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Greater Spokane Chapter November 09 Newsletter
11/2009
To view this newsletter in it's formatted version, click this link:
(Or read the non-formatted Nov. 09 Issue below:)
BOARD NEWS: The Board has recently gone through a metamorphosis of sorts. Due to totally unrelated circumstances, our Board lost several members including our President, Michele Galley. I have taken over as Interim President and our Board recruited several candidates to put up for vote on Friday, Oct 22nd. I am pleased to announce our new Board members who will officially assume their positions as of January 1, 2010.
Your new Chapter Board is as follows:
President: Cher Merrill, APR
President-Elect: Alison Mallahan
Secretary: Mary Ann McCurdy
Treasurer: Chris Bieker, APR
Director at Large: Monique Dugaw
Director at Large: Nick Lawhead
Director at Large: Renee Parkins
Director at Large: Christine Varela, APR
Ethics Officer: Susan Nielsen, APR
Accreditation Chair: Maggie Crabtree, APR
Ex Officio Past President: Lance Kissler
COMMITTEE MEMBERS WANTED
A strong Board is now in place for the coming year, and we will do our best to make it a valuable and exciting year for you to be a PRSA Member. One of the best ways to get good value out of your Membership is to get involved! Every one of our activities – from meetings to special events to PRSSA student activities – needs people to help make them a success.
It’s a wonderful way to get acquainted and with various levels of commitment, there is literally something to fit every schedule. Call me, Cher Merrill (509.326.6885) to volunteer today. I’ll help you find a way to contribute that’s enjoyable and valuable.
OTHER WAYS TO SUPPORT PRSA
If your business or organization would like to support the work of the Greater Spokane Chapter of PRSA in 2010 – whether special events such as our scholarship fundraiser or 2nd Social Media Boot Camp, or our Day on the Job Week and other PRSSA activities or our “Third at Four” Professional Development and Teleseminar meetings – please contact anyone on your PRSA Board to determine a level of sponsorship that would suit your organization best.
There are many ways to sponsor – including in-kind gifts or donations – and your organization will benefit not only from recognition, but also from knowing you’re supporting the public relations profession.
Thank you, Cher Merrill APR, President
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
As you may have noted, this year we structured the content of each “Third at Four” meeting following the lead of PRSA’s 2009 International Conference taking place as this newsletter goes to press, in San Diego, CA (November 7 – 10.)
The planners of that conference have focused the meeting’s content on bottom-line enhancing, real-world advice in four important areas:
* Innovative strategies
* Effective tactics and techniques
* Specialization and
* Practice areas and the business/management case for public relations.
Throughout the coming year, your Board plans to do the same. Our most recent meeting was a good example. Our October 15th Third at Four is a great example. Linda Oine the Founder of businessPATHS, an organizational development consulting firm in Spokane, WA, presented “Public Relations: The Value-Added Role.”
In her presentation, which highlighted the “Innovative Strategies Track,” Oine pinpointed significant challenges that organizations face and share how we, as Public Relations professionals, can increase our value to the organizations for which we work and support their success.
Additional highlights of our 4 – 6 pm Third at Four event included a reception for our four new APRs. Congratulations to Chris Bieker, Christine Varela, Tamitha Anderson and Lisa Cargill!
Speaking of APRs, if you are interested in learning more about our PRSA accreditation program, contact Accreditation Chair Maggie Crabtree, APR. And are you aware that our Professional Development Meetings AND our Teleseminar events always count as one (1) point of APR credit for a regular meeting and or event 4 hours or less? That’s important for those with APR accreditation, who must show continuing education as a core of their competency.
UPCOMING EVENTS
This newsletter offers information about some of our chapter’s future meetings and events, including our February “Suds for Scholarships: An Evening Out to Keep Local Talent In (Spokane).” It’s going to be great fun – and for a great cause: to raise funds for PRSSA student scholarships. And in March, we’ll bring back our Social Media Boot Camp.
More information will follow on the Greater Spokane PRSA Chapter website calendar, Spokane PRSA FaceBook and PRSASpokane Twitter. Check back often as we will be adding additional events and information.
PRSA FUNDRAISER It’s coming….the PRSA annual scholarship fundraiser is scheduled for February 18, 2010 at Steam Plant Grill in downtown Spokane. Suds for Scholarships: An Evening Out to Keep Local Talent In (Spokane) is a entertaining way to spend the evening with friends and colleagues while providing PRSA members and the community an opportunity to raise scholarship funds for local students. Students, who may choose to stay after graduation and thrive in the community that supported them.
This year’s event features a silent auction and raffle, combined with an evening of local micro-brew tasting. Wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages will also be available and delicious, local cuisine provided. More event details, including ticket prices and special deals that will only available to PRSA members are coming soon, so watch for more information from PRSA Spokane!
If you would like to assist in procuring raffle or auction items or if your company has something fabulous it would like to donate, please contact Renee Parkins at rparkins@mdausa.org.
