PRSA-NCC Seeks Volunteers for 2006

The Chapter has several initiatives underway, and we could use your help. We wouldn’t be the largest and most active chapter in the country if it weren’t for volunteers and personal contributions of time and effort, as well as donations of services and gifts. If you have an interest in building your leadership skills, communications competencies, and expanding your professional network, please call me, a board member, or a committee chair. Specifically, the Web site, Jobline, and Membership committees are looking for volunteers. The contact information for Chapter board members and committee leaders is available on the chapter Web site . We need your energy and talents to help the chapter continue to achieve even more in 2006.

Join us on Dec. 8 to welcome the 2006 leadership team during the annual Holiday Celebration at the Georgetown University Conference Center. Register before Nov. 15 for the early bird rate. The program committee has planned a swinging evening of entertainment to celebrate the winter holidays and the chapter’s individual awards – Diversity Champion and Diamond Award for chapter service. There will be a raffle to benefit student scholarships, as well as a collection for The Center for Child Protection and Family Support, a pro bono client of PRSA-NCC’s Independent PR Alliance.

The NCC Diversity Committee is accepting nominations for the 2005 PRSA-NCC Diversity Champion Award, which recognizes an individual or organization for dedication to promoting and preserving ethnic and cultural diversity within PRSA and the practice of public relations in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. In 2004 Ofield Dukes, APR, Fellow PRSA, was the first recipient of the award.

The nomination process is straight forward. Please email the name of your nominee (individual or organization), up to 200 words supporting your nomination, and the nominator’s telephone number to Jeffrey Lofton, APR, at jlof@loc.gov by Nov. 15. Membership in PRSA is not required for the nominator or nominee. The winner will be announced during the PRSA-NCC Holiday Celebration.

I look forward to seeing you at the Nov. 16 Professional Development Seminar on Crisis Communications and/or at the Holiday Reception. In the meantime, send us your feedback at newsletter@prsa-ncc.org and mark your calendars for our kick-off networking event on Jan. 19.

Cheers,
Tracy Schario

Did you know PRSA now offers group membership and online dues renewal?

Groups of 10 or more individuals that JOIN together can receive special rates on dues, along with other benefits. These are still individual memberships but they are transferable within the organization. For more information about the program, contact Rosa Paulsen at membership@prsa.org or Jennifer Ian, VP member services.

To renew your PRSA membership online it’s fast and easy. Visit MemberNet, our secure, members-only web site, login, and select ‘My Billing’ from the menu.  Don’t know your login and password? Click the option and it will be emailed to you. Need help? Email membernet@prsa.org.  Address change? Select ‘My Profile’ to update your contact information.

Other members-only offers include premiere conference calling service, special member rates and DHL shipping service, special member rates. For more information, contact: Kelly Albanese, chapter/district relationship coordinator, 212-460-1453, chapters@prsa.org or Rosa Paulsen, member services manager, 212-460-1490, membership@prsa.org/

“Cultivate Your Career” Promotion – Extended to Nov. 23

PRSA is EXTENDING this free chapter membership promotion through Nov. 23.  Be sure to use the CHAP2005 promotion code if you do join online. Click here to sign up.

Business Women's Network Event Discount

PRSA members can also receive a discount to the Business Women's Network 2005 Diversity and Women Leadership Summit & Gala in Washington, DC on Nov. 16 -17, 2005. The cost for PRSA members and friends (both male and female!) is only $250 per person (the regular corporate non-member registration fee is $745). This discount is good until Nov. 15, 2005 and does not include hotel and airfare. If you are interested in the discounted rate, please contact Kelly Papinchak at 713-416-2218 or kelly@schipul.com.

The Bottom Line on Ethics

By Linda Dickerhoof

When a public relations professional gets their client in the news it is usually a good thing.  When the PR pros themselves make the headlines, as was the case recently when several “expert commentators” and professional spokespersons failed to disclose financial ties to the cause they were being paid to promote, the headlines aren’t so positive.

If you find yourself facing a potential ethical dilemma, revisit the PRSA Member Code of Ethics, which all PRSA members have pledged adherence to upon joining PRSA.

The PRSA Member Code of Ethics outlines the core values of PRSA members, and the public relations profession—values that are vital to the integrity of the profession as a whole.  These include the values of advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty, and fairness.  In addition, the PRSA Member Code of Ethics addresses protecting and advancing the free flow of information, promoting healthy and fair competition among professionals, disclosure of information and open communication, safeguarding confidences and client trust, conflicts of interest, and enhancing the public’s trust in the profession. 

For a refresher on the PRSA Member Code of Ethics, to read the PRSA Member Code of Ethics pledge, or to review related information, check out PRSA’s Web site. Here you can find all of this information, as well as a guide to the process for ethical decision-making, a matrix of ethical dilemmas, information about changes that were made to the 2000 version of the PRSA Member Code of Ethics, Case Studies, and more. 

