Tuesday, August 31, 2010

September 7 Business Meeting: “Annual Conference Take 2”

If you missed FPRA’s state conference last month - “The BIG Picture: Bringing PR Leadership and Strategy into Focus” – don’t worry. We’re taking you back to the future with a snapshot of conference highlights shared by our FPR ”A Team” of scholarship recipients.


From the 80s themed kick-off to catching an insider’s view of public relations within industry giants FORD Motor Company and jetBlue airlines, to a finale focused on channeling your creative side, our panel will provide not to be missed tips and insights.


The incoming Southwest Florida 2010-11 Leadership Team will also be installed. Networking begins at 11:15 followed by lunch and the program. Broadway Palm Dinner Theater. Click here to register today.

Click here to register today!

Monday, August 30, 2010

Incoming President's Word

A New Year: Powering Today’s PRofessionals

By: Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC
It is with deep gratitude and a hefty dose of excitement that I begin my year as president of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association.

Outgoing president, Kathleen Taylor, APR, has provided a solid foundation for our chapter this past year, building bridges both inside and outside the organization. I am very honored to have had the opportunity to work by her side as we celebrated the 25th anniversary of our chapter, delivered exceptional programs and sustained our membership of 100-plus members during difficult economic times.

We begin the next 25 years of our chapter’s history during a time when our industry stands at the crossroads of a rapidly evolving marketplace driven by technology and changing demographics. This is the genesis of our goal for the coming year - to equip you with the tools you need to traverse the new landscape of public relations. Under the theme “Powering Today’s PRofessionals,” we are committed to offering the best professional development and networking opportunities possible to our members.

Author, blogger and marketer extraordinaire, Seth Godin, has said those destined to be successful in today’s marketplace are individuals who perform “generous acts” - changing people and organizations - for the better.

Our chapter could easily be a poster child for the new world order according to Godin. With more than 70% of our membership contributing time, talent and money annually to insure the success of our chapter, our members understand the value of “generous acts”. In particular, the 21 members of this year’s leadership team are ready to break the old rules and embrace the dawning of a new age of public relations and what it means to our members.

At the end of the day, this chapter is yours, and I look forward to hearing from you if you have ideas, suggestions and want to become involved. Jump in, have fun, make a difference and we’ll all grow together.
Pam

Outgoing President's Word

By: Kathleen Taylor, APR

The 2009-2010 term for our chapter draws to a close, but we are surely no where near the end of our journey. While this is my final President's Word, I continue to be supportive and proud of the work we are doing together for the public relations profession. Below are selections from our annual meeting report.

It was a year following major chapter administrative change and a sharp decline in the local economy. We  adopted the theme “Building Bridges,” and found strength by reaching out to members, to the community, to related professions and to our chapter’s future success. Also, it was our chapter’s 25th anniversary year, so we made time to celebrate!

It was the second year operating with a more “corporate” structured leadership team, with an executive board and extended chair positions reporting to VPs. Our local economy was one of the hardest hit by the economic downturn, and many of our members were feeling the pinch in lost clients or cut positions. Competition was heating up in the broader field of communications, in part because of increasing demand from clients who were looking to do more with less and expecting public relations professionals to deliver marketing results and advertising professionals to affect positive public relations results and so on. Member research and qualitative findings from communications colleagues in other disciplines revealed that FPRA continued to enjoy a positive reputation for delivering sound professional development opportunities and increasingly congenial networking experiences. The Leadership Team made its primary goal to build and strengthen connections within the chapter, business, personal and community arenas.

The first “bridge” connected our planning to the frustrations our members were facing at work. Layoffs and company downsizing loomed as a threat and damaged morale, budget cuts eliminated professional development spending, and repeat guests delayed decisions to join for undetermined reasons. We scheduled programs of undeniable professional development value, budgeted for membership scholarships to solve financial burdens of dedicated members and planned a special “members-only” event to enhance the urgency and reason for fellow professionals to join. The Southwest Florida Chapter carried out our strategies through tools such as membership kits, a flyer of all upcoming scheduled programs, personal phone calls and social media technology communications. As a result, meeting attendance stayed high, seasoned professionals at risk of letting their membership lapse renewed for another year, and several new members joined our chapter as dedicated volunteers. Membership applications increased following each major event and announcement of a coveted members-only program opportunity.

Bridges to our community underwent renovations this year as our second annual PR Pro Bono day expanded to include advertising and graphic design. By including this additional subject matter, we met an observed need of nonprofit communications professionals to be more adept in fields related to public relations. Several of our regular monthly programs were geared specifically toward nonprofits and issues in the news. Our program on PR in politics, for example, attracted a stronger representation from public information officers and government relations professionals; connecting us to a few current and past members we hadn’t seen in a while.

