Steven Lewis Grant, APR-Chairman Senior Manager National Education Association
	Mary Beth West, APR-Immediate Past Chairman Principal Mary Beth West Consulting
	Michael G. Cherenson, APR-Immediate Past Chair Vice President The Cherenson Group
	Elena del Valle Principal LNA World Communications
	Steven Mehlman, APR Communications Director United Domestic Workers of America
	Karl Gentles, APR Managing Partner Karl Gentles Public Relations
	Peggy C. Frank, MBA CEO Frank PR Worldwide
	Pamela Gutel, APR Director of Public Affairs Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
	David C. Rickey, APR Vice President of Public Relations Alfa Corporation
	Enrico “Rick” L. Callendar Government Relations Manager Santa Clara Valley Water District
	Susan Fenelon Kerr Director of Advocacy and Government Relations Sisters of Providence Health System
	Thomas E. Eppes, APR, Fellow PRSA Senior Partner Eric Mower & Associates
	Brandi Boatner Vice President of Advocacy PRSSA
	Anne H. Lewis, APR Vice President, Public Relations and Planning Cornerstone
	Melissa M. Csuhran National President PRSSA
	Jacqueline C. Cavnar, MBA Chief Operating Officer The Rural Partnership
	Renee T. Walker, APR Manager, Corporate Public Relations Kelly Services, Inc.
	Gini Dietrich Chief Executive Officer Arment Dietrich
	Patricia T. Whalen, PhD, APR Assistant Professor and Director, Graduate Studies in Public Relations and Advertising DePaul University
	Beth King, APR Media Relations Manager OneAmerica
	Patrick McLaughlin, APR Founder Caldo Communications

Steven Lewis Grant, APR-Chairman
Grant is a public relations manager for the National Education Association (NEA), the nation's largest professional organization, with 3.2 million members. Steve provides strategic council and planning expertise, as well as overall management for the 40-person public relations department. His primary areas of responsibility include brand management, message development and media relations, and special projects/events. His award-winning NEA public relations work has been featured in PR Week.

Steve is a also a part-time adjunct professor at the Johns Hopkins University where he teaches graduate-level courses including Brand Management, Advertising Strategies, and Corporate Communication. Previously, he taught graduate-level courses at American University, Graduate School of Communication including: Public Relations Writing, Public Relations Principles, and Public Relations Production. He has taught public relations courses for 13 years in the DC area and has been an advisor to PRSSA chapters.

Prior to NEA, Steve served as a vice president at Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, where he specialized in branding, messaging and media relations, consumer marketing and social marketing. Steve was previously senior marketing manager at Crabtree + Company, marketing manager at the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and assistant director of communications at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Steve is the Mid-Atlantic representative on the national board of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and is a past president of the PRSA’s National Capital Chapter (NCC), the nation’s largest chapter. He also served as the chapter's vice president and was a two-term treasurer. He served on the board of directors for eight years and chaired several committees. He is Accredited in Public Relations (APR) and the recipient of several chapter awards, including the Thoth Awards “Best of Show.”  

Steve chairs the PRSA advocacy committee served on PRSA's task force on certification. He chaired the Capitol Hill relationship committee in 2007 and helped chart the course for positioning PRSA as a leading organization among PR professions working in the federal government. He has been an Assembly delegate and a Silver Anvil judge since 1997.

A native of Wisconsin, he received his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is currently a resident of Washington, DC and active in the Capitol Hill community.

Mary Beth West APR-Immediate Past Chairman
Founded in 2003, Mary Beth West’s consulting practice specializes in strategic public relations and reputation management programs that support clients’ sales objectives and other financial, business development and advancement goals.

She works with clients to create, manage and execute strategic plans that initiate and develop stronger stakeholder relationships, with measurable results that translate into enhanced credibility, awareness and product/service demand. Mary Beth’s expertise includes developing and managing successful communications initiatives involving media relations, community outreach and advocacy, employee relations, trade and professional relationship building, event management, and crisis preparedness / business continuity components.

