December 2010 Newsletter
I. Letter from the (Outgoing) Chair
II.Reverse Mentorship
III.Welcome to November's New Professional Members
IV.PRSA New Pros Blog
Letter from the (Outgoing) Chair
It's December 2010 already! It means finalizing projects and getting ready for the next year. For your New Pros Committee, December means it’s time to thank those who worked so hard to keep our Section going, and looking forward to the promise of more for next year.
As the outgoing chair, I want to recognize the Committee members whose hard work and dedication added new benefits for members and made the New Pros Section what it is today. So in the same order we hear on these members during our Committee conference call...
Mike Greenberg
Mike was the New Pros membership director for two years. For those of you who came to the Section from PRSSA, you probably found us because of Mike's tireless efforts to connect New Pros to PRSSA. Mike helped launch the Affiliate Program, which gives New Pros who are in their first two years of PRSA membership a discounted rate. He also has been helping New Pros share their guidance with PRSSA members through the PRSSA blog.
Adrienne Bailey
Adrienne was the 2010 account representative, but that title doesn't do justice to the work she did helping connect New Pros to the other PRSA Sections. Whenever there was a webinar or teleseminar sponsored by another Section that was discounted to New Pros, Adrienne was behind it, helping other Sections realize the value, yet limited budgets of New Pros. Adrienne also worked to round up contributors to our monthly "Intro to" blog series.
Brian Camen
You can't mention the blog without tipping a hat to Brian, who was our communications chair in charge of the blog. Brian got his feet wet as a blog contributor in 2009, and at his suggestion, we launched the "Intro to" blog series to show New Pros how public relations differs from industry to industry. Brian edited a majority of the posts that went live this year, and he wrote many of them, too.
Andi Wilmes
Andi was the unadvertised force behind the New Pros newsletter, and she also was a blog contributor as our communications chair in charge of the newsletter. Whenever a newsletter was distributed, Andi was the driving force keeping us on track — and well edited. Andi's regular monthly contributions to the blog helped make 2010 the first year of consistent, weekly postings.
Leah Moon
Leah joined the committee halfway through the year as the social media editor, but her contributions have been outstanding! When you visit the New Pros Facebook page, most of what you see is there because of Leah's hard work, identifying and sharing articles of interest. Leah will return next year to continue her great work as social media editor.
Crystal Olig
Crystal was our mentorship, Chapter outreach, and sponsorship chair, and she worked all year to bring New Pros some of the benefits they wanted most — mentors and local New Pros meetings. It might be hard for our members to imagine how much leg work goes into these two seemingly simple things, but Crystal has spent months working with the PRSA College of Fellows to develop a mentoring program, as well as contacting local Chapter leaders to encourage New Pros groups on the local level. Crystal will be back next year with the shorter title of mentorship liaison), and I know she's really looking forward to rolling out the mentorship program soon!
Sarah Siewert
Sarah is your 2011 Chair, but in 2009 and 2010, she served as programming chair and Professional Development director. In the last two years, Sarah put together all of the webinars, teleseminars, and brown bags we've enjoyed as New Pros members, as well as the New Pros session during International Conference. I have the upmost confidence in Sarah as the 2011 chair; she's already demonstrated such dedication and strong leadership, and I'm happy to be a member of a Section led by her.
It was a pleasure to serve with such dedicated and talented individuals! Thank you to the committee for everything you've done, and thank you to the New Pros members for giving me the opportunity to serve you in 2010.
Janet Krenn
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Not every career path is a straight line, and mine certainly wasn’t. I became what the federal government calls a “public affairs specialist” in my early 50s (no, it’s not a typo). Many of my co-workers were PRSA members, so I followed their example and signed up, as well. The following year, a new affinity group was formed for public relations pros just like me, who were new to the field and eager to connect with, and learn from, others who also were just starting out. So I plunked down my $15.00 and became a New Professional.
It was a smart investment. I lacked formal education and internships in public relations, so New Pros became my training ground. I watched as folks tweeted and blogged, and social media —which was second nature to most in the group — gradually made sense as a business tactic. Generation Y was teaching this old dog new tricks!
A few weeks ago, I spoke to the PRSSA Chapter at the University of Maryland — Go, Terps! — as part of a panel of government public relations practitioners. We talked about the realities and varieties of life in the public sector. With many senior-level practitioners attending, we also talked about where to find jobs and how to land them. Throughout the discussion, I couldn’t help but think how easily my role shifted: now I was the mentor to up-and-coming PR pros.
Each of us is getting ready for what’s next, but that willingness to share our knowledge, skills and experience is what creates value for all Section members.
This is my last column as director of membership. Next month, we will welcome a new executive committee. I wish them, and you, great success!
Mike Greenberg
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Welcome to November's New Professional Members
Eugenia R. Jefferson; Matteson, WI
Regina Kim; Washington, DC
Kristen Mary Marshall; Cincinnati, OH
Cait Margaret Healey; Middleboro, MA
Edward B. Caldwell; Martinsville, NJ
Stephen R. Shiner; Webberville, MI
Patrick John Terry; Cottage Grove, WI
Sallie M. Stuvek; Fairbanks, AK
Rebecca Simone Dubick; Santa Monica, CA
Rebecca S. Fowler; Nashville, TN
Katrina S. Moton; Pembroke Pines, FL
Michelle Martens; Colleyville, TX
Sabrina Berdzik; Baltimore, MD
Jen Marie Mangham; Miami Shores, FL
Emily Whiteman; Indianapolis, IN
Lisa Silver; Haddonfield, NJ
Alafair Marie Hall; San Francisco,CA
Sheena Renee Gadson; Atlanta, GA
Bruce Alan Morgan; Centerville, IN
Judy Kundert; Broomfield,CO
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Calling all bloggers! Next year will begin the third full year of our great blog and the executive committee will be looking for new and seasoned pros to share their experiences and insights by writing a guest post for the blog. As you start to draft your New Year’s resolutions, I suggest adding “become a PRSA contributing blogger” to your list!
In the meantime, check out some posts from October and November:
October
“Entry Level … Networking: How I Got the Job,” by Lauren Gillaspey
“Nine Factors That Determine News Value,” by Brian Camen
“The Benefits of Having a Mentor,” by Andi Wilmes
November
“Intro to Series … International PR,” by Dean Kruckeberg, Ph.D.
“Your PR Career … Feeling Confident When Flying Solo,” by Andi Wilmes
“A Lesson in Governance,” by Mike Greenberg
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Farewell!
Well that’s it for the 2010 New Pros Executive Committee! As your outgoing communications co-chair, it has been a pleasure coordinating the monthly newsletter.
Wishing everyone a happy and productive 2011!
