Message from the president
Dear Members,
It’s hard to believe we’re already into our second month of 2009! I’m excited to be serving our chapter as president, and I’m looking forward to working with the 2009 board and committee chairs to make this a productive and enjoyable year for our chapter. I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to this important group of volunteers for their commitment to PRSA. It is definitely their time, talent and dedication that will make 2009 a great year.
Click here for a complete listing of the chapter leaders and their contact information. While you’re there, consider contacting the chair of one or more of the chapter’s committees. Whether you’re interests lie in promotions, professional development, advocacy, mentorship or the chapter’s finances, volunteering is a great way to network while giving back to the community and enhancing the profession of public relations.
On the topic of enhancing the profession, the chapter held its annual Aurora Awards banquet on January 21. The event was a great success, resulting in 54 total awards representing the top work in public relations in Alaska for 2007 & 2008. Congratulations to all of our award winners, but especially to the professionals at Nerland Agency, ACS Yellow Pages, Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau and Marketing Solutions who all took top honors. Congratulations also go to Nance Larsen, vice president of marketing for USTravel and our chapter’s President Elect for 2009, for being selected as the 2008 Communicator of the Year!
Just a couple of reminders: PRSA President/COO Bill Murray will be visiting our chapter this month. He’ll be in Fairbanks on February 26 and at the Anchorage Hilton at noon on February 25. Murray will provide an overview of what's happening at PRSA National and provide insight into how to better define the purpose and value of the public relations function for senior management in organizations. Also, don’t forget to mark PRSA’s March luncheon on your calendars. On March 18, Julie Hasquet, press secretary for Senator Mark Begich, will be our speaker.
Have a great month… and I look forward to seeing all of you at upcoming PRSA events!
Amy Burnett, President, PRSA Alaska Chapter
William Murray, COO of PRSA, coming to Alaska
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PRSA President/Chief Operating Officer William Murray is coming north to Alaska!
Murray will speak in Anchorage on Wednesday, February 25, at 12p.m. at the Hilton Hotel in Anchorage and on Thursday, February 26, at 12p.m. at Zach's Restaurant in Fairbanks.
Murray will provide an overview of what is happening at PRSA national and how to better define the value of the public relations function for senior management in organizations.
For more information on his visit and for RSVP information visit the PRSA Alaska Chapter home page.
The Anchorage program is being sponsored by Tel-Alaska.
Larsen named communicator of the year
Nance Larsen, APR was awarded the 2008 PRSA Alaska Chapter’s Communicator of the Year Award. Nominations submitted by peers noted her high st
andards of excellence, energy, innovation, mentoring of others in the field, her commitment to the field and to Anchorage and Alaska. The award also recognizes her volunteer service to the PRSA and other civic organizations including the Duct Tape Ball, the Anchorage Cultural Council board of directors, the American Marketing Association and others. Nance is a wife and mother to three youngsters.
“I am constantly inspired by the depth of talent represented by the statewide PR community,” Nance says. “Our common dedication to the development of the craft helps to set the professional bar to new standards and challenges each of us to be better tomorrow than we are today.”
Over a 20-year career, Nance Larsen has worked in a marketing capacity promoting events such as the New York City Marathon, NBA-sanctioned Summer League, six Olympic Games and 10 World Running and Ski Championships. Returning to her native Alaska 10 years ago, Nance was the marketing/public relations director for the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games held in Anchorage. Special Olympics Founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver called the 2001 Games, “the most successful Games in Special Olympic history,” one nominator for the Communicator of the Year award noted. Nance continues to stay involved with the Special Olympics, Inc., through its Global CAT (Crisis Action Team).
Nance worked as director of media relations and communications for Anchorage Mayor George Weurch. She managed logistics and operations for special events including the Alaska Mayor’s Conference, the 2004 Winter Cities Conference and the 2001 Alaskan address by President Bush at Elmendorf AFB. In 2002, Nance began a six-plus year stint as vice president of marketing for the Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau. She was a contributing member for the development of the city’s new brand -- Anchorage. Big Wild Life. Currently, Nance is vice president of marketing for USTravel and its five corresponding companies.
A focused and energetic team leader, Nance received her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in 2003. She has served on the PRSA Alaska Chapter and chaired the Accreditation committee. Nance was elected to President Elect for 2009 and will serve as PRSA President in 2010.
Nance has garnered many awards for her work. From 2001-07, she was recognized with 72 awards from the PRSA Aurora Awards competition, and more were added to this tally in 2008 including a Best In Show. In 2008, the ACVB won a Gold Award for its web site design in the Hermes Creative Awards international competition. The web site also was recognized by the Web Marketing Association with a first place “Outstanding Web” award in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Nance also won a Golden Telly, for the television commercial Faces of Victory from the American Marketing Association in 2002, and was recognized with a “Best of the Telly’s 75 Years” for the same commercial.
