MARCH 2009

In this edition:

Other links:

Upcoming events:

 

The PRSA Alaska Chapter newsletter is printed monthly. Submissions for the next newsletter are due at the end of each month.

For more information contact newsletter editor Scott McCrea at fnsjm@uaf.edu or (907) 474-7905.

Message from the president

It’s been another busy month for our chapter! Having PRSA President/COO Bill Murray visit from national was a real treat for us and a bit of a whirl-wind for him! One of his first comments on arrival was that he had a new appreciation for the effort it takes Alaskans to travel to PRSA functions “Outside.” “I could have flown to Europe in the time it took me to get here,” he joked.

During his four-day Alaskan adventure Murray made presentations to members in Anchorage and Fairbanks, met with students from UAA, spoke to the Gateway Rotary Club, met with the Alaska Chapter board, attended a reception with the board and the Alaska APRs, met with the Alaska Journal of Commerce and had one-on-one meetings with a couple of local business leaders. He even managed to do a little sight-seeing in Fairbanks and take-in Fur Rondy action in Anchorage. Whew! I’m tired just thinking about it! Thanks so much to everyone who helped our chapter welcome Bill Murray. I’d like to offer a special thanks to Jeri Wigdahl who served as his escort and tour guide in Fairbanks and to Mary Barber who coordinated his ambitious Alaskan itinerary.

Another special thanks this month to the chapter’s immediate past president Sherrie Simmonds for all of her hard work in coordinating the judging of the New Mexico chapter’s Cumbre Awards. I know she spent countless hours coordinating and overseeing the process (not to mention judging awards herself), but her efforts resulted in a well-organized system that made judging convenient and efficient for the rest of us!  Thanks also to Julie Pollock who went above and beyond in her efforts to judge awards and assist Sherrie.

The chapter spent over 100 hours judging the New Mexico Chapter’s awards. It’s this time and dedication on the part of our members that create the reciprocal chapter relationship necessary to the success of our own Aurora Awards program.  Thanks to everyone who donated time to this effort, and congratulations on a job well-done! The chapter is actually still looking for an individual to chair for our fall awards program. This individual will take the lead in coordinating our chapter’s Aurora Awards as well as the reciprocal judging relationship. Sherrie has promised she’ll serve on the committee and assist the new chair… Banquet chair Liz Lynch is on board to help as well.

I know many of our chapter’s committee chairs are still looking for committee members. Please consider getting more involved in the chapter… Feel free to contact me or one of our many committee chairs if you can spare a few hours a month to help build your own professional network along with the strength and professionalism of the PRSA Alaska Chapter.

Best wishes to each and every one of you.
Amy Burnett
President, PRSA Alaska Chapter

Editor's note: Click here for a video interview of Murray with CBS 13 in Fairbanks.

 

[back to top]

"Tales from the frontline of a congressional campaign" topic for March Anchorage program

Regardless of your politics, running a senatorial campaign – especially in Alaska – can be nothing short of interesting. Hear from Julie Hasquet, long-time journalist and Senator Begich’s press secretary, about what she learned in her first and only congressional campaign. Learn how she dealt with the dichotomy of communicating with rural and urban reporters as well as how she handled the influx of national media inquiries. Julie will talk about strategies for controlling messaging between local staff and volunteers, and how those lessons apply to her everyday world now that she remains in Anchorage while her counterparts are on the Hill. Hear what this seasoned communications practitioner has to say about what has or has not changed in her PR strategies and tactics.

Location: Hilton Hotel (room TBA)

Date: March 18, 2009

Time: Doors open at 11:30 a.m., program begins at noon

Price: $22 for members, $28 for non-members, and $10 for full-time students.

RSVP through Cvent today

[back to top]

Nerland Agency President to address branding with Fairbanks program

The presenter for the Fairbanks meeting on March 23 will be Karen King, president of the Nerland Agency in Anchorage. Karen will discuss the how and why behind developing a strong brand and provide some basics on how to manage your brand in today’s growing landscape of consumer journalism.

Strong brands have clear identities that last throughout time. Brands have characteristics such as luxury, youth, utility, maturity, innovation, reliability, creativity, freshness, hipness, stability, risky. Think of Microsoft, CocaCola, Nike, Disney, Mercedes, FedEx.

