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Reflections on Lunar New Year, Asian Culture, and How to Celebrate 

by Pattie Yu, 1998 WWPR Woman of the Year Award Winner, principal and founder of theYucrew, LLC. 

Today, culture consumed me. I opened up my WaPo to pounding media rhetoric and anti-Asian hate sentiment. I took an early morning walk in the mall well before opening, delighting in the shiny red lanterns hanging at every turn, heartened by companies and brands that genuinely strengthen their relationships and collabs with Asian American communities by cultural latitude vs marcom attitude. But I was also barraged by big brands’ blitz for limited editions or capsule collections around the Year of the Dragon.

I retreated to my home office and was reminded as a public relations professional who focuses often on health platforms of the dire need to close the gap in data collection and reporting of Asian American health disparities. I scanned the latest issue of a professional trade magazine that spotlighted the forgotten but early diversity leadership representation in our field. This month I’m seeing red. 

The irony of codifying the color red – the palette most associated with love but also the color most frequently linked to hatred and anger. The common denominator in both is passion. 

This month my passion is ignited by the Lunar New Year — The Year of the Dragon. 

1998 Woman of the Year Award Winner Pattie Yu with colleagues

Known as the Spring Festival, China’s Lunar New Year is called Chūn jié in Mandarin; while Koreans celebrate Seollal and Vietnamese refer to it as Tết;Filipinos call it Media Noche. It begins with the first new moon on February 10 (varies by culture) and is usually celebrated for multiple days, observed by an estimated 2 billion people. It is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asians. For me, a Chinese American, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon in the lunar zodiac. 

Lunar New Year is a big holiday in Asian culture across the world and it’s important to note that Asians are one of the fastest growing racial/ethnic segments in the United States. So, how can you get in on the celebration, whether you are or work with one of the estimated 5% Asians in public relations or not? In our nation’s tapestry of many colors, we share a common context – a deep-rooted love for our extended and multigenerational families, an appetite for food that preserves our heritage and enables us to share our cultural traditions around the “family” table, part of our storytelling that is germane to communities of any color. 

In homage to my late parents, I hear their voices guiding me on how to celebrate the Lunar New Year:

  • Fresh Start – Pay off your debts; give your space/place a clean sweep to rid it of inauspicious spirits; wash your hair; do the laundry – before New Year’s but never on the day itself lest you sweep out good luck.
  • Go Red – Not only for Women’s Heart Month and Valentine’s Day but wear something new and red on New Year’s Day for good luck; red is the symbol of joy, happiness, success and good fortune. Decorate your windows with red paper cuttings; hang banner couplets expressing wishes for good health and fortune in your homes and offices.
  • Food – Feast on traditional lucky foods like dumplings (wealth), oranges (abundant happiness), fish (prosperity), and noodles (the longer the better for happiness and longevity) but leave a little on the plate to hope that the new year will have surplus; join colleagues at a nearby Asian restaurant for lunch; or prepare an Asian-inspired dinner at home.
  • Family – If logistics allow, reunite with family and friends for a spread of symbolic dishes that bring good luck and fortune.
  • Festivities – Participate in free Lunar New Year activities that abound in our communities from lion dances at the mall to dragon parades punctuated by firecrackers to ward off evil spirits; from ceremonial teas to teeing up for talks and tours; from cooking demos to dancing with fans, culminating with the Lantern Festival. 

You might even get lucky to get “lucky money,” red envelopes often given by elders to children but sometimes even to employees. Money should be in certain denominations but avoid the number 4 (symbolizing death). 

After my parents passed, I got the slap on the side of the head – the “aha!” moment that we wake up to after loss. I try to be more mindful of those beloved traditions and am heartened to hear that our eight “family” members who are young hard working professionals in New York have already made plans to gather around for what no doubt will be an IG-worthy Chinese New Year’s meal. They may enhance celebrating tradition with emojis and digital platforms but I am convinced they all cherish the essence of our new year. No doubt they will all be wearing red. No virtual transfers of money here. Their traditional paper hong baos (red envelopes) are en route the good old-fashioned way. 

Finally, if the two-week celebration has you yearning for more, consider exploring the small but mighty Chinese American Museum where I volunteer at Chinese American Museum.

