Top 10 New Year's Resolutions for FPRA Treasure Coast

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

Some people hate them, others love them…New Year’s Resolutions. I personally love New Year’s Resolutions, but keeping them can be challenging. Most resolutions involve losing weight, spending more time with friends and family, learning something new or quitting an old habit. Unlike personal resolutions, the Treasure Coast Chapter of FPRA has its own set of goals still ahead of us. It is hard to believe that we are only a few months into this membership year with so many professional development opportunities yet to come.

Top 10 resolutions for 2009 for the Treasure Coast Chapter of FPRA

10. Surpass the 83 members goal
9. Celebrate our 25th anniversary at the Sunrise Theatre in beautiful, historic downtown Fort Pierce
8. Continue the exciting monthly programs with over 50 attendees each month
7. Arrange Community Service Program at Martin County High School and present Indian River Council professional development seminar
6. Host spectacular Local Image Awards event with over 75 guests
5. Host highly-successful Media Conference with over 200 attendees
4. Schedule, test and pass at least one candidate each for APR and CPRC
3. Promote our Chapter throughout the Treasure Coast as the premier public relations association in the region
2. Present at least three scholarships to annual conference to deserving members and send record number of attendees to annual conference

And last but not least…drum roll please….

1. Win the Florida Public Relations Association’s Chapter of the Year! (wink, smile!)

Thinking back to our Installation Ceremony, I want to remind you that YOU are an IMPORTANT piece of the FPRA Treasure Coast Chapter puzzle and we can’t reach any of our goals without YOU! Please add “Participating, volunteering or attending FPRA Treasure Coast Chapter events!” to your list of New Year’s Resolutions for 2009. It’s an easy resolution to keep and one that will help you become a better public relations professional at the same time!

I wish each of you a prosperous, safe and healthy new year! See you in 2009!
Linette

Happy Holidays!

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

Congratulations to FPRA State President Lanette Hart, APR, CPRC on the arrival of her new baby boy Philip Alexander Mallory Hart. He arrived on Thursday, December 11 at 6:48 a.m. He weighed 7 lbs., 7 oz. and is 19 ¾ inches long. Mom and baby are doing well.

Farewell to Debi Malcomson, our Chapter's Treasurer! She leaves us this week to move out of state. We wish her the best of luck on her new endeavor and hope she'll keep in touch. We welcome Lisa Swyryn in as our new Treasurer! Thanks, Lisa, for accepting the position of Treasurer mid-year!

Image Awards Tips from Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC
As mentioned last week, it’s time to review the requirements of the two-page summary. The judges see the two-page summary before they review the supplemental materials in the booklets and the summaries carry with them 70% of the scoring.

Here are the principles of the R.A.C.E. formula that we all use everyday:

4. Research / Situation Analysis: Why did you do this project? What did you consider before establishing goals, tactics and evaluations? What occurred that helped you to identify a problem, a target audience and eventually a strategy. Research can be formal or informal. The judges need background of the problem or issue in this section. It can’t just be that your boss said to do the project. Setting up the situation makes the goals and objectives fall into place easier.

5. Objectives: What are your goals? What are your objectives? What will you hope to accomplish by doing this project? This is the section that concentrates on quantitative not qualitative. The judges are looking for specifics that will hopefully come about when the project is completed, such as increasing your membership by 50%, or collecting $200,000 from a special fundraising event, or gaining $25,000 in FREE publicity.

6. Implementation: This is the action plan. What steps will you take to accomplish these goals? Establishing a communications plan, a budget, a special event, a newsletter, and other items are all tactics to obtain the results of the project.

7. Evaluation: Did you increase attendance? Did you earn $200,000 in donations? Did you gain free publicity? In other words, the evaluation must spell out what you accomplished. This section is directly connected to the Objectives. In the Objectives, you spell out what you want to accomplish. In the Evaluation, you show you accomplished it.

8. Budget: This year there are new requirements for the budget section of the summary and below is the new requirements for this section. Explain the financial outlay required for development, implementation and evaluation of this program or tool. (Reporting staff time agency/corporation/non-profit/government should be expressed in a total dollar amount for the entire number of hours. Hourly rates, salaries or total number of hours are not necessary.) Explain how these expenses relate to the project’s success.

