Round Out 2008 with a Bang!

Greetings Colleagues:

This year has been filled with fun events and new ways to enhance your career and networking through social media outlets and professional development workshops. Here are a few more opportunities you can’t miss.

Plan to attend this year’s NCC Holiday Reception on Thursday, Nov. 20th at a wonderful new venue: Elizabeth’s on L. This newly converted historic row house located in the heart of the District is going to be the perfect spot for ringing in the holidays over cocktails and delicious hors d’oeuvres. We’ll celebrate 2008 with jazz music playing in the background while we recognize our amazing chapter volunteers, tip our hats to the incoming NCC leadership and raffle off great prizes. Bring friends, colleagues and significant others—and don’t miss this evening to remember. Space is limited, so reserve your tickets now. Click here to register.

PRSA-NCC recently created a Facebook page and a new group on LinkedIn  to maximize networking and connections between our members. Join today to meet other public relations professionals, search for jobs, seek expert advice from peers, request personal references and get connected within our vast and growing public relations community. These groups are available exclusively for PRSA-NCC members. You must have accounts with LinkedIn and Facebook to join.

Congratulations to our newly accredited members! Several of you this year have taken advantage of PRSA-NCC’s JumpStart preparation course to help prepare for earning your accreditation in public relations—and have passed the exam! Join us at the NCC Holiday Reception where we will recognize you, our newly Accredited in Public Relations (APR) members, for this impressive professional accomplishment. For more information about earning your APR, click here.

On the professional development front, we have several events listed in the “Next Up” section, including a special program to provide you with industry insights from the media who cover public relations. In the new post-election environment, learn about what is on the horizon in public relations and the biggest trends in PR for 2009. Get the scoop from media who cover our industry on Nov. 18 at 8 a.m. at Fleishman-Hillard. Register today by clicking here.

I look forward to celebrating the holidays with you as we close out 2008. As always, please feel free to contact me directly if I can be of service. I can be easily reached at 703-875-8969 or heathere@keenanpr.com.

Sincerely,

Heathere Evans-Keenan, APR

PRSA-NCC President, 2008

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PRSA-NCC Announces 2009 Officers,
Board Members and Assembly Delegates

The results of the election of PRSA-NCC’s 2009 officers, board of directors and assembly delegates are in. This team of PRSA-NCC members oversees the chapter’s more than 25 committees and 50 annual professional development and awards programs designed to advance professionalism and career growth.

“As the largest PRSA chapter in the nation with more than 1,400 members, PRSA-NCC is the leading organization connecting PR practitioners in the Washington, DC region,” said Barbara Burfeind, APR, 2009 NCC president, and strategic communication director of Defense Visual Information, U.S. Department of Defense. “I’m excited about working with the new board to organize programs that will enable our members to succeed in their professional endeavors, grow as PR professionals and highlight best practices in their work.”

Burfeind is joined by 12 newly elected members of the board of directors and three new assembly delegates, as well as three returning directors who are serving two-year terms, and 11 returning assembly delegates. The chapter’s leadership team comprises the president and the executive officers of the board:

President: Barbara Burfeind, APR, strategic communication director, Defense Visual Information, U.S. Department of Defense

President-Elect: Jeff Ghannam, vice president, communications and membership, Biotechnology Institute

Treasurer: Aaron Cohen, vice president, media relations, MS&L Washington DC

Secretary: Rita Mhley, president, Mhley/Davis & Associates, Inc.

Vice Presidents:

Kristina Messner Chalf, vice president, public relations, Focused Image

Robert Udowitz, public relations consultant

Fred Whiting, APR, associate, Booz Allen Hamilton

Immediate Past President: Heathere Evans-Keenan, APR, founder and president, Keenan PR, Inc.

Two-Year Directors:

Amie Hornbaker, APR, director of public relations, American Podiatric Medical Association (term expires 2009)

Michelle Hudgins, APR, senior press officer, National Education Association (term expires 2010)

Brigitte Johnson, APR, director of communications and executive editor, American Forest Foundation (term expires 2009)

Fred Lash, APR, senior advisor to the deputy secretary of defense (joint communication) (term expires 2009)

Phil Simon, APR, managing director, communications and marketing, American Institute of Architects (term expires 2010)

Gwyn Walcoff, APR, owner, CCG, LLC Public Relations (term expires 2010)     

One-Year Directors (term expires end of 2009):

Deborah A. Deal, APR, president, Saint Blackwell, Inc.

