2007 eNews Vol. V

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What's in this issue?

1. Strategic Plan for 2007-2008 set
2. Next New Member Orientation Set Sept. 15
3. Young Professionals Launch “MySpace” Page
4. Welcome New Members & Renewals
5. Two St. Louis Firms Win Silver Anvils
6. PRSA Member Needs A Definite Makeover – Vote for Her
7. APR Online Study Open House Set for Aug. 7

1) Strategic Plan for 2007-2008 Set

Over the last couple of years the Board of Directors has documented and streamlined our administrative tasks so the Chapter can continue to grow and build on work done by our predecessors. Our efforts, which we’ve found to be unique among PRSA chapters in the country, allows us to now to be more strategic in our leadership. The Board has put together a strategic plan for 2007 and 2008 to provide the Chapter with long-term guidance and focus, and we’re looking for your input.

One of the goals of public relations and communications professionals is to get a seat at the table where organizational decisions are made by our employers or clients. We know the role public relations and communications should play, and we want the decision makers to appreciate what we can do to move the organization forward

To sit at the table, we know we need to speak the language of businesses, not the language of public relations or communications. The direction the Strategic Plan takes the Chapter is toward helping the business community understand and value the role of public relations and communications so that they become a core function of businesses and organizations. At the same time, the plan also is designed to lead the Chapter toward helping our members better understand business and their role in it. Recommendations in the plan will thus benefit the region, our members and the profession.
We’ve posted the plan on our Web site under Chapter Administration, for member comment for the next 30 days. Please take a moment to review the plan and let us know what you think. Our goal is to help you in your career, while advancing the profession, which benefits all of us. The 2007-2008 Strategic Plan is our road map to move toward those goals. Please tell us if it will help you and the profession. The Plan. - Chuck Reitter, Strategic Planning Committee

2) New Member Orientation Set for Sept. 19

PRSA-St. Louis has been growing. Several took advantage of the recent May-June membership promotion. If you are new to the Chapter or would just like to know about us, please mark your calendar for our next New Member Orientation. It’s scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 11 a.m. at Ces & Judy’s just prior to our monthly luncheon here. To sign up, or to find out more information, contact Brenda Kimberlin or Jeff Waldman at membership@prsastlouis.org

Know Your Fellow Members

	Brooke Hutson The Wilson School	Jennifer Allemann Vantage Credit Union

3) Young Professionals Launch “MySpace” Page

St. Louis PRSA Young Professionals wants you to be there Friend! Please check out their page www.myspace.com/stlprsayoungpros. With 33 Friends and counting, they have 194,180,936 pages in their Network and have had 276 Profile Views. Friends already include St. Louis Magazine, Show Me St. Louis Producer Stephanie Zoller, That Guy with the Name Tag Scott Ginsberg, MyFoxSTL.com, Metropolis St. Louis, and Kelly Hamilton of Alive Magazine…just to name a few. MySpace is a popular social networking Web site offering an outlet for communicating with like-minded people via blogs, bulletins, and photos. The Young Professionals will share upcoming events, news stories, tips of the trade, and other related information all through this one page. If you have questions or suggestions for additions, blog topics, and events contact the Young Professionals committee at youngpros@prsastouis.org. - Stephanie Flynn, Young Professionals Committee

4) Meet our Newest Members

• Jadea Leigh Abolahrari, Account Executive, The Standing Partnership
• Donna Andrews, Director PR, St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission
• Jeffrey Mitchell Bishop, Communications Mgr., DRS Technologies
• Jennifer Burns, Communications Specialist, Synergy Group
• Bryce Adam Chapman, PR Specialist, Missouri Baptist University
• Laura Farmer, No Firm listed
• Shanna Gernaat, No firm listed
• Brooke Hutson, The Wilson School
• Kristin Lea Gumper, AE, The Standing Partnership
• Lisa Renee Hessel, PR Manager, Missouri Baptist University
• Elizabeth Marie Hise, Asst Brand Mgr/Channel Relations, Hughes
• Stephanie Huff, VP Marketing, Whitney Design (New to Chapter)
• Kate Kromann, E-Communications Director, United Way of Greater St. Louis
• Patricia L. Lee, PR Specialist, Scottrade
• Mary Meghan Maguire, Editor, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company
• Andrea Mollett, Account Coordinator, Osborn & Barr Communications
• Tim Rowden, Media Relations Manager, Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation
• Nancy Grasso Schnoebelen, VP, Mkting & Communications, St. Louis County Economic Council
• Rebecca Slatin, Assistant Editor, BJC HealthCare

And Welcome Back These Renewals & Reinstatements

• Rob Amberg, Cushman/Amberg Communications, Inc.
• Holly Berthold, Missouri Department of Conservation
• Derrell Lamont Carter, Peabody Energy
• Michelle Corey, Better Business Bureau, Inc.
• Les Hostetler, The Vandiver Group
• Kathryn Rickard Hundman, Saint Louis University
• Rob Kessler, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company
• Melissa Lackey, APR, The Standing Partnership
• Lance LeComb, Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District
• Wes Morgan, Consultant
• Elizabeth Niven, The Nature Conservancy
• Ron O'Connor, APR, O'Connor & Partners, Inc.
• Stephanie Phillips, v-Fluence Interactive Public Relations
• Jaime Powers, Save-A-Lot, Ltd.
• Kathy Siddens, APR, U.S. Bank
• Shelly Stengel, Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis
• Diana Minardi Strauss, Independent
• Sarah Weatherford, Freelance
• Harold Zinn, Missouri Enterprise

5) Two St. Louis Firms Win Silver Anvils

St. Louis firms Express Scripts and Fleishman-Hillard are among winners announced in PRSA's Silver Anvil Winners for 2006. Express Scripts won an award for a generic-drug promotion and Fleishman-Hillard won for the "St.Louis - Perfectly Centered, Remarkably Connected" campaign. Check them out and others here:

• Silver Anvil winners: (Fleishman/RCGA is under Reputation/Brand Management)
• Silver Anvil Award of Excellence: ExpressScripts is under Marketing Consumer Services)

6) PRSA Member Needs Makeover – Vote for Her

PRSA-St. Louis member Jennifer Allemann, PR Specialist for Vantage Credit Union (pictured above), has been chosen from hundreds of applicants as one of 10 finalists in a national People Magazine style makeover contest. Allemann submitted her entry on a whim. While reading a daily e-mail from People.com, she noticed that they were asking readers to submit a photo with an explanation about why they could be one of America’s Worst-to-Best Dressed Style Makeover contestants. Jennifer's niche was a strong bargain shopping habit and her uncanny ability to wear the wrong outfit for the occasion. To see her video and vote for her in People Magazine's Worst to Best Dressed Contest log onto People.com. You can vote once per day per computer. Viewers are asked to vote for the individual they feel most deserves a style makeover. And Jennifer says she needs one (and your vote).

7) APR Online Study Course Open House, Aug 7.

An Online Study Course Open House is planned at 2 p.m., Aug. 7 for public relations professionals who are interested in or already pursuing the APR credential. Led by Online Study Course developer Michael Henry, the session will cover the Examination process and how the APR Online Study Course supports preparation for Accreditation in Public Relations. Presented in a Webcast format, participants will need either headphones or speakers on their computers. If interested in attending, candidates should click on Candidate Open House Link on the specific day and time listed above. Additional information about the APR Online Study Course and enrollment is available at www.Online2Learn.net/APR/. - Michelle Yates, Accreditation Committee