PRSA Orlando Newsletter

Twists! Turns! Pitfalls and pranks! No, it's not the latest thrill ride. It's the presidential primaries!

I think everyone can agree that this has been one of the most unusual and dynamic presidential primaries in recent history. The candidates themselves make it historic - a woman and an African-American - the first time either has had a real shot at winning the Democratic primary and the top post as President of the United States.

This scenario may make some uncomfortable, however, diversity in America is nothing new. Clearly diversity right here in Central Florida continues to be a fluid, changing occurrence. In fact, according to myregion.org, our own local population will become even more diverse in the coming years as minority segments continue to increase.

It's curious then, why our profession doesn't seem to mirror the trends in our community or around the nation. Public Relations continues to grow and gain relevance in the corporate America, yet we struggle to diversify our profession with new or young professionals from diverse backgrounds.

You may have noticed that our chapter has implemented a new "Diversity Dimensions" column in our monthly newsletter. Our goal as a chapter is to help you enhance diversity relations in your own company, as well as to increase the number of minorities who participate in PRSA. We've started by ensuring that we are diverse ourselves, with board members who represent a cross section of races and ages, as well as gender. More importantly, however, we hope to obtain a greater interest in our profession from local minority students and professionals. If you have an interest in helping us to expand public relations as a profession in this manner, please let us know your thoughts.

Now back to the presidential campaign. Don't miss our March 20th program as we explore the ins and outs and the ups and downs of the campaign trail as Paul Seago shares his wisdom, insights and experiences as part of the Giuliani campaign here in Florida. It's sure to be an interesting and lively program and certainly one you won't want to miss!

Dawn Vaughan, APR

Inside A Presidential Campaign

Political strategist Paul Seago, who served as executive director of Rudy Giuliani's 2008 Florida campaign, will provide a glimpse into the inner circles of running a presidential campaign.

Seago will discuss the creation and execution of strategies and tactics as he walks PRSA Orlando members through a campaign, from the launch to the "dog days" of summer and fall, to critical early primaries and caucus states, including Florida's own primary.

Also, he'll address the Giuliani campaign's Florida-focused strategy, the role the media plays in a campaign, and the emphasis placed on polling and "momentum" in today's Presidential campaigns.

Menu: Entrée: Petit Filet; Dessert: Chocolate Cake. A vegetarian meal also is available.

Where: The Citrus Club , 255 S. Orange Ave., 18th Floor, Orlando
When: Thursday, March 20, 2008. Networking/Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.; lunch begins at noon.

Cost:
$25 for Chapter Members
$40 for Non-members
$15 for Students

Walk-ins are welcome, but seating is not guaranteed and admission will not be discounted.

Parking: Limited parking is available in the Citrus Center parking garage, accessible from Jackson Street. Additional parking is available at the Lincoln Tower and SunTrust Center garages, both accessible from South Street.

To RSVP, please visit PRSA Orlando.

Chatting Up A Charity: Give Kids The World (GKTW) remains our featured charity.

To learn how your organization can sponsor an event, visit PRSA Orlando Sponsorships.

Join PRSA this month and save $65. New members who join in March can take advantage of a great deal, and reap the benefits of a PRSA membership. Also, don't forget to join your local Orlando chapter to receive additional benefits!

To learn more, contact LaShonda L. Eaddy, Membership co-chair, or call 407.506.4334.

Welcome!

• Elizabeth Neff, Owner, Buzz Entertainment, LLC
• Erin Pagan, Public Relations Director, Patterson/Bach Communications, Inc.
• Meredith Spindler, Marketing Specialist, Orlando Regional Healthcare
• Andrea Vaughn, Executive Assistant, City Manager, City of Winter Garden

Congrats to the following:

• Linda Costa, Costa DeVault, president and founder, will be recognized in April by Penn State University's Department of English as an Outstanding Alumna for 2008
• Sarah Lovejoy, Disney Destinations, LLC, recently earned her APR certification

Name: Melissa L. Hilliard

Occupation: Senior Communicator, Lockheed Martin

PRSA involvement: I was an active member of the PRSA Orlando Chapter in 2003 and again from 2006 to present. Also, I was on the planning committee for the 2007 Florida PRSA Conference held at Disney's Contemporary Resort.

