Free webinars (on-demand and future casts)
Member directory
Business Case for PR (communicating the value of PR to other business professionals)
Numerous PR-related blogs and resources

Locally, your Cincinnati Chapter is planning a variety of programs. From luncheons to happy hours, there will be events for every stage of the PR professional’s career.

To help along the way, we are seeking dedicated members to assist our Chapter’s Leadership Team by volunteering for the following committees:

Programming/event planning
Membership
Sponsorship
Media Day (professional development conference)
Blacksmith Awards ceremony

If interested, please contact Anne Campbell, the Cincinnati chapter administrator, at acampbell@fuse.net or me at jonathan.kissell@rumpke.com

Finally, I would like to thank our 2012 leadership team for its commitment to making PRSA the premier organization for public relations.

PRSA is the largest network of PR professionals in the world. We are industry thought-leaders and trendsetters. We are the past, present and future of public relations.

Looking forward to a great year …

Jonathan Kissell

Cincinnati PRSA President

Message from the Editor

I am looking forward to serving as the Cincinnati PRSA newsletter editor in 2012. The leadership team recently met to discuss plans for the upcoming year, and it’s bound to be a great one.

Check in with us each issue to learn about upcoming events, new members and more. If you have news to share with the chapter, please let me know at megan.haughney@strata-g.com.

I hope to see everyone at the January 19th happy hour (details below)!

Megan Haughney
Newsletter Editor

January PRSA Event - Join PRSA for Happy Hour!

Cincinnati PRSA will host its first event of the New Year, a happy hour, on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6:00 p.m. The event will provide chapter members the opportunity to get to know new and experienced PR pros, recount their fondest (and most shocking!) PR experiences and meet new friends and colleagues. There will be a fun icebreaker, great conversation and maybe even a prize or two… plus we’ll offer free appetizers and half-price drink specials.

Oh, and before we forget, tickets are

FREE for PRSA Members

$5 for non-members, paid in advance or at the door.

(Regardless of your membership status, your RSVP is appreciated ... you might even win a prize for pre-registering! Click here to RSVP and/or purchase tickets.)

So what are you waiting for?! Please mark your calendar now with these essential details:

PRSA Happy Hour

Thursday, January 19, 2012

6:00-7:30 p.m.

Scene Ultra Lounge

637 Walnut Street

Cincinnati, OH 45202

Click here to RSVP or purchase tickets

Scene is located across from the Aronoff Center in the heart of Downtown Cincinnati. Parking is available at street meters on Walnut, 6th and 7th streets (at or after 6:00 p.m.) and at several parking garages within a few blocks.

Lauren Doyle

Vice President/Programming

New Pros Kick Off 2012

My name is Andrew Shipp (@Andrew_ShipPR), and I am honored to be a part of the leadership team as the new pros committee chair. With the help of an awesome committee, I am looking forward to putting together some great programming focusing on growing the skills of our chapter's new pros. If you are interested in joining the committee or have a program suggestion, please feel free to send me a note at shipp.andrew2@gmail.com or give me a ring at (513) 405-7090.

Andrew Shipp

New Pros Chair

Blacksmiths - Make A New Year's Resolution Worth Keeping

It’s not that losing weight, exercising more or cleaning out the basement aren’t worthwhile resolutions, but keeping your professional development in mind is probably a little easier to accomplish. It hasn’t been long since we celebrated great local PR work at the Blacksmith Awards, so it seems like the 2012 Blacksmiths are so far away.

But, we all know that once we jump into our work for this year, it will fly by. Before you know it, we’ll be calling for entries again. A little prep throughout the year will make submitting much easier. Here are a few ideas:

Create a folder for Blacksmith 2012.
As you finish projects throughout the year that you think are award worthy, save a copy in the folder of all the supporting materials.
Pull together a few bullet points on each project focusing on the main objectives and measurement.

If you track your progress, it will be a cinch to pull up that folder come August and get your submissions ready.

We’re looking for members to join the planning committee. It’s not a big time commitment, and it’s an easy way to get involved in the chapter. Contact Shara Clark at smclark@gaic.com or Stephanie Honan at stephanie.honan@53.com if you are interested.

Shara Clark and Stephanie Honan, APR

Blacksmith Co-Chairs

Membership – Spark Your Career by Joining PRSA!

Join PRSA now and gain access to career-boosting tools, resources and expertise. Join a community of more than 21,000 communications professionals (200+ right here in Cincinnati), and you will:

Demonstrate and Elevate Your Professional Value and Credibility

* New for 2012! PRSA members have access to more than 50 free live and on-demand Professional Development webinars.

Keep Learning and Stay Competitive to Ensure Top Performance

Expand Your Professional Network While Increasing Your Knowledge

Join Online Now

If you have questions, contact Membership Chair Jill Dunne at jdunne@go-metro.com.

