May 31, 2016

The lineup: 'The PR Professional, and other duties as assigned'



The Southwest Missouri and Mid-Missouri Chapters of PRSA are proud to co-host this conference for professional communicators of the Midwest on July 28–29, 2016, in Springfield, Missouri. Mark your calendar, and get ready to grow and polish your PR skills at this year’s conference: “The PR Professional, and other duties as assigned.”


Pricing:
$125 for PRSA members, $99 early bird*
$199 for non-members, $150 early bird*
$50 for students
*Early bird ends June 15
Register with PayPal today!
If other payment arrangements need to be made, please contact Cris Swaters.

Location:
Hilton Garden Inn
4155 S Nature Center Way
Springfield, Missouri
417-875-8800
Guest rate, $119/night.

Book your room using our special link!


Check out a preview of the lineup below:

Keynote Speakers

Bob Priddy

Former news director, The Missourinet



Veteran newsman Bob Priddy will kick off our conference with his unique perspective on the past year’s news events in Missouri.
Priddy’s expertise in regional news and trends has been honed over the last 40 years as the news director of The Missourinet, a statewide commercial radio network based in Jefferson City, Missouri.

Priddy retired from The Missourinet at the end of 2014. He has won numerous awards for his work in broadcast journalism and is the author of several books about Missouri history, including Only the Rivers Are Peaceful: Thomas Hart Benton's Missouri Mural. His blog can be found at bobpriddy.net.






Scott Holste
Press Secretary to Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon




Scott Holste will present our Friday keynote, in which he will share his perspective on the PR hats he’s worn during his service in Gov. Jay Nixon’s office. Holste will discuss the role PR has played in state and national news events, including unrest in Ferguson, Mo.

Before joining the Governor’s office, Holste served 14 years as press secretary for the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. He holds a degree in journalism from Valparaiso University.







Breakout Sessions


An umbrella approach to strategic public relations


Jason SprengerPresident/Founder/Owner, Game Changer Communications


Minnesota-based PR expert Jason Sprenger will present two sessions for our attendees, focusing on PR tactics and an “Umbrella Approach” to PR that can help us create strategic, effective public relations plans in organizations of all sizes.

Sprenger founded Game Changer Communications in the Twin Cities in 2012 with the goal of helping organizations propel themselves forward using the entire spectrum of public relations.

Before starting Game Changer, Sprenger led North American PR for FICO and built a successful corporate PR department at data storage firm Xiotech (now called X-IO Technologies). Sprenger’s background includes experience with a wide variety of organizations, from large to small and public to private. He has also served as a corporate, agency and freelance counselor.

Background on his work can be seen at gamechangercommunications.com.




Event planning panel: Taking your gatherings to the next level
Kristin Lochner, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce; Bob Nelson, CMP, Scottrade; Chris Ruble; University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center



When it comes to building a successful event, Kristin Lochner, Bob Nelson and Chris Ruble are industry leaders. 

Lochner serves as events manager at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce; Bob Nelson leads a four-person team at Scottrade that is responsible for 200 annual meetings and events for 3,800 associates in 49 states; and Chris Ruble heads up the event team at University Plaza Hotel & Convention Center in Springfield.

The panel will share their biggest lessons as well as key advice we can all use to get the most out of our own meetings and events.

Becoming an accredited pro: Beginning your APR journey
Lori Marble, APR, Fellow PRSA
Transformation Agent, Mercy



The Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) credential can be key in demonstrating your mastery of strategic communication and your commitment to lifelong learning. The credential is the industry’s gold standard, but plenty of PR pros struggle with getting started.

Lori Marble, APR chair for the Southwest Missouri Chapter of PRSA, will lead us through the basics of the APR process and show us the key steps to getting started in a successful APR pursuit.

In addition to holding both the APR since 2008 and being a member of the PRSA College of Fellows, Marble’s PR experience includes work in health care, transportation, higher education and founding her own public relations agency. Marble has served as president of the Southwest Missouri Chapter as well as chair of the Midwest District of PRSA.




Strategic planning: How communicators can help lead the way in meeting organizational goals
Scott Rogers

System Director, Performance Integration and Innovation, CoxHealth



Scott Rogers has made a career out of helping organizations achieve outstanding results while pursuing continuous innovation. Communication is key in any organizational change and in this session Rogers will discuss the role communication plays in developing and implementing a strategic plan.

Communicators will learn how we can support the planning process and help engage audiences to deliver the outcomes our leaders and organizations are striving for.
Rogers draws on decades of experience in performance improvement, including serving as a national examiner and trainer for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. He specializes in Business Process Integration utilizing the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence and has earned distinctions as a Lean Champion and Six Sigma black belt.