Mary Beth’s growing base of consulting work includes accounts in the hospitality, entertainment, real estate, renewable energy marketing, utility, consumer financial services and non-profit development sectors. The 2006 recipient of the Public Relations Society of America’s Harvey I. Cobert Award for professional contributions in the East Tennessee market, Mary Beth opened an office in downtown Maryville, Tenn., two years ago. She routinely works with a team of other well-credentialed independents with diverse backgrounds in strategic public relations management on a range of mutual client projects and long-term campaigns.

Mary Beth’s career has included a range of management positions. While vice president of regional marketing for Union Planters Bank of East Tennessee and Southeastern Kentucky, Mary Beth oversaw marketing communications for a 39-office region, including public relations, advertising, branch merchandising, sales promotions, special events and charitable giving. Mary Beth entered the financial services industry as assistant vice president of marketing for BankFirst (NASDAQ: BKFR, now BB&T) in Knoxville. There she produced award-winning work in employee communications following BankFirst’s initial public offering and its acquisition of two other banking institutions in East Tennessee.

Previously, as community relations director of Nashville-based Corrections Corporation of America (NYSE: CXW), Mary Beth created and managed public relations programs for the largest international private-sector builder and manager of prisons, jails and other detention facilities. Her award-winning crisis preparedness plan gave CCA its first full-scale communications infrastructure for managing facility-level emergency situations that were subject to local, regional, national and/or international media attention. Mary Beth’s early career included entry-level positions with Cohn & Wolfe in New York and two Tennessee-based agencies, in which her collective experience included retail, financial, international pharmaceutical, manufacturing and technology accounts.

In 2001, Mary Beth was the youngest director ever elected to the 32,000-member Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) national board in the organization’s 50-year history. She has played a role in advancing the public relations profession through national leadership, including her appointment in 2007 as chair of PRSA’s National Advocacy Advisory Board, which advances a more thorough and accurate understanding of the public relations function. In 2008, she was appointed to the PRSA national board as senior counsel for advocacy.

An alumna of the University of Tennessee’s College of Communication and Information, Mary Beth is a member of the College’s Board of Visitors. She has taught as an instructor in public relations for both undergraduate courses and professional-level seminars. Accredited in Public Relations (APR) by the PRSA-affiliated Universal Accreditation Board, Mary Beth is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute. She has also worked actively on the boards of Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council, the Maryville City Schools Foundation and Second Harvest Foodbank of East Tennessee.

Mary Beth lives in Maryville, Tenn., with her two daughters and husband Charles, who is president of West Chevrolet, a fourth-generation, family-owned franchise dealership. mb@marybethwest.com

Michael G. Cherenson, APR
A 16-year industry veteran and the author of three studies on the impact of reputation, Cherenson is Accredited in Public Relations (APR) by the Universal Accreditation Board and Public Relations Society of America. His expertise extends to all disciplines of public relations including corporate, marketing, internal and crisis communication, government relations, event management and interactive public relations.

At The Cherenson Group, he serves as chief public relations counselor and strategist and oversees all public relations activities for the firms' diverse clientele.

In 2003 Cherenson was elected to a three-year term on the national Board of Directors of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the world's largest professional organization for PR professionals, with more than 20,000 members. Cherenson also serves as chair of the PRSA Advocacy Advisory Board, and liaison to the Public Relations Student’s Board of Professional Ethics and Standards.

During his tenure on the Board of Directors, Cherenson co-authored a PRSA study on MBA Programs and their communication curricula.  In 2005, Cherenson represented PRSA and the U.S. State Department and its Bureau of International Information Programs on a mission to Croatia where he served as a keynote speaker at the 6th Annual Croatian Public Relations Association Conference.

A member of The Fairleigh Dickinson University Corporate and Organizational Communication Board of Corporate Advisors and the Gibbs College Advisory Board, he is a past President of the NJ Chapter of the PRSA, where he was honored with its Service Award in 2002.

The father of three children – ages 8, 6 and 3 – Cherenson is a graduate of Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY and attended the prestigious Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) at George Washington University, Washington, DC.  mcherenson@successcomgroup.com

Elena del Valle
Elena is principal of LNA World Communications, a marketing and communications company, where she is responsible for media training, strategic planning and client relations. She is the director and editor of Hispanic Marketing & Public Relations (Poyeen Publishing, $49.95), and host of the companion Web site and podcast. A 20-year marketing and public relations veteran, she has worked extensively in health care and with U.S. and international Hispanic markets. Prior to founding her own marketing and public relations firm nine years ago, she worked at the largest independent public relations firm in Florida, where she was a key member of the health care team and headed the Hispanic practice. Before that, she attended law school at night while she was in charge of domestic and international Hispanic marketing and public relations for a major private South Florida health care company.

