The Update

4/2007

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 on Friday, April 6 at 7:30 a.m. in Cataldo Hall on the campus of Gonzaga University for the joint PRSA/MARCOM breakfast meeting. This month's meeting features Jeff Julin, APR, president of MGA Communications, Inc. in Denver. He will speak about the future of public relations, bringing 30 years of experience in public relations, community affairs, communication strategies and marketing communication programs. Also join us for Day-on-the-Job as we host college students from around the area for a day of mentoring and professional development.

The meeting is open to any interested public relations professionals and students. The meeting fee, which includes breakfast, is $9 for members, $11 for non-members and $7 for students. Those students who are participating in the Day-on-the-Job program do not have to pay the meeting fee.

 Jeff Julin, APR, president of MGA Communications, Inc.

Julin is an MGA principal with 30 years experience in public relations, community affairs, communication strategies and marketing communication programs. He has worked with numerous controversial projects, from product liability to regulatory and labor situations, and has acquired strong skills in issue and crisis management. Julin has deep experience in integrated marketing and communications strategies for industries as diverse as real estate, finance, natural resources, food service, e-commerce and high technology.

Julin has led projects for such clients as Pfizer, Johns Manville Corporation, Colorado Education Association, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver Regional Transportation District, JD Edwards, Shell Oil Company, and BP (British Petroleum).

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A lively and larger than normal crowd can be expected for the April 6 breakfast meeting as students and professionals greet each other for the annual PRSA Day-on-the-Job.

The Day-on-the-Job event begins at the regularly scheduled PRSA/MARCOM joint breakfast meeting at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, April 6 in the Cataldo Hall on the Gonzaga campus. Prior to the event, students will be contacting their assigned professionals to work out the details of recognizing each other and job site transportation. PRSA board members will be on hand at the breakfast to help students and professionals connect. The regular breakfast price will apply to professionals but students’ breakfasts will be free.

After the breakfast meeting, students and professionals will spend the morning at the professionals’ jobsites, where students will get a glimpse of putting theory to practice. The PRSA Day-on-the-Job event is one way that professionals have to give something back to the profession.

The job shadow ends when students return to Gonzaga University for lunch and a panel presentation at 12:30 p.m. in the Herak Club Room of Gonzaga’s McCarthey Athletic Center. The panel will discuss aspects of getting started in the profession. The lunch is free for students.

Sponsors for the Day-on-the-Job include Avista, Deaconess Medical Center, and Desautel Hege Communications. The Davenport Hotel has provided in-kind guest speaker accomodations. These sponsors help cover the costs of the students’ meals so that they are more likely to be able to participate.

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Dear fellow PRSA Members,
Happy Spring to each of you! Can you believe that we are already ¼ through 2007? It is amazing how quickly time flies, I hope each of you had a positive first quarter.

We have many exciting activities coming up for our local PRSA chapter. As you will read in this month’s newsletter, our PRSA Day-on-the-Job event will take place at the April breakfast meeting. This event continues to be a success, with students from around the region coming together to learn more about our profession, network and meet students from other schools’ communications programs. If you have not been involved with this event in the past, I encourage you to come to the April meeting and learn more. With the incoming-chair of PRSA National as our speaker, it is sure to be a good event.

There is also a teleseminar opportunity on March 29th that I encourage you to attend if you can. Many of you mentioned increased professional development and networking opportunities in the recent member survey, and this is one way your board is working to meet that need. This event, on media training, is NO CHARGE for current Greater Spokane PRSA Chapter members.

Please let us know what other topics you would like to learn more about and activities you would like to see from our chapter. We are currently working on the agenda for this year’s fall workshop, and your input and ideas are welcome. Our goal is to build professional development activities that are of value to our members and meet the needs that are not currently being met. I encourage each of you to share your thoughts and ideas as well as getting involved in areas you are passionate about.

Best wishes,
Tamitha

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If you coach or train spokespersons, executives and managers for media interviews, presentations or testimony, this program will show you some useful new tools and techniques and offer an in-depth analysis into scripting and developing content that drives interviews and audiences. James Lukaszewski will walk participants through the structure, technique and substance of an interesting approach to content-driven media coaching.

When: Thursday, March 29, 12-1:30 p.m.
Where: Deaconess Health & Education Center, room 266
Cost: Spokane PRSA members free; all others $15
RSVP: www.prsaspokane.org/event.asp?id=127
See you there!

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Why should nonprofit organizations pay attention to public relations? More importantly, find out why it's imperative that nonprofits focus on the mission of their organization when planning their PR strategy.

Find out more by reading the article, "Measure the Mission: Nonprofits Can Profit from PR," by Tim Penning, APR at http://www.npgoodpractice.org/PDF/Article33.PDF (Adobe PDF).

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San Francisco and Silicon Valley chapters of PRSA, in conjunction with Golden Gate University, are proud to co-host "The Golden Gateway to the Global Village," the 2007 North Pacific District Conference in San Francisco.

This full-day event, which includes a pre-conference networking reception, is the premier West Coast professional development opportunity of 2007, offering keynote and break-out sessions presented by top local and national practitioners and leaders. Join fellow practitioners from eight states and 16 PRSA chapters.

Date: May 17 (networking event) and May 18 (professional development sessions)
Location: Golden Gate University (Professional development sessions); California Historical Society (Welcome Reception/networking event)

Early registration ends April 17th (Member rate $125 Early Registration/$195 after April 17), so register early at www.acteva.com/go/prsaNPD. More details will be available soon at www.prsanpdistrict.org

BOOK YOUR HOTEL EARLY -- IT'S "BAY TO BREAKERS" WEEKEND!
Special PRSA room rates at Cathedral Hill Hotel ($99: 1-800-622-0855) or the King George Hotel ($169: 1-800-288-6005.)

Questions? Contact Hatti Hamlin, Hattihamlin@aol.com or Anne Massenkeil, amassenkeil@yahoo.com.

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Brand has become one of the most popular words used in the business media today. Are you using this powerful strategy to optimize your business equity? How you develop your brand and communicate it to your various constituencies is a critical facto in the sucess or failure of your business. Duane Knapp will discuss this and more at his branding clinic.

The professionals at Inland Northwest Society of Consulting Professionals (INSCP), Haught Strategies and Desautel Hege Communications invite you to attend a special program for our clients and friends on Wednesday, April 18th and the Davenport Hotel.

Click here to view the PDF invitation.

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Gonzaga's Public Relations Department is currently in the process of gathering best practice research on how to strengthen the university's PR program. Part of the research includes getting feedback from local practitioners. We would like PRSA members to fill out a 10 question on-line survey (we will provide the link when it is up and running), and we are also asking local practitioners to attend a focus group on Tuesday, April 3rd at 6pm in Gonzaga's Administration building. The time commitment is only about 45 minutes to an hour and refreshments will be provided.

If you have any questions or to RSVP for the focus groups, please contact Kelsey Merwick via e-mail kmerwick@gonzaga.edu or by phone (206) 369-2430. Thanks in advance for your support!

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The board had its regular meeting on March 13, 2007. The group discussed the membership survey results and will begin to strategize how to best implement the excellent recommendations that were made. Spokane PRSA received a thank you card from the WSU PRSSA for our support of their chapter.

The group decided that the media training workshop in March would be an excellent professionald development opportunity for the membership. In addition, the Day-on-the-Job event was discussed, including strategies to further develope a mentor-mentee relationship with our professionals and students.

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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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