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May 2, PRSA Onsite Audio Seminar: Message Mapping |
Message mapping is a science-based risk communication tool that allows
spokespeople to quickly and concisely deliver the most pertinent
information about an emergency in such a way that a
frightened or angry audience is most likely to understand. Dr. Vincent
Covello, director of the Center for Risk Communication at Columbia
University, originally developed this multi-layer approach. It has been
used to successfully deliver
information after September 11 and to plan outreach for potential
disease outbreaks and terrorist activities. Message mapping is a proven
tool to communicate all manners of risk to a wide variety of audiences,
so tune in to learn how you
can apply its lessons in your career.
By attending this onsite audio seminar, you will learn to:
• Develop best communication practices before a crisis
• Construct message maps to aid in clarity of communication
• Teach others how to effectively use message maps
Presenter: Heather Lauer, media relations coordinator for the
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, is a former reporter with eight
years of experience in environmental media relations.
Date: Wednesday, May 2, 2007
Time: 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
(Audio seminar from 11:30 am – 12:30 pm; Local group discussion from 12:30 – 1:00 pm)
Location: Seattle Chamber of Commerce - 1301 Fifth Ave., Suite 2500 in Downtown Seattle
Cost: $25 for PRSA members, $35 for nonmembers
RSVP: Registration closed. Please visit
www.prsapugetsound.org for the next scheduled teleseminar
Please note the PRSA Puget Sound Chapter special group rate for this
program is only available for individuals attending the seminar onsite
at the Seattle Chamber. Thank you to the Greater Seattle Chamber of
Commerce for hosting this
professional development program.
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May 10 Program, Home Run, Touch Down, Slam Dunk: Communicating the Business of Professional Sports |
 Join
the public relations major leaguers from Seattle's top professional
sports teams as they make up an exciting panel at the May 10 PRSA
program "Home Run, Touch Down, Slam Dunk: Communicating the Business of
Sports." Our favorite teams' PR gurus will share the initiatives and
challenges that they face in their everyday jobs as they work to
communicate the business of
major league sports to the industry and the public. Confirmed panelists
include Gary Wright, vice president of administration for the Seattle
Seahawks, Rebecca Hale, director of public information for the Seattle
Mariners, and Tom Savage,
director of public relations for the Seattle Sonics/Storm.
Date: Thursday, May 10, 2007
Time: 7:30 am to 9:00 am
Location: Safeco Field, First Base Terrace
1250 First Avenue South, Seattle
Meal: Breakfast provided
Cost: $25 for PRSA members
$30 for non-PRSA members
$10 for PRSSA members
RSVP: Register
online or call 206-623-8632. Deadline is 5:00 pm, May 7.
Info: For more information, contact Karla Lindula at
karla@seattlesouthside.com.
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5:50 Happy Hours Begin May 17 |
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Join fellow PR
professionals for informal happy hours at 5:50 p.m. on the third
Thursday of each month. The mix-and-mingles were created at the request
of several members looking for
new, fun and casual ways to network with peers. Non-PRSA members are
welcome, too. The first happy hour takes place at The Garage pool hall
at 1134 Broadway Avenue (near Madison Street) on Capitol Hill. This is
a no-host event, but some
tables and pool tables are reserved and the first round of appetizers
is on PRSA, so don't be late. Why 5:50 p.m.? 2007 is the PRSA Puget
Sound Chapter's 50th anniversary. Cheers! |
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May 17-18, PRSA North Pacific District Conference -- It's Not Too Late to Register |
Co-hosted by the San Francisco and Silicon Valley chapters of PRSA in
conjunction with Golden Gate University, this conference features a
welcome reception and networking event on May 17 (at the California
Historical Society) and
professional development sessions on May 18 (at Golden Gate
University). The PRSA Puget Sound Chapter is a sponsor of this year's
conference.
Rate: Member rate: $125 (until April 17), $195 (after April 17)
Registration: Go to
http://www.acteva.com/go/prsaNPD. More details will be available soon at
http://www.prsanpdistrict.org.