We reopened bridges to our local American Advertising Federation chapter. As specialized communications professionals, we each noted that we are facing similar work-related challenges. Upon meeting with their leaders, we learned that they were eager to reconnect with us as well. We cross-promoted programs this year, and together, we hosted a special joint networking event that was well-attended by members of both organizations. Plans are underway for continuing our efforts next year.

To our chapter’s future and in connection with our chapter’s past, we built bridges. One way we did this is to ensure a bit of financial security by socking away a year’s worth of operating costs in a Money Market account.

Congratulations all go to you, the members of this chapter, for another grand year on the books. 

See you next "year!"

Help Wanted

FPRA committee seeking talented PR pro to assist with communication efforts to recruit members for APR and CPRC. Successful candidate will be responsible for producing enticing copy for monthly newsletter and broadcasting info at monthly meetings. Enthusiastic supporter of FPRA a plus, accreditation required. Contact Mary Briggs at 239-278-3900 or Kara Winton at (239) 464-4308.

Southwest Florida Chapter Recognized at FPRA Annual State Conference


The Florida Public Relations Association Southwest Florida Chapter was well-represented at the 72nd Annual FPRA State Conference held August 8-11 at the Naples Grande Beach Resort. Throughout the four-day conference, more than 25 local chapter members attended general sessions, breakout presentations, panel discussions, award programs and networking events.

This year’s conference theme was “The Big Picture: Bringing PR Leadership and Strategy into Focus.” Attendees gained a big picture public relations perspective from authors, professors, consultants and business leaders, including communications specialists from Ford, NASA, JetBlue, SoBe, and North Carolina State University about a variety of topics including social media, strategic planning, writing, crisis communications, transition, and creativity.

Throughout the conference, five local chapter members participated on the conference blog team, providing continuous online coverage: Ginny Cooper, Kerri Goldsmith, Diana Sabino, Kathleen Taylor, APR, and Carla Ulakovic. The conference blog may be found at http://www.fprablog.com/.

At the President’s luncheon on Monday, August 9, the new chapter officers including 2010-2011 President Pamela Nulman, APR, CPRC were installed and Kathleen Taylor, APR, 2009-2010 President of the Southwest Florida Chapter was recognized with two President’s Awards - one for Leadership Development and one for Membership Growth and Retention. On Tuesday, August 10, five chapter members took home a total of 13 awards from the Golden Image Awards, a statewide competition recognizing excellence in public relations, including 7 Awards of Distinction, 3 Judges Awards and 3 Golden Image Awards.

Following is a list of FPRA Southwest Florida Chapter members who received awards:
  • Briggs & Rogers Marketing and Public Relations
    • Award of Distinction, Institutional Category for Home-Tech
    • Judges’ Award, Promotional/Marketing Category for Lee Memorial Health System “Healthy Bonita Estero”
    • Golden Image Award , Special Event Category for the Southwest Florida Children’s Charities’ Wine & Food Fest
    • Award of Distinction, Website Category for Lee Memorial Health System’s “Healthy Bonita Estero” website
  • Lee County Electric Cooperative
    • Golden Image Award, Community Relations Category for “Power to Share – An LCEC Community Partnership”
  • Lee County Port Authority
    • Golden Image Award, Crisis Communications Category for their LCPA Crisis Management and Communications Plan
    • Award of Distinction and Judges’ Award, Special Events Category for the 2010 Southwest Florida FPRA Image Awards
    • Award of Distinction, Specialty Item Category for their Air Service Appreciation Gift
  • Pushing the Envelope
    • Award of Distinction, Website Category for their company website
  • Susan Bennett Marketing & Media
    • Award of Distinction, Promotional/Marketing Category for Physicians’ Primary Care of Southwest Florida “Let Our Family Take Care of Your Family”
    • Award of Distinction and Judges’ Award for Southwest Florida Addiction Services’ “Spend A Night In Instead of A Night Out”
Established in 1938, FPRA is the oldest public relations organization in the country. FPRA is dedicated to developing public relations practitioners, who, through ethical and standardized practices, enhance the public relations profession in Florida.


FPRA Southwest Florida Chapter online:
Website: http://www.fpraswfl.org/
Blog: http://www.fpraswflchapter.blogspot.com/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/swfl_fpra
Facebook: www.facebook.com/FPRASWFL

New FPRA Members

Please join us in welcoming our three newest members of the FPRA, Southwest Florida Chapter!

Sherri Kubesh, Practice Administrator for 21st Century Oncology

Jim Griffith, Chairman for the Sidney and Berne Davis Art Center

Lillian Pagan, Media Coordinator for Florida Gulf Coast University

Welcome! We are happy that you have chosen to join our chapter!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Tribute to Kathleen Taylor, APR, President

Ginny Cooper presented President Kathleen Taylor, APR with a reminder of her presidential 2009-2010 year – a way to mark the time she has spent building bridges.