Person who has most influenced your life: My parents have been the most influential people in my life. They are perfect examples of love, integrity, determination and selflessness.

What made you choose PR as a profession? I took a couple of introductory Architecture courses at the University of Florida and quickly determined it was not the right long-term fit for me. Simultaneously, I took a few Journalism courses and realized the J-School is where I would find my passion.

Best PR advice you ever received: Something a professor once told me (quoting John D. Rockefeller): Next to doing the right thing, the right thing is to let people know that you are doing the right thing.

Greatest accomplishment: I will complete my MBA at the University of Florida next month. I began the program while working at Lockheed Martin in Dallas and have been taking three classes each term for 27 months while continuing my full-time job. It has been quite challenging but absolutely worth every minute.

Favorite thing to do on the weekend: When I am not studying, I enjoy playing basketball and tennis, particularly with my father. However, come college football season, all normal activities cease and weekends are planned around Gator football games.

Something nobody really knows about you: I was born and raised in New York. When I was three, I earned the title of Miss Empire State. Several years later, my family and I began working with an entertainment agent. We were extras in movies such as "Searching for Bobby Fischer", "Life with Mikey" and "Quiz Show."

By: Rochelle L. Ford, Ph.D., APR, Associate Dean, Research and Academic Affairs, Howard University

Diversity will play a major role in the 2008 presidential election. This year's primaries, Republican and Democrat, have it all gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, socioeconomics, educational pedigree and more. The news coverage alone is forcing Americans and the world to discuss these dimensions of diversity. You should take this opportunity to discuss diversity as it applies to your organization's employees or volunteers and the external publics you serve.

Read the full article online by clicking here.

Featured Guest: Greig Powers

Welcome to the Media Spotlight¸ your glimpse into the inner workings of Central Florida's diverse and changing media. Each month we'll chat with a different reporter, assignment editor, or writer. March's guest columnist is Greig Powers of WMFE's "This Week."

Describe your role?
I'm the producer for an in-depth local news program called "This Week," which airs on WMFE-TV (PBS.) I manage the overall editorial content, look and feel of the program. This includes setting up guests for our panel discussions. While reporters focus on individual stories, a producer has a hand in every element of the program. While creating "This Week," I challenge reporters to look beyond headlines to provide context for our viewers. Commercial media focus on the "what" of news. Our program aims to answer the "why" and "what next" questions related to important local issues.

What time/day is best to call?
Because of our weekly production schedule, it's best to contact us on Thursdays or Fridays for the following week's program. Generally, earlier is better as we sometimes plan several weeks out.

How do you like to be contacted?
E-mail is always best! PR professionals can e-mail WMFEnews@wmfe.org or thisweek@wmfe.org.

Which topics are hot right now? Which are not?
For our audience, which is slightly older and more educated than commercial stations, the social issues behind regional problems are important. This includes what's behind rising juvenile crime rates, increasing drug problems and homelessness. Our audience also wants to hear about environmental problems and efforts to solve them. Topics that are merely 'novel' and aren't useful in a larger (local) context aren't of interest to our audience.

What's your most memorable experience with a PR person?
During a media event, a PR person practically stalked me. I advise PR professionals to give journalists room to breathe. We don't like the feeling that we're being manhandled.

Anything else you'd like PRSA Orlando members to know?
Don't news release everything. If your organization's news goes out to everyone in the market, it becomes less appealing. Often, a one-on-one conversation can be more productive for everyone involved.

Don't Miss This Great Conference

June 19-21, 2008
The Alexander Hotel, Miami Beach

Business is not as usual for today's public relations and communications practitioners. The 24-hour news cycle, a growing reliance on social media and the evolution of online tactics make information both abundant and on demand.

The new era of communications is dynamic, exciting and sometimes daunting. Our line-up of top-notch presenters will show you how to incorporate the latest trends while delivering effective communications plans that are strategic, ethical and immediate.

Join us for the 2008 PRSA Sunshine District Conference, June 19-21 at The Alexander Hotel in beautiful Miami Beach, Fla. We promise sand, sun, fun... and professional development, too!

Looking for the best talent for your company? Then send your job openings to Meredith Spinder, PRSA Orlando's Job Bank coordinator.

PRSA Orlando's up-to-date job bank features the latest openings in Central Florida.