Next week, we’ll take a look at the requirements for the booklet.

Treasure Coast Ad Fed Announces Call for Entries for the 2009 ADDY Awards
The Treasure Coast Advertising Federation has announced its Call for Entries for the organization’s 2009 ADDY Awards competition. The awards recognize exceptional advertising created in the Treasure Coast market, including print, broadcast, out-of-home and public service advertising. To be eligible for consideration, all work must have been published or aired between January 1 and December 31, 2008. Entries can be dropped off at the Palm Beach Post Building on Kanner Highway in Stuart, Florida on January 9, 2009 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. All entries must be received on or before that day. Single entry fees are $57 for Ad Fed members and $114 for non-members; campaign entries are $72 for members and $144 for non-members. Students can also enter their advertising creative in the student portion of the ADDY competition; the student fee is $20. For information on submitting your entry prior to January 9, contact Ad Fed President Gail Goldy at 772-223-2333. Entry rules and categories are online at http://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Etreasurecoastadfed%2Ecom&urlhash=idby&_t=disc_detail_link .

The Treasure Coast ADDY Awards Competition is the first tier of a three-tier national competition conducted annually by the American Advertising Federation. The ADDY Awards, which recognize excellence in advertising, are the world’s largest advertising competition. Treasure Coast ADDY Awards winners will be honored at a formal dinner gala on March 14, 2009 at the Willoughby Golf Club. Winners are eligible to compete in the second tier of the competition at the district level. The district winners are then eligible for the ultimate competition, the national ADDY, presented in June.

Finally, I wish you all a very happy holiday season! May you enjoy a relaxing and blessed time with your friends, family and loved ones!

Linette

It's Beginning to Feel A Lot Like Christmas!

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

The Christmas and Holiday spirit was with the Treasure Coast Chapter of FPRA during the Ultimate Holiday Mixer last week. Thanks to all who attended ~ it was so much fun to share the season with our friends and colleagues from the Treasure Coast AdFed and the Association of Fundraising Professionals! A wonderful time was had by all and we collected over $350 for the Treasure Coast Food Bank. The Port St. Lucie Civic Center was a beautiful venue, the food was fabulous and the specialty drinks (see photo!) were full of holiday fun! A special thank you to Bryan Beaty, Judy Cruz and Robin Delgado for their efforts in organizing this fantastic event!

Twenty-five tips for Image Awards
Last week, I introduced the “25 tips for Image Awards” sent in by Image Awards Committee member Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC. Here are tips number 2 & 3:

Now that you’ve reviewed your 2008 projects and selected the entry category, it’s time to begin thinking about the next steps in preparing an Image Award entry.

2. Two-Page Summary: This is the primary narrative needed to explain the project, its objectives, its action plan, and its evaluation. Start thinking how you developed the project, what your objectives were and what tactics you coordinated to get it completed. Then review the results or evaluation of how well the project worked.

The final step in the summary is the budget, which has new requirements this year. Those will be spelled out in later Image Award “tips.”

3. Format of the Two-Page Summary: Your summary can ONLY be two pages and should be on 8 ½ by 11 paper, one inch margins all around, double spaced. It should be typed in a WORD document, Times New Roman font and a minimum of 10 point type. The topics to be discussed should be identified in the narrative: Research, Objectives, Implementation, Evaluation and Budget.

Next week, we’ll begin to review the individual topics in the two-page summary. Remember, the judges place 70% of the scoring on the two-page summary. If your summary is more than two pages, the extra pages will be removed from the entry, which means the entry will be missing one or more of the topics. The judges can disqualify your entry for not meeting these specifications.

The 2009 Image Awards entry requirements are available at
www.fpratreasurecoast.com.

Finally, congratulations to Lauren Anderson on the birth of her 3rd son, Liam, last Monday! Lauren is the Marketing Director for Stuart Cardiology Group and serves on the Programs Committee for the Treasure Coast Chapter of FPRA. She was kind enough to share the following information about him and a photo of baby Liam at 10-minutes-old!