By Ginny Cooper

You may know Kathleen Taylor, APR as a public relations professional. You may know her as a runner. You may know her as a friend. You may know her as a singer… but I, and the rest of the Leadership Team, know her as a bridge builder.

Determined to join together parts of our chapter, parts of our association and parts of our professional network in the community, Kathleen began building with her first issue of Thursday Thoughts – a weekly communication to the Leadership Team she designed to keep us all attuned to everything that was going on – for there was a lot that was happening! Like a beam bridge – a horizontal span supported on either end by piers – she drew us all closer together, and the closer together the piers are, the stronger the bridge.

Relying on the strength and power of the mystical triangle, as does a truss bridge, Kathleen spanned the distance between our chapter members and the state association with ramped up digital and social media efforts such as our e-newsletter, chapter blog, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts, smoothly directing the flow of information. As a member of the state Board of Directors, she accepted responsibilities on the state level that many of us here on the local level didn’t even know about.

Kathleen even crossed the great divide between FPRA and our local AdFed chapter by championing joint social events, encouraging dual memberships and supporting the professional development offerings of both organizations with not only her promotional efforts, but also her personal involvement. Like the arch bridge whose structure is unstable until the parts meet in the middle, Kathleen provided the keystone.

As she accepts her well deserved accolades over the concluding days of her presidency, Kathleen can take pride in her accomplishments over the past year. She has built anchorages – the bases into which those tall towers of a suspension bridge are set. She has engineered the placement of the cables from which our roadway hangs. Our chapter can move smoothly into the future because of the bridge building which Kathleen has personally done and which she has led her board of directors to do as well.

August Business Meeting: Myra Janco Daniels

The SWFL Chapter of FPRA celebrated the 2009-2010 Leadership Team and also heard from advertising extraordinaire, Mrs. Myra Janco Daniels, at their August Business Meeting, held at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre.

Last year was the 25th anniversary of the SWFL FPRA Chapter and the theme of “Building Bridges” was a huge success under the direction of  Kathleen Taylor, APR. The year was full of many successful programs and professional development events that gave back to our community and supported our economy. Thank you, Kathleen, for another great FPRA year!

The August 3rd Business Meeting was the last full meeting that current president, Kathleen Taylor, APR, hosted on her own. The next Business Meeting will be held on September 7th at Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre and will be led by the incoming 2010-2011 president, Pamela L. Nulman, APR, CPRC along with Kathleen Taylor, APR. The inductions of the new 2010-2011 Leadership Team will also occur during the September 7th Business Meeting. Click here to register now!

Myra Janco Daniels


Mrs. Myra Janco Daniels, founder of the Philharmonic Center for the Arts and Naples Museum of Art, was the guest speaker at the SWFL FPRA August 3rd Business Meeting.

Daniels was a former Chicago-based advertising executive, who served as president of Draper Daniels, Inc. and before that was executive vice president of the firm Roche, Rickerd, Henri, Hurst, Inc. Daniels also ran her own agency, Wabash Advertising, in Terre Haute, Indiana.

She was the first woman in the country to head up a major national advertising firm and became the youngest person to be honored as National Advertising Woman of the Year by the Advertising Federation of America (now known as the American Advertising Federation).

During the August 3rd Business Meeting, Mrs. Daniels discussed the evolution of public relations and shared her personal experiences as featured in her new book, Secrets of a Rutbuster: Breaking Rules and Selling Dreams.

Daniels explained how she operated her own business at the age of 4 and was happy doing what she loved, because she said you can’t function at high speed, unless you are doing what you love. Her motto is to learn something new every day and teach something new every day.

“I always wanted to think big,” she said as she discussed her plan to cold call all the children’s parents at her school and sell party favors for their child’s birthday parties.

Mrs. Daniels got her first big break when she invented the Heath Ice Cream Bar and earned her first client. She said that writing is merely talking on paper, and she thought if she wrote, she would at least have a record of the good and bad things. Thus, she wrote her book, Secrets of a Rutbuster: Breaking Rules and Selling Dreams.

Daniels founded the Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples, where 65 hundred adults take classes to write their own memoirs, take dance or learn photography.

Her passion for the arts enabled Daniels to acquire a Louise Nevelson piece for the Naples Museum of Art. She was the only representative from a museum who went to Atlanta to view Nevelson’s art, wearing her red “power” suit. Her dedication paid off. The artwork will be on display at the Naples Museum of Art on November 13 and 14.


More information about Mrs. Daniels can be found at http://www.myrajancodaniels.com/.