She is the recipient of the 2004 D. Parke Gibson Pioneer Award for Multicultural Communications in a Professional Interest Section, for the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and the 1988 she received the Up & Comers Award in Public Relations. Elena was a 2003 Women in Communications Woman of the Year Award finalist. Multilingual and a published author, she is a graduate of Leadership Florida, Leadership Miami, the Center for Creative Leadership, the National Hispana Leadership Institute, the Embassy of Spain Young Hispanic Americans, the Cuban American National Council, and the Harvard John. F. Kennedy School of Government leadership programs.

A graduate of the University of Miami, Fla., with a master in Business Administration and a Juris Doctor, Elena is also founding president of the Hispanic Marketing & Communication Association and past chairwoman of the National Public Relations Society of America, PRSA, Multicultural Section. She is a member of the prestigious PRSA Counselors Academy. elena@lnaworld.com

Steven Mehlman, APR
Steve Mehlman, APR, is communications director for the United Domestic Workers of America (AFSCME Local 3930), which represents more than 60,000 home care workers in California.  Inspired by Cesar Chavez, the union was created in 1979 as just the third labor union in the nation founded by African-Americans or Latinos (The first two were the Sleeping Car Porters Union and Chavez’s United Farm Workers).

Prior to joining UDWA, Mehlman was director of communications for the California State Employees Association. In addition to directing all internal and external communications activities for the 140,000-member organization and serving as liaison to the Capitol press corps, he was coordinator of the communications team for the statewide Californians for Health Care and Retirement Security coalition to which CSEA belonged.

He also served as a communications consultant for California Professional Firefighters, the largest affiliate in the International Association of Fire Fighters union. He was responsible for writing and editing the Annual Report, promoting CPF events, and writing for the union’s newspaper.

Before moving to California, Steve spent 30 years with AARP in a variety of positions, including director of media relations and manager of volunteer publications at AARP’s national headquarters in Washington, DC.  He also served as AARP’s consumer program manager for their southeast regional office in Atlanta, and communications director for their southwest regional office in Dallas.

Steve has also served as director of public relations for the Financial Planning Association and press secretary to U.S. Rep. Robert Giaimo of Connecticut.  Smehl1506@aol.com

Karl Gentles, APR
Karl Gentles is the managing partner of Karl Gentles Public Relations, a firm specializing in building brands and reputations for public and private companies and organizations in Phoenix and San Francisco. For more than 16 years, Gentles has shaped public perceptions for financial services companies, economic development organizations, and a number of other Arizona civic, sports, and nonprofit organizations.

Prior to forming his firm, Gentles served as director of corporate communications for USAA, a diversified financial services firm serving members of the military and their families. At USAA he directed all employee and public communications, and led USAA’s successful effort to win the 2003 Best Place to Work in the Valley of the Sun award from The Business Journal of Phoenix and the Great Place to Work Institute.

As manager of media relations for the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, Gentles directed a highly successful national and international media and public relations campaign resulting in a significant increase in media placements about Greater Phoenix in publications around the world. Placements include The Economist, London Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Yomiuri Shimbun, Agence France Presse, Barrons, Kiplingers Personal Finance, and Business Week.

During his tenure as assistant vice president and corporate relations manager for Bank One, Gentles specialized in government relations and directed the bank's Political Action Committee (PAC) to its highest fundraising and employee participation since its formation. He also managed a regional division of the bank's marketing group, and community development and reinvestment earning the highest Community Reinvestment Act rating from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

Gentles began his career as a staff assistant to U.S. Senator John McCain specializing in business and economic development and immigration issues. Amongst his accomplishments he organized one of the first business missions to Kuwait after the Persian Gulf War.