Suzanne Holroyd, Ph.D., APR, associate, Booz Allen Hamilton

Amy Robinson, APR, vice president, communications & media relations, Direct Selling Association

Assembly Delegates (term expires in parentheses):

Rebecca Andersen, APR, corporate communications manager, Opnext, Inc. (10)

Kathleen Bergeron, APR, marketing specialist, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation (09)

Ivonne Couret, public affairs officer, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (09)

Aaron Ellis, APR, communications director, American Association of Port Authorities (10)

Steven Grant, APR, manager, public relations, National Education Association (10)

Tia Mason Howard, APR, director of communications, Erickson Retirement Communities (10)

Brigitte Johnson, APR, director of communications and executive editor, American Forest Foundation (11)

David Kinsman, APR, senior associate, public affairs, American College of Physicians (09)

Fred Lash, APR, senior advisor to the deputy secretary of defense (joint communication) (09)

Nancy Mayes, APR, president, Mayes Communications, Inc. (09)

Kristina Messner Chalf, vice president, public relations, Focused Image (09)

Phil Simon, APR, managing director, communications and marketing, American Institute of Architects (11)

Mike C. Sheward, APR, president, Management Communications Strategies (11)

Gwyn Walcoff, APR, principal, CCG, LLC Public Relations (09)  

PRSA-NCC Rings In New Leadership,Celebrates Year of Achievements at Nov. 20 Holiday Reception

Get a Free Cup o’ Joe by Being “In the Know!”

Download the National Capital Channel
This Month for Chance to Win Starbucks Card

More than 300 PRSA-NCC members stay “In the Know” through the National Capital Channel, a free widget that was introduced earlier this year that gives users the latest PRSA-NCC chapter news, events, jobs, podcasts and even local weather—all right on their desktop! 

If you haven’t yet downloaded this tool join today for some real perks.

The first 100 people who download the National Capital Channel to their desktops between now and November 30 will receive a $5 Starbucks card.

RSS Feeds Now Available: Update Your Desktop Version of the National Capital Channel Today

For those who already have downloaded the National Capital Channel, you should check to make sure you’re using the most current version of the software.  It’s easy and fast.  Just click on the “menu” button on the tool on your screen, and from the menu that appears select “Get latest version.” It’s that simple!  The newest version allows you to add RSS feeds of some of the most popular PR and communications blogs right to your desktop tool.

Special thanks to ActiveAccess for their sponsorship of the National Capital Channel.

PRSA-NCC 2008 President Nominated For Washington Woman of the Year

PRSA-NCC President Heathere Evans-Keenan, APR, has been nominated for Washington PR Woman of the Year by Washington Woman in Public Relations (WWPR). Evans-Keenan has been noted for her professional skills as a PR practitioner, her commitment to ethics and her giving back to the profession including her significant contribution to the creation of the Independent Public Relations Alliance (IPRA). Evans-Keenan will be honored at a luncheon on Wednesday, Nov. 5, from 12 noon-2 p.m. at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington,D.C. For additional information, or to attend the event, visit www.wwpr.org.

Green PR: How The Going Green Trend Affects PR Nov. 6

Even if you understand and teach your clients the theories behind green PR, are you practicing what you preach? At the IPRA luncheon Green PR: How The Going Green Trend Affects PR on Thursday, Nov. 6, participants will learn about the top three mistakes PR practitioners commonly make when dealing with green audiences and how to talk to different audiences.

The IPRA luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Tysons Corner.

Featured speaker Lynn Miller of Miller Strategic Marketing brings a unique perspective to the topic of Green PR, as a long time corporate and agency PR practitioner. Currently, she is a green blogger who is often the subject of “green pitches” from many of the leading PR firms.

On-site payment is $25 for IPRA and PRSA-NCC members and $30 for non-members and guests. Only cash is accepted at the door. The buffet luncheon includes a beverage and gratuity.

Market Research to Fit Your Budget: Getting the Right Data to Make Smart Decisions Nov. 7

PRSA-NCC and the DC Chamber of Commerce are presenting a session on Friday, Nov. 7, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at the City Club of Washington at Columbia Square focused on market research that will fit any budget. Participants will learn from market research specialists what cost-effective research tools businesses, nonprofits and associations can use to gather data from customers, employees and the marketplace.  Speakers include Sandra Wills Hannon, Ph.D., APR, Principal of The Hannon Group LLC; Susan Rink, Principal of Rink Strategic Communications; and Mary-Jane Atwater, President, Atwater Communications.  The City Club of Washington is located at 555 13th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20004.  Cost is $35 for members of the DC Chamber of Commerce and PRSA-NCC and their sponsors; $60 for non-members.  Register online at www.dcchamber.org or contact Candice Hicks:  202-347-7201, ext. 209 or chicks@dcchamber.org.

Next PRSA-NCC PR 101 on Desktop Applications Nov. 14

A series of new, free sponsor-supported webinars is continuing for PRSA-NCC members to provide them with information about tools and services for the PR industry that can be utilized to make PR pros jobs easier or add value to practitioners’ work.

Next session will be held Friday, Nov. 14 at 12 noon. The topic will focus on PR 101: Desktop Applications (featuring the National Capital Channel) led by Terence Thomas of ActiveAccess and coordinated through The Intellor Group.

Participants will learn how to effectively use desktop applications to communicate with stakeholders and how a desktop application might be a good method of communicating internally and externally in today’s age when e-mail and web traffic are too overwhelming. The program will feature a full demonstration of the features and new enhancements of the National Capital Channel.