Inside 
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition's Joplin recovery project
Sheri Hawkins

Founder and CEO, 2balance

When ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” decided to build seven homes in seven days in Joplin, Mo., they called on Sheri Hawkins of 2balance for local PR support. In her session, Hawkins will share lessons from the project and insight into the communications challenges around the early efforts in Joplin’s recovery in the wake of the 2011 tornado.

For the past decade, Hawkins and her team at 2balance have been working with organizations to align internal and external communications to support their brand strategies. She specializes in public relations, human resources, marketing, social media and research communications.







Secrets of a great website
Jarad Johnson, president, Mostly Serious


How can organizations large and small leverage websites to tell their stories, engage audiences and build business? Join Jarad Johnson as he shares what he’s learned in working with corporate clients in his role at Mostly Serious.
Johnson is a founding partner of Mostly Serious, a Springfield-based digital studio, where he acts as President and Head of Design. He was also the organizing president of Springfield Creatives—a member-driven organization dedicated to improving the lives of creative people in the Ozarks—and serves on the advisory board for an urban garden project, Springfield Community Gardens.


Creating compelling video to tell your organization’s story
Sony Hocklander,
YourStory


Sony Hocklander specializes in video storytelling for organizations and individuals through her small business, YourStory by Sony Hocklander Creative LLC, located in Springfield.
She is a former journalist whose writing and editing career includes 16 years at the Springfield News-Leader, a USA Today affiliate. While at the News-Leader, Hocklander managed several newspaper sections, designed and edited a niche magazine, managed online community discussions and helped develop new products.
She also used photography and video production to enhance her media storytelling, and for years produced event and celebration videos for friends and family.



Crisis management: proven tools to protect your reputation
Katie Stacy Erwin and Jon B. Gray, FleishmanHillard



Companies spend years building a brand, establishing their reputation. Then crisis hits, and overnight, CEOs and their teams are under siege. The FleishmanHillard crisis management approach applies a series of proven tools throughout the process to help manage reputation in the face of crisis. Members of FleishmanHillard’s global crisis team will discuss the diverse issues they’ve handled and ways to manage issues and prepare for crises so that your team is ready.

Katie Stacy Erwin works in FleishmanHillard’s corporate reputation group and is a certified crisis counselor and media trainer. She works with leading companies on media relations, issues management, executive visibility and campaign strategy. 
Erwin provides counsel on issues preparedness and crisis communications to clients across a variety of sectors, including health care, manufacturing, higher education, financial services, and food and beverage. Erwin has experience in areas such as litigation communications, employee misconduct, data breaches, regulator investigations and leadership transitions. Her previous experience includes managing communications for the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and more than a decade as a television broadcast journalist. Katie earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications-journalism from Truman State University.

Jon B. Gray is a member of FleishmanHillard’s consumer marketing and corporate communications practice groups. He is responsible for developing strategies and implementing integrated marketing plans to engage audiences and other influencers on both national and local scales. In his role as a certified crisis counselor, he also is a go-to resource for social crisis/corporate reputation issues management and has helped mitigate a variety of potentially damaging issues for consumer brands and national regulatory organizations in the social space. 
Gray also has worked to proactively prepare clients by developing protocols directing management and employee response to a crisis. Gray graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications.


Writing with clarity and impact across a variety of channels
Kathleen O’Dell, Community Relations Director, Springfield-Greene County Library District


Our communication modes may evolve – from press releases to brand journalism to blogging – but the basics of great storytelling remain.

Kathleen O’Dell will share her years of writing expertise in a session designed to lead us through the best practices in a variety of channels.
O’Dell is the Community Relations Director of the Springfield-Greene County Library District, a job she’s had for nearly seven years.
She earned a bachelor degree in journalism from the University of Missouri in 1976, worked the Beaumont, Texas, Enterprise, for a year; and then joined the Springfield News-Leader/Gannett Inc., in 1977-1982. She joined the first staff of USA Today, writing national news and working in the editorial department. She returned to The News-Leader in 1984 and held a variety of editing, news and feature writing positions.
O’Dell has received numerous awards for her work. Among them are writing awards from the Gannett Co. Inc., Associated Press and Missouri Press Association, Advocates for a Healthy Community and Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce Salute to Health Care. She also received yearlong medical writers fellowship from the Association of Health Care Journalists from 2008-2009. In 2011 she received the Quill Award from the Writers Hall of Fame of Missouri and was named one of 20 Most Influential Women by the Springfield Business Journal.


