President's Message
 Dear Colleagues,
I am very excited about kicking off a new opportunity for all of us and our community! This chapter, like our national organization and our counterparts throughout the country, is about us as professionals and our needs for professional development, networking, educational opportunities and recognition. While that continues to drive our organization, we have decided to unite our membership in another way — with a focus on needs in the community.
As one of the most active professional groups in the area, we are so fortunate to have an able, savvy and community-connected body of members who work for great corporate citizens and alongside engaged colleagues. Our chapter would like to take the spirit of giving back and weave it into who we are as a chapter.
Beginning this month and each subsequent month, we will be Chatting Up a Charity. We will select a not-for-profit organization to focus on for individual member contributions (monetary, in-kind/volunteer or supplies). You will be informed of the specific charity each month in our newsletter, through luncheon reminders and the web site. We'll highlight information about the selected charity, its needs and, how we, as a chapter, can contribute. We'll ask you to bring your contribution to that month's luncheon or providing it, in advance, to our Community Service Chair Becky Niemann. At the end of each luncheon, you will hear what we, as a chapter, amassed for that charity. And then, following the luncheon, our chapter's contribution will be delivered to the organization.
We welcome your feedback on Chatting Up a Charity. For more information, contact Becky at becky.niemann@flhosp.org or (407) 303-6577. Whether we collect $100 one month or canned goods to fill a room another month, PRSA will actively be giving back to the Central Florida community where we live and work.
As always, thanks for your support of PRSA and to this wonderful place we call home! See you soon at the luncheon on June 21st.
Sincerely,
Lorelie Johnson, APR
P.S. Special thanks to Jackie Kelvington for this great idea and to Becky for coordinating this initiative!
IMPORTANT REMINDER: Make sure you register for the Sunshine District Conference! It's going to be a fantastic time. Check out prsaorlando.org/hdpr for further details.
Hurricane Preparedness for the Communications Pro
It's the time of year that we Central Floridians have come to know all too well — hurricane season. In fact, we're only one month into the season and we've already had our first storm, Barry. Luckily, the effects of Barry were minimal, but we might not be so lucky the next time. Does your organization have a plan for effective communications during hurricane season? Join us for our June luncheon to learn best practices from communication pros so you can ensure that your organization, business or clients are ready for the 2007 hurricane season.
The communications team from the Orlando Utilities Commission will give their insight on communicating with employees, clients, typical and high-need customers and local government. They'll also share with us how the hurricanes of 2004 helped them increase their efforts for preparing and educating customers before a storm hits.
Scheduled to speak are:
- Roseann Harrington, Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Community Relations
- Grant Heston, Manager, Corporate Communications
- Sheridan Becht, APR, Media Relations Coordinator
Where: The Citrus Club, 255 S. Orange Avenue, 18th Floor, Orlando
When: Thursday, June 21, 2007
Networking/registration begins at 11:30 a.m.; lunch begins at noon
Cost:
$20 for members
$30 for non-members
$15 for students
Click here for more information, and to RSVP
Walk-ins are welcome, but seating is not guaranteed and admission will not be discounted.
Ten Minutes/Ten Questions
Name: Christine S. Martinez
Occupation: Media Relations Consultant, Orlando Regional Healthcare
PRSA Involvement: Member
Person who has most influenced your life: My Mom. She grew up in a third-world country, was unable to go to high school, and was a wife and mother by the time she was 18. With her strength and guidance, I have become a confident, independent person. She is the wisest woman I know and a true inspiration.
Quote to live by: My mom always told me, "Excitement is free."
What made you choose PR as a profession? I started in broadcast journalism, but soon yearned for a stable career outside of news. I was pleased to learn that my skills as a writer and producer would translate well into public relations. I get the best of both worlds: I still develop story ideas and work with reporters, but now I get to go home at 5 o'clock every night.
Best PR advice you ever received: Manage expectations. It's tempting to over-promise results in order to land a new account or please the higher-ups, but it's best to be honest and pragmatic when planning.
Greatest accomplishment: Remaining level-headed in the newsroom during the terrorist attacks on 9/11. All I wanted to do was curl up in bed and pull the sheets over my head; but, I shelved my emotions and worked hard to keep worried people at home informed.