Her volunteer work has also garnered recognition. Because of her outstanding service to Special Olympics, Inc. Global CAT, she recently received the United States Presidential Volunteer Service Award. Established in 2003 by President George W. Bush, the honor recognizes volunteer services by individuals who dedicate more than 4,000 volunteer hours to a single organization in a two-year period.
“There is a distinct willingness in the Alaska PR community to share expertise – the concept of ‘pay it forward’ really rings true and I am grateful to the many individuals who have taken the time to foster my professional growth,” Nance said her Alaskan colleagues in public relations.
A nominator wrote, “She exemplifies the passion and professional skills that mark and improve the very best of our industry.” One who was mentored by Nance wrote, “She is among the best mentors I will ever have in my lifetime. She is a role model, personally and professionally.” Another wrote, “She is the one person that I worked with that could do the job of three people.”
Another peer wrote, “[Nance] pushed me to take on ambitious public relations projects that have pushed my comfort zone, yet have been some of the most rewarding of my career.”
“It is hard to think of anyone who has done more to raise the profile of public relations in Anchorage over the last decade . . . .,” another writes. “She raises the bar for anyone who works in the profession. She is an industry pacesetter – one that the rest of us only hope we can keep up with!”
Aurora Award winners named
The PRSA Alaska Chapter presented more than 50 awards to Alaska’s top communications professionals at its 25th annual Aurora Awards luncheon on Wednesday, January 21 at the Hilton Hotel, Anchorage. The event recognized the outstanding public relations efforts of a variety of non-profits, businesses, civic organizations, Native corporations and government entities.
The awards banquet is held each year to recognize excellence in two areas: public relations campaigns and public relations tactics or tools. Aurora Awards honor a comprehensive public relations campaign that successfully communicates a message using a variety of tools, programs and components. The Awards of Excellence recognizes the design, creation and production of a single public relations tools. Judging was done by the New Mexico Chapter of the PRSA.
The PRSA Alaska Chapter named Nance Larsen, APR of Anchorage as its Communicator of the Year.
Best of Show winners are: Aurora Award for a campaign – ACS Yellow Pages Distribution and Recycling Event submitted by the ACS Yellow Pages and Nerland Agency; Award of Excellence for a tactic – The Official Anchorage Visitors Guide, submitted by the Anchorage Convention and Visitors Bureau and Marketing Solutions with Nance Larsen, Shelly Wozniak and Sarah Alvarez.
Nerland Agency received the Judges’ Award for overall excellence in their entries.
A complete list of all award winners can be found at prsaalaska.org/auroraawards.htm.
Following best public relations practices, applicants submit an extensive application that fully details their communication project’s objectives, execution and its follow-up evaluation. Samples of the work described are also part of the entry. The competition accepts a wide array of work; it offers 18 categories for tactics such as direct mail, speeches, Web sites, news releases and podcasts.
The Aurora Award competition for campaigns includes six different categories such as internal communications, marketing communications, special events and more.
The competition is open to all Alaska communicators; non-PRSA members are invited to compete. The 2009 Aurora Awards deadline for submissions will be in late October. More information will be posted on the PRSA web site at www.prsaalaska.org.
Sponsors of this year’s event were: Anchorage Convention & Visitors Bureau, ConocoPhillips, and Marketing Solutions. The chapter also received donations for its silent auction fundraiser from: Best Buy, Sheraton Anchorage Hotel & Spa, Alaska Native Heritage Center, Snow City Café, Metro Music and Books, Alaska Housing Finance Corp., Title Wave Books, Bear Tooth/Moose’s Tooth, Simon & Seafort’s Saloon & Grill, The Alaska Club, Artic Roadrunner, Inc., Wells Fargo, Hilton Anchorage Hotel, Alaska Aces, Intuitions Day Spa, Alaska Junior Theater, Sherrie Simmonds, Mary D. Barber, APR, Fellow PRSA and Vivian Hamilton, APR, Fellow PRSA.
Judging for New Mexico chapter awards
We are seeking judges! The New Mexico PRSA chapter judged our Aurora Award entries, so will reciprocate by judging their Cumbre Awards entries, kicking off with a pizza party from noon to 1:00 on February 10.
We are doing something different this time, with all of the entries set up and the judging taking place in AHFC’s board room (4300 Boniface). You can come in whatever times are convenient for you. (RSVP to ssimmond@ahfc.state.ak.us)
Tues. 2/10 Kickoff Pizza Lunch Noon – 1:00
Judging Hours Available:
Tues. 2/10: Noon – 5:00
Wed. 2/11: 8 AM – 8 PM
Thurs. 2/12: 8 AM – 8 PM
Fri. 2/13: 8 AM - noon
Sat. 2/14: 10 AM – 2 PM
Tues. 2/17: 8 AM – 8 PM
Wed. 2/18: 8 AM – 5 PM
Thurs. 2/19: 8 AM – 4 PM
New and experienced professionals are urged to participate. If you can follow directions and judge objectively, then you are qualified! As a judge, you will see first-hand what makes an award-winning project and application, thus improving your expertise and your future entries. We’ll have mentors available for new professionals, and if you’re an APR, you’ll receive credit toward your annual requirements.
