisor, TRAIVAILLE Executive Search - Associate Director, Corporate Communications, Chaloner Associates (Search Firm) - Publications Manager, Landon School - Public Affairs Specialist, USDA Food and Safety Inspection Service - Public Affairs Specialist (Spanish required), USDA Food and Safety Inspection Service - PR Intern, Fall Semester, GuideStar - Research Director/Senior Vice President, Porter Novelli - Public Relations Manager, TorchLight Post a Job Return to top |
| Membership | | August New Members -Kaitlin Sanderson, The Humane Society of the United States -Brooke Carrico, Arnold & Porter LLP -Virginia Bundy, Student -Johanna Harvey, The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation -Shannon Murphy, Burson-Marsteller -Tesia Love, The Corporate Council on Africa -Ashley Parker, Association for Career and Technical Education -Amanda Orr, AO Communications August Renewals -Corneila (Bonnie) Piper, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency -Cynthia Martinez, ZGS Communications -Marisa Harriston, Goodwill Industries International -Margaret A. Ferry, MAF Global Communications -Elise Simmons, Freelance Return to top |
| Sponsor Spotlight |  This summit (Thursday, September 19th) is the region's premier event in marketing, technology, communications and media. This one-day event will bring together over 300 marketing and communications executives to discuss high-level issues through a series of panels, keynotes, presentations and networking. The event is co-produced by two of the most respected news organizations of their kind in the region: Potomac Tech Wire, the region's source for technology news and co-producer of Digital Media Conference East, and Capitol Communicator, the region's source for marketing and communications news. The themes will focus on emerging technologies and trends in marketing communications. Topics will include: metrics, mobile, social media, multi-platform campaigns, online video campaigns, experiential advertising, B2B, PR, and much more. This summit will explore the disruptive technologies that are creating a major shift in how communications professionals reach their audiences and decision makers. You should attend if you are a CMO, advertising, public relations or marketing executive, entrepreneur, investor, technologist, brand marketer, creative director, researcher, media planner or publisher. Return to top |
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