The Update

12/2006

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.

Join us Friday, Dec. 1st 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.

Artificial Intelligence, Community Partnerships and NextIT
SPRC/PRSA welcomes Fred Brown, CEO and President, NextIT, and recent winner of the Ken Grunzweig Innovator of the Year Award from the Spokane Regional Chamber of Commerce at the annual Catalyst Awards ceremony, to present at the December 1, 2006 membership meeting. Brown will share his insights on entrepreneurship and creating partnerships for regional economic development. He will also share his vision for NextIT, and its cutting edge artificial intelligence technology solutions through showcasing some successful projects, such as the United States Army "GoArmy" website "SGT STAR" application. Brown will be joined by Gonzaga University Director of Development Joe Poss to share Gonzaga's "Ask Spike" web application and its success to date.

More about our speakers:

• Fred A. Brown, President & CEO of NextIT. With over 20 years of engineering experience and entrepreneurial leadership in the software industry, Fred Brown founded Next IT in July 2002. Prior to Next IT, he was founder, President and CEO of LineSoft Corporation in Spokane, WA from 1989 to 2002, when that company completed a successful merger with Itron, Inc. At LineSoft, Fred and his team developed and created an innovative and unique way to enable line-design engineering for utilities. Under his leadership, LineSoft attracted $26 Million in venture funding, at that time the largest-ever VC placement in Spokane County.
  Fred is actively involved in a variety of organizations serving the northwest educational and scientific communities, including serving on the Board of Trustees at Gonzaga University. In addition, he is the founder of WIN Partners LLC, a private investment fund for aspiring technology entrepreneurs in Spokane.
• Joe Poss, Director of Development, Gonzaga Unviersity. With nine years of fund raising experience at Gonzaga, Joe has worked on the Annual and Major Giving teams serving in various roles as the University launched and completed a $150 million campaign. As Director of Development, Joe oversees the Planned, Major, and Annual Giving teams, as well as Stewardship, Foundation Relations, Government Relations, and the Development Research and Information Services teams. In this position, he serves as a member of the University Relations senior management team.
  Prior to joining the GU Development team, Joe worked in the Annual Giving department at Whitworth College. He previously served as a two-term member of the Nine Mile Falls School District Board of Directors and as Director of Ambassadors for the World Leadership Congress for Los Angeles based Hugh O'Brian Youth Leadership.

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by Garry Matlow, chapter president

It’s hard to believe that 2006 is coming to an end, and along with it my term as PRSA chapter president. There’s a few important dates between now and the time Tamitha Anderson takes over as president in January.

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, Dec. 13, for the Magnum PR Wine-tasting and Holiday Auction. We will be returning to the Corbin Art Center, on Seventh Avenue just west of Stevens Street as you head up the South Hill. It starts at 4:30 p.m. for early arrivers and continues to 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for PRSA members and $20 for non-members. Look for more details in the coming weeks.

The Holiday Auction is our major fundraiser and provides scholarships for public relations students at Gonzaga University, Eastern Washington University and Washington State University, which are the three universities in our region that have PRSSA chapters.

Our monthly joint breakfast meeting with the Spokane Public Relations Council will be Friday, Dec. 1. I make special mention of that because the first day of the month being on a Friday can sneak up on some people. Our January meeting will be Friday, Jan. 5, when our speakers will be our Communicator of the Year and Degerness Award recipients.

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NOTE: New date -- Wednesday, Dec. 13th.

The Spokane PRSA annual fundraiser event, Magnum PR, kicks off the holiday season on Wednesday, December 13 at the Corbin Art Center. Join us for delicious wines and appetizers, friends and colleagues, and of course, amazing auction items!

Need a holiday gift or a treat for yourself? Want to help support PRSSA student activities? Then Magnum PR is for you!

What: Magnum PR Wine Tasting & Auction
When: Wednesday, Dec. 13, 4:30-8 p.m.
Where: Corbin Art Center (507 West 7th Ave., Spokane WA)
Cost: PRSA members $15, non-members $20

For more information, contact Tamitha Anderson at 444-2350 or tamithaa@desautelhege.com.

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Kathryn Crosby's Cabaret Act: "My Life With Bing"
Tickets are available for the December 8th Bing Crosby Theater Dedication performance by Kathryn Crosby... and at a special rate (almost 50% off) for PRSA/SPRC members!

$100 premium tickets -- now $45!
$45 tickets -- now $25!
$25 tickets -- now $15!

These special prices are only available at the Met Theater box office. Please identify yourself as a PRSA/SPRC member and get your tickets today! Regular tickets can be ordered by calling Tickets West (325-SEAT).

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Whether you choose to play this game at work or at home, that's up to you and your ethics. But, one way or another, you'll learn more about ethics with this word search puzzles from the Ethics Resource Center. Visit: http://www.ethics.org/erc-publications/values-word-search.asp

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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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