Liam Alfred Anderson
Born: 12-08-08
Time: 2:58 PM
Weight: 7 lbs. 15 oz.
Length: 20”

According to mom, both Liam and mom are doing well and “resting” at home.

Have a great week!
Linette

It's Time to Mix & Mingle Like Kris Kringle!

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

Tomorrow is our Ultimate Holiday Mixer from 4-7 p.m. at the NEW Port St. Lucie Civic Center. Thank you to all who have RSVP’d online and to all of those who have already donated to the Treasure Coast Food Bank. I understand everyone is very busy during this holiday season, but if you can’t attend the event please consider making a donation to the Food Bank. Any donation, whether large or small, is greatly appreciated and you can still donate online by clicking http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/index.php?template=events&nav=4&event=26 then “RSVP HERE.”

Twenty-five tips for Image Awards
In sixteen weeks, the Treasure Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association will be collecting the 2009 round of Image Awards entries from all of you. The deadline date is Tuesday, March 24, 2009 at 5 p.m.

While that seems a long way off, it is truly just around the corner when you consider the Christmas holidays, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, and lots of other day-to-day assignments coming your way. During these few weeks, the Image Committee wants to provide you with some tips for preparing an Image Award and to encourage you to enter this annual review. It is a great way to validate that you are on the right track with the way you present and develop projects for your business or your clients. A “win” in this awards program also brings a smile to your boss’ or clients’ faces. Now that's what you like to see!!

Here is the first step: Sit down in the next few weeks and write out all of the possible projects that you would like to enter. After all, you don’t have to enter just one!!

Go through each project to determine how strong an entry each would be and then decide on one or more that you could enter and why. Review your objectives and then see if they met your results. That’s how you’ll know you have a great Image Awards project!!

Start those brain cells rolling through your project list NOW!!

Update on the 2009 FPRA Annual Conference Update from the Annual Conference Committee:

PR on F.I.R.E. ~ Foundation, Innovation, Reputation, Education

We know it’s only December, but we hope that you are gearing up for the 71st FPRA Annual Conference in August! Your conference committee is planning the details to make sure that you get the most out of state conference this year. But before the planning goes too far, the committee would like to make sure that we do our research and ask for your feedback. We want to make sure that we are meeting your professional development needs.

Please spend 10 to 15 minutes taking this survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=pHpRth3NK8mJgh4Xhcg4fw_3d_3d. Your opinion and comments are important, so please take the time to complete the survey. Please respond by Friday, December 12.

SAVE THE DATE
Location: Boca Raton Resort and Club, Boca Raton, FL
Date: August 9 – 12, 2009
Registration Fee: $595/person

Have a great week!
Linette

Holiday Happiness!

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

Only one more week until our Ultimate Holiday Mixer on Tuesday, December 9th from 4-7 p.m. at the NEW Port St. Lucie Civic Center. FPRA will join forces with the Treasure Coast Advertising Federation and the Indian River and Treasure Coast Association of Fundraising Professionals to co-host this networking event. Tours of the new Civic Center will be available and Center staff will also be on hand to answer questions about how you can have your next event in this beautiful new facility. We will also take this opportunity to raise funds for the Treasure Coast Food Bank to assist them in serving those in need during this Holiday Season. Staff from the Food Bank will also be on hand to accept a “BIG CHECK.” The media will also be invited to cover this event.

Invitations have already been emailed, so RSVP now by clicking http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/index.php?template=events&nav=4&event=25. Also make your contribution to the Treasure Coast Food Bank online by clicking http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/index.php?template=events&nav=4&event=26 then “RSVP HERE.”

Tomorrow (Dec. 2) at 3:30 p.m., the Board of Directors will meet at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce. Bryan Beaty has reserved Conference Room 210 in the newly renovated Administration Building.

To kick off your holiday season with a laugh, click here and enjoy!
http://elfyourself.jibjab.com/view/R5oVzNzFBYQw814e#/owner/R5oVzNzFBYQw814e

Linette

Thankful for the Opportunity

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

Did you think I forgot about you yesterday? No way! I took the day off to go on a field trip with my son’s class. Since he is in the 3rd grade, I figured it wouldn’t be too much longer that he would not want me to participate in things like that with him ~ so I took advantage of some fun time with him and his classmates!

