2009 Vol. I

See Sponsorship Opportunities to find out how you can sponsor Chapter eNews.

What's in this issue?

1. 2009 Board Retreats to Jump Ahead
2. PRSA St. Louis Scorecard 2008
3. Job Hunting Web Sites and Recruiters
4. New Member Special - February & March
5. Say hello to our newest Chapter members
6. And welcome back these renewals and reinstatements
7. On the Move - See where people have gone; Or changed names
8. What others are doing

Faces in the Crowd

Jadea Abolahrari Nestle Purina	Rich Buckley March of Dimes	Stephanie Huff Independent	Charlene BKD, LLP	Billy Brennan Weber Shandwick	Sonia Coleman Colemen Unlimted

 1) 2009 Board Retreats to Jump Ahead

"Moving from Good to Great" was the theme of the PRSA St. Louis Board, Feb. 7. The team spent a half-day retreat at Webster University looking back at what was accomplished in 2008 and looking ahead to the new year, new leadership and new challenges facing businesses in 2009. Led by incoming president Carolyn Green, the group looked at: 1) Confronting the brutal facts; 2) Three questions for finding a core focus; 3) Developing an ongoing process for thought leadership and operational excellance.

The Chapter is one of the best in the country in terms of monthly meeting attendance. We surpassed the 300 mark in membership last year earning it a fourth delegate at the annual International Conference. See the scorecard below for other highlights.

2) PRSA St. Louis Scorecard 2008

Membership Membership as of 12/1/08 - 334 New Members Joined - 58 Net Gain from 1/1/08 - + 35 Members Attending Orientation - 15 Programming Average Meeting Attendance - 101 Total Attendance, 11 Meetings - 1,110	Member Services Job Bank Listings - 40 Social Events - 4 (total attendance 500 Young Professionals Activities - 3 Social Media Sites - MySpace, Facebook Members Serving with Hospitality - 9 Attendance at APR Workshops - 10 (2 workshops) Number of New APRs - 3
Member Participation Members Active on Committees - 70 Board/Committee Positions Filled - 100% External Outreach Students Mentored - 46 (by 20 volunteers) NFP Agencies at Community Service Fair - 8 Collections at Food Drive - 25 lbs. PR Volunteer Opportunities Posted - 12 Young Pros Participanting at UW GenNext Day - 10	Operational Excellence Operating plan and budget adopted 3/08 Strategic plan adopted 9/08 Elections and appointments completed 10/08 Delegates attending PRSA Assembly - 3 Financial Stewardship Revenues Over Expenses - $2,258 Vs. Budgeted - $400

3) Job Hunting Web Sites and Recruiters

If you been caught up in the economic hard times or know someone who has, check out this new page on our Web site, put together by PRSA chapter member Charles Henderson, APR, reviewed and edited by Job Bank co-chairs Stephanie Huff and Heather McClurg. You will find numerous links to Web sites focused on helping public relations and marketing communicators in searching in the right places for finding where the jobs are in the new economy. Go here.
If you find you are needing to justify numbers to your current employers, learn more about the numbers that count and how to provide them at our Feb. 18 luncheon I Hate Algebra! with Chuck Reitter.

4) New Member Special - February & March

Improve your value to your current employer by becoming a member of PRSA. During February and March, PRSA is offering a $50 savings to new full-time members by paying your first year's St. Louis Chapter dues. For full details go to our Membership page or click on the logo below.

More Faces in the Crowd

Kelly Doria Scottrade	Stephanie Phillips v-Fluence Interactive	Les Landes Landes & Associates	Heather McClurg Monsanto	Whitney Wilson HTNB	Glynn Young Monstanto

5) Meet the newest Chapter Members

• Kim Brandt, VP Marketing & Corporate Communications, Stern Brothers & Co.
• Barbara Deters, Assistant VP, Aon Consulting
• Tammy Humm Donelson, Director of Marketing, Medicine Shoppe Int. (+)*
• Megan Lindsey Donovan, Sr. Media Relations/Project Mgr., St. Luke's Hospital*
• Shandi Greve, Collinsville, Ill.
• Leigh Hamer, Media Relations Officer, Saint Louis Art Museum
• Charlene Johnson, Sales & Marketing Specialist, BKD, LLP
• Rod Lewis, Student, (Transfer from Ft. Worth area)
• Kim Link, Mgr, Corporate Communications, Arch Coal, Inc.
• Diane Lynn Nagel, Highland, Ill.
• Cathy Orta, Communications Coordinator, Rockwood School District
• Nicole Thieret, Community Relations Mgr., Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT)
• Toni Rayna Hatch, Community Relations Coordinator, Vatterott Educational Centers, Inc.