Karl is a graduate of Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Communication and a Masters in Business Administration. He holds an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America.  Karl@Karlgentlespr.com

Peggy C. Frank, MBA
Peggy C. Frank, MBA, is CEO of Frank PR Worldwide. With 30 years experience in public relations, media relations, investor relations and marketing, Frank PR is well respected in the health care and biotechnology industry. Ms. Frank has worked in top management positions with the nation's largest organizations, including Prudential HealthCare; Heinz's Weight Watchers, International; one of the most prestigious hospitals in the world, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center; and Hyatt Medical Enterprises, a former division of Hyatt Hotels.

Before launching Frank PR in the spring of 1999, she spent four years as director of public relations for Prudential HealthCare, Western Division, where she honed her crisis communications' skills and developed a working knowledge of the managed care industry.

She garnered her considerable knowledge and expertise in the health care industry through long-term tenures with several highly regarded hospitals, including nearly 13 years as assistant director of public relations at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. Her other health care public relations experience includes Saint John's Hospital and Health Center in Santa Monica, CA, and Medical Center of Encino, Encino, CA, a Hyatt Medical Enterprises facility. Early in her career, Ms. Frank was the southern California director of communications and advertising for Weight Watchers, International, a Heinz Company.

Ms. Frank is a well-known speaker on health care and public relations issues, receiving numerous national and local awards acknowledging her commitment to the field. In March 2005, the Health & Human Services’ Commission on Systemic Interoperability invited her to provide testimony specific to her views on the national electronic medical record initiative (www.nlm.nih.gov). Her views will be a part of the Commission’s report issued in October 2005. She also provided media training to grantees of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) (www.ahrq.gov).

She received her MBA, with an emphasis in Health Care Management, from California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, CA, and her BA in Journalism from California State University, Northridge. She shares her incredible passion and insights with graduate school nurses and health care administration students by teaching “The Impact of e-Healthcare” at the University of Phoenix. She also teaches health care marketing, public relations and organizational behavior.

Ms. Frank is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), and the Insurance Media Association. She is also a member of Women in Health Administration, and Healthcare Executives of Southern California. pfrank@frankpr.com

Pamela Gutel, APR
Pamela Gutel, a native of Oklahoma City, leads the public affairs office of the Oklahoma City Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. As director of public affairs, her responsibilities include all internal and external communications for the branch, including economic education, media relations, community outreach and employee relations activities. Prior to this position, Pamela worked in the government and public affairs department for Cox Communications, serving in a number of roles. Gutel has also worked for Logix Communications, the Oklahoma Restaurant Association, Moore Norman Technology Center and the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.

Pamela holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications, and a master’s degree with a public relations emphasis from the University of Oklahoma. In 2003, she earned Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America.

Pamela has been an active member of PRSA since joining in 1996. She has served the Oklahoma City Chapter in numerous roles including president in 2002. Currently, she is serving the second year of a three-year term as assembly delegate.

Involved in the Oklahoma City community, Pamela is on the board of directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City, Class XXIV. She serves on committees for Junior League, United Way, Special Olympics, Association for Women in Communications, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber and Oklahoma City Public Schools Foundation. pamela.gutel@kc.frb.org 

David C. Rickey, APR
Dave Rickey, APR, is an active and enthusiastic volunteer leader of PRSA.  He is currently serving a three-year term as the Chair of PRSA’s Board of Ethics and Professional Standards. In that position, Dave leads the effort to continue the transformation of PRSA Member Code of Ethics from enforcement to enlightenment.

Prior to his BEPS appointment, Dave was co-chair of the 2003 PRSA International Conference in New Orleans.  During his tenure with PRSA, Dave has also served in leadership capacities with the Section Council, Corporate Section, Strategic Planning Committee, Audit Committee, Nominating Committee and Financial Advisory Committee.

In his professional life, Dave is Vice President of Public Relations for Alfa Corporation in Montgomery.  In this capacity, he manages all PR activities for Alfa Insurance, the Alabama Farmers Federation and other Alfa affiliates. His experience in corporate PR includes executive level PR positions with AmSouth Bank, Alabama Power and Blount, Inc. 

Enrico “Rick” L. Callender
Rick is the government relations manager for the Santa Clara Valley Water District where he is responsible for developing positive working relationships and implementing strategic outreach and advocacy efforts relating with all Santa Clara County City Councils, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors, all federal and state district offices, business associations and community leaders within Santa Clara Valley.

