Member PRofile: Margaret Donaldson

Title & Company: Assistant Public Relations Manager at Neiman Marcus

Why FPRA?: “I joined FPRA to meet and develop relationships with other professionals in my field; as well as stay informed with how PR is being utilized and applied today.”

What do you hope to gain through FPRA?: “I look forward to attending the monthly breakfast events. I feel that they are really informative and rewarding. I always take something away from that event; whether it is a new contact, a PR tip or how a specific PR strategy worked for a campaign and why. I leave feeling that I’ve gained something.”

Explanation of job: “I assist with the everyday operation of the public relations office at Neiman Marcus Orlando and manage the PR department’s budgets. I budget, plan, coordinate and execute all storewide events. Plus, I promote fashion awareness among the store and into the community by styling runway fashion presentations. I work with designers and vendors for in-store appearances and events. Additionally, I work with, develop and maintain media relations; i.e. speaking and interacting with press on a regular basis. I cultivate and manage community relations for the store, allowing me to partner with charitable organizations to raise funds and awareness through planned in-store events.”

Exciting Achievement: “In 2010, I received a prestigious award from my company, NM Best. This award is given to one person within each store that represents all that Neiman Marcus stands for. Receiving this award was truly humbling, a great honor and an experience of a lifetime. This was quite a personal achievement as well as professional.”

Inside scoop: “I graduated from Auburn University with a Bachelor’s of Art Degree in Communications. I have experience in different public relations environments, from agency to corporate. I am on several boards and committees for various charitable organizations, such as: Key Initiative for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Florida, National Philanthropy Day, Runway to Hope and Taste of the Nation.”

Fun fact: “I like to fish. As a child, I grew up on the water and I would go fishing with my father and brother when they would let me tag along. I recently went on my first deep sea fishing trip in Pensacola and caught the first fish of the day ─ a wahoo! It was thrilling! I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Contact info: Email: margaret _donaldson@neimanmarcus.com; (407) 264-5906

2013 Annual Conference Scholarship – Apply Now!

Apply to win a scholarship to this year’s Annual Conference, 75 Years of Multifaceted Strategies, to be held at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort and Golf Club in St. Petersburg on August 4-7.

The Orlando Area Chapter of FPRA will award up two scholarships to local chapter members. Each scholarship will cover the conference registration fee of $695.  To apply, please respond to the questions below and email your responses to Allie Vatcher at avatcher@valenciacollege.edu by July 1, 2013.  Please limit your answers to 50 words or less for each question and be sure to include all information outlined below.

*   Name:

*   Company:

*   Title:

*   Years in public relations:

*   How long have you been a member of FPRA?

*   In what ways have you been involved with FPRA? (Committees, events attended, positions held, etc.)

*   How will the conference scholarship benefit your career and current job?

*   What do you hope to learn by attending conference, and how do you intend to incorporate it in your daily position?

To be eligible you must be an active member in good standing with the Orlando Area Chapter. Your chapter involvement and financial need will be considered.  Please note that the scholarship covers the $695 conference registration fee and excludes lodging, food outside of meals included in the regular conference registration, reception and all other related expenses. All scholarship winners will be required to participate on the conference blogging team and to write a short article for PRoclaimer discussing what they learned and how it enhances their profession.

Member News – May 2013

Kern

Congratulations to Laura S. Kern, APR, for earning her Accreditation in Public Relations! Laura is the associate director of marketing and communications at the Metro Orlando Economic Development Commission and serves as treasurer on the FPRA Orlando Area chapter board.

Kuhn

FPRA-OAC is pleased to welcome the following new chapter members: Lauren Bradley, Director of Public Relations, Rollins College; Brad Kuhn, Founder/CEO, Brad Kuhn and Associates; Cassandra Lafser, Public Information Officer, City of Orlando; Nancy Rodlun, Public Relations and Information Officer, Orange County Environmental Protection Division.

Martin

The FPRA Rising Leader Class of 2013 is comprised of young professionals representing their perspective local chapters, including Orlando Area Chapter’s Kerry Martin, APR. As part of the Class, Kerry is a nominee for the Joe Curley Rising Leader Award which honors up-and-coming individual FPRA members for their personal dedication and demonstration of emerging leadership traits. Good luck Kerry!

Boniberger

Kacie Boniberger is the recipient of the FPRA-OAC Member Scholarship. This month, Kacie graduated from UCF and the scholarship will allow her to transition from a student membership to a professional membership. During her chapter involvement as a student, she served as the VP of Communications on the board of directors for Quotes (UCF’s PR club).

Rivera

Alayna Rivera is joining the Orlando-Orange County Expressway Authority as a Community/Government Relations professional.

Congratulations to Shaloni Prine and her husband Robbie on the arrival of their daughter, Emma Rose.

Lawrence

Michael Lawrence, APR was recently honored as Community Service Volunteer of the Year by the UCF Alumni Association. Congrats, Mike!

Kudos to Chris Gent, APR, CPRC for achieving 20 years of service at Kissimmee Utility Authority.

Proposed Slate of Officers for Incoming Chapter Board

The FPRA-OAC nominating committee is pleased to announce the slate of officers for the 2013-2014 Board of Directors:

President – Cynthia Lambert, APR

President-Elect – Kerry Martin, APR

Immediate Past President – Allie Vatcher

Secretary – Amanda Forbes Mestdagh, APR

Treasurer – Nicole Huie

Asst. Treasurer – Julie Primrose

VP Membership – Lauren Hyer, APR

Asst VP Membership – Michael Lawrence, APR

VP Accreditation – Lisa Nason, APR

VP Student Outreach – Sara Channing

VPs Professional Development – Lorena Streeter and Cassie Roach

VPs Scholarship Fundraisers – Brian Craven and Margaret Donaldson

VPs Image Awards – Megan Licata, APR and Vianka McConville

VP Media Relations – Cassandra Lafser

VPs Technology – Laura Kern, APR and Alayna Rivera

Additional nominations may be made by written petition signed by at least 15 percent of the qualified voting members of the chapter. Please send additional nominations to Amanda Forbes Mestdagh, APR (amestdagh@fhbnet.com) by May 31.

Stars of PR Get Deserved Recognition at 2013 FPRA OAC Image Awards

By Brian Craven, Director-Public Affairs & Communications, Bright House Networks and FPRA OAC Board Member

There’s an inherent irony in the “Stars of PR” theme for the 2013 FPRA Orlando Area Chapter Image Awards held at Loft 55 on April 11, 2013. Public Relations professionals are usually too busy working hard at making their clients look like stars to be in the limelight themselves. The best communicators most often operate unseen as they craft core messages, suggest appropriate themes and settings for announcements, and facilitate effective communications outreach through traditional and Social Media. Success is measured in Tweets, column inches, Facebook posts, TV and radio mentions, which don’t really seem very glamorous as PR professionals scramble to bring them all into play. But that’s exactly what makes the 2013 “Stars of PR” Image Awards theme so appropriate. It’s time to appreciate the “star power” of our fellow PR professionals for what it is—a true ability to make others look good and get their messages across, all while working in the background. That’s more than just being a best supporting actor—it’s like being the scriptwriter, producer, director, and promoter, all rolled into one! As the 2013 Image Awards Sponsor, Bright House Networks is proud to help shine the spotlight on the unsung heroes of PR who daily bring us the snap, crackle and pop of modern life on screens large and small. Congratulations to all the winners—you deserve your moment of fame!

 

A Lesson from Coach Smart Scores Big

Guest Blog: FPRA-OAC Member Nancy Kinnally shares how Michael Smart, media coach who served as the OAC’s guest speaker in February 2013, influenced her work.

Welcome to my double life. By day: director of communications for The Florida Bar Foundation. By nights, weekends and vacation days: lifelong best friend, cheerleader, and self-appointed volunteer assistant publicist for Susan Spencer-Wendel, whose book “Until I Say Good-Bye: My Year of Living with Joy” was released March 12, 2013 to international media fanfare and landed on the New York Times Bestsellers List. Susan, formerly an award-winning journalist for the Palm Beach Post, is dying of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. She wrote her life-affirming memoir using her right thumb on her iPhone, since she is otherwise paralyzed and has lost the ability to speak clearly. The book reached number two on Amazon’s bestsellers list the day after its release. Universal has bought the film rights to her story, so a major motion picture may be next.

Susan’s real publicist, Rachel Elinsky of HarperCollins, generated the media firestorm that erupted the week of the release. I claim no credit. But my support for Susan has sometimes spilled over into the PR realm, and when Michael Smart of MichaelSmartPR spoke to the FPRA Orlando Area Chapter on February 13, my instincts took over. I saw Michael as the consummate PR guru and as someone who would appreciate Susan’s story. And − as he collected e-mail addresses from the audience to add to his distribution list − I saw him as someone with a large audience. Michael, who shared with us the cheer he came up with when he coached his son’s flag football team, the Honey Badgers, coached us all on how to write the perfect e-mail pitch. So after being schooled, I decided to practice what I’d learned right  back on Coach Smart.

My pitch scored big when Michael turned it into one of his widely broadcast e-mails. Two days after the book’s release, he sent an e-mail telling how I had contacted him after his speaking engagement. He shared Susan’s story and included the link to her book’s fan page.

“I recommend the Today show piece that aired yesterday as an encouraging and guilt-trip-free lesson on priorities and strength facing adversity (and includes a sound bite from Nancy). More coverage from NPR, USA Today, Huffington Post, and many more outlets does the same,” Michael wrote.

Michael continued, “Thanks to the expertise of the publicists at Susan’s book publisher, her message is reaching tens of millions of people. And because a devoted friend and PR pro is leaving no stone unturned, contacting everyone she can think of, even a visiting PR speaker, with carefully customized outreach and follow-up, you’re reading about it now. Many thanks to Nancy for sharing, may God bless Susan and her family, and best wishes to all of you as you balance the loves of your lives with the powerful discipline you practice.”

Many thanks to you, Michael, for being a positive force in our profession and for reaching out to support my friend, whose tap, tap, tap with her right thumb has shown us how easy it is to tap three letters: J-O-Y.

If you are interested in receiving Michael’s weekly PR writing and pitching tips, register in the sign-up box on his website, www.michaelsmartpr.com.

Nancy Kinnally & Susan Spencer-Wendel pictured beside the Mediterranean Sea in Cyprus (the birthplace of Susan’s biological father) during travels in 2010 to meet relatives Susan had never met before.

2013-2014 FPRA-OAC Board of Director Positions Open for Nominations

The Orlando Area Chapter is one of the Florida Public Relations Association’s largest and strongest chapters because so many of our members are involved and seek leadership responsibilities. If you are interested in serving on the 2013-2014 FPRA-OAC Board of Directors, now is the time to step up!  Please e-mail Amanda Forbes Mestdagh, APR by April 5, 2013.

The 2013-2014 board will be recommended by a nominating committee in April that is composed of five percent of our chapter’s membership. The slate will be published in the May issue of PRoclaimer for members to review.  The 2013-2014 board year runs from September 2013 through August 2014.

Below is a list of available board positions:

1. President–Elect

2. Secretary

3. Treasurer

4. Assistant Treasurer

5. Vice President of Membership

6. Assistant Vice President of Membership

7. Vice President Accreditation

8. Vice President of Professional Development (Two positions)

9. Vice President of Student Scholarships (Two positions)

10. Vice President of Image Awards (Two positions)

11. Vice President of Media Relations

12. Vice President of Publications

13. Vice President of Technology (Two positions)

14. Vice President of Student Outreach

15. Communiqué Advisor

16. Quotes Advisor