NEWS

Please submit information on your upcoming events so it can be posted in this space. 
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Contact:  Nora Jacobs
216-978-8118  

KENT STATE CONFERENCE WILL FOCUS ON CREATING “THE AUTHENTIC ENTERPRISE”
National Communicators Share Insights, Expertise at September 24 Event  

August 24, 2010 – Building on the call for action issued by the Arthur Page Society in its publication, The Authentic Enterprise, the opening session in the upcoming conference series sponsored by Kent State University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication will focus on ways organizations can thrive in an era of relentless scrutiny and mandatory transparency.  The session, to be held September 24 at Kent’s main campus, is the first in the series, “Post Recession Communications: Facing the New Realities,” that will address the four essential jobs for communicators.  
     Roger Bolton, independent public relations counselor and member of APCO Worldwide’s International Advisory Council, will speak about the role of the chief communications officer in today’s organization, bringing his perspective as one of the co-authors of The Authentic Enterprise. The Page Society white paper is considered by many to be the definitive overview of the realities facing communications professionals today.  It identifies four major challenges to organizations in the current marketplace: demands for transparency, less control over messaging and increased audience segmentation, risks to brand and reputation, and regulatory activism.  For Bolton and his co-authors, these challenges provide opportunities to shape communications strategies that will enable organizations to better reach stakeholders, promote policy interests, build brand and enhance reputation.  
     Pamela Kaplan, vice president market management, global sales and distribution for IBM Corporation, will lead the event with a keynote presentation that describes the process IBM has undergone to create and sustain a global brand.  Her remarks will describe the commitment by the company’s top leadership to authenticity, the way the company instills its brand among employees, and the challenges to supporting a brand platform on a worldwide basis.  Kaplan will speak specifically on the company’s efforts to build and nurture a distinct IBM culture.  
     Also on the agenda will be Dennis F. Kinsey, director of public diplomacy and associate professor of public relations at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University.  Kinsey, a nationally recognized expert in communications research, will present an overview of the Q-sort methodology, a research technique that helps identify ethical beliefs and values held by various audiences.  Kinsey will conduct a real-world demonstration of the technique that conference attendees will be able to apply to their own organizations when crafting outreach strategies.  
     Jeff Fruit, director of Kent State’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication, will discuss the challenges involved in educating tomorrow’s chief communications officer.  His talk will focus on the work the School’s faculty is doing to prepare tomorrow’s leaders for a world in which companies are expected to communicate more openly, more transparently and more quickly.  The day’s event will include a tour of Franklin Hall, home to Kent’s journalism and mass communication program.  The building is considered one of the most advance technology-based facilities in the country.
     Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in two of four different break-out sessions:  “Building Bridges to the C-Suite,” “Transparency as a Cornerstone to Authenticity,” “Meeting Increased Demand with Decreased Resources” and “Turning Employees into Evangelists.”  
     The East Central District of the Public Relations Society of America, as well as the Greater Cleveland Chapter and the Akron Area Chapter of PRSA, are co-sponsors for the series.  It is being produced for Kent State University’s School of Communication by Meeker-Young LLC, a consulting firm that serves as communications coaches and advisors to leaders.  
     According to Fruit, “This conference provides a high-level look at the most important issues facing the communications profession today. We are living in a world where authenticity is the hallmark of a successful organization.  If you can’t communicate your authentic self to your stakeholders, your company’s branding, sales efforts, marketing and advocacy work will all struggle to produce results.”
     This first event will be followed by webinars on October 6 and October 20.  A second, full-day conference event will be held at Kent’s main campus on October 29. Participants can register for the entire series, or select individual sessions.  For more information, visit www.myprseries.com, or contact davis@meekeryoung.com.


NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:  Suzanne Scarpino
Tel:  814-898-6063
sms299@psu.edu

 

Regional Public Relations Professional Chapter Launched

 

ERIE, Pa. – March 16, 2010 – Communications professionals in the region have launched the Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), bringing the organization’s total chapter count to 111 nationwide. The new Chapter is open to professionals from Erie, Crawford and Warren counties to share best practices and professional development opportunities. 

“Rick Liebel first proposed starting a regional PRSA Chapter back in February 2009. Now, more than a year later, we’ve made that idea a reality, and are inviting all of our public relations colleagues in the region to join us in becoming part of the new Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of PRSA,” said Tony Peyronel, Chapter president and chair of the Department of Communication and Media Studies at Edinboro University. Rick Liebel, director of public relations and development for SafeNet Center, is the Chapter’s past president.

