August/September 2003 eNews

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Our latest PRSA-St. Louis chapter news is presented to you by Bacon's Media Pulse.

Coming in November - A Day-long PRSA conference (downtown)
"Communications in Times of High Anxiety..." Circle Thursday, Nov. 20 and keep it open. Alert coworkers, friends in other area communications organizations, your favorite vendors. PRSA-St. Louis is planning a day-long conference with a stand-alone luncheon at the St. Louis Sheraton City Center (downtown). Already confirmed as participants are: Gary Barton, APR, independent consultant and former Monsanto communications executive; Marianna Deal, senior vice president and partner, Fleishman-Hillard, Inc. and Tom Hoog, chairman, Hill and Knowlton USA (out of Washington, D.C.). Watch for more to come. Speakers. Schedule. Cost of this event TBA.

September 17 Program focuses on Crisis Solutian(s)
Have you signed up for the Wednesday Sept. 17 luncheon at the Junior League. You'll hear how a St. Louis-based firm took a legal battle and changed it into a positive public relations campaign covering several audiences. Details and registration The September meeting is sponsored by Common Ground Public Relations, Inc.

PRSA-St. Louis Chapter to aid new members
The PRSA-St. Louis Chapter Board voted at his September meeting to make a membership offer to potential full-time members that we believe is unprecedented. To coincide with the National's Member-Get-A-Member campaign (see further below) which will give both current and new members vouchers for discounts on PRSA national materials and programs, your chapter will absolve the normal initiation fee and the first-year chapter dues for the first 20 joining (through our chapter) in September and October. Details.

Meet our Newest Members
Ron Duchek, Manager, Marketing, Thompson Coburn LLP
Nicole Honerkamp, Associate Media Relations, Saint Louis University
Brenda Anne Kimberlin, Communications Coordinator, Rockwood School District
Paula Peri Tiernan, APR, Principal, Peri Marketing & PR, Inc., Columbia, MO (from Denver)

Welcome back these renewals
Christy Beckmann, Consultant (Lincolnshire, Ill.); Laurie Mueller-Bevirt, NAED; Cassandra Brown, Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis; Carol Clark, Anheuser-Busch; Jennifer Condren Nestle Purina PetCare Company; Daniel Kimack, Save-A-Lot, Ltd.; Melissa Lackey, APR, The Standing Partnership; Ron O'Connor, APR; O'Connor & Partners, Inc.; Jan Sheehan, The Hughes Group; Kathy Siddens, APR, US Bank; Rob Staggenborg, APR, Christian Brothers College High School; Shelly Stengel, Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis; David Strand Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod; Paul Tandy, APR, Parkway School District; Phyllis Weiss, Image Works Public Relations; Harold Zinn, Missouri Enterprise

Chapter members on the move
Bill Barksdale from IRS to Boeing Integrated Defense Systems (St. Louis); Sande' Beauboeuf, from Horner-Shrifin to Promotions Account Executive, Media Impressions, Inc.; Linda Hancock Ross, from Metro to Jennings Public Schools (and teaching); Joyce Serben, from Maritz to Edward Jones as Department Leader, Creative Services (eff. 9/15)

Want to assist more in 2004?
PRSA St. Louis Nominations committee is looking for interested leaders and workers for 2004. Annual rotation will open the door for some elected positions within the chapter. There are always needs for committee helpers, whether it is assisting in registration, helping in planning or working with this Web site. If you are interested in being considered - in general or for a specific office - e-mail Jeff Waldman, nominations chair at jwaldman@bjc.org or call him at 314-996-7572. A detailed listing of positions will be handed out at fall meetings.

Phelan:

Mary Phelan, APR

Mary Phelan Named Public Relations Society of America Fellow
Lifetime Designation Recognizes Mentor and Role Model

Mary Phelan, APR, senior counselor at Patrick Davis Communications, has been recognized as a Fellow by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). Introduced and acknowledged at the August PRSA-St. Louis Chapter luncheon, Mary will be honored and further recognized at the International PRSA Conference in New Orleans in Oct. 25. A former top level PR staffer at BJC HealthCare and Fleishman-Hillard, Inc., Mary is one of only four current St. Louis chapter members to be so honored. She joins John Graham, APR, Fleishman-Hillard, Inc.; Jerry Bryan, APR, Bryan Consulting, and Lane Talburt, APR,Talburt Communications,in carrying this title.