In 2000 he led a successful ballot initiative that raised more than $375 million for the Santa Clara Valley Water District. He has also worked as a special assistant to the major of San Jose, as a field campaign organizer for the California Democratic Party, as a Congressional Fellow for the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Energy under Rep. Ronald V. Dellums, former representative of California’s Ninth District.

Rick currently serves as the chair-elect for the PRSA Public Affairs & Government Section. RCallender@valleywater.org

Thomas E. Eppes, APR, Fellow PRSA
Tom Eppes is considered a pioneer in the evolving practice of Relationship Management and is the chief architect of PriceMcNabb's emergence as a nationally recognized authority in integrated marketing communications.  He is one of the very few public relations counselors to rise through the ranks to become CEO of a major marketing communications firm.

Under Tom's direction, Charlotte-based PriceMcNabb evolved into a company that has been studied by agencies nationwide and documented in numerous marketing textbooks.  The company has been featured in such publications as AdWeek, The Advertiser, Sales & Marketing Management and Reputation Management.  Tom is regularly invited to lecture major marketing and communications associations on Relationship Management and Communications Measurement.  And he has worked with graduate programs in integrated marketing communications at Northwestern University, the University of Colorado at Boulder and Winthrop University.

Prior to joining PriceMcNabb in l985, Tom was director of public relations for Management Science America, a major mainframe software company.  Before joining MSA he was Director of Communications for Days Inns of America.  His early career included experience as a daily newspaper reporter and magazine writer, public information officer for a state agency, and press secretary for two U.S. Senate campaigns.

At PriceMcNabb Tom developed programs for some of America's best known corporations, including Drexel Heritage Furnishings, Coca-Cola, McDonald's, Square D Company, Champion International, General Electric, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, AT&T and many more.  PriceMcNabb was acquired by EMA in July 2004.

Tom earned a B.S. in journalism and political science with a minor in English from The University of Southern Mississippi. Teppes@mower.com

Brandi Boatner
Brandi Boatner, PRSSA’s 2007-2008 vice president of advocacy, is a first year graduate student at Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is pursuing a master’s degree in communications and international marketing.

She joined PRSSA in her junior year while studying public relations at Loyola University in New Orleans. While a member of PRSSA, Boatner has maintained two simultaneous internships. She was the public relations intern at Brief & Company, a local New Orleans PR firm, and she has served as the college promotions representative for six motion picture studios where she promoted more than 300 movies to the New Orleans market. Boatner has had several articles printed in national publications such as Essence and Black Enterprise Magazine. In October 2006, she was elected president of the PRSSA Chapter at Hawaii Pacific University.

Currently, Boatner works as the outreach coordinator for the Hawaii Council on Economic Education where she promotes programs that help train teachers to teach basic economic concepts to students grades K-12. Additionally, she is the Panhellenic representative for her sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, Honolulu Alumnae chapter.

Boatner, a Hurricane Katrina survivor, completed her senior year in Dortmund, Germany due to the aftermath of the storm. While in Germany, she gave a speech on behalf of Hurricane Katrina victims to a crowd of 500 sharing the podium with the former prime minister of Poland at the Universitat Dortmund. Boatner has served as an ambassador for German-American relations for the Rotary Clubs in Germany and Austria. She was featured in more than 50 German and Austrian magazines, newspapers, radio programs and TV shows as an inspirational Hurricane Katrina survivor.

In her spare time, Boatner enjoys spending time at the beach with friends, swimming, traveling, dancing, exploring the Islands, reading, spending time with her loving family and shopping.

Upon completing her master’s degree, Boatner wishes to pursue a career in corporate communications with one of Forbes Magazine Top 25 Global Brands. brandi.boatner@gmail.com

Anne H. Lewis, APR
While Anne’s background is public relations, her focus is strategic communications planning and consulting.

With persistence and insight, Anne works with clients to develop marketing communication plans that achieve larger marketing objectives by magnifying a client’s distinctiveness, leadership and value within its industry or market segment.  She’s well-versed in building networks of commonly allied organizations to strengthen an overall cause and its message.

Using Cornerstone’s strategic planning process, Anne has guided numerous organizations – both for profit and non-profit – to solid market positions, augmented by design and copy that give full breadth to strategy and objectives and build a solid brand platform.