To register for the webinar, visit www.prsa-ncc.org.

PRSA-NCC PRONet Committee PresentsPR Toolkit for New Professionals

New public relations professionals are invited to participate in this special session geared to their needs on Thursday, Nov. 13, from 8:30-10:30 a.m. at Widmeyer Communications near Dupont Circle. The program will focus on the basic of PR including: the role of public relations during a crisis, how to manage external and internal expectations during a crisis, why it is important to master the basics of writing for public relations, how to develop good relationships with writers/editors, how to successfully position the experts at your organization and what tools every pr practitioner needs to succeed.

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Lisa Johnson
Assistant Account Executive
Environics Communications

1. Why did you join PRSA?

I was really involved with PRSSA at the University of Florida and it ended up being a very beneficial experience. PRSA is a step up where I can meet peers here in the D.C. area, attend professional development seminars and stay up-to-date on industry trends.

2. How long have you been in the PR field?

A year and a half.

3. What skills are required to do your job?

The most common skills in my job are writing, quick problem solving, creative thinking and research, research, research! Being able to get a client’s message across appropriately is a tough task, so you have to use all of those skills together to take on the challenge. That task is probably my favorite part about working at an agency.

4. What’s your greatest career achievement?

When I was in school, it was my dream to start my career at a New York City agency. After graduation, I was able to achieve that goal, and I spent a year working in a fast-paced agency in Manhattan. My time there did exactly what I had hoped by accelerating the learning process for me, and it has turned into a great experience to fuse those skills with my work at Environics.

5. Where would you like to see yourself in five years?

In five years, I’m hoping to have developed the management and client-consulting skills to supervise accounts.

6. How do you begin each day?

First, I read the newspaper on the train ride to work every day, and once I get in, I read a few other papers and a lot of news sites. That could be why friends always tell me they don’t need to watch the news when they can ask me what went on during the day. After that, I sort through e-mails and start building my day.

7. What’s your dream job?

If I could be anything, I would be a scout for the NFL or a novelist. I love watching football more than any other sport and if it weren’t for their chaotic schedules, that would be an exciting job. I also say a novelist because even when I was in elementary school, I would set out to write stories that would take up half my spiral notebooks. I have always loved writing, and to be able to craft a storyline into an entire book is a quality I really admire.

8. Who’s your role model, and why do you admire him/her?

I actually don’t have one role model, and for me, that is important to being a well-rounded person. There are so many people that I respect for little things they do, and I try to take a small piece away each time I see it. Admirable qualities to me in or out of work are honesty, kindness, loyalty, a love of family and friends, a sincere drive to succeed and the ability to overcome adversity.

9. What’s the last book you read or movie you saw?

I recently read A Thousand Splendid Suns, and I loved it. It is one of those books that keeps you a little tense along the way, but you form an attachment to the story and its characters, which is the foundation of a good book.

10. Tips for maintaining the elusive work/life balance?

Ultimately, I think you have to vow to leave work at work. Inevitably, there will be nights when we work late to meet deadlines or when we have to be on e-mail here and there. In any case, we spend the majority of our day at the office, so it is important to make the most of time with family or friends. Leaving work and then talking about it all night at the dinner table or on the weekends is just going to hinder achieving a happy medium between the two. 

If you’ve joined the chapter within the past six months and would like to receive a questionnaire, please contact newsletter@prsa-ncc.org. To view past new Member Spotlights, visit the membership section of the Web site.

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I am supervising Radford University's PR and Media Studies interns. Many students from the Northern Virginia area attend Radford Univ, and I am wondering if there are upcoming events that interns and graduates would be interested in. We attended one of your workshops in April, and we'd be very much interested in coming to the area for something again.—BK, Radford, VA

Dear BK: Thanks for asking about events sponsored by the National Capital Chapter.  You can go to the chapter’s Web site at http://www.prsa-ncc.org to get a list of upcoming events, but there are several opportunities and resources that I think your interns and graduates would be particularly interested in:

•           The Jobline provides an up-to-date list of PR job openings for interns and professionals in the Washington metropolitan area. 

•           The Mentoring Program matches students and new PR practitioners with seasoned professionals to establish relationships that will be of benefit to both. 

•           PRSA-NCC’s Accreditation Program gets a “Jump Start” in the National Capital Chapter with a review course that helps prepare applicants for the exam required for accreditation.  Members of the chapter also participate in a “Readiness Review” session with candidates to get them ready. 

•           The chapter also sponsors a series of professional development workshops that help experienced as well as novice PR practitioners develop and enhance their skills. 

We would welcome the participation of Radford University’s PR and Media Studies interns.  For more information, go to the chapter Web site. 

Regards,

Fred Whiting, APR

Do you have a question concerning the practice of public relations that would be of interest to others? Ask a PRofessional! Click on Programs/Mentoring/Ask a Professional or just click here.

to pose your question and receive a personal reply. Your question and the answer may appear in a future issue of the PRSA-NCC Chapter newsletter.

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