* Pending National; + Former member

6) And Welcome Back These Renewals & Reinstatements

(10/1-10/31/08) Debra Carpenter, Webster University Christina Carroll, APR, Magellan Health Services Tamara Craig Schilling, Monsanto Tim Fox, Ameren Corporation Melissa Hammonds, Solutia, Inc. Karen Berryman Harvey, Family Care Health Centers Julie Hauser, The Hauser Group Dan Jenkins, APR, Solutia, Inc. Mike Knopfel, Ameristar Casino St. Charles Jeff Lea, Lambert St. Louis International Airport Janet Powell, Saint Louis Zoo Peggy Schreiner, St. Charles Community College Tammy Stankey, The Standing Partnership Rick Stoff, Stoff Communications Michelle Yates, APR, Lawrence Group

(11/1-11/30/08) Madelyn Alexander, American Heart Association Jennifer Allemann, Vantage Credit Union William K. Anderson, APR, Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. Terry Barber, Consultant Daniel Brungard, McEagle Properties, LLC Jerry Bryan, APR, Fellow PRSA, Bryan Consulting Inc. Catherine Dunkin, APR, The Standing Partnership, Inc. Pat Feeney, APR, Executive Expression, Inc. Gary Ford, Webster University Steve Givens, Washington University in St. Louis Les Landes, APR, Landes & Associates Peggy Lents, Lents & Associates Heather McClurg, Monsanto Company Jennifer McMahon, Monsanto Company Matt Pollett, Shannon & Wilson, Inc. Janet Protzel, International Order of the Golden Rule Elzey Roberts, Bright Central Public Relations Beth Rusert, Maritz Inc. Dave Senay, APR, Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. Victoria Stamps, APR, Stamps Communications Julia Steininger, The Standing Partnership Kathie Thomas, Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. Steve Turner, Solomon/Turner Loren Wassell, The Standing Partnership Amy Wheelehan, Blackwell Sanders LLP

(12/1-12/31/08) James R. Altemus, APR James E. Braibish, APR, Braibish Communications Marta Burgin, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Adriene Laraine Dempsey, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Connie Farrow, Media Consulant Angela Fletcher-Mabry, METRO John Graham, APR, Fellow PRSA, Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. Sarah Guckes, Transworld Systems Inc. Susan Hanley, Saint Louis Dairy Council Charles Henderson, APR, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Chris Horner, Monsanto Company Valerie Hughes, APR, USPS Joel Henry James, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Rachel Kaatmann, HOK Tom Keller, Logan College of Chiropractic Ebony Lincoln, State Farm Insurance Companies Steve Littlejohn, Express Scripts, Inc. Jeremy Lutgen, Novus International Jessica Martin, Washington University Dan McGrath, Adamson Advertising Beth Minnigerode, The Standing Partnership, Inc. Gerise Marquart Scheer, Magellan Health Bob Schenk, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Randall Summer, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Judy Taylor, Taylor'd Communications Donna Vandiver, The Vandiver Group Glenda Wilson, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Christine Winter, American Cancer Society Glynn A. Young, APR, Fellow PRSA, Monsanto Company

7) On the Move or Other Changes

• Jadea Aboharai to Nestle Purina PetCare Co. from Standing Partnership.
• Trudy Barthels (Ascension Health) is now Trudy Hamilton
• Dan Brungard from McEagle Properties to The Brungard Group, LLC
• Raschelle Burton, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis as 1st VP Corp Commun (transfer from Seattle Chapter)
• Whitney Kay Ehinger, HTNB, is now Whitney Kay Wilson
• Elizabeth Hise from Hughes to Fontbonne University as Sr Commun & Mktg Coordinator
• Jim Hubbard from Grey Eagle Distributors to Hubbard Communications
• Liese Hutchison, APR, from Saint Louis University to Independent Consultant
• Kerry Lyman from Nestle Purina PetCare Co. to Lyman Marketing Communications
• Adrienne Mathes, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, is now Adrienne Dempsey
• Josiah McClellan, APR, United Soybean Board (new to area from New York Chapter)
• Maria Palumbo from MasterCard Worldwide to Express Scripts, Inc.
• Mary Phelan, APR, Fellow PRSA from Patrick Davis to Consultant
• Beth von Behren from City of Ferguson to City of Kirkwood as Public Information Officer
• Amy Wheelehan from Husch Blackwell Sanders to St. Andrew's Senior Solutions

Early deadline Feb 13.

# If you have changed jobs or your name, address or e-mail, and haven't changed your profile with PRSA you can do so by hooking up to MemberNet. Or send your revised info to info@prsastlouis.org  

8) What others are doing

a) NIRI - "Deymsytfying Financial Media Relations"

What do reporters really want when they call? How do they put their stories together? Can they see through your block-and-bridge answers? And how do you get reporters to pay attention to the stories you want them to write? Join the St. Louis National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI), March 5 and find out. Details.

b) St. Louis County announces RFP

Saint Louis County Department of Health Solid Waste Management Program is currently soliciting proposals for a service contract for professional services for its public education and outreach efforts. The RFP is posted on line here. Note proposals are due Feb. 27 with a pre-proposal conference set for Feb. 18.