In native Mandarin – which I feebly learned in college – I’m wishing you and yours Xīn nián kuài lè!  新年快乐 – Happy New Year! 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pattie Yu is the principal and founder of theYucrew, LLC, a communications firm that has been awarded two Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvils for her team’s launch of the first World Thrombrosis Day, amongst many other industry awards. Pattie is a past WWPR Woman of the Year award recipient, was recognized as Inside PR’s “One of the Top 10 Minority Agency Leaders Nationwide,” and has been a judge on several industry award ceremonies, including WWPRs Woman of the Year. Pattie is one of WWPR’s original members and served on the WWPR advisory board. Pattie’s work ranges from developing national public education campaigns to developing media strategies to reach underserved communities for topics including COVID-19 and renewable energy access. Pattie has worked with some of the biggest names in PR, including serving as vice president at Porter Novelli, partner at Fleishman-Hillard, and co-founder of GYMR. She speaks at universities, organizations and associations and volunteers for several organizations. 

Board Member Spotlight: Agatha Aramayo – Executive Director, Foundation for Total Recovery & Independent Consultant

WWPR Board Member, Agatha Aramayo is a dedicated marketing and communications professional with a diverse range of experiences spanning 14 years. From her background in the film industry to her expertise in consulting federal government agencies, Agatha brings a wealth of knowledge and skills to her current position as the executive director of the Foundation for Total Recovery. Utilizing her PR and marketing background, Agatha is passionate about driving the organization’s mission of finding a cure for chronic illnesses caused by brain inflammation. We sat down with Agatha to learn about her professional journey, her perspectives on the PR industry’s latest trends, and her inspiring book recommendations.

Tell me about your background and what drew you to your current position.  

I’ve worked in marketing and communications for 14 years. I’ve also worked in the film industry (I have my B.A. in film and video studies), which always goes hand-in-hand with my work as a communicator. Naturally as a Washingtonian, most of my career entails consulting federal government agencies in the agency world, but I’ve also worked in conferences marketing for a nonprofit membership organization, consulted for large companies, c-suite executives, and have been working independently as a PR and marketing consultant for small businesses and restaurants for many years. 

I’m also currently the executive director of the Foundation for Total Recovery, a nonprofit whose mission is to help find a cure for the 20+million Americans that suffer from chronic illnesses that stem from brain inflammation. The Foundation performs research and hosts conferences to better educate healthcare providers and patients alike so that those that suffer can get better diagnosis, treatment and hopefully achieve full recovery. It is a seemingly left turn from my 14-year resume, but I actually get to utilize my experience in PR and marketing and all the skills  that come with that to this position to take us to the next level. I love boot-strap work where I can be entrepreneurial the most. 

What is the most exciting or rewarding project you’ve done recently or in your overall career?  

In my last position as an account director for a PR firm, I led an executive visibility strategy for a Fortune 500 client that did very well—always a good feeling! We determined what categories of awards we wanted to focus on and which employees and executives to amplify. As you can imagine, there are tons of awards and speaking opportunities out there for any given topic, so I implemented an evaluation process to hone in on the opportunities that offered the best chances for winning and best benefits. We won 19 awards in one year, ranging from sustainability and technology to individual spotlights. Having a tangible “win” definitely helps measure success but most importantly, seeing the client happy and able to celebrate their accomplishments was a great feeling. 

As a board member for WWPR, what have you gained from your experience? 

I love being the content co-chair for WWPR! I’ve learned it truly takes a team to make great things happen. Being able to tap into the talents of different communicators, leaders, writers, and speakers across different industries is invaluable; I feel fortunate to have access to all of these brilliant people in our network and on our board. WWPR creates a community that expands beyond our own organizations and colleagues at work. Just like many others in our community, I tend to take lots of things on and can get overwhelmed (why are we like this?), but it’s great having others to collaborate with and make things fun. 

What PR trends have you seen happening in 2023 and what kind of influence has it had on professionals in the industry?  

The biggest trend I would say is artificial intelligence (AI). There is an AI tool in nearly every digital app we use for work these days, and Chat GPT and others have been huge disruptors to many industries. Of course there is a lot of fear in regards to what that means for job security, but from what I’ve gathered, it can be very helpful when used effectively, especially for our industry. That being said, I’m personally “old school,” so I don’t really use it much. Instead, you will most likely find me with a pack of highlighters and notebooks until they’re gone, but I also realize time is money! 

I tend to take way too long on ideating the perfect opening to communications plans or related work, but using AI to help create a starting point I can edit profusely has saved me hours of time spent staring at the same sentences. 

However, AI emits an egregious amount of greenhouse gasses, so I hope advancements in reducing its carbon footprint can be just as rapidly made as AI itself. Apparently, training just one AI model can emit more than 626,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, which is nearly five times the lifetime emissions of an American car, according to MIT. 

I surmise that using AI sparingly is best, at least for me personally, but hopefully more balance can be achieved as overall technology develops. At least the alarming data makes a good case for us to not lose our jobs to AI. 

Is there any particular book, podcast or influencer you would recommend? How has it impacted your life?  