Favorite thing to do on the weekend: Play tennis with my husband
Something nobody really knows about you: I don't really love to cook nor am I adventurous when it comes to eating, but I could watch the Food Network for days on end.
Sunshine District Conference, July 26-28
Get Ready to Upgrade to HDPR: Creating the Clear Picture
What: Sunshine District Conference
When: July 26 - 28, 2007
Where: Disney's Contemporary Resort in Orlando, Florida
Conference Sessions:
- Media Training and Presentation Skills
- Emerging Technologies in PR
- The Art of Relationship Development
- Florida's Political Landscape
- The Value of Internal Communications
- The Power of Images
- Maximizing Your Hispanic PR Initiatives
- PR and Media Ethics Panel
PRSA members and non-members register by June 15 and SAVE $50. Visit
prsaorlando.org/hdpr for complete conference details and online registration.
THINK BIGGER
PRSA Offers Free First-Year Chapter Membership with Paid National Membership
Until June 30, public relations professionals can join PRSA for $290 (national dues of $225 plus the $65 initiation fee) and receive, as a bonus, a free one-year membership to the PRSA Chapter of their choice. Former members who have been inactive for at least one year may also participate. This offer is not valid for the Associate membership.
To take advantage of this special offer, new members can join by using one of the following methods:
- Go to prsa.org and click on the Think Bigger icon; be sure to use promotion code "CHAP2007"
- Request a membership application from the Orlando Chapter by contacting
Scott Toncray
- Contact PRSA's Members Services department at either membership@prsa.org or (212) 460-1400
FREE Online Webinar Invitation - Why APR?
Open House for Potential Candidates
Tuesday, June 19 at 3 p.m. Eastern
Space is limited, so send an email to support@Online2Learn.net or kathy.mulvihill@prsa.org to reserve your spot.
How to Be a Consultant
The FPRA Counselors' Network will host a Consulting Skills Seminar on Friday, June 22 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Kissimmee Utility Authority in Kissimmee, Florida.
Jay Rayburn, APR, CPRC, Ph.D., Fellow PRSA, and Peter Hollister, APR, Fellow PRSA, will be your facilitators and share the skills and techniques needed for success as a public relations consultant. Whether you are a counselor in a firm, or someone who advises the principals of your organization, you can't afford to miss this informative seminar.
Click here for more information in a printable PDF file or call (941) 365-2135.
Tampa PRSA to Host a Media Roundtable
The Tampa Bay chapters of FPRA and PRSA are joining forces to present this year's Media Roundtable Breakfast on Wednesday, June 20, 2007. This popular event draws media personalities from all outlets, including magazine, newspaper, television and web, to meet with local PR practitioners.
The morning will function like a round-robin with groups of PR professionals visiting each media professional's table for discussion and Q&A before moving on to the next table discussion. Community News Publications, Las Americas Herald, Maddux Report, Smart Business Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Business Journal, Tampa Bay Illustrated and Tampa Bay's 10 have already confirmed participation in the event. PRSA and FPRA plan to secure additional professionals from a variety of media outlets (TV, newspaper, magazine, etc.).
Date: Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Time: 8 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
• Registration, networking & breakfast from 8 to 8:30 a.m.
• Program begins at 8:30 a.m.
Location: WEDU Studios, located at 1300 North Boulevard (just north of Kennedy Boulevard and the University of Tampa).
Cost:
$40 FPRA/PRSA Member
$45 Non-FPRA/PRSA Member
$25 Student
RSVP: Register online at PRSA Tampa Bay or FPRA Tampa Bay
or e-mail PRSA's Missy Hurley (mhurley@thehlagroup.com) or FPRA's Diana Clynes (dclynes@aakp.org)
New Members
PRSA Orlando welcomes the following new members:
- Jama Dock - Public Relations Officer, Fifth Third Bank (South Florida)
- Laurene Donnelly - Walt Disney World Resort
- Laura Palermo Lara - Community Relations Manager, AAA National Office
- Muffet Robinson - Director of Community Relations, Coalition for the Homeless
Check out the Job Bank
Keep checking PRSA Orlando's up-to-date job bank for the latest openings in Central Florida.
Or, if you're looking for the best talent in the area, post your company's open positions on the site.
Click below to check it out!
Submissions
To submit stories or ideas for the PRSA newsletter, please contact Communications VP Michelle Lynch.
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