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Strategies to Achieve Minority Diversity in Public Relations |
The National Capital Chapter (NCC) of PRSA is very pleased to
co-sponsor a regional diversity conference on the topic of “Strategies
to Achieve Minority Diversity in Public Relations” on July 19 from 8
a.m. to 5 p.m. at The George Washington University Conference Center.
- Download the event flyer
- Download the registration form
- Read the Conference Event Schedule
- Get directions to this event
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In
light of the current “talent war” for professionals in the field of
public relations, an extraordinary one-day conference will be held in
this city on July 19, 2005, to assist public relations firms in the job
recruitment and retention of minority professionals.
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The
conference, entitled "Strategies to Achieve Minority Diversity in
Public Relations," is being co-sponsored by the Black Public Relations
Society of Washington, D.C., Diversity Best Practices, Inc., Howard
University John H. Johnson School of Communications, the National
Capital Chapter of PRSA, the National Urban League, and 10 major public
relations firms.
The
conference will be held at The George Washington University Cafritz
Conference Center. Multicultural experts on corporate diversity
have been selected to speak, emphasizing recruitment and retention
strategies. A registration fee of $100.00 will include breakfast,
lunch and a concluding networking reception/job fair. Attendance
will be limited to 200.
Actively
participating in the planning of the conference are human resources
executives and public relations practitioners of the following firms:
Burson-Marsteller, Edelman, Fleishman-Hillard, GMMB, Golin Harris, Hill
& Knowlton, Ketchum, Manning, Selvage & Lee, Porter Novelli,
and Ruder Finn.
The
convener and chairman of the conference planning committee is Ofield
Dukes, APR, Fellow PRSA, who has operated his own public relations firm
in Washington for 36 years. Dukes served for three years as
chairman of the PRSA National Task Force on Diversity.
- "This
conference is designed specifically to provide PR firms with expert
advice on practical strategies, tactics, means and methods for doing
what Fortune 500 companies have effectively done in aggressively
recruiting and retaining racially diverse employees, reflective of a
multicultural marketplace.” Dukes said. “Since Washington is the
communications and public relations capital of the world, what we
produce at this regional conference has implications for the public
relations industry throughout the country."
- Components of the conference include:
- A pre-conference diversity survey, conducted by Diversity Best
Practices and the Howard University John H. Johnson School of
Communications
- A database of highly qualified minority professionals
- A diversity resources network, available for attendees
- Confirmed panelists on diversity recruitment and retention are: Karen
Johns, Executive Director, Diversity Pipeline Alliance; Wanda Jackson,
Vice President, Human Resources, National Urban League; Marcela M.
Berland, President & CEO, Latin Insights LLC; Kay Iwata, CEO of
Iwata Associates, Inc. and author of "The Power of Diversity: Five
Essential Competencies for Leading a Diverse Workforce"; R. Robby
Gregg, Jr., Director of Diversity Communications, America Online;
Stephen J. Pemberton, Chief Diversity Officer, Monster.com; Erick
Mejia, Financial Representative, Merrill Lynch; Karen Penn, Vice
President, Human Resources and Chief Diversity Officer, SAIC; and
Rodney Ruffin, Director of Diversity, Amtrak.
- Another panel will include minority practitioners employed by several public relations firms.
- Edie
Fraser, President, Diversity Best Practices, which represents more than
150 Fortune 500 companies and organizations actively engaged in
promoting corporate diversity, said: “This is a great opportunity for
the PR firms to drive change. With 70% of every job in America going to
a minority or a woman in the next several years, the time has come for
the PR firms to focus on minority representation as a smart and
priority business strategy to gain a competitive edge."
- The conference is being financed by voluntary contributions from the sponsoring public relations firms.
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