Member Spotlight - Karen Ryan

Karen Ryan, APR, CPRC has been the Public Relations Manager for LCEC for 17 years. She manages a public relations staff of several super-stars who have helped to make LCEC a recognized name in Southwest Florida and throughout the electric utility industry. The LCEC PR team has received their share of professional awards and was recognized by PR Magazine as a Small Corporate Communications Team of the Year in 2006 and has won multiple other communications plan and design awards within the public relations field. Karen was the 2002 FPRA Public Relations Professional of the year and served as the Chapter President from 2002-2003.

Karen received a diverse background in public relations while employed by Lee County Government, Edward Debartolo Shopping Centers and American Airlines. Her first professional PR position was as the promotions director for US Cable’s Friday Night Fights. She was one of the first women to be accepted into the world of professional boxing at the time. A major part of her twenty five years of public relations experience comes from performing pro-bono work for non-profit organizations such as the Edison Festival of Light, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and CCMI.

March Social Media Corner

LinkedIn—Not just for Job Seekers! 

By Jodi Huntoon, Social Media Chair

If you’re in the driver’s seat of your company’s or client’s social media, perhaps the majority of your efforts are spent on the #1 and #2 social sites--Facebook and Twitter; but what about the #1 social site for professionals? 

Some may think of LinkedIn as a platform for networking and job seekers but it’s also one more way to promote your business.  Your business partners may not follow your Facebook page as they may prefer to keep Facebook for personal use; so LinkedIn saves the day!

In case you missed it; LinkedIn allows you to create a business page for your company as you would a Facebook page and include recent updates, description of your services offered and track engagement with the free analytics offered.  It is a very user-friendly set up and making updates is a breeze.

To ensure a successful LinkedIn experience, it is recommended to post often--whether you’re promoting your blog, an update to your website and sharing a news release; keeping your business in the newsfeed throughout the week is ideal.  Plus, this can boost Google rankings which is always a bonus.

Another suggestion for a likable LinkedIn is to participate in LinkedIn groups.  There are thousands of groups to join on the social site; there is likely one that is relevant to your business or industry comprised of a slew of potential new customers.  If a topic comes up that sparks your interest; join the discussion and see what happens. 

Finally, sometimes folks like to see fun content once in a while.  Is your business involved in a company-wide fundraiser?  Are you celebrating a milestone birthday in your office?  Share it—your clients and potential client may like to see the behind the scenes look at your company.

With more than 277 million users and counting; LinkedIn has proven to be a survivor in the social media landscape, why not add to your social media plan? 

Sources:

http://expandedramblings.com/index.php/by-the-numbers-a-few-important-linkedin-stats/#.UweqlYV252o

http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/47976.aspx#

March APR Trivia

Question: True or False: A candidate for Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) must be a member of FPRA?

Answer: False. However, a candidate must be a member of one of the 10 participating organizations, and FPRA is one of those 10. Plus, members of the Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA can attend the chapter’s study sessions for FREE as a benefit of membership and receive the only known electronic flashcards offered to candidates worldwide.

March President's Word from Samantha Scott, APR

Greetings,

As we enter March we’re nearly through the first quarter of the year, staring St. Patrick’s Day in the eye and about to welcome in spring. It’s hard to believe! For me, it’s especially poignant because I’m half way through my year serving as President of our chapter.

This month also kicks our annual events into high gear and I’d like to encourage you to take full advantage. Credentialing chair Kara Winton, APR, CPRC has started study sessions, local Image Award entries are due March 11^th and our main event, the local Image Awards Ceremony is just around the corner on April 22^nd.

We also have exciting changes coming to our annual non-profit event, now named “Marketing Your Mission: Being Good at Doing Good.” This is being spearheaded by Jessica Boles (feel free to contact her if you want to help!) and will take place on April 18^th.

As always, our organization exists to enhance your career and provide opportunities for you. If there’s something you’d like us add or if you have an idea for something we could differently, feel free to contact us. Even better, contact Jessica Clark, APR to learn about ways you can get involved as a member of the leadership team or board.

Thank you for being a member of the Southwest Florida chapter of FPRA and for what you bring to our profession. See you soon and don’t forget to - Think FPRA!

Samantha Scott, APR

March Luncheon Speaker - Victoria Moreland

Victoria B. Moreland joined the Lee County Port Authority as the department director of public affairs in May 2007. The public affairs department is responsible for the promotion of Southwest Florida International Airport and Page Field though media relations and public information/marketing communications including special events, community relations and customer service programs, corporate citizenship and employee communications. The department also handles the airport Art in Flight program, oversees the production of advertising and promotional materials as well as maintains the airport’s website and social media efforts.
Moreland is a member of the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association where she served on the board as treasurer from 2007-2009 and has been the chair of the Local Image Awards since 2010. Moreland was awarded the 2010 Chapter Member of the Year for her work and contribution to the Southwest Florida Chapter. In addition, she is a member of the American Association of Airport Executives.

She will be sharing her wealth of knowledge on crisis communication at our March luncheon. Click here to register!

Member Spotlight - Jane Hess

Jane Hess is the Public Relations Manager for U.S. Weather Consultants, the largest private forecasting service in Southwest Florida.  U.S. Weather Consultants specializes in hurricane and tropical storm forecasts for government and private industry, frost and freeze forecasts for agribusiness, and weather event research and testimony for the legal profession. She has been a member of FPRA since 2010.

Jane comes from a radio and television news background, spending 20 years as a reporter, anchor and producer in both commercial and public television fields. “Being a reporter was very important to me,” she says. “It allowed me access to all sorts of people who trusted me to be impartial and to get the story straight.  It taught me to be a good listener and a good sounding-board for ideas…and to be able to put those ideas into words and pictures. As a Producer, I learned to be a project manager—to figure out budget, manpower and equipment—to problem solve. All these skills I now apply to my new career in public relations.”

Since coming to U.S. Weather Consultants in 2008, Jane has revamped the company website, marketing materials, and has dabbled in ways the company can incorporate social media. She is now concentrating on identifying new stakeholders and expanding the company’s visibility in new markets.

Jane is the mother of two talented (of course!) children and the owner of one large yellow dog of undetermined origins.