Because her career has spanned a number of decades and several markets, Anne has guided a variety of clients from a wide array of industries. From hospitals and managed care companies to law firms and foundations; and from waste management to manufacturing management, Anne’s experience reflects both new and old industries, industry leaders, and commercial and nonprofit cultures. alewis@cornerstonemtm.com

Melissa Csuhran
Melissa Csuhran, 2007-2008 national president of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), is a senior at Ohio Northern University. She will graduate with a B.A in public relations and B.S.B.A. in marketing.

Csuhran enters the presidency after serving as vice president of internships/job services in 2006-2007. As vice president, she led the Internships/Job Services Sub-committee to increase the amount of internship/job opportunities available to PRSSA members by over 50 percent. She also guided the National Committee 40th Anniversary Task Force. Csuhran was awarded the Norman S. Fenichel APR Scholarship, the Altschul Champions for PRSSA Outstanding Internship Award and the National President’s Citation in 2006.

At the beginning of her freshman year, Csuhran immediately became an active member of PRSSA and Image & Communication Consultants (ICC), Ohio Northern University’s student-run public relations firm. She began her national involvement by presenting a Chapter Development Session during the PRSSA 2004 National Conference in New York City. Csuhran received the “2004-2005 Outstanding New Chapter Member” award.

Her involvement with PRSSA cultivated during her sophomore year while she served on her local PRSSA Chapter's executive board as the public relations director and newsletter editor. Csuhran completely revamped the Chapter newsletter and assisted ONU in obtaining the 2006 Chapter Newsletter Teahan award. She assumed an active role in preparing ONU’s Chapter Development Session for the PRSSA 2005 National Conference in Florida. Her peers chose her to be Ohio Northern University’s delegate to the PRSSA 2006 National Assembly in San Francisco.

Professionally, Csuhran served as the 2007 summer intern at Fleishman-Hillard Cleveland. She has also served as the external public affairs intern in community banking for Cleveland-based KeyCorp. There she revamped KeyCorp’s district profiles, both physically and content-wise, created kits to market public affairs’ repository to internal clients and assisted with preparing KeyCorp’s corporate stance on the Avian Bird Flu pandemic. Furthermore, Csuhran completed a brief internship with the United Way of Lake County.

Additionally at Ohio Northern University, Csuhran worked in Residence Life and the Alumni Office. She served as a resident assistant (RA), communications co-chair for ONU's Student Senate and vice president of public relations for her sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta. She was awarded the Zeta Sigma Spirit Award and Jessica Few Award.

She is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Association Honorary. Csuhran received the 2006 DeBow Freed Award for Outstanding Leadership, given to one male and one female in each class.

Csuhran enjoys traveling, dancing, singing, reading, golfing, unique restaurants, friends and spending time with her family. melissa.csuhran@gmail.com

As the first development officer for Hospital Hospitality House Jacqueline grew donations by 49 percent in 2002 and by 16 percent in 2003, a notable accomplishment considering that charitable contributions ranged from -11 percent to 3 percent nationally in the wake of September 11, 2001. 

In 2000, the Nashville Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America selected Jacqueline as the organization’s first Chapter administrator, a position she held for six years. Jacqueline facilitated the Chapter’s growth to more than 140 members and stabilized the Chapter’s financial status.

Jacqueline’s health care experience includes provider network development for UnitedHealth Group and for Centene Corporation, which led to the successful award of state Medicaid management contracts in Indiana, Ohio and Tennessee, covering more than 3.5 million lives.

Jacqueline’s earlier career work included internships with Boeing Company, General Electric, East Tennessee Children’s Hospital and a Southeast regional agency in which her collective experience included work with economic and community development, financial, health care, and tourism accounts.
jackie.cavnar@theruralpartnership.com

Renee T. Walker, APR
Renée Walker has more than two decades of experience directing public relations, political and public affairs programs in the private, public and non-profit sectors. As manager corporate public relations for Kelly Services, Inc., a global staffing solutions provider, Renée leads a team of professionals in providing proactive, strategic and crisis communications. Previously, she provided legislative, regulatory advocacy and managed Kelly’s political action committee.