Case studies: Crafting a unique brand experience through design
Dan Stewart, Partner & Creative Director, Deep
Sharon Kuntz, Senior Copywriter, Deep

  


What sets a great design apart from the merely average? In these case studies, Dan Stewart and Sharon Kuntz will lead us through 3-4 design-centric projects from the original project brief to final execution. Along the way, participants will see how creative design decisions are made and how we can all learn to demonstrate the value a creative team brings to the process.

During his 20-plus years in the food industry, Stewart has applied a purposeful creative approach with brands such as Nestle, Frito Lay, McCormick, Reckitt/Benckiser, Mars Foodservice, Mission Foods, as well as many non-profit organizations. He is a fine arts graduate of Missouri State University.
After graduating from Missouri State University with a degree in Advertising and Promotion and a minor in Creative Writing, Kuntz translated her gift for wielding powerful words and creating emotional reactions into sparking emotional connections for foodservice brands including Nestlé Professional, Tyson Foods, Keurig Green Mountain, Kerry Food & Beverage, Reckitt/Benckiser and Borden Foods. At 12 years as a foodservice copywriter and running, Sharon still revels in following the path of great food and making creative visions come to life.

Strategy, content and measurement: Keys to social media success
Dr. Jonathan Groves, Department Chair of Communication, Drury University



As an associate professor of communication, Dr. Jonathan Groves has dedicated himself to the study of the evolving media landscape, exploring the impact of new media on fields such as journalism and public relations. In this session, Dr. Groves will discuss how organizations can develop a social media strategy, create compelling social content and measure their results.

Dr. Groves created and leads Drury University's Social Media Certificate program, designed for professionals and students specializing in the use of social media. Prior to coming to Drury, Dr. Groves worked for 14 years as a professional journalist at various newspapers as a reporter and editor. He then spent two years at the University of Missouri-Columbia as a Reynolds Journalism Institute doctoral fellow studying how the Internet is changing the face of journalism.
The art of branding with Mother’s Brewing
Jeff Schrag, founder, Mother's Brewing Company



Since creating Mother's Brewing in 2011, Jeff Schrag and the Mother's team have cultivated recognition throughout Missouri and the Midwest with creative campaigns, unique design and a strong brand that has been key to business success. In fact, the National Brewer's Association declared the launch of Mother's Brewing Company to be the most successful opening any new brewery opening in the past five years. In this Session, Schrag will share how Mother's created their multifaceted promotional approach and what he's learned from Mother's success.

Schrag, who is originally from McPherson, Kansas, graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and social science. He came to Springfield in 1995 after purchasing the Daily Events legal newspaper. In 2011, he created Mother’s Brewing Co., a craft beer company that distributes its products throughout the region and in several states. The company brews its products in the former Butternut Bread Co. facility at the corner of Grant Avenue and Walnut Street.


Photography secrets: how non-pros can get the best shots
Kevin White, Senior Staff Photographer, Missouri State University



For more than two decades, Kevin White has been capturing the ongoing story of Missouri State University through his photography. From sports and student life to special events and advertising photos, White's images have helped define Missouri State's brand.
In this session, White will share what he's learned and show us how we can use an artist's perspective to create great photos - everything from choosing the right subject and the right angle to perfecting lighting and composition.


Communication in organizational leadership: how communicators can get, and keep, a seat at the table
Jim Anderson, VP Public Affairs, CoxHealth
Cora Scott, Director of Public Information and Civic Engagement, City of Springfield



Communication is more vital than ever in organizations large and small, but how can communicators provide the best support and counsel for senior leaders? Jim Anderson and Cora Scott have a wealth of experience in communication leadership roles and they will lead a panel discussion sharing what they've learned and how we can all increase the value we bring to our leadership teams.

Jim Anderson is vice president for marketing and public affairs at CoxHealth in Springfield, Missouri. Anderson is the former president of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. During his time with the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber was recognized as the Chamber of the Year by its national professional organization in 2012. Before joining the Springfield Chamber, he spent nine years as president of the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, he served as a school administrator and school teacher in the Jefferson City Public Schools.

Cora Scott serves as Director of Public Information and Civic Engagement for the City of Springfield. She joined the City of Springfield in January 2012 after an 18-year tenure with Mercy Health. She most recently served as Media Relations Manager for St. John's Health System, where she was responsible for media and public communication for Mercy's north central region. Cora had served St. John's Health System in similar public relations roles since 1993. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications from Drury University.

