| The
monthly newsletter for the Hampton Roads Virginia Chapter of
PRSA |
April
2010 |
Save the
Date
PRSA HR--April Meeting
Power Up Your PR Efforts with Effective
Search Engine Optimization and Key Words
As search engines continue to grow as an
authoritative source of information, the need to optimize
content for search has become increasingly important. Are
you utilizing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques to
boost rankings of your articles and press releases in order
to communicate more effectively? Our April speaker, PRWeb
Director of Product Management Jiyan Wei, will delve into
effective SEO practices and answer these most frequently
asked questions:
What does optimize mean?
Why is SEO important for PR professionals?
Should I write press releases aimed at
people or at search engines?
What signals do search engines look for?
Wednesday, April 7
11:00 a.m. - Networking and registration
11:30
a.m.- 1:00 p.m. - Lunch and
program Town Center City Club 222
Central Park Ave # 230 Virginia Beach, VA
23462-3024 Cost:
$35 members and
military
$45 guests
$25 students
 |
Registration
Deadline: April 5, noon.
 About Jiyan
Wei
Jiyan
is a recent contributor to PR Tactics, and his article
titled "Writing with Search Engines in Mind:Putting SEO to
Work" was included in the November 2009 edition. As
Director of Product Management, Jiyan drives product
platform strategy and roadmap execution for PRWeb, the
leading online news distribution service. In addition he
supports strategic business planning, partnerships, and
marketing/sales. Prior to Vocus, Jiyan served as Vice
President of Online Services for v-Fluence Public Relations
where he was responsible for defining and developing
services to monitor and analyze online activity. He earned a
BA in English from Georgetown University and Masters in
Media/Communications from the London School of Economics
where his dissertation focused on media production and
consumption in social media communities. He currently sits
on the vendor council for the Society for New Communications
Research (SNCR) and maintains a blog, New Influencer
(www.newinfluencer.com), where he writes about media and
technology. |
A
message from the President By
Mindy Hughes, APR
 Dear PRSA Colleagues:
When
you reach my age, you really appreciate being around sharp
and energetic young people. That's what board member Chris
Green and I experienced recently when we had the privilege
of participating in the Norfolk State University PRSSA
induction ceremony.
Kudos to chapter member and
PRSSA Advisor Dr. Marcia Taylor for working with these
students and inspiring them to excellence. Talking with
these public relations students was a real treat, and I
enjoyed seeing their enthusiasm for the profession they're
preparing to enter. Chris also attended one of the student
chapter's planning meetings in February, where he had an
opportunity to share the Hampton Roads PRSA chapter's
support for the NSU PRSSA chapter and talk about tangible
ways we can provide that support.
The Hampton
Roads chapter has a long history of supporting the NSU
chapter as its sponsoring chapter. For a number of years, we
also sponsored the PRSSA chapter at Hampton University,
which recently affiliated with the Virginia Peninsula PRSA
chapter. Besides providing direct financial support, we
welcome the students to our meetings and provide them with
opportunities to report to us on their activities. Chapter
members have participated in classroom programs and have
served as mentors to students. In the past, the student
chapter has also provided assistance to chapter members with
their public relations campaigns. And a number of NSU
students have found internships at the companies and
organizations of chapter members.
Right now,
we're exploring ways to set up a more formal mentoring
program between the PRSSA students and chapter members. If
you'd be interested in serving in this capacity and
providing guidance to a young person entering the
profession, please feel free to contact me or Chris.
Best
regards,
Mindy
|
|
Tara
J. Wall
Senior Vice
President
AMERIGROUP
Corporation
College Attended: Eastern
Michigan University; Majored in Telecommunications and Film;
Minored in Law &
Government
Hobbies: Gourmet cooking,
decorating and outdoor activities
Favorite
Food: Anything spicy and ethnic (Indian cuisine
tops the list)
Favorite Travel
Destination: So far, the Bahamas, but I would like
to expand that to explore other tropical destinations.
Four (4) Fascinating / unknown fact about
yourself: 1) I was the journalist who conducted the
final interview with President George W. Bush the day before
his last official day in office 2) I've been in the Oval
office twice 3) I (reluctantly) have a blog 4) My 12th grade
acting teacher tried to convince to me to seriously consider
acting as a career
|
PRSA
HR Member's Article Featured on PRSA Blog
Site Marcia Taylor, PRSA HR
Chapter member, Public Relations Sequence Coordinator and
PRSSA Advisor at Norfolk State University, was featured on
the PRSA blog site, prsay.prsa.org.
Her blog, A Salute to Public Relations' African American
Pioneers, offers a brief look into the lives of the
African American PR pioneers who paved the way for today's
practitioners. View Marcia's article here.
|
Voting
on By-Laws in April
Members of
the Hampton Roads PRSA Chapter will vote at the April 7
meeting on proposed amendments to the chapter's by-laws.