We anticipate receiving 60 – 80 entries that will each need to be judged twice, so we hope you will pitch in for whatever time you can spare.
Please email me to sign up for the time(s) you plan to judge and let me know if you will be attending the pizza party --- Sherrie Simmonds at ssimmond@ahfc.state.ak.us.
Location: Alaska Housing Finance Corporation, 4300 Boniface Parkway, corner of Boniface and Tudor (the old Teamsters’ Building next to the Alaska Club). Park and enter on the Boniface side. The board room is located to the left of the elevators.
Support the chapter through sealed bid auction
Looking for additional ways to support the PRSA Alaska Chapter? If so, there is an opportunity to support the PRSA, Alaska Chapter’s McLean Scholarship Fund through a sealed bid auction. There are several items up for grabs. If you would like to bid on one of the items below, send an e-mail with your best offer to Emily Ford at emily@anchoragechamber.org by 2p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13. The best offers for each item below will be accepted:
- Four tickets to an Alaska Aces Game. Value $106 (Bidder’s choice of games, tickets expire March 14. Not valid for center ice seats.)
- One free stay at Diamond Airport Parking. Value up to $84 (Maximum of seven days, expires May 31.) Two packages available and two bids will be accepted.
- 1 month Gold Guest Pass at the Alaska Club. Value 85 (Valid at 17 statewide locations, expires April 30. Includes access to swimming pools, rock climbing tennis and racquetball courts and more.)
- $180 gift certificate to Intuitions Day Spa.
- Family day pass to the Alaska Native Heritage Center. Value $71.50 (Includes admission for two adults and two children)
Proceeds PRSA, Alaska Chapter’s McLean Scholarship Fund for students aspiring for a career in public relations. E-mail your bids to Emily Ford at emily@anchoragechamber.org by Feb. 13.
New board convenes for January meeting
The newly elected PRSA board of directors met for the first time on January 29, 2009 at the board room of the Rasmuson Foundation in Anchorage. New PRSA chapter President Amy Burnett welcomed the new members and encouraged them to quickly form working committees – working across the membership -- to accomplish the work of the chapter. Amy noted that participating in chapter activities is a great way to meet and network with other members as well as develop new skills.
The following board members and members will chair the following committees or fill the following roles in 2009:
Membership – Amy Slinker
Professional Development (including luncheon speakers) – Anita Nelson
Publicity – Scott McCrea
Aurora Awards/Banquet -- Sherrie Simmonds and Liz Lynch
Mentorship – Kathy Day, APR and Heidi Embly
Advocacy – Joette Storm, APR, Fellow PRSA and Allison Knox
Fundraising – Emily Ford
Statewide Unity – Meadow Reidel
C-Vent – Sandra Yi
Accreditation – Nance Larsen, APR and Julie Pollock, APR
Ethics – Crystal Enkvist, APR
District Representative – Crystal Enkvist, APR
Assembly – Mary Barber, APR, Fellow PRSA and Bruce Batten, APR, Fellow PRSA
Aurora Awards
Along with the regular business of the chapter, the board discussed the recent Aurora Awards luncheon banquet. The event went well and was well attended. With input from members last year, the event was held over lunch rather than as an evening event. A survey will be distributed to members to get feedback on this year’s event.
Award Judging Opportunity
Sherrie Simmonds discussed the commitment our chapter has made to the New Mexico Chapter (the chapter that judged our Aurora Awards) to complete judging of their award entries in February. Members are urged to consider assisting with this work; it is an excellent opportunity to learn how to fully develop a good tactic or campaign as well as get ideas for your own work.
Visit from National PRSA’s Bill Murray
The group discussed the upcoming February 24-27 visit by Bill Murray, chief operating officer of the National PRSA. He is looking forward to visiting with the membership, board members, and local business leaders to discuss the benefits of PRSA and the contributions our profession makes to our organizations and the community. Bill will make a day trip to Fairbanks to meet with our active PRSA members there. Mary Barber, APR, College of Fellows will be coordinating the visit and can be contacted at mary@barbergp.com
New Meeting Location
Work is underway to find a new location for monthly luncheons. The current space at the Inlet Tower is cramped for our group. A request for proposals has been issued and will soon be evaluated. February and March luncheons will be held at the Hilton Hotel, Anchorage.
Mentoring
The board heard a report on a new focus on mentorship that will offer new value to members. Members Kathy Day, APR and Heidi Embly are creating a program that seeks to match members with five years or less experience in the profession with senior-level members with at least 10 years’ experience. Watch for more information in the future.
Advocacy Focus
The group also heard from Allison Knox who with Joette Storm, APR, Fellow PRSA is working to shape our advocacy program this year. The committee is considering the creation of a speakers bureau on ethics, and advocating for stronger university Public Relations programs. Expect to see a determined focus on ethics from our chapter in 2009.
Submitted by Julie G. Pollock, APR, 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.