PRSA-NCC and IPRA to Collect Holiday Donations for the Center for Child Protection and Family Support

Please join PRSA-NCC and the Independent Public Relations Alliance (IPRA) this holiday season by giving to The Center for Child Protection and Family Support, a pro bono client of IPRA’s since 2004.

For more than 17 years, the Center has served thousands of Washington, DC, families and professionals through federal and locally funded programs. Their mission is to ensure that all children – particularly inner-city and disadvantaged children – have an opportunity to grow up healthy and safe within a nurturing family and supportive community.  The Center focuses on parent education, youth violence prevention, therapeutic services, and professional training.

Each Christmas, the Center helps the local families they serve enjoy a brighter holiday by providing gift cards to help purchase clothing, food and toys. Gift cards from Safeway, Target, Old Navy, or Toys R Us (or money to help us buy them) will help the Center in this effort. There are three ways to give:

1. 1) You can mail gift cards or checks (so we can buy gift cards) payable to PRSA-NCC to: PRSA National Capital Chapter, 10378 Democracy Lane, Suite A, Fairfax, VA 22030, by December 12. Please write Center for Child Protection in the memo area.
2. You can donate by credit card online at www.prsa-ncc.org or at www.ipralliance.com. Details are available on the Web sites.
3. You can donate at the next PRSA-NCC Workshop (Nov. 16) or the PRSA-NCC Holiday Reception (Dec. 8).

To learn more about the important work of the Center, visit their web site directly at stopchildabusenow.org, or through the link at www.ipralliance.com. Questions? Contact Helen Sullivan, Co-chair IPRA Pro Bono Committee, 703-847.9702 or hs@inhouse-com.com.

Melanie Hinton

Melanie Hinton is a Public Affairs Officer at the British Embassy. She joined PRSA and PRSA-NCC in June 2005.

1. Why did you join PRSA?
   I saw PRSA as a great opportunity to expand my networking portfolio by meeting professionals who can help me help my team achieve outstanding public affairs work. It is also a great venue to learn about new ideas or looking at things from a different perspective…too often we get tunnel vision; this will help me keep things “fresh and innovative.”

2. What skills are required to do your job?For my job doing public diplomacy at the British Embassy, I spend a lot of time creating strategies on how to reach out to the public to get our views and successes to the masses. I spend a lot of time collaborating with outside groups to hold events with media coverage while also encouraging the participation of policymakers.

3. What’s your greatest career achievement?
   Watching my first media campaign, at my previous job, be so successful. It took a lot of time and effort working with non-communications people and writers, but we still got great publicity out of the program.

4. Tips for maintaining the elusive work/life balance?
   I was once told by an old boss that on your deathbed, no one ever says they wished they worked harder; it is always “I wish I spent more time with my family.” When I leave the office everyday, I leave it. I don’t take it home with me, and I rarely discuss it at home. My husband and I discuss us and our lives when we are together. We try to make the best of each minute we spend together without work bringing us down. It is a challenge as my husband works from home, but when I come home I make him shut the office door. It is our time.

5. What’s the last book you read?
   Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Prepared by Chanda Gilmore. If you’ve joined the chapter within the past six months and would like to receive a questionnaire, please contact newsletter@prsa-ncc.org.

"Ask a Professional”

By Fred Whiting, APR

(Q) I work for a rather small nonprofit as a public relations associate. While I enjoy working in an environment where I believe I am affecting change, I no longer feel like I am being challenged. I am beginning to think that I should seek employment with an agency. I do not know if I want to work in an agency forever, but I do think that it will be a great starting point. I would really like to work in collegial atmosphere, where I can bounce ideas off of other PR professionals. In my current position, I am the PR professional, and I don't think my organization truly understands my position. I am a couple of years out of college, so I don't have significant experience. My boss seems pleased with my work, but I want to know that I will also be effective in the PR profession outside of these walls. Do you think it would be wise for me to work in an agency to gain better experience? Do you think they will challenge me more? If so, what suggestions do you have (aside from networking and researching the typical PR jobsites) that might help me land a job with a firm.

bd, Fairfax

(A) Dear bd: A public relations agency can be a great place for a relatively inexperienced PR professional to gain experience.  An agency environment has several advantages:

• It offers the opportunity to work for different clients in different fields. 
• Often you work on a team with other PR pros from whom you can learn. 
• An agency is usually fast-paced, so there is little opportunity to be bored. 
• There is opportunity for growth and advancement. 

On the other hand, an agency can be a stressful environment.  It requires willingness to not only do work for a client, but also to get new business, as most clients last only about two years, on average.  And because you can find yourself working for several clients at once, often there is little opportunity to know each client as well as if you were the "in-house" PR professional. 

However, if you want to be challenged and feel that you can take on almost any public relations problem, an agency can be a great learning experience, especially when you are a relative newcomer to PR.  And keep in mind that you can always move on to work for another organization, at a higher level with additional experience.  Good luck!

Regards,
Fred