At our March 23 meeting, you will be asked “What brand would your friends say you are most like and what qualities would lead them to pick that brand?” (for example, you might answer “My friends would say I am like MTV. They think I’m hip, edgy, trendy and creative.” Not my friends, mind you! This is a hypothetical example).

To get some ideas about how to answer this question, visit the Interbrand web site and review the top 100 brands for 2008 to get some ideas.

Location: Sophie Station Hotel

Time: 12-1pm.

Price: TBD by lunch item (no cost for program)

RSVP to Sharon Burke by email or calling 474-7587

 

PRSA Alaska Chapter Mentorship Program

Are you new to the PR profession and looking for an inside scoop on tricks of the trade? Or have you been around the block and have a ton of ideas but no one to share them with? Consider joining the new PRSA Alaska Chapter mentor program. If you have more than 10 years of experience, we’d like you to be a mentor to a younger professional. If you have less than five years experience in the PR field, sign up to be matched with a senior practitioner who can show you the ropes when it comes to doing public relations in Alaska. Here’s how the program will work:

Matches will meet a minimum of one time per month outside of PRSA Alaska Chapter functions.  Match activities might include:

Matches will sit together at PRSA member luncheons and other Chapter functions. Each match also will be asked to submit one Q&A for the Chapter monthly newsletter “Mentor Moment” section. In this Q&A, matches will share their answer to the question “what was the most important thing you learned from a mentor or more experienced person during your career.” Two times a year, those matched in a mentoring relationship will be invited to stay for an extra 1/2 hour or 45 minutes following a regularly scheduled PRSA member luncheon for a “senior roundtable.” Newer professionals (those matched and those who are not matched are welcome) will be able to ask questions and seek advice of the senior professional panel. Match success will be based on an open flow of communications. The Mentoring Committee will occasionally suggest topics of discussion for matches to contemplate.


Sound like something you’d be interested in? Please send an email to Kathy Day at kathy@kdprvirtual.com and let us know if you’d like to be a mentor – or be matched to a mentor. If you have a preference for your mentor’s area of expertise (nonprofit, corporate, government, agency experience), let us know. We hope to have up to 15 matches formed within the next month. Look for the Mentor Moment in the PRSA Alaska Chapter in next month’s newsletter.

[back to top]

Judging for New Mexico chapter awards

We did it! With more than 100 hours donated by 20 different members, we’ve completed the judging for the New Mexico chapter’s Cumbre Awards. The 89 entries this year were 30 more than entered last year, so the commitment from so many people to complete the job in a timely manner was phenomenal. Remember, there will be another opportunity to participate next year. From the feedback I received—from new and experienced APRs alike—it was an incredible learning experience, both for new PR ideas and best practices in submitting entries. Thanks so much to everyone who participated.

Submitted by Sherrie Simmonds

[back to top]

Benefits of PRSA membership

Details of these programs is in MemberNet under ‘Member Benefits’.

 

[back to top]

 

February Alaska Chapter board meeting notes

At its February meeting, the board reviewed and approved the February treasury report and discussed the proposed 2009 budget. The board tabled the budget to allow time for members to more fully review the information.  The finance committee is researching restructuring the chapter’s funds, as well, and will bring a proposal to the board at the next meeting. 

Anita Nelson, chair of the professional development committee, announced that the Hilton Hotel in Anchorage submitted the best bid for our Anchorage luncheon meetings for 2009.  Because there is a 40-person minimum, the board will monitor our attendance to ensure that we are not running meetings at a loss. 

The chapter has recently completed judging the Cumbre Awards, the awards program for the PRSA New Mexico Chapter.  They judged our Aurora Awards several months ago.  We judged 89 awards; each must be judged twice.  At least 100 volunteer hours were required to accomplish the task.  Sherrie Simmonds organized the judging, which was held at the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation over a two-week period. 

The next board meeting will be Thursday, March 26 at the Wells Fargo Building, Northern Lights and C Streets, Rasmuson Foundation Board Room, 4th floor.

Submitted by Julie G. Pollock, APR
Chapter Secretary

Members are invited to attend board meetings.  The board ordinarily meets the last Thursday of each month.  The Rasmuson Foundation board room is located on the 4th floor of the Wells Fargo Bldg., 301 West Northern Lights Blvd., Anchorage.

 

[back to top]