Prior to joining Kelly Services, Renée served as a key member of Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer’s administration. She established and directed the first protocol office for the City of Detroit to coordinate the planning and execution of major events, domestic and foreign dignitary visits, as well as garnering local, national and international media coverage. Renée directed major fund development, constituency, community, government and media relations programs. She was point person on many high-level projects, including the White House Empowerment Zone Conference and the successful 2006 Detroit Super Bowl bid team.

As political director for the Clinton/Gore ’96 Michigan General Committee, she developed and implemented an urban media strategy, supervised media relations and facilitated strategic campaign operations. In 1997, she chaired the speaker’s bureau and co-chaired the earned media committee of the Detroit Committee for Jobs and Development, a city-wide referendum campaign to authorize $55 million in public funds for the creation of Comerica Park and Ford Field. She also served as a member of the 2000 Democratic National Convention Site Advisory Committee.

An accomplished public speaker, Renée presented a workshop at the 2004 National Conference for Political Involvement Professionals and was selected to present at the 2005 Public Relations Society of American International Conference. She has also presented at Kelly Services’ Global Management Conferences and Supplier Diversity Summits.

Elected to the Universal Accreditation Board, a consortium of nine leading public relations organizations and appointed to the Public Relations Society of America Strategic Planning Committee and as co-chair of the Professional Development Committee in 2007, Renée has served as in several leadership roles with the PRSA Detroit Chapter including APR Readiness Review Panelist, Oral Accreditation Examiner Panel Chair and Assistant Accreditation Exam Proctor. She has also served on numerous boards and committees including the National Conference for Political Involvement Professionals Advisory Board, the Detroit Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors and the Metro Detroit Girls Scouts Communications and Board Nomination committees.

Renée holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from Davenport University, a Bachelor of Science from Central Michigan University in Organizational Administration and is accredited in public relations. renee.walker@cmich.edu

Gini Dietrich
Gini Dietrich is the founder and chief executive officer of Arment Dietrich, Inc., a public relations firm she built on three key values: Client service, results, and entrepreneurial spirit.

The firm specializes in the business architecture and design, business services, manufacturing, construction and real estate, non-profit, hospitality, consumer goods, technology, and lawn and garden industries, with top-notch services focused on external communications, executive coaching, and strategic partnerships. She has built a team of professionals who deliver these personalized services, share her firm’s results-driven passion, and understand how to best affect clients’ businesses — and how to have fun while doing it!

Throughout her career, Gini has embodied the entrepreneurial spirit she expects from her firm’s employees. Prior to starting her own public relations firm, Gini was vice president/management supervisor at Rhea & Kaiser in Naperville, Ill., leading a team of consumer and agriculture professionals and helping to build the firm’s public relations department.

Gini joined R&K in 2001 after serving as vice president at Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., in Kansas City, Mo.  She directed product launches and helped convince regulatory and legislative officials to impose antidumping laws against the Japanese.

As a leader in her profession, Gini is immediate past president of the Chicago chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), she serves on the national PRSA advocacy committee, and she is a committee member of Counselors Academy. To help encourage dialogue about the positive role of PR, Gini founded her own blog, The Fight Against Destructive Spin (www.spinsucks.com), to help business owners, government and regulatory agencies, and media understand the important role PR plays in branding and awareness. The site has been nominated as the best marketing blog by the Blogger’s Choice Awards.

Gini graduated from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., where she was the sole recipient of the Peter Kiewit full-ride, four-year scholarship. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Kelly, and their Weimaraner named Jack Bauer — an office regular. When she’s not blogging or working, Gini is an active member of the xXx Racing-Athletico women’s cycling team and a huge Chicago Bears fan. gini.dietrich@armentdietrich.com

Patricia Whalen, PhD, APR
Dr. Patricia Whalen is the Director of Graduate Studies in Public Relations and Advertising at DePaul University in Chicago.  Prior to that she was on faculty for eight years at Northwestern University’s Medill Integrated Marketing Communications graduate program. 

