The Update

9/2006

Welcome to the official newsletter of the Greater Spokane PRSA Chapter. Past issues can be found by going to www.prsaspokane.org and clicking on the "Newsletters" link.

By GARRY MATLOW
Chapter President

September is here and I'd like to welcome everyone back from "the lake" or wherever you visited to find a little summer respite. Despite the popular idea that nothing gets done in Spokane during the hot months, I know many of our members had a busy summer: new employers, new jobs and new offices kept most of us on the go since spring.

Your board has stayed busy during the summer as well. Steve Blewett, Tamitha Anderson and I met with the Spokane Public Relations Council president and program chair in July to discuss programs for the coming year. The two boards met jointly in August to discuss ways to make our breakfast meetings more meaningful to attendees.

We will be announcing some upcoming webinars soon and they will continue to be offered free to PRSA members. We are also making plans for this year's Magnum PR Holiday Auction and Wine-Tasting and will be calling for nominations soon for our Communicator of the Year awards.

The board decided to skip our Fall Workshop this year. With the PRSA International Conference taking place in Salt Lake City in November, we knew we would have trouble competing for your workshop dollars and for national speakers. But we're already in the process of booking a great national speaker for 2007.

I hope to see you all at our Sept. 8 breakfast meeting when Charles Ruthford from Boeing will speak about ethics.

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Join us Friday at 7:30 a.m. for the next joint breakfast meeting of the Greater Spokane PRSA Chapter and the Spokane Public Relations Council! The meeting will be held in Cataldo Hall on the campus of Gonzaga University from 7:30 to 9 a.m. and is open to any interested public relations professionals or students. The meeting fee, which covers breakfast, is $9 for members, $11 for non-members and $7 for students.

This month's program focuses on teaching and communicating ethics, presented by Charles Ruthford of The Boeng Company. Lean about what ethics are, how to teach and communicate them with your colleagues and even find them in today's popular movies! Ruthford has been an ethics and compliance specialist for Boeing, with 32 years of service. Responsible for teaching ethics strategies and ethics educations to his employees, Ruthford brings an experience of over 100 classes with 2,500 employees.

But wait, there's more... in 1972, Charles Ruthford represented the U.S. Olympic team in the rowing competition. "The most important thing I learned through rowing and participating in the Olympics is once you make up your mind to do something, it’s possible," he says. Teaching ethics is "much like rowing and being an Olympian --it requires advance planning, a focus on details, a lot of preparation and a willingness to give your entire attention to the activity."

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Its a new season for the Spokane PRSA Chapter and that means some of us have new jobs. Here's a wrap-up of some of those new transitions:

• Garry Matlow: Communications and Program Assistant, Alzheimer's Association Inland Northwest Chapter (The Alzheimer's Association recently moved to 910 W. 5th Ave, Suite 226.)
• Tamitha Anderson: Promoted to Account Executive at Desautel Hege Communications. (DHC recently moved to 315 W. Riverside, Suite 200.)
• Lance Kissler: New Media and Online Communications Specialist, Eastern Washington University - Division of University Relations
• Nicole Graichen: Local Events and Promotions Manager, Special Olympics Washington
• Ann Nolan: Public Information Officer, City of Spokane Engineering Services
• Nancy Goodspeed: Director of Business Relations, Better Business Bureau-Montana
• Jeremy Glines: Campaign Executive, United Way of Snohomish County (Jeremy was the past-president of the EWU PRSSA chapter.)

Share your transition or success with the rest of Spokane's PR professionals! Contact Lance Kissler (lkissler@mail.ewu.edu) with your story today!

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Speaking of new positions... Desautel Hege Communications has an Account Coordinator position available. For more information, visit the Members Only section and click on "job info" link. (http://www.prsaspokane.org/positions.asp)

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This year's Conference, Benchmarking Your Public Relations Strategies with the Best, offers more than 55 highly focused professional development opportunities that will provide you with the exact tools you need to advance your career and your organization.

Want to know more about this year's exciting lineup of speakers, workshops, and networking events? Click http://prsa.org/conf2006/program.cfm to view full Conference details in PDF format.

Need help getting there? Your PRSA Spokane chapter is proud to announce that we are accepting applications from active chapter members for one scholarship that covers the conference's early registration fee!

To apply:

1. Write a brief summary stating why you should be considered for this scholarship, noting a demonstration of need, your active participation in club affairs and support of the organization.
2. Either attach the summary as a MS Word or PDF document, or include the summary as text in the body of your e-mail, and send it to Lance Kissler (lkissler@mail.ewu.edu) by COB on September 11, 2006.

Notes:

• Only one scholarship will be awarded for the early registration fee amount ($925.00).
• Members must be in good standing (paid dues) and show active participation within PRSA Spokane.
• The scholarship winner will be contacted after the mid-September regular board meeting.

Questions? Contact Lance Kissler at lkissler@mail.ewu.edu or (509) 359-6317.

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Pam Scott
Communications Coordinator
Spokane Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau
801 W. Riverside Ave., Ste. 301
Spokane, WA 99201
Phone: (509) 742-9373
pscott@visitspokane.com

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Have a story idea for the Spokane PRSA newsletter? Send your article, announcement or shameless plug to Lance Kissler by the last Wednesday of each month.

Contact:
Lance Kissler
lkissler@mail.ewu.edu
(509) 359-6317

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