WWPR Names Three Honorees for 2009 PR Woman of the Year Awards

Winner Will Be Named at November Luncheon

Dana Bash of CNN Will be Keynote Speaker

The Capital Buzz is, well, all a-buzz over the upcoming Washington Women in Public Relations' (WWPR) 20th annual PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon.

Today WWPR named the three honorees selected by the judges, and announced that Dana Bash, Senior Congressional Correspondent for CNN, will be the keynote speaker.

Buzz readers know that we love this event because our own Denise Graveline was the 2002 PR Woman of the Year, I (Kate Perrin) chaired the very first PR Woman of the Year event 20 years ago (yikes!), and no other award offers the suspense of seeing who will be the winner plus a fabulous raffle that benefits their pro bono client. And this year I'm also buzzed because I nominated one of the three honorees!

2009 WWPR Woman of the Year Honorees:

• Jody Arlington, Georgetown Entertainment and Media Alliance
• Kirsten Suto Seckler, Special Olympics
• Sarah Temple, Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide

Put this event on your "must-attend" calendar now and take advantage of the Early Bird registration, good until Thursday, October 1.

20th Annual Washington PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Noon ~ 2:00 p.m.
Washington Marriott (at Metro Center)
775 12th Street NW

Ready to Talk “Green?” PRSA NCC International Committee Hosts Alternative Energy Event

Alternative Energies: What’s Taking So Long? Thursday, October 8, 2009
6:30 p.m. – Networking
7:00 p.m. - Program

American Institute of Architects Headquarters
1735 New York Ave., NW
The Frank Lloyd Wright Room

International businesses such as Honda, Tesco, Goldman Sachs, and Hewlett-Packard are going beyond what the law requires to operate in an environmentally responsible way.

Join the PRSA-NCC’s International Committee for an environmentally friendly evening with alternative energy expert Truman Semans, Jr.

Semans is currently a consultant on alternative energy markets to international corporations like GE. He was Director for Markets and Business Strategy at the Pew Center on Global Climate Change and previously, at McKinsey & Company, he advised clients on corporate strategy, mergers and acquisitions, technology investment and commercialization, new venture development and strategic marketing.

Prior to McKinsey, Semans was International Economist on energy and environment at the Treasury Department where he managed U.S. engagement in the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the largest multilateral financier of greenhouse gas mitigation, and led U.S. teams in improving GEF investment programs for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and clean fossil fuel technology. While at Treasury, he also served on the U.S. Climate Change Delegation, and worked with Congress and the White House on a range of environmental issues and initiatives with foreign governments.

He has a B.A. and M.B.A. from Duke University and an M.A. with honors in International Economics from Johns Hopkins SAIS.

Cost: $10 for International Committee members,
$15 for PRSA members,
$20 for non-members
To sign up or find more information go to the PRSA-NCC Web site at www.prsa-ncc.org.

Top Washington PR Professionals Honored at 41st Annual Thoth Awards Ceremony

The Public Relations Society of America National Capital Chapter (PRSA-NCC) celebrated the value of public relations and honored the talent and innovation in Washington public relations professionals at its 41st annual Thoth Awards, held at the historic Willard InterContinental Hotel. The Awards event was held on Thursday, September 24.
The Thoth “Best of Show” award was presented to Oceana for its “Cut the Bait” campaign. The campaign had clear goals and objectives through research and planning, impressive implementation and one of the most comprehensive evaluations and metrics. Oceana also received the Thoth Award for Global Communication, a Certificate of Excellence for Public Affairs/Issues Management and the Thoth Award for Speeches.
For a list of all the awards, visit http://tr.im/zZrb

New Location for WWPR's Annual Media Roundtable

I have been to almost every Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) annual Media Roundtable -- starting way back when it had the much catchier name, "Flack Attack", and was held at the National Press Club.

This week I'm looking forward to a new, upscale setting for the lunch program and hearing the latest from reporters and editors from all kinds of media about what they love and hate about working with PR people, and what they want from us.

WHEN: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 Noon - 2:00 p.m.
WHERE: Grand Hyatt Hotel at Metro Center (1000 H Street, NW, Room Independence 1)
COST: WWPR Members $55.00; Non-members $65.00
REGISTER

Come prepared with questions for the panel so you can discuss the dramatically changing media landscape and how to work with sought-after press contacts.