Given that it’s the week of Thanksgiving, I wanted all of you to know how thankful I am to be serving as your Treasure Coast Chapter president this year. I am meeting a lot of new people, learning many new things and making tons of new friends! I’m thankful for the support and enthusiasm you show me on all of the projects and programs this year.

Thanks to President-Elect Bryan Beaty, AFP and FPRA member Judy Cruz and AdFed and FPRA member Robin Delgado for taking the lead on the Holiday Mixer! Ring in the Holiday Season at the Treasure Coast’s Ultimate Holiday Mixer on Tuesday, December 9th from 4-7 p.m. at the NEW Port St. Lucie Civic Center. FPRA will join forces with the Treasure Coast Advertising Federation and the Indian River and Treasure Coast Association of Fundraising Professionals to co-host this networking event. Tours of the new Civic Center will be available and Center staff will also be on hand to answer questions about how you can have your next event in this beautiful new facility. We will also take this opportunity to raise funds for the Treasure Coast Food Bank to assist them in serving those in need during this Holiday Season. Staff from the Food Bank will also be on hand to accept a “BIG CHECK.” The media will also be invited to cover this event.

Invitations have already been emailed, so RSVP now by clicking http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/index.php?template=events&nav=4&event=25. Also make your contribution to the Treasure Coast Food Bank online by clicking http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/index.php?template=events&nav=4&event=26 then “RSVP HERE.”

A very special thank you to Jennifer Fleming Moore for designing the beautiful invitation for the Holiday Mixer!

On Tuesday, Dec. 2 at 3:30 p.m., we will have a Board meeting at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce. Board members, please make sure your calendars are marked for this quarterly meeting.

If you are a football fan and like this view (and who doesn't like a view of Tim Tebow?), then you will want to mark your calendars for the FPRA Annual Conference on August 9-12 in Boca Raton. Bryan Beaty, President-Elect, won tickets to sit in the President’s Box at the University of Florida vs. The Citadel football game at last year’s FPRE Education Foundation fundraiser. Prizes like these are always available on the silent and live auction.

I wish you all a blessed and Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy your time with family and friends!

Linette

Time Flies When You're Having Fun!

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

Time sure flies when you are having fun and these weeks sure fly by quickly! I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s monthly business meeting here in Stuart. I hope to see many of you as we hear from Alexis Walkenstein, Director of Communications for the Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach. She will share her story of “How Public Relations Played a Role in the Elections” from the Catholic Church’s perspective.

There's still time to renew your FPRA membership! The membership renewal period officially ended on October 31. If you have not renewed your membership by the end of November, you will no longer receive member services. On December 31, 2008, your name will officially be removed from the rolls and you will incur a $25 late fee to reinstate your membership. As incentive to retain members this year, the State launched a promotion called “Invest in Yourself.” There is no better time to “Invest in Yourself” than during a tough economy. And now FPRA is going to reward you for renewing your FPRA membership and “Investing in Yourself!” By renewing now, you will be eligible to win Travelocity dollars, FPRA “bucks” and Visa “cash.”

It is with a sad heart that I have to announce we are losing our Treasurer, Debi Malcomson. Debi was our Rising Star Award recipient last year and has done an outstanding job with our financials. At the end of the year, Debi is moving to Virginia to be with “the love of her life” and she will be sorely missed by all of us at FPRA. I hope you will join me in wishing Debi the best of luck and happy trails in her new adventure! By the way, that means we are on the lookout for a new Treasurer. I am happy to take nominations, referrals and volunteers. Please don’t make me beg!! :-)

It is my pleasure to announce that FPRA Immediate Past President Suzanne Sparling, APR, will be the Treasure Coast Chapter liaison. Suzanne is a long-time member of the Space Coast Chapter and a former president. She has served at the state level for six years now in various VP, President-Elect and President positions. She is definitely a valuable resource for our chapter and someone who is always willing to lend a helping hand.

While we plan an article in our newsletter about Suzanne, please know that in her everyday work, she is the VP/Investor Relations for United Way of Brevard County, a mom for two young sons and is currently working on her master’s degree at University of Central Florida. Talk about energy! Hope she’ll share some of that with us!! Thanks, Suzanne, for signing up for your neighboring chapter.

Just a reminder that it’s never too early to start thinking of silent and LIVE auction items for the annual FPR Education Foundation fundraiser at annual conference 2009. We don’t need the gifts until summer, but as you get ideas drifting through your heads and onto your holiday lists, there might be something there that would make a great auction item. Get in touch with Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC, to let her know about any ideas. Don’t forget some of your vendors, sponsors and friends have great items as well.

One last item…FPRA, AdFed and AFP will join forces to mix and mingle holiday style at the newly opened Port St. Lucie City Center on Tuesday, December 9th from 4-7 p.m. This event will be a fundraiser for the Treasure Coast Food Bank.

Thank you and have a wonderful week!
Linette

Invest in Yourself!!

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

Bryan Beaty, President-Elect, Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC, Immediate Past President and I attended the State Board meeting in Palm Coast on Saturday and I’m please to announce that State President Lanette Hart, APR, CPRC, had us highlight this blog as a “Best Practice” at the Chapter level.

Hurry! There is still time to renew your FPRA membership! The Treasure Coast Chapter is one of nine Chapters in the State reach the 50% mark (50.47% to be exact) for membership renewal. If you haven’t renewed yet, you can expect to receive phone calls from us to find out why! Just a reminder, the membership renewal period officially ended on October 31. If you have not renewed your membership by the end of November, you will not receive member services. On December 31, 2008, your name will officially be removed from the rolls and you will incur a $25 late fee to reinstate your membership. According to the 2008 FPRA Benchmark survey, the No. 1 reason people join FPRA is YOU! Existing members are the main reason others join, so when renewing your membership, consider inviting a friend!

If you need another incentive to renew now, the State is launching a promotion called “Invest in Yourself.” Invest in Yourself is designed to encourage our current members to renew before they are purged from the rosters on December 31st! There is no better time to “Invest in Yourself” than during a tough economy. And now FPRA is going to reward you for renewing your FPRA membership and Investing in Yourself! By renewing now, you will be eligible to win Travelocity dollars, FPRA “bucks” and Visa “cash.”

**REMINDER** The regularly scheduled November program is Tuesday, November 18th. Be sure NOT to show up at my office tomorrow, as we will NOT be here! I’m very pleased and excited to announce that we have an outstanding speaker for the November 18th meeting. Within the theme of “How Did Public Relations Play a Role in the Elections?,” our speaker, Alexis Walkenstein, Director of Communications for the Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach, will focus her presentation on Issues Advocacy and how the efforts of the Diocese and the Catholic Church ~ in order to not lose their 501c3 status ~ can not promote any candidate in any election. Therefore, they must use only public relations strategies to promote their stance on any issue. This year, the Diocese faced issues including pro-life, same sex marriage, stem cell research and death penalty questions. Alexis will share with us her strategies and tactics on collaboration and partnerships with state, federal and local agencies to get the word out to voters. This is a story you do not want to miss! The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. at the South Florida Water Management District’s Martin/St. Lucie Service Center located at 780 SE Indian Street in Stuart. And, if you need yet another reason to attend, Dragonfly Café will cater our meeting this month and in January! Deadline to RSVP online is this Friday, November 14. Make your reservations online now at http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/ or call Programs Chairman Cara Perry at (772) 873-3339 or e-mail her at ccarlton@fau.edu. Remember, the price for the monthly program is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.

At the State Board meeting, we heard a couple of great presentations from the Executive Committee members. Vice President of Accreditation and Certification Jeff Nall, APR, CPRC, gave us information on a “kinder, gentler” CPRC exam and process. If you are considering sitting for your CPRC this year, please let me know and I’ll get you all the information you need to know. Also, Vice President of Golden Image Rachel Smith, APR, CPRC, provided us an update on the Image Awards noting that both the Local and Golden Image Awards have moved into the 21st Century! Some of the categories have been updated, changed and created to reflect the new media that we use to communicate our messages including blogs, podcasts and e-newsletters. Once I receive the information from the State, I’ll be sure to pass it along to you so you can start preparing those award winning applications!

Member Notes:

Congratulations to Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC, on her recent opportunity to interview Caroline Kennedy at the Get Out The Vote Rally in Port St. Lucie on behalf of WQCS 88.9 FM.

Congratulations to Stacy Ranieri, The Firefly Group, on her recent spotlight in the Treasure Coast Moms Newsletter. Stacy was featured as the very first “Momspiration!” http://www.treasurecoastmoms.com/blogs/2679

Congratulations to Kherri Anderson, Martin County Supervisor of Elections, on the successful election in Martin County last week. Kherri and her co-workers won a Golden Image Award both this year and last.

Congratulations to Fort Pierce Police Department Public Information Officer Audria Moore on her appointment to the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities.

Congratulations to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Stuart Cardiology and Helping People Succeed for their recent selection as Best Places to Work in both St. Lucie and Martin Counties! FPRA members Mark Weinberg, Lauren Anderson and Dale Kostakos are employees of these organizations.

Thank you and have a wonderful week!
Linette

Big Changes...Exciting Times!

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

This is an exciting time for us all! The nation is about to elect a new President, we are nearly half way to our membership goal and the Florida Gators crushed the Georgia Bulldogs! Ahhh, life is good! :-)

We are still trying to confirm a wonderful speaker for our November program, but we promise your patience will pay off. So…please RSVP now for the November 18th monthly program focusing on Government Relations ~ “How Did Public Relations Play a Role in the Elections?” Thankfully, the elections will be “history” at that point; therefore the program will examine how our profession played a key role in shaping perceptions and opinions for local, state and federal elections and voter turnout. This event will be held at the South Florida Water Management District’s Martin/St. Lucie Service Center located at 780 SE Indian Street in Stuart. You can make your reservations online now at http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/ or by calling Programs Chairman Cara Perry at (772) 873-3339 or e-mail at ccarlton@fau.edu. Remember, beginning in November, the price for the monthly program is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.

Bryan Beaty, President-Elect, Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC, Immediate Past President and I will be attending the FPRA State Board meeting this Friday and Saturday in Palm Coast. The meeting will be hosted by the Volusia/Flagler Chapter and we will have the opportunity to share our successes with the other Chapters and learn about some of their exciting events and programs so far this year. I’ll give you a complete recap next week.

Adrienne attended last month’s Gold Coast PR Council monthly meeting and had this information to share with us: Presenting at the October meeting were Palm Beach Post Assistant Managing Editor Rick Christie, South Florida Business Journal editor Jeff Zabar, Lynn University Public Information Officer Jason Hughes and Tracy Tilson of Tilson Public Relations. They provided a series of tips related to new procedures since many reporters/contacts are no longer working at area newspapers. Below is a summary of those tips:

• Web, web, web, audio, video and photography - Become familiar with all of these techniques to better serve your clients and to provide access of events to local media. Post high resolution jpegs or videos online and reporters can transfer directly from your website. Putting high resolution in an attachment bogs down the entire email system. Reporters are learning to go to websites.


• Get your own You Tube account and start thinking about tips your clients can provide in short video clips, with updates, and post on their website. Use this video technique for announcements and other information.


• Topics of interest for pitches: Health, Green, Mommy things, Entertainment and the Economy. The Post suggested these topics, while the Business Journal was interested in more traditional business topics, the economy, and unique projects that might benefit businesses.


• If you use a blog, identify yourself and reveal why you are blogging, such as presenting a product, discussing issues related to a product or service. Blogs are synonymous with grassroots campaigns. It is better to put your reasons up front than have bloggers find out later. Several people in the audience said they were getting many more page views since they started blogs.

In case you missed it, the November edition of The Pro is hot off the “presses.” Thanks to Misti Guertin, APR, and Sarah Starr for their efforts and determination in developing and producing such an awesome newsletter!

Finally, congratulations to Laura Kelley, APR, Chairman of the Indian River Council, as she wrapped up the four-part Public Relations Professional Development series in Vero Beach on October 29. In partnership with the Cultural Council of Indian River County, the community service project was a complimentary series aimed at bringing a basic understanding of the value of PR using the RACE formula. Also, a special thanks to our presenters: Bev Paris of Paris Productions; Pat Austin-Novak, APR, of Pat Austin Consulting; and Anne Satterlee, APR, CPRC, of the City of Fort Pierce.

Be sure to vote (if you haven’t already) and have a wonderful week!
Linette

All Alone in the Blogosphere

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast Chapter!

Why hasn't anyone been brave enough to comment on this blog? I’m starting to feel lonely out here in the blogosphere. Some of you have e-mailed me directly, but feel free to comment. We all might learn something from it! :-)

There were a couple of interesting articles in this weekend’s Palm Beach Post related to public relations and the media. I thought I’d pass them along to you. Thank you to Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC for pointing out the first article.

Public Relations jobs continue to thrive in a variety of businesses
http://hotjobs.palmbeachpost.com/resources/stories/jobs_pr_main.html

Post, Scripps papers share some stories
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/business/content/business/epaper/2008/10/26/a7f_sharing2_1027.html

As a follow up to our very successful October program on blogging, Facebook and LinkedIn, the Treasure Coast Chapter now has a group set up in both Facebook and LinkedIn. Feel free to check out the groups and become a member of each. We'd love to have you join!

http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1034807&trk=hb_side_g

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=35757026484

The November 18th monthly program focusing on Government Relations ~ “How Did Public Relations Play a Role in the Elections?” We are still trying to finalize our speaker, as our first confirmed presenter had to cancel. However, with the elections behind us at that point, the program will examine how our profession played a key role in shaping perceptions and opinions for local, state and federal elections and voter turnout. This event will be held at the South Florida Water Management District’s Martin/St. Lucie Service Center located at 780 SE Indian Street in Stuart. You can make your reservations online now at http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/ or by calling Programs Chairman Cara Perry at (772) 873-3339 or e-mail at ccarlton@fau.edu. Remember, beginning in November, the price for the monthly program is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.

Over the past month or so, I’ve been trying to notice if any of our FPRA members have been pictured or mentioned in the local newspapers. I am sure I’ve missed some, but here are a few that have caught my attention! The October 2nd edition of the Indiantown News had a lovely article about Habitat for Humanity of Martin County with a photo featuring new member Tracy Henke of First Bank and Trust of Indiantown as a tax credit sponsor. The cover of the October 6th Palm Beach Post Notable section featured a photo with Kendall Clifford of The Firefly Group on it promoting the Le Bal Masque supporting United for Families. That same issue featured a photo of Judy Cruz promoting the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ National Philanthropy Day reception. Also on October 6th, “Luminaries Seen At…” featured the FAU Football Kickoff event with a photo of Programs Chair Cara Carlton Perry, Treasure Coast Campus University Relations Director. The October 13th edition of Luminaries again spotlighted the AFP National Philanthropy Day reception with another photo of Judy Cruz. The Sunday, October 19 Scripps Treasure Coast Newspaper featured a nice article on Romina Colombo, new account executive at BB Jones Communications. And finally, the October 20th edition of Luminaries featured Louise Murtaugh, Executive Director for Molly’s House, and news of her recent newsletter award, as well as Lauren Anderson, Marketing Director for Stuart Cardiology, on news about the staff’s participation in the Lee National Denim Day. Great work and wonderful community news by all! If you see one of your fellow FPRA members featured in any publication, feel free to forward the information to me as I would hate to miss something very important! Thanks.

Have a great week!
Linette

One More Tool in the Communications Toolbox

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

What an exciting program we had last week! Nearly 60 people attended the LinkedIn, Blogging and FaceBook for Dummies event held last Tuesday at the Schreiber Center in St. Lucie West. Felonice Margasak, Scott Samples and Bryan Beaty each did an outstanding job, especially considering they each had only 15 minutes to give an overview and breakdown on the topics they covered. The presenters showed how to create a profile, join groups and promote themselves and their organizations while controlling the message they need to get out. As Scott Samples so aptly said, “It’s just one more tool in the communications tool box!”

After the meeting, Erick Gill, St. Lucie County PIO and Communications Chairman, e-mailed me this link on using YouTube to reach a demographic not necessarily reading the newspaper or watching television news. Check it out!
http://www.naco.org/CountyNewsTemplate.cfm?template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=28625

Also, Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC, Immediate Past President, forwarded a story on NPR called, “The Calculated Risk of Blogging.” From NPR: Every time bloggers hit publish they risk being sued for copyright infringement, invasion of privacy or defamation. While the risk seems small, groups like the Media Bloggers Association say frivolous lawsuits are chilling free speech in the blogosphere. So MBA founder Robert Cox has helped start insurance for bloggers in an attempt to protect against costly litigation. http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2008/10/03/06

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the November 18th monthly program focusing on Government Relations ~ “How Did Public Relations Play a Role in the Elections?” We are still trying to finalize our speaker, as our first confirmed presenter had to cancel. However, with the elections behind us at that point, the program will examine how our profession played a key role in shaping perceptions and opinions for local, state and federal elections and voter turnout. This event will be held at the South Florida Water Management District’s Martin/St. Lucie Service Center located at 780 SE Indian Street in Stuart. You can make your reservations online now at http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/ or by calling Programs Chairman Cara Perry at (772) 873-3339 or e-mail at ccarlton@fau.edu. Remember, beginning in November, the price for the monthly program is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.

Deck the halls and put on your Santa caps, FPRA, AdFed and AFP will join forces to mix and mingle holiday style at the newly opened Port St. Lucie City Center on Tuesday, December 9th from 4-7 p.m. Stay tuned for more details!

A special Thank You goes to Laura Kelley, APR, Chairman of the Indian River Council, who will conclude the Council’s four-part Professional Development Series on Wednesday, October 29 in Vero Beach. In partnership with the Cultural Council of Indian River County, this community service project is a complimentary series aimed at bringing a basic understanding of the value of PR using the RACE formula. Additionally, special thanks to the FPRA professionals who presented during the series including Laura Kelley, APR, Bev Paris, Pat Austin-Novak, APR, CPRC and Anne Satterlee.

Have a great week!
Linette

Life After 40!

Hello and Happy Monday!

Well, I guess there is life at “40” (I celebrated the big day yesterday!) and I am very excited to let you know that our monthly meeting, scheduled for tomorrow, over 40 people are planning to attend! That is almost double our normal attendance! A timely topic, fantastic presenters, exceptional promotion and excellent coordination all helped build the number of attendees and I want to thank all who have helped promote and organize this meeting. See you tomorrow!

**BREAKING NEWS** The Board of Directors understands that this is tough economic times for everyone ~ whether private, non-profit or government ~ everyone is feeling the financial pinch. In an effort to make that financial burden less, the Board voted to lower the price of monthly business meetings ~ without lowering the quality of speakers or lunches! Beginning in November, the price for the monthly program is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. The Board is researching other cost-cutting measures for the membership this year, all the while, raising the level of service and professionalism offered. How exciting is that?!?

Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the November 18th monthly program focusing on Government Relations ~ “How Did Public Relations Play a Role in the Elections?” With the elections behind us at that point, the program will examine how our profession played a key role in shaping perceptions and opinions for local, state and federal elections and voter turnout. This event will be held at the South Florida Water Management District’s Martin/St. Lucie Service Center located at 780 SE Indian Street in Stuart. You can make your reservations online now at http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/ or by calling Programs Chairman Cara Perry at (772) 873-3339 or e-mail at ccarlton@fau.edu.

It’s hard to believe the Holidays are upon us…but be sure and mark your calendars for the ultimate holiday mixer on Tuesday, December 9th from 4:30-7 p.m. when FPRA, AdFed and the Association of Fundraising Professionals join forces to mix and mingle holiday style at the newly opened Port St. Lucie City Center. Watch this blog and newsletter for additional information and details. Thanks to Bryan Beaty, President-Elect, for coordinating this event.

It’s never too early to start planning for the 2009