More information: Contact Hatti Hamlin,
Hattihamlin@aol.com or Anne Massenkeil,
amassenkeil@yahoo.com. |
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June 14 Program, Building Trust - Even During the Worst of Times |
A reputation
crisis usually involves something going terribly wrong--a situation
frequently made worse by an infotainment-dominated media intent on
placing blame and putting the black hat
firmly on your head. But crises can offer invaluable opportunities to
build trust and long term goodwill. The keys are doing the right things
and communicating what you are doing in a way that today's audiences
expect and demand. What do
they expect? Speed, direct communication and authenticity. Gerald
Baron, president of Baron & Company, will focus this presentation
on how and why these demands are accelerating and the strategies,
methods and technologies used by
communication leaders to meet these demands.
Baron & Company is the premier marketing and public relations firm
in Northwest Washington. Mr. Baron is also the founder and CEO of PIER
System/AudienceCentral, the leading provider of crisis communication
information technology. Mr.
Baron has written three books, including Now is Too Late2: Survival in
an Era of Instant News, published in 2006. He is a frequent speaker at
national public relations and industry conferences.
Date: Thursday, June 14, 2007
Time: 7:30 - 9:00 am
Location: Seattle Times Auditorium
Cost: $30 for PRSA members, $35 for nonmembers, $10 for PRSSA members
Meal: Breakfast beverages and pastry included
RSVP: Register
online or call 206-623-8632 by 5:00 pm Tuesday, June 12 (walk-ins also welcome on day of event)
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PRSA Bulletin Board |
 Career Moves
Jeremy Glines, new chapter member and a PR Career Jumpstart committee
member, joined Renton-based Shiftpoint Strategies as an account
executive in late March.
Ryan Shannon will be the media relations manager for the Office of Attorney General Rob McKenna starting May 9.
PRSA member Bev Holland, APR, recently joined the Boeing Company as
Communications Specialist for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Bev's duties
include internal and external communications surrounding airplane
manufacturing and quality. Bev
also serves as chair of PRSA's Scholarship Selection Committee.
Welcome New & Renewing PRSA Members
We are very pleased to welcome the following new and returning members
to our chapter. If you are a new member and we missed your name, please
contact Membership Chair Kari Sherrodd at 206-295-2826 or
kari@remago.com or V.P. of Membership Neil Neroutsos, APR, at 425-783-8444 or
nsneroutsos@snopud.com.
RoseAnn Alspektor, The VALIS Group, Inc.
Patricia L. Gray, Family Services
Nicole Renee Phelan
Leanna M. Albrecht, Tacoma Public Schools
Lindsay M. Pease, Associated General Contractors of Washington
Catherine Laura Sweeney, APR, IDX Systems Corporation
Bridget Lara Frewer, Tartan Public Relations
Goldin Elizabeth Ortiz, Washington Forest Protection Association
Lawrence R. Wilson, APR, Fluke Corporation
Adrienne C. Matthews, Publicis Consultants PR
Melissa Harris Thirsk, Waggener Edstrom Worldwide
Victoria G. Woodarski
Chapter Appreciation Promotion in May & June 2007
Those who join PRSA as regular members in May and June can save under a
spring promotion that waives local chapter dues. New members pay $290
($225 + $65 initiation). Associate members are not eligible under the
promotion. For more
information, visit www.prsa.org or call the local chapter office at
206-623-8632.
We Want Your Feedback: Membership Survey
What do you like about being a PRSA member? What benefits would make
your membership even more valuable? If you haven't already, please let
us know by taking a few minutes to answer the PRSA Puget Sound
Chapter's Membership Survey. Make
sure to respond by the deadline of Wednesday, May 9, and include your
name and phone number in the last survey response, to be entered in a
drawing for a $100 gift card to REI.
Follow this link to access the survey:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=818643659159
If you have any technical difficulties or have other questions about the survey, please contact Kari Sherrodd at
kari@remago.com.
Get Connected: Volunteer as New Newsflash Editor
Jeremy Bartram will soon be stepping down as Newsflash Editor to make
time for his baby-on-the-way. This is your chance to step up and get
the most out of PRSA by taking the reigns as the next Newflash Editor.
Aside from enjoying the
creative writing and editing experience, you will get to know the
entire chapter's board and committee leads, while having direct input
into how the chapter markets itself. If you are interested, please
contact Jennifer Hawton at
Jennifer.Hawton@publicisconsultants-pr.com.