PANEL:
Autumn Brewington, Op-ed Editor, The Washington Post
Jim Asendio, News Director, WAMU 88.5
Patrick Pho, City Captain - DC Metblogs; Personal Blogger - DMBosstone
Jerry Phillips, Public Affairs Television and Radio Producer

THREE DAYS UNTIL Thoth News Seminar: The Future of News on September 24

Thoth News Seminar is just three days away!
The Future of News 3:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.
A dynamic panel of top media and PR professionals will address the responsibilities of providing public information, the working relationship between public relations and media professionals, and the economic and technological challenges facing each of these professions.
Panelists:
*Mark Hamrick, business editor, broadcast, Associated Press
*Donna Leinwand, reporter, USA Today and president, National Press Club
*Thomas Burr, Washington correspondent, The Salt Lake Tribune
*Joie Chen, executive vice president, Branded News Worldwide, formerly with CNN and CBS
*Alexander Heffner, ScoopMedia.com
*Keith M. Kupferschmid, senior vice president, intellectual property policy & enforcement , *Software and Information Industry Association
*Moderator: Debbi Jarvis, vice president, PEPCO Holdings
To register for the seminar and the Thoth gala that follows, visit: https://secure.kinsail.com/results.asp?p=prsancc&pt=store&GroupID=13105

The 2009 Thoth Awards Gala and News Seminar Video

Barbara Burfeind, President of the National Capital Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, invites D.C. communicators to celebrate achievement in public relations at the 2009 Thoth Awards Gala, to be held Thursday, September 24 at the Willard InterContinental Hotel in downtown Washington, DC.
The event also features an afternoon news seminar, priced separately. To register for either or both events, please visit http://prsa-ncc.org.
Video produced by Mary Fletcher Jones for PRSA-NCC -- check it out and see if you can spot our own Kate Perrin: http://theprsanccblog.wordpress.com/2009/09/14/the-2009-thoth-awards-gala-and-news-seminar/

The Capital Buzz are Proud Sponsors of WWPR's Woman of the Year

Once again, the Boss Ladies are the proud sponsors of WWPR's Woman of the Year: http://www.facebook.com/WashingtonWomeninPR
To win the fabulous raffle item we are providing, register for the luncheon taking place on Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2009 from noon to 2pm
Location: Washington Marriott at Metro Center
775 12th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
To register, visit: http://www.wwpr.org/

Two of the Boss Ladies Featured in Conversations in PR

Two of our very own Boss Ladies were featured in video interviews with Mary Fletcher Jones for her Conversations in Public Relations blog.

Check out Jennifer Collins at:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=116438507705&ref=mf

And, Susan Apgood at:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=116414962705&ref=mf

Thoth News Seminar: The Future of News on September 24

Thoth News Seminar: The Future of News from 3:00 p.m. - 5:45 p.m.

A dynamic panel of top media and PR professionals will address the responsibilities of providing public information, the working relationship between public relations and media professionals, and the economic and technological challenges facing each of these professions.

Panelists include:

*Donna Leinwand, reporter, USA Today and president, National Press Club

*Thomas Burr, Washington correspondent, The Salt Lake Tribune

*Joie Chen, executive vice president, Branded News Worldwide

*Alexander Heffner, ScoopMedia.com

*Keith M. Kupferschmid, senior vice president, intellectual property policy & enforcement , Software and Information Industry Association

*Moderator: Debbi Jarvis, vice president, PEPCO Holdings

Where:

Willard Intercontinental Hotel

1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, D.C., 20004

And, the Thoth Gala follows the event at 6:00 p.m. To register, visit http://www.prsa-ncc.org/thoth_awards/

Capital Communicators September 22 Luncheon

"Handling Communications Surrounding Controversial Projects" is the topic for the Capital Communicators September Luncheon
After the collapse of three buildings at the World Trade Center in NYC on 9/11 (the Twin Towers and WTC 7), the National Institute of Standards and Technology was tasked with the technical investigation to determine what caused the structures to fall. And NIST Senior Communications Officer Michael E. Newman was tasked with handling the communications around this investigation, an undertaking he describes as "a unique experience in public affairs."
During the Capital Communicators September's lunch, Michael will talk about this long-term, 6-year project, from the process of keeping the public informed to the challenges of dealing with the "9/11 Truthers," who attacked Michael for merely doing his job.