These proposed changes deal with the issue of Accreditation
as it relates to chapter leadership. The intent of the
changes is to expand chapter leadership opportunities to
members who are not Accredited.
So that
members will have a better understanding of the issue,
chapter president Mindy Hughes, APR, and former chapter
president Sean Brickell, APR, Fellow PRSA, have outlined
arguments for and against the proposed changes.
Voting will take place by paper ballot during
the business portion of the meeting. Time will be allotted
for discussion of the proposed amendments prior to voting.
Several members have asked about proxy voting, but this is
not permitted under the chapter's by-laws. Members in good
standing present at the meeting may vote. Associate members
do not have voting privileges.
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Broadening
the Base for Leaders
By Mindy
L. Hughes, APR
Proposed
amendments to the Hampton Roads Virginia PRSA Chapter's
by-laws that drop the Accreditation requirement for
president and president-elect will allow the chapter to
broaden its base for leadership, opening the door to
talented leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to serve
the chapter and advance the profession.
In
2009, the national PRSA organization proposed a number of
by-laws revisions in the first major overhaul of its by-laws
since the organization was formed in the 1940s. One of these
revisions would have changed criteria for national board
service, making Accreditation optional. This proposed change
generated much discussion for several months, and at the end
of the day, did not pass the General Assembly in November.
PRSA has always allowed local chapters to set
their own criteria for leadership. Many chapters do not
require Accreditation for leadership, and some that did
require it at one time no longer do. As best we can
determine, Hampton Roads is the only chapter in the
Mid-Atlantic District that currently has this
requirement.
Nationally, of more than 21,000
PRSA members, more than 5,000 are Accredited. The Hampton
Roads chapter mirrors national statistics, with 32 of 144
members Accredited. Of these Accredited chapter
members, close to half have already served as president and
several more are retired members who are unlikely to
volunteer their time and energy to board service. Limiting
leadership opportunities to Accredited members means that
more than 75 percent of our members are not eligible. That
eliminates a lot of talent from the leadership
pool.
Some argue that National has not done
enough to market the value of Accreditation. Others do not
agree with the Universal Accreditation Board's (UAB) policy
that an Accredited practitioner must remain a member of a
UAB organization to retain Accreditation. Debating the
merits of the Accreditation program is for another time and
place. But clearly, Accreditation is a distinction that
reflects a practitioner's expertise, professionalism and
commitment to the field of public relations. Pursuing
Accreditation should continue to be strongly encouraged.
Does Accreditation, however, indicate
leadership qualities that relate to PRSA chapter governance?
Leaders possess the energy and commitment to make things
happen. Our chapter president, along with the other members
of the board, has fiduciary responsibilities for a budget of
approximately $30,000. The president, along with board
members, must make decisions regarding chapter activities
and initiatives, working hard to provide valuable programs
and services for members.
By removing the
Accreditation requirement, we are providing leadership
opportunities to more talented professionals with education
and experience who have the desire to serve and serve well.
And to help ensure that the most qualified people are
selected for board service, the by-laws do retain the
Accreditation (or past chapter president) requirement for
the Nominating Committee.
Removing
Accreditation as a requirement for chapter leadership is not
a lowering of our standards, but rather a recognition of the
tremendous talent among our
membership.
|
Excellence
Requires Commitment
Sean
Brickell, APR, Fellow
PRSA
How
often have we heard public relations is a scam, our results
aren't quantifiable? We continuously fight to
demonstrate our
value.
As
the profession dedicated to advancing reputations it's
inconceivable our Chapter would consider anything less than
fortifying the importance of our discipline.
Herein
is the true benefit of Accreditation for leaders.
Similarly, we must not allow anything that dilutes our worth
if we truly care about how we're
perceived.
Reputation starts with quality
leadership. Being good isn't enough to lead.
True leadership requires a commitment to
excellence.
We
all realize carrying APR does not automatically guarantee a
good leader. But it should designate someone who is
both an inspiring leader and one who has the discipline to
achieve the highest professional development possible.
Should our Chapter settle for less? Not in my, and many
others' opinion.
Lawyers
in Hampton Roads wouldn't allow anyone who hadn't passed the
bar to lead their association. Accountants wouldn't
elect a non-CPA as president. These groups demand
their spokeperson pass the highest level of
competency.
Are
we any less professional or dedicated to our industry?
If we accept the mediocrity rooted in lessening core values
of excellence, the simple answer is "Yes!"
But I say
"NO!" We're better than
that.
There's really only one reason why the Chapter is
considering eliminating APR for President and
President-Elect. Our Chapter has done a poor job
promoting the importance of Accreditation amongst
membership, thus we have a small universe of APR
candidates. Lowering standards required to lead
provides an easy answer but creates far greater
problems.
Rather than fighting APR, our Chapter should expend
equal energy advancing professional
development.