The popular SOCIAL MEDIA WORKSHOP returns on March 18, 2010:
Twitter, Facebook, and blogs continue to be at the forefront of the conversation for many businesses – what are these tools? Should your company be using them? How should you do it? These are important questions to ask and attendees will be pointed to some of the answers at PRSA’s Social Media Workshop in March.
he program will feature hands-on exercises along with hosted conversations about best practices and advice. Specifics such as topics, time, and location are still being determined so please stay tuned. But don’t forget to mark your calendar for March 18, 2010 for this event!
PRSA Programming Update:
PRSA continues to schedule and host events to provide value for our members and cover topics that are timely and valuable for all attendees. A big “Thanks!” to everyone that continues to support the organization. As you may have noticed, our November meeting has been rescheduled for early 2010 to ensure that we continue to provide the value that attendees have come to expect. Our first “Third at Four” event next year will be a Thursday, January 21st, so mark your calendar! More details to come in the near future.
PUT IT IN WRITING
Do you have a story idea or some valuable information that our PRSA members would enjoy knowing about? Send your announcement, idea – even a shameless plug – to Monique Dugaw by the 20th of the month for inclusion in the next newsletter – which is published the first week of the following month. Notices and announcements can also be placed on our website or other online sources (Linked IN PRSA Spokane, Twitter/PRSA Spokane, etc.) Just send your information, with all the details to Monique and we will do our best to give the information some free media exposure.
SUPPORTING OUR COLLEAGUE
The information below appeared in Ed Clark’s “How’s Business.” If you can, help support Dawn Picken and family. Sean Stanelun, the owner of Manito Video Productions, is battling Necrotizing Fasciitis (flesh eating bacteria) and kidney failure and needs our help! He has been hospitalized since September, much of that time in intensive care, and is facing multiple surgeries and rehabilitation. Sean and his wife, Dawn Picken, are the parents of two small children and have been active members in our community. They are great people and have always gone out of their way to help others. Now they need our help! The Sean Stanelun Fund has been set up at Numerica Credit Union. Please make a donation. Go to www.helpseanrecover.com for more details.
MEMBERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
Are you having budget issues? It’s not unusual in this current economy, but PRSA may be able to help.Here are three options now available that may assist you in maintaining your valuable membership: Quarterly Payment Program Did you know that your National Membership and Special Interest Group dues may be paid through a quarterly payment option? It’s true…members can divide their dues over four payments.
Save on Section Membership
In Nov. and Dec., PRSA is offering FREE Section membership when you join PRSA National, at a savings of $60. Each of our 17 Professional Interest Sections provides practice-specific tools for strategic planning, tactical know-how and networking. What makes this promotion special is both existing PRSA members and new members can benefit. Existing members: Current PRSA members will receive $20 off if they add a Section membership during November and December. Promo Code:FREESEC09. CLICK HERE
New members: New PRSA members will receive a Section membership for free! From technology to health, it’s the inside info you need to save time and money. (Note there are some exceptions for Counselors and New Pros.)
BTW: PRSA National has launched a new website. With a great format and logical tools, it’s a great new resource.
Hardship Plan
These are tough times for a lot of people. PRSA wants to help. Members who are unemployed and have been a PRSA member for three or more years may be eligible for our hardship plan. More assistance. In the wake of the unprecedented financial crisis that grips the nation and led to layoffs and cutbacks, PRSA national has taken the extraordinary step of establishing a program to assist members who have lost their jobs retain their PRSA membership and the valuable resources that can assist in the job search process. Below, is the link to the document on the national site that describes how the program works. * "HARDSHIP PLAN" LINK
A PRSA MEMBERSHIP PLUS
“The Chaos Scenario” Last month, PRSA and 2009 International keynoter Bob Garfield kicked off "30 Days of Chaos," a free month-long program based on Garfield's new book, "The Chaos Scenario." This program is designed to prepare you for the digital future of media and marketing, introduce you to new digital/social tools and encourage you to work together to assemble those tools and not merely to survive the revolution, but to exploit it.
True to Chaos Theory, though the program actually “aired” (is that even the proper word anymore?) October 1st, you can begin participation at any time, and receive a video presentation from Garfield, daily e-mails featuring an introduction from Garfield, excerpts from "The Chaos Scenario," access to expert commentary and a PowerPoint presentation. As a participant, you will:
* Learn how completely the digital revolution has reordered media and marketing
* Discover "Listenomics," the key to thriving in the post-advertising age
* Explore the power of word-of-mouth and how to leverage it in a social media age
So don’t worry if you’ve missed the last 30 days of Chaos, it’s still very much available. You can read days 1-5 here, days 6-10 here. And here are links to days 11-20. And Chaos on Demand will be introduced soon. It will allow people to sign up for 30 Days of Chaos and have it begin on the date they choose!
It’s a great way to take your team, company, department, marketing club, or 13-step recovery group through the material at your own pace. To read more and to watch a video about Garfield's book, "The Chaos Scenario," visit the PRSA ComPRhension blog. If you have any questions or would like additional information, contact PRSA’s Candice Bellittera at Candice.bellittera@prsa.org. Advertising Age columnist Bob Garfield is providing a free, fun, and informative way for PR professionals and marketers to meet their educational and recruitment goals using a program called “30 Days of Chaos” based on the new book, The Chaos Scenario.
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