Date & Time: Tuesday, September 22, 2009 from noon - 1:30 p.m.
Cost & Location: $20 cash at the door EXACT CHANGE PREFERRED.
The Greene Turtle 601 F Street, NWWashington, DC 20004Metro Stop: Gallery Place-Chinatown on the Red Line, Note: The Greene Turtle is on the ground floor of the Verizon Center
RSVP at CapitalCommunicator@gmail.com

IABC/Washington Announces Student Scholarship Recipients

DC Area Students Recognized For Commitment to Communications Field

Today the International Association of Business Communicators’ (IABC) Washington, D.C., chapter announced the recipients of the first-ever IABC/Washington student scholarships to:

• Jerome Chester of the University of Baltimore
• Lisa Eimer of Towson University and
• P. Anthony Cobus of Georgetown University

These three students demonstrated commitment to the professional field of Communications and will each receive a scholarship amount of $1,000 toward their studies. The students will be recognized and awarded their scholarships at IABC/Washington’s monthly chapter meeting on September 10th.

“While this is the first year IABC/Washington has offered student scholarships, we were impressed with the caliber of applications we received,” said Tomeka Rawlings, IABC/Washington chapter president. “By awarding these scholarships, the chapter is demonstrating its commitment to excellence in communications and to young professionals entering the field.”

The IABC/Washington’s Student Scholarship Program was open to students living in the Washington-Baltimore metro area who were enrolled at a local university with a GPA of 3.5 or higher and majoring in a communication-related field such as public relations, marketing, advertising, communications, journalism or technical writing. As part of the application process, students were asked to express their commitment to the communications profession in a three-page application essay.

As of August this year, Chester became a senior at the University of Baltimore where he is majoring in English. A senior at Towson University, Eimer is majoring in Mass Communication. Cobus is a graduate student in his third year at Georgetown University working toward a master’s in Communications, Culture and Technology.

PR Woman of the Year Luncheon-Benefit Raffle Items Needed

Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is inviting merchants and others to donate a product or service to be raffled off at the 2009 PR Woman of the Year Luncheon on Wednesday, November 4, 2009.

(PRofessional Solutions, LLC donated this red handbag to the raffle in 2008)

This event, which honors three of the area’s most outstanding PR executives, allocates a portion of the raffle proceeds to WWPR’s pro bono client, The Children’s Law Center.

Raffle donations must have a minimum value of $50 and may be a service or product, e.g. gift baskets, gift certificates, hotel stays, dinner-for-two, tickets to concerts, plays and sporting events.

Contributing benefits donors by providing name recognition and publicity at the event attended by more than 250 communications professionals:
• Donated items are displayed with the donor’s name during event.
• The donor’s name will be recognized during the raffle drawings.
• There will be a raffle donor section in the luncheon program, as well as other promotional pieces.

For more information on sponsorships, raffle donations, or to find out how to partner with WWPR to help their pro bono client provide legal services to at-risk children and their families, contact one of the event co-chairs:
Gwen Haynes, gwen_haynes2@yahoo.com, (240) 460-1019
Lisa Kelley McCluskey, lmccluskey@artba.org, (703) 593-9084

Reminder -- Get in Those Boasts and Toasts!

You still have a week to submit your brief description of your recent accomplishment and claim the admiration of your colleagues with a special “Boasts and Toasts” shameless plug in The Capital Buzz!

Just send me an email at kperrin@PRstaffing.com with "Boasts and Toasts" in the subject line by close of business on Tuesday, September 8.

The T.E.M.P. Report 2.0™ for SEPTEMBER 2009~ Exclusive to The Capital Buzz

A brief update on the current Washington area PR employment scene based on the view from PRofessional Solutions, LLC, the Washington market’s only PR temporary staffing agency.

Last month (August ’09): FAIR
Last year (August’08): Slow

Ratings:
Bust - virtually no hiring for jobs, freelancers or temps
Slow - a few, mostly low-level, positions being filled; fewer jobs for freelancers or temps
Fair - existing jobs are being filled and moderate work for freelancers and temps
Strong - organizations are hiring at all levels and good work for freelancers and temps
Boom! - virtually everyone who wants work is finding it



Kate’s Overview: We continue to see small steps toward recovery as more clients are using PR temps and freelancers to supplement their communications programs once again, though with more tightly controlled spending. This coincides with the end of the fiscal year as some organizations realize they still had the money in budget to carry out plans after all.

Some of our association clients are starting their new fiscal years and moving into high-gear for their annual meetings. Those who represent industries or professions that are still strong and have not experienced a significant drop in association membership. They continue to keep their staffing levels up, replacing people who move on to other positions, and using PR temps or freelancers for small, quick projects to keep their programs on target.