She is a member of the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards and has nearly 20 years of corporate communications and marketing experience with Fortune 500 firms.  She has written two popular books on public relations and marketing:  Corporate Communications from A to Z -- an Encyclopedia for Public Relations and Marketing Professionals, and The Marketer’s Guide to Public Relations in the 21st Century, which she co-authored with Thomas L. Harris.  She’s also authored two book chapters on communications during mergers and acquisitions.   She consults, publishes and speaks on a variety of PR and marketing issues including integrated marketing, strategic planning, crisis communication, and internal communication during organizational change.  pwhalen@depaul.edu

Beth King, APR
A graduate of Ball State University and pursuing her master’s in communications management at Syracuse University, Beth King’s professional experiences include public and media relations, advertising sales, editorial management, advertising development and copy writing.

King began her professional career as a journalist, working for the Indianapolis Register and Indianapolis Woman magazine. Quickly realizing her potential to succeed in public relations, she began her new career at Ivy Tech State College-Central Indiana Region as manager of media and marketing. In this position, King created and developed advertising and public relations strategies, assisted in special projects and was a featured news reporter for several central Indiana publications.

After two years at Ivy Tech-Central Indiana, King left the College to pursue a public relations opportunity at ADESA Corporation. In this position that was the first of its kind, King managed all public relations efforts, including media relations, news release writing and distribution, news conference planning, and key message development for customers, the media, employees and the community. Additionally, King assisted in market research efforts and worked closely with the marketing and national sales teams to enhance ADESA’s position within the vehicle remarketing industry.

In 2004 after serving on a team that took ADESA, Inc. public, King decided to pursue other options and quickly landed at OrthoIndy where she oversaw all public relations and crisis communication functions, served as the editor of OrthoIndy Magazine as well as the organization’s spokesperson.

Wishing to gain valuable communications experience in the nonprofit sector, King joined the staff of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) in Indianapolis. In this role, she was responsible for the Society’s internal and external communications function, including partnerships with other journalism organizations, media relations, advertising, campaign development for Society programs, strategic planning, copy writing and editing, management of Web site copy, the Society’s annual internship program, and the development and maintenance of its online job bank. She also effectively worked with members of the Society’s board of directors and chapter officers on media opportunities concerning journalism and Society-related business.

Currently, King serves as the media relations manager for Indianapolis-based OneAmerica Financial Partners, Inc., where she is responsible for proactively positioning the OneAmerica companies in the media and effectively training members of the senior management team for media opportunities. Additionally, she assists with advertising copy writing, management of the Web site, story writing and other duties as assigned.

King has been the recipient of several communications awards for her contributions to public relations. In 2000, she was awarded a bronze medallion from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) for her contributions in developing an annual report for Ivy Tech. In 2001, King and her teammates from ADESA were awarded a Keystone Award from the Hoosier Chapter of PRSA in the category of Investor Relations for the Global Vehicle Remarketing and Pulse reports. One year later, the same publications were awarded an Award of Honor from Communications Concepts, sponsor of the Awards for Publications Excellence (APEX). By 2003, King was honored with a Pinnacle Award for Media Relations, a second Pinnacle Award for Investor Relations and an Award of Honor for Internal Communications from the Hoosier Chapter of PRSA. Within the last year, King received an Excellent Performance In Communication Award (EPIC) from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and Ball State University’s prestigious Graduate Of The Last Decade (GOLD) Award from the Ball State University Alumni Association.

Proving her abilities within public relations, King earned her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from PRSA’s Universal Accreditation Board (UAB) in 2003. This designation is a mark of distinction for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice, and who are selected based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective and sound professional judgment.

King is a member of PRSA’s National Advocacy Board and a Young Leadership Division committee member for the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis. She resides in Indianapolis with her dog, Daisy. beth.king@oneamerica.com

Patrick has a proven track record of providing strategic public relations counsel to corporate clients in the technology field. Patrick has led teams responsible for designing strategic campaigns, managing media relations and facilitating tactical execution. In addition, he has led PR efforts supporting corporate diversity and citizenship efforts. Previous and current clients include the Microsoft Corporation, Plexus Systems, VPSI Inc., ActivCore and many others.

His experience includes working as a producer at an ABC TV affiliate, teaching communications courses at Grand Valley State University, leading new media development at the Amway Corporation and serving as Director of Marketing Communications at JustTalk, a voice recognition software start-up.

Patrick is founder of Caldo Communications, and manages his practice in Ann Arbor, Michigan. patrick@caldocommunications.com