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Member Profile: Neil McReynolds |
 50 Years in Public Relations
Last Saturday, Neil McReynolds and fellow UW alumni opened the
50-year time capsule they inaugurated during the 1956/1957 school year
at the University of Washington Communications Building. While much of
this weekend's media coverage
focused on the prank played by mystery time bandits, McReynolds and his
fellow classmates, faculty and present-day students have been praised
for their humor, good sportsmanship and for the spirit of free and open
communication that
pervaded the celebration.
In the five decades since graduation, McReynolds has forged a
successful career, first as an award-winning journalist and then as a
public relations professional in government and private industry. He
currently runs a corporate governance
firm, McReynolds Associates, Inc., and serves on several for-profit and
non-profit boards of directors. McReynolds has been a PRSA Puget Sound
Chapter member for 33 years and was awarded the chapter's Jay Rockey
Lifetime Achievement Award
in 2003.
So, what was in that time capsule and did the contents look familiar?
Earlier in the week, I was as curious as anyone about what went into
the time capsule. I do recall the inauguration of the capsule as one of
the highlights of festivities during the week that the new
Communications Building was dedicated.
I also remember placing some copies of the University of Washington
Daily, of which I was editor at the time, into the capsule - but not
much else.
As you may have heard, the first few items on top were especially
surprising. We immediately recognized them as part of a college prank
that occurred sometime after our original inauguration – probably in
the early 1980s. We had a good
laugh, appreciated the fact that the pranksters added to the capsule,
but didn't take or destroy the original contents, and then we
reminisced over the original contents, which included photographs,
tapes and other memorabilia from the
late 1950s.
As a student back then, did you expect to be on hand for the time capsule opening 50 years later?
No. None of my relatives had lived beyond their 50s so I was thrilled to be at the opening 50 years later.
Looking back now, what aspects of your education served you best in your professional career?
The journalism education that I received at the U.W. has been
incredibly helpful to me in the various stages of my career, not just
during my newspaper days. Of particular note were the writing skills
that were honed in J-School and the
ability to ask probing questions that get to the heart of a matter. I
use both skills regularly, whether it's writing e-mails, which has
become a major way for all of us to communicate today, or asking
questions of management as a board
member.
Tell us more about your path from school to professionalism.
I didn't go directly from school to professional public relations. I
spent 11 years in the newspaper business and I thought my media
experience added greatly to my education and preparation to go into
public relations. One of the most
important things I learned was to understand the needs of the news
people with whom I was dealing, which allowed me to anticipate and plan
accordingly. Basically, it's understanding the audience. Once I
successfully transitioned to public
relations, I found that my skills and experience were stepping stones
to bigger things. For example, at Puget Power, I started in PR, but
wound up as Senior Vice President overseeing a bunch of things and was
a member of the four-person
executive committee than ran the company.
As you know, current communications students placed their own
items in the capsule and resealed it for another 50 years. How do you
think the re-opening in 2057 will be celebrated?
I expect the rate of change to continue to increase in our society,
whether it's in communications or in other fields. As an ex-newspaper
editor, I am sorry to see the decline of newspapers, but news will
continue to be important to
people. It's how the news is delivered that will continue to change. So
the newspapers that are placed in the capsule this time will likely be
treated as "antiques" and maybe even considered valuable as a reminder
of the "good old days" at
the turn of the century. Of course, you never know what might be added
to the capsule 25 years from now, as we learned this time when we
opened the capsule from the 1950s.
2007 is also the 50th anniversary of the PRSA Puget Sound
Chapter. You've been an active member for much of that time. What does
this occasion mean to you?
Public relations was just coming into its own when I was at the U.W. 50
years ago. Since then, the profession has developed and matured. But
what bothers me is that the profession has not been well understood and
has not received the
credit for the important role that it has played and continues to play
in business, the non profit world and in government. We still have a
job to do in telling our own story.
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PRSA PS |
 As
we celebrate our 50th anniversary in 2007, the PRSA Puget Sound Chapter
seeks your stories, historic photos, quotations, notes of great PR
feats and ideas about the future of our profession. Please
send suggestions to David Blandford, Chapter President, at
dblandford@visitseattle.org. |
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