I recently read, “How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big: Kind of the Story of My Life” by Scott Adams, the creator of Dilbert, a book I finished feeling very kindred to. In a world where we celebrate success and seek optimal formulas for it, his book celebrates his failures more than anything, which contradicts the norm. I have perfectionist tendencies (meaning I’m further from perfect than most; it’s a misnomer), and as I got older I realized it just isn’t the way. You need to fail and fail often to win. Even if you feel that you “fail” more than others, it’s rewarding because it teaches you more than winning does. I’ve learned to celebrate my fails along with my wins; it thickens your skin and makes for a great story. 

WWPR Inducts 2024 Board of Directors

WASHINGTON, January 4, 2024 –  Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR), a leading membership group for female communications professionals in Washington D.C., today announced its 2024 Board of Directors. All WWPR members were invited to vote online for the new Board in December 2023. The 2024 Board is as follows:

  • President: Chelsea Echavarria, Curley Company
  • Past President: Zorie Valchev, Novartis
  • Past President: Elynsey Price, Marriott International
  • Vice President: Colleen Gallagher, OnWrd & UpWrd
  • Secretary: Lauren Tyler, Adfero
  • Operations: Karen Naumann, Federal Government Contractor in the National Security Space
  • Treasurer: Aisha Johnson, Former U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission
  • Sponsorship/Partnership Chair: Stephanie Miceli, National Geographic
  • Pro Bono Co-Chair: Alicia Aebersold, American Psychological Association
  • Pro Bono Co-Chair: Kelsey Flora, SK Group
  • Emerging Leaders Co-Chair: Ranata Reeder, Reeder Communications
  • Emerging Leaders Co-Chair: Charmaine Riley, American Beverage
  • Woman of the Year Co-Chair: Emma Gresser, EY
  • Woman of the Year Co-Chair: Tina Anthony, NobleReach Foundation
  • Membership Co-Chair: Suzanne Struglinski, Media Relations by Suzanne
  • Membership Co-Chair: Jordun Lawrence, PayPal
  • Professional Development Co-Chair: Ligia McEvoy, AT&T
  • Professional Development Co-Chair: Katarina Ellison, Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW)
  • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Chair: Kristal Farmer, Washington Gas
  • Content Co-Chair: Agatha Aramayo, Foundation for Total Recovery
  • Content Co-Chair: Andrea Sok, Sok Influencer PR
  • Design Chair: Kate Keverline, The Carlyle Group
  • Digital Marketing Chair: Derika Crowley, Mission North
  • Social Media Chair: Nicole Frost, Edelman

WWPR has cultivated and inspired female communicators to reach their full potential in the DC market and beyond for more than four decades. The Board of Directors leads the charge and helps the organization to provide leadership opportunities, professional development, mentorship, and industry networking. 

“The 2024 WWPR Board of Directors is made up of outstanding female communicators from diverse sectors of the industry,” stated Chelsea Echavarria, President, WWPR. “We anticipate that their expertise, creativity, and varied perspectives will play a crucial role in steering WWPR toward its next chapter. We look forward to another year of organizational growth, enhancing our value to both members and the broader community.”

Throughout the year, WWPR will continue to host professional development and networking events for female communicators at every stage of their careers, including its two annual signature events: the Emerging Leaders Awards and the Woman of the Year Awards. 

Learn more about WWPR and upcoming events at www.wwpr.org.

ABOUT WASHINGTON WOMEN IN PUBLIC RELATIONS 

Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is a member-based professional society cultivating and inspiring female communicators to reach their full potential in the DC market and beyond. The organization is committed to providing leadership opportunities, professional development, mentorship, and industry networking. Visit us at wwpr.org, connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @WWPR and on Instagram @WWPRDC.

For more information contact: info@wwpr.org

Celebrating our 2022-23 Pro Bono Client, New Endeavors by Women

By Anne Thomas, Pro Bono Chair

Another successful pro bono partnership has come to a close. New Endeavors by Women (NEW) was WWPR’s 2022-2023 Pro Bono client. NEW is guided by a mission to partner with homeless women to create new futures. NEW transforms lives by providing housing, fostering the development of life skills, and promoting education and employment to end the cycle of homelessness. They provide a nurturing environment so that women can recognize their worth. 

Over our successful two-year partnership, WWPR provided marketing and communications expertise to support NEW’s mission and improve their overall communication strategy. As part of this partnership, we also wanted to teach NEW’s team about communications best practices and provide them with helpful “how-to” guides to ensure they’d be set up for success upon the conclusion of our partnership.

Some highlights of our partnership include media training and pitching, social media strategy and recommendations, a website audit, and event support. 

WWPR members visited the NEW team during April’s Birthday Celebration. The Birthday Celebrations are an opportunity for you to get to know NEW and the women better and also celebrate women who often go un-celebrated.