The Chapter’s current board reflects a cross section of the region’s communications community, with members who work in manufacturing, education, healthcare, news media, social service agencies, and public relations and advertising firms.

In addition to Liebel and Peyronel, board members of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter of PRSA are Erin Fessler, director of marketing and public relations, The Erie Community Foundation; Bob Howden, director of public relations, Shriners Hospitals for Children; Keith Jones, director of corporate communications, Eriez Magnetics; Nancy O’Neill, partner, Engel O’Neill; Pam Parker, managing editor, Lake Erie LifeStyle Magazine; Suzanne Scarpino, coordinator for public information, Penn State Erie, The Behrend College; and Josh Tysiachney, director of public affairs, Allegheny College.

Tysiachney is the Chapter’s president-elect for 2011. Scarpino is secretary and Parker is treasurer.

Those who are interested in joining the Northwestern Pennsylvania Chapter should contact PRSA at 212-460-1400, membership@prsa.org or prsa.org. During March and April, new and returning PRSA members will receive a one-year membership to the NWPA Chapter at no charge. Existing PRSA members can transfer their local memberships to the NWPA Chapter.

For more information, contact Chapter Membership Chairs Suzanne Scarpino at sms299@psu.edu or Josh Tysiachney at jtysiach@allegheny.edu.

About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
With more than 31,000 members, PRSA is the largest organization of public relations professionals and students. PRSA is comprised of 111 local Chapters organized into 10 geographic Districts; 16 Professional Interest Sections that focus on issues, trends and research relevant to specialized practice areas; and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which has more than 300 Chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. PRSA is headquartered in New York.

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PRSA-Cleveland/Akron Chapters Announces 2010 Spring Accreditation Plans

Do your plans for 2010 include an APR after your name? If so, we have the information you want right here.

Key dates for PRSA members seeking Accreditation in Spring 2010

Informational Meeting  For PRSA members considering Accreditation  Wed., Feb. 17, 6 p.m. at Akhia Public Relations, 85 Executive Parkway , Hudson , Ohio 44236

4 Evening Classes  To be scheduled between March 3 and April 30. You help determine the schedule!

Readiness Reviews  Week of April 18

Computerized Exam (taken anytime at candidates preference after passing the Readiness Review. Exams are administered at all Sylvan Learning Centers.)

Accreditation Preparation

There is no cost for prep classes.

PRSAs Cleveland and Akron Chapters will host prep classes for members seeking Universal Accreditation over five weeks (3 classes) starting at 5:45 at Akhia Public Relations, Hudson. Classes are not mandatory but are highly recommended. Alternatively, there is an online study course available through www.prsa.org. The cost is $195. Local prep classes are free.

Accreditation Overview

At the informational meeting on February 17, candidates will receive a complete overview of the Universal Accreditation testing process including the Readiness Review Portfolio Presentation, preparation resources and the multiple-choice computer exam. Following this introduction, candidates who want to proceed will have approximately three weeks to complete the following:

Apply for the exam through PRSA  National. Download the application at www.prsa.org by clicking on Professional Development and selecting Accreditation. Members have one year from the date of application approval to complete the testing process. The cost is $395, with a $110 rebate to PRSA members who pass the exam. (Please feel free to apply earlier if you are certain you will be proceeding with the process. The application is good for one year).

Visit the Preparation Resources link and borrow/purchase the general textbook that we will be using in class: Effective Public Relations by Cutlip, Center and Broom, Prentice-Hall, 1999. (We will also be referencing the book Public Relations: Strategies and Tactics by Dennis Wilcox, et. al., Longman, 2000. If you can borrow/purchase this book as well, that would be helpful but is not necessary.)

Via email, contact one or both of the Accreditation Co-Chairs listed below to confirm participation and obtain a class schedule. Please provide your complete contact information. Candidates will receive a syllabus and reading assignments.

For More Information

For questions about the Universal Accreditation process, contact one of the following Accreditation Co-Chairs:

Jan Guisch
Akhia Public Relations
330-463-5650 (office)
216-509-6862 (cell)
jan@akhia.com

Barbara Hatala
Timken
330-471-3048 (office)
330-962-4222 (cell)
barbara.hatala@timken.com