The Fellows designation identifies recipients as mentors and role models to professionals and students within their region. Slightly more than 300 of PRSA’s almost 20,000 members – less than two percent – have been honored with this lifetime designation. Mary is a consummate professional who has served as a role model for many of us in the St. Louis public relations community. It was a pleasure for our chapter to nominate her given her incredible contributions toward growing the field of public relations in our community. “The award recognizes members as exceptional professionals who have significantly advanced the state of the public relations profession through their professional performance and leadership service,” said Melvin Sharpe, Chair of the PRSA College of Fellows. Only 16 were named internationally this year, bringing the number of members of the College of Fellows to 423.

2003 inductees include: Fred Bagg, APR, director of community relations, Saint Francis Hospital & Health Center; Gail Baker, APR, vice president, public relations, University of Florida; Mary Deming Barber, APR, president, The Barber Group; Michael Furtney, APR, principal, Killeen Furtney Group; Gene Hall, APR, director of information, Texas Farm Bureau; Sandra Knoesel, APR, deputy executive director, The State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio; Devere Logan, APR, president, D.E. Logan Public Relations; Donald Miles, APR, public affairs officer, U.S. Northern Command; Elaine Nathanson, APR, Tucson, AZ; Mary Phelan, APR, senior counselor, Patrick Davis & Associates; Robert Ristino, APR, principal, Ristino/Peters, Inc.; Laurie Sherman, APR, director, external relations, Washington Shakespeare Company; Donna Stein, APR, managing director, Brainerd Communicators, Inc.; Joseph Trahan, III, APR, media relations expert, Defense Information School; J. Lindsey Wolf, APR, manager, public affairs, City of San Jose; Nancy Wood, APR, owner/principal, Communications Consultants.

September is Ethics Month
September 2003 has been proclaimed Ethics Month by PRSA to emphasize the critical role of ethics in the daily practice of the public relations profession and to increase the awareness and understanding of the PRSA Code of Ethics. Contact Liese Hutchson hutchill@slu.edu of the St. Louis chapter for more information or to pursue a program within your organization.

Win Prizes in the September/October Member-Get-A-Member Campaign
St. Louis Chapter Members who recruit a new member to PRSA in September and October are eligible to win prizes including travel vouchers and other gifts, and that's not all! Every member who recruits one or more new members will earn PRSA Dollars to be used towards PRSA National programs, services, gift merchandise or publications. Every new member wins, too—with a $65 PRSA voucher upon joining! This offer is not valid for associate membership. For details and an application visit http://www.prsa.org or contact our membership chair Jim Braibish jbraibish@sbcglobal.net.

Pro-Bono help sought
Web Innovations & Technology Services, a nonprofit organization featured on FM 106.5 and FM 101.1 is looking for PR and Marketing Planning assistance. We are the only organization in the US that does what we do the way we do it. Our mission is to provide technology education, training, resources and recycling for community and workforce development. We offer free recycling for businesses, free computers to low income families in exchange for service, and free training to those who want to advance thier careers. If interested in working with us to build a strong package, press kit and PR ideas, contact Angela Haas at witsinc@lycos.com. Visit http://witsinc.org for more information.

More Volunteers Needed
The Spirit of St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend is seeking volunteers to serve on the public relations committee. Events for the Marathon Weekend, to be held April 3-4, include the 2004 Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon, the Spirit of St. Louis Marathon and the children's Read, Right & Run Marathon. Committee responsibilities range from writing releases and pitching stories to assisting with press conferences and staffing media rooms during the Marathon Weekend. For more information contact Diana Minardi Strauss via e-mail at dmstrauss@earthlink.net or leave a message at 314-378-6641.