Media Training and Pitching

With the support of our pro bono committee, WWPR provided Wanda Steptoe, NEW Executive Director, with media training and best practices for media pitching. Here are just a few of NEW’s earned media during our partnership: 

We also helped NEW develop a media list and walked them through best practices for sending out pitches. 

Social Media Recommendations

After completing a review of NEW’s social media channels, the pro bono committee provided social media recommendations highlighting overall best practices for paid social media and strategies to increase organic followings and engagement. 

Dimetri O’Brien, NEW Communications Manager and Wanda Steptoe, NEW Executive Director at WWPR’s Woman of the Year Awards

Website Audit

The pro bono committee completed an audit of the NEW’s website, reviewing ease of use, design, mobile responsiveness, accessibility, SEO, and brand voice and tone. The NEW communications team was so thankful for our recommendations and they are excited to start implementing the changes on the website. 

Event Support

WWPR provided event support by providing recommendations on marketing events, promoting NEW’s events on WWPR channels, and volunteering at NEW fundraising events. 

Throughout the two-year partnership, WWPR raised over $3000 for NEW through ticket sales, member donations, and during our events. “It’s been a pleasure working with NEW and we can’t wait to watch them continue their success from the sidelines,” said Anne Thomas, WWPR Pro Bono Chair. 

The support of the Pro Bono committee was essential to our successful partnership with NEW. We’re looking forward to our new Pro Bono client kicking off in January. If you are interested in joining the Pro Bono committee, you can sign up here: https://wwpr.org/committees/.  

WASHINGTON WOMEN IN PUBLIC RELATIONS ANNOUNCES 2023 WOMAN OF THE YEAR WINNER

Woman of the Year recognizes the leading women who have been visionaries in our field paving the way for
the future of our profession

Washington, D.C., Oct. 30, 2023 – On Friday, October 27, 2023, Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) recognized Alisa Valudes Whyte, CEO and Senior Partner at Merritt Group, as its 2023 Woman of the Year. Established in 1990, the Woman of the Year program recognizes individuals who have raised the bar in the communications field and raised the bar for the future of the profession.

Alisa Valudes Whyte joined Merritt Group in 1997 and helped to build and shape the agency since its founding. She led award-winning campaigns for clients in technology, healthcare and government that leverage the right mix of modern marketing, communications and PR strategies to move their businesses forward. In addition to launching dozens of technology and healthcare start-ups over the years, she also helped to reshape a number of established brands.

In 2019, Alisa was honored with a Silver Award for Female Executive of the Year in the annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. In 2015 and 2016, she was named a finalist for DC Inno’s “50 on Fire” and, in 2016, a finalist in Women In Technology’s (WIT) Annual Leadership Awards. Alisa is a champion of Merritt Group’s culture, recognized as a “Great Place to Work” by both Washingtonian and Washington Business Journal. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of several organizations, including the Northern Virginia Technology Council, Neighborhood Health, and the Democratic Business Council of Northern Virginia.

Susan Matthews Apgood, Executive Vice President, Client Engagement and Founder of News Generation Inc., and Lori Russo, President of Stanton Communications were also honored and recognized for their achievements. 2023 Emerging Leader honoree Jalisa Washington-Price formally presented the award.

“We are thrilled to name Alisa as WWPR’s 2023 Woman of the Year and honor her impressive background and accomplishments,” said Zorie Valchev, President, WWPR and Elynsey Price, President, WWPR. “WWPR is proud to recognize the achievements of all three finalists- Alisa, Susan and Lori. Their impressive accomplishments, leadership and contributions have made a meaningful impact on our industry and community at-large.”

The Woman of the Year honoree was announced at a luncheon held at The Eaton in Washington, D.C., the signature event’s second return to in-person format since 2019.

The event featured a fireside chat with Emily Teitelbaum, Chief Communications Officer of Libra Group.  Moderated by Gemma Puglisi, 2022 Woman of the Year and Assistant Professor at American University, their conversation highlighted important insights around today’s communications landscape. The event also highlighted WWPR’s commitment to serving the DC-area community with funds raised for the organization’s pro bono client, New Endeavors by Women (NEW), a DC-area non-profit organization that provides supportive services and housing to local women and children.


ABOUT WASHINGTON WOMEN IN PUBLIC RELATIONS

Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is a member-based professional society cultivating and inspiring female communicators to reach their full potential in the DC market and beyond. The organization is committed to providing leadership opportunities, professional development, mentorship, and industry networking. Visit us at wwpr.org connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook, and follow us on X, formerly Twitter, @WWPR and on Instagram @WWPRDC.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jessica Brown
jessica.brown@wwpr.org

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