Excellence requires
commitment.
If someone isn't willing to go through the rigors of
Accreditation they're probably too busy or unconcerned
enough to pass it. In any situation, someone in this
mode shouldn't be considered for top office. The job
isn't a reward for hanging around for years. It's an
honor and carries responsibility, most important of all to
uphold the highest standards and advance our
profession.
If APR is a financial hardship, I'm happy to quietly
fund it. To date, I've funded nine current or former
Chapter members who have
passed.
I ask the membership to please not place our Chapter on
a slippery slope. We're all bright enough to see how
degrading quality spirals into declined
reputation.
No matter how many people someone can get to go along
with a bad idea, it's still a bad idea. Even if a
majority approves a bad idea, that doesn't make it a good
idea nor change the fact that it's still a bad idea.
I've passed on millions of dollars from prospective
clients who wanted "spin-doctoring," based on this basic
truth. Accreditation helped me forge the values
inherent in this
characteristic.
I've fought the recommendation to eliminate APR for
leaders for years, and nobody has ever offered a sound
reason why we should lower our expectations with compromised
leadership. The Chapter always has provided leaders
dedicated to the highest
standards.
As a Chapter, we must choose. Do we accept an easy
solution because it presents a convenient and
non-confrontational option? Or do we continue to
strive and uphold the fundamental core values of advanced
education?
I'll say it again: excellence requires
commitment.
|
NSU PRSSA Inducts 26 in 2010
By
Latoya Lee, NSU PRSSA member
Photo by Dominique
Harris The academic and professional lives
of 26 Norfolk State University students changed on February
24, 2010. They were inducted into the student chapter of the
world's largest organization for public relations, the
Public Relations Student Society of America.
Mindy Hughes, president of Public Relations
Society of America, Hampton Roads (PRSAHR) Chapter stressed
to the students, "You must write well." She encouraged them
to continue to seek knowledge and to hone their craft while
gaining competitive communication skills using new and
social media platforms.
"This was my last induction
ceremony, so it was special to me, considering that
we started with four members," said Kweneshia Johnson,
president of the NSU Spartan Chapter. "It was a joy to have
Mindy Hughes as part of the ceremony. She gave great
insights for future practitioners," said
Johnson.
Chris Green, the PRSAHR Board Liaison to
the NSU Chapter led the inductees in the pledge to uphold
the PRSSA Code Of Ethics.
Dr. Wanda Brockington, chairperson of the
Mass Communication and Journalism Department at NSU and Dr.
Marcia Taylor, adviser for the Spartan Chapter also
participated in the Ceremony.
PRSSA has approximately 10,000 members and
nearly 300 chapters at colleges and universities in 43
states, the District of Columbia and Argentina.
 |
Embracing Diversity in Public Relations
By
Raquel Pérez-López, Diversity Committee
Chair
Around Cinco de Mayo one year, I was
stunned by a radio ad for a car dealership on the Peninsula.
This typically Mexican holiday saw burro rides for kids, a
sombrero-wearing contest and a Cuban band. I was shocked
that in these modern times, donkeys and big hats were shown
as symbols of the rich Hispanic culture.
Businesses who care about their bottom line
should take the time to get to know the Hispanic audience in
order to avoid these types of cultural gaffes. Hampton Roads
also offers a rich mix of other cultures, combining as
ingredients in our nation's so-called "salad
bowl."
As your new Diversity Committee Chair, I
will present globally-minded information in the newsletter
to help you grow your businesses. Such data will also help
you hire and retain employees from many diverse cultures.
As you may know, many Latin-American countries
will celebrate their independence days in September and
unite under the banner of food, fun and family. To honor
this occasion, I will book a dynamic speaker on diversity
topics for our September meeting.
More and
more, you'll be seeing the influence of diversity in the
business setting. Will you be one of the local businesses
that will reap the rewards?
Raquel
Pérez-López is a Cuban-American writer in Diversity
Marketing at Liberty Tax Service and is also a Norfolk
native.
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Are
you an MVP?
A
message from the PRSA HR's Service
Committee
Please check next month's "News
& Views" for details of PRSA's new Mentorship Volunteer
Program, or MVP. The Hampton Roads Chapter's 2010 Service
Committee project will match PRSA members who wish to
volunteer their time with small, non-profit organizations
that need public relations help. Just a few hours a month
will go a long way toward providing counsel on a special
writing project, Web site content, media training or help in
developing a PR Plan, among other needs. A list of
non-profits and their requested projects is forthcoming. For
information, contact Elizabeth Evans at eevans@cahoonandcross.com.
|
Treasurer's
Report
Jessica
Kraft, Treasurer
March Income: $4,505.95
March Expenses:
$2,383.15
YTD Income: $15,397.60
YTD Expenses: $5,995.04
Total
Assets: $29,411.05 |
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