May 27, 2016

PRSA Professional Development Conference 2016



We’ve Got a Great Speaker Line Up Waiting for You!

If you haven’t checked out the speaker line up, yet, for the Southwest Missouri/Mid-Missouri Professional Development Conference, what are you waiting for?

Our keynote speakers are former Missourinet News Director Bob Priddy and Missouri Governor Jay Nixon’s Press Secretary Scott Holste. These outstanding speakers will discuss their unique perspectives when it comes to the many hats PR practitioners must wear and their insights into recent news events in Missouri that have captivated a national audience.
We also have many great breakout sessions planned!


Nationally-known social media expert Dr. Jonathan Groves will lead a session on developing social media strategy, creating compelling social media content and measuring its results.


Mother’s Brewing Company owner Jeff Schrag will talk about the art of branding. This start-up brewery in Springfield, MO has gone from a local favorite for beer connoisseurs to a regional brand thanks to his team’s creation of a multifaceted approach to marketing their products.

We’ll have sessions on photography, writing, video storytelling, website creation, event planning, strategic planning and much, much more. You won’t want to miss out on this fantastic opportunity for learning and networking with your Midwest PR peers!


Pricing:
$125 for PRSA members, $99 early bird*
$199 for non-members, $150 early bird*
$50 for students
*Early bird ends June 1
Register with PayPal today!
If other payment arrangements need to be made, please contact Cris Swaters.

Location:
Hilton Garden Inn
4155 S Nature Center Way
Springfield, Missouri
417-875-8800
Guest rate, $119/night.

Book your room using our special link!

January 17, 2014

Have you recommended PRSA lately?

It seems the calendar moves more quickly each year and one year melts into the other and before I know it, it is time for fresh New Year’s resolutions. Time is the only thing that remains in constant short supply and as we all know, there isn’t time for everything. Our life, however, must have purpose and if we are to succeed in our jobs, personal lives, and volunteer work – we must have focus and action.

“Action expresses priorities,” says Mahatma Gandhi. It’s true! I’m on a team at work focusing on “building loyalty” and it isn’t enough anymore to ask a person if they “would recommend” xyz. The question now is “have your recommended” xyz. That is engagement and a real commitment to the organization.

So instead of asking you “Would you recommend PRSA to your friends and public relations colleagues,” I think the better question is, “Have you recommended our Southwest Missouri Chapter of PRSA to friends and PR colleagues?” Now is an excellent time to make it a priority to connect with at least one person you know in the industry that is not currently a member of PRSA.

Right now, you can recommend our chapter to your PR friends during the “New Year. New PR Successes” campaign and they can enjoy a waived initiation fee ($65 value) with promo code JAN14. Remember, in addition to monthly meetings, the SWMO chapter is hosting the Midwest District conference June 18-20, and there are more than 50 live and on-demand webinars scheduled for 2014, networking opportunities and more.

Our chapter is also connected socially with FacebookTwitter, and LinkedIn. I encourage you to connect with the chapter using these tools.

Thank you for your involvement in PRSA. We have a great year ahead of us and I look forward to seeing you at our first luncheon on Jan. 28.

Blessings,

Tamera Heitz-Peek 

August 21, 2013

Help us support professional development locally

A few of us attended the PRSA Midwest District conference in Omaha this past July. We were all impressed by the networking opportunities, the engaging presenters and the great location. (Trust me - if you haven't been to Omaha - go! It's a great city.)

We're hosting next year's conference and I'm looking forward to exceeding everyone's expectations. But before the large conference next summer we have our annual professional development conference coming up on Sept. 24.  We always strive to put together a conference that provide great learning opportunities. 

Our theme this year is "What's Trending Now?"  We have terrific talent lined up including Online Marketing Giant CEO Brett Curry and Boundless Creative Owner Jen Welton talking about the latest trends in social media.  Missouri State University professor Dr. Randy Dillon, talking about different ways to communicate with different generations. 

As part of this conference we're looking for a few businesses and organizations interested in promoting their services to our group of PR pros; folks  in the position to use their products.


Become a sponsor and help support local professional development.  As a sponsor, we'll make sure we mention you often in email communication, on our website, on social media posts and at the conference.   Contact Professional Development Conference Chair Angela Eden at 417.895.7641 or email her at angela.eden@modot.mo.gov if you would like to learn more. 

-Lori Marble
SWMOPRSA President

May 23, 2013

SWMO PRSA's monthly meeting will be held Tuesday, May 28 at 425 Walnut.
Don't forget to RSVP to rsvp@swmoprsa.org by noon, Friday, May 24.
Here's info on this month's speaker.


Speaker: Brett Curry
Topic: Incorporating video into your social media program

Brett Curry is the CEO of Online Marketing Giant in Springfield, Missouri.  Brett is a featured columnist for the DotComSecrets Journal an online marketing publication and weekly trains a group of over 2,000 Internet marketing consultants.  Brett spends the majority of his time helping small and medium-sized companies design and implement online marketing campaigns that get results. As a certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach™ Brett speaks regularly on the topics of marketing and business growth. He recently spoke at the SEO Mastermind in Austin, Texas. 
In 2005, Brett was awarded a spot on the SBJ’s Top 40 Under 40. As the father of 6 children age 11 and under, Brett is used to addressing audiences of all ages and attention spans.

February 17, 2013

Carnival Cruise Lines: The Importance of Internal Communications

Probably the only good communications to come out of the Carnival Triumph mess is all the positive news reports about the amazing crew.  I can only assume there have been positive comments about the crew on social media.  I haven't looked.  In a roundabout way, this points to the importance of internal communications.  Clearly, Carnival Cruise Lines provides crew training second to none.  This communicates to Carnival employees that the company cares about them.  It cares enough to give them the training they need to do an outstanding job.  Carnival should make that message part of its internal communications, if it hasn't already.  If a company takes care of its employees, the employees will take care of it during the worst of times.  A simple thing like training has given Carnival a silver lining in the midst of a PR nightmare.

November 29, 2012

Association for Women in Communications December Meeting






December Meeting
Join us for AWC’s December meeting on Tuesday, December 4. The program will feature a TED Talk by Nancy Duarte on Slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations. As always, networking will start at 11:30 and the program will begin at noon. Please RSVP to meetingrsvp@awcspringfieldmo.org, or by replying to this email no later than Friday, November 30.


Program
Nancy Duarte believes that ideas are the most powerful tools people have. Her passion is to help every person learn to communicate their world-changing idea effectively. In this TED Talk presentation you’ll hear Nancy explain what she’s dubbed as the art and science – yes, science – of creating great presentations by exploring great historical prose. After the video, there will be a guided discussion at tables.
Speaker
Nancy Duarte is an expert in presentation design, and has served as CEO of Duarte Design for 21 years. Nancy speaks around the world, seeking to improve the power of public presentations. Her most recent book, Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences, was published in 2010.


Meeting Information

Cost of the luncheon is $15 for members and first time guests, $18 for returning guests and $14 for AWC student members and full-time degree-seeking students. If you have special dietary requests please specify in your RSVP.
Please note that no-shows and late cancellations (cancellations received later than noon the day prior to meeting) will be billed lunch charges.

Meeting Location
425 Downtown; located at 425 W. Walnut, Springfield 65806.  View Map.
Parking is available across the street in the lot marked 425 Downtown, as well as in the garage on Campbell Avenue.
 

 

November 16, 2012

Congratulations to PRSA An Evening of Stars Award Recipents




The Southwest Missouri Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) held its second annual dinner and awards banquet, An Evening of Stars, Nov. 15 at Wellington South, 5021 S. National Ave. Three individuals and three organizations were recognized for their contributions to the public relations profession or service to the chapter.

Jessica Clements, new media specialist at Missouri State University, received the Rising Star Award, which recognizes a professional with less than three years experience who shows dedication to the ethical and professional practice of public relations and engagement in the Southwest Missouri PRSA Chapter. 



Claire Faucett, owner of engage5w, received the Legacy Award. This award recognizes a Southwest Missouri PRSA Chapter member’s contributions to the chapter through service on the Board of Directors or a committee.  



The Intrepid Award was given to Don Hendricks, director of University communications at Missouri State University. The Intrepid Award recognizes a senior practitioner with at least 10 years of experience who shows dedication to the ethical and professional practice of public relations and engagement in the Southwest Missouri PRSA Chapter. 


Missouri State University received two organizational awards: the Events and Observances and the Marketing/Public Relations Campaign awards. The Events and Observances award showcases events or programs that fulfilled at least one of the organization’s public relations goals. This may include commemorations, observances, openings, celebrations or other special activities.

The Marketing/Public Relations Campaign is given for outstanding campaigns – including programs, communications or publications – that seek to fulfill the organization’s marketing or public relations goals.



Better Business Bureau serving Southwest Missouri received the Community Relations award, recognizing the organization’s programs that aim to improve relations with or seek to win the support/cooperation of, people or organizations in communities in which the sponsoring organization has an interest, need or opportunity.


Congratulations to all the award winners!