Jill Dunne

Membership Chair

Featured Member

Name: Allison Brinkman

Current job title and company: Word of Mouth Marketing Manager, Sunrise Advertising

How long have you been a Cincinnati PRSA member? Since 2007

What do you find the most beneficial about Cincinnati PRSA? I find Cincinnati PRSA to be great organization for networking and connecting with fellow PR professionals. Everyone is very eager to connect and share best practice advice. It's truly inspiring to see that Cincinnati PR people are able to put aside the competitive nature of the agency world to help improve the industry as a whole.

What social media outlets do you use? Regularly: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Scvngr; though I do have GetGlue and Foodspotting accounts.

Twitter handle: @abrinkman

Who are your favorite people and organizations to follow on Twitter? Really there are so many interesting people to follow. Locally, all the news stations- channel 5 @WLWT usually puts a pretty snarky spin on things, which is fun. I also love the local foodies: @winemedineme and @foodhussy are extremely good with building actual conversations on twitter. (And as a shameless plug, my site's Twitter page: @PetLuxeCincy.)

You’re in PR, which means you’re interesting by default! Tell us one fun fact about you: I am actually also the publisher of PetLuxe Cincinnati, a bi-weekly online publication for Greater Cincinnati pet owners. I started it in August, and it has accrued a significant following since then. We profile local animal advocates and pet-owning business owners, as well as a different shelter every month. I even have a features columnist and photographer who help make every issue possible. It's been a great experience, having worked on both ends of the journalism spectrum...also, given that this is going out to a bunch of PR people, pet-related pitches are always welcome! Needless to say, I'm also very passionate about my own pets (a poodle and two frogs).

New Member Welcome

Name: Sarah McGee

Current Position: Sarah joins Northlich as a senior account manager in the brand engagement agency’s health and wellness village. In this role, Sarah will act as a key day-to-day client contact, providing ongoing counsel and overseeing the development and execution of campaigns.

Previous Experience: A windy city transplant, Sarah previously served as a senior account executive in GolinHarris’ health care group where she conceptualized and launched award winning brand and disease awareness campaigns on behalf of several pharmaceutical clients. Sarah also previously worked as an associate producer at WCNC 6 News in Charlotte, N.C.

Education: Sarah received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Wake Forest University.

In her free time, Sarah enjoys exploring Cincinnati, including its restaurants and fitness offerings.

Name: Kate Beebe

Current Position: Kate Beebe joins Northlich as an account manager.

Previous Experience: Kate built a strong marketing base at PR powerhouse Edelman in Chicago. Whether coordinating an influencer program for the Dove Real Beauty Campaign or wrangling celebrities to attend an AXE party, Kate fine-tuned her expertise in special events, social media and crisis communications. Upon her move to the Powers Agency in Cincinnati, Kate played an integral role in providing strategic communications support to a wide range of clients throughout the restaurant, banking and non-profit industries.

Education: Kate received a Bachelor's degree in Integrated Strategic Communications from the University of Kentucky and is currently working on her MBA at Northern Kentucky University.

Twitter handle: @katelbeebe

Name: Jessie Folmar

Current position: Jessie serves as Public Relations Manager at Messer Construction Co. Jessie is responsible for company-wide public relations, corporate communications and social media. Messer is a commercial construction manager and general contractor providing leadership for complex building projects.

Previous experience: Jessie has more than seven years of public relations and marketing experience in the hospitality and retail industries. She began her career with the Cincinnati USA Convention & Visitors Bureau, where she managed internal and external communications, media relations and marketing for nearly five years. In 2009 she joined Luxottica to manage national and local, consumer-focused public relations for LensCrafters and lend counsel to the company’s other optical and sun brands.

Education: Jessie received a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication – Public Relations from Miami University.

Jessie and her husband, Rob, reside in Kings Mills with their two cats. In her free time she enjoys reading, movie/TV marathons, planning her next beach vacation, spoiling her nieces and nephews, and, last but not least, pinning sprees on Pinterest.

Twitter handle: @jessiefolmar

Job Bank – Featured Career Opportunity

Public Relations Manager at Newport Aquarium

Newport Aquarium is seeking an experienced Public Relations Manager to develop, implement and direct its media relations, social media and community relations efforts. This position is responsible for all day-to-day PR activities for Newport Aquarium – as well as its sister operation Ride the Ducks Newport - including determining newsworthy items, brand and promotional support, timely Facebook updates and responses, as well as the development of timelines and distribution of press releases.

For more details and other open positions, please visit the PRSA Job Bank.

Want to publish your open position or post your resume? Please contact Maureen Richmond, job bank coordinator, at maureenrichmond@ymail.com or (513) 362-4546.

Maureen Richmond, APR

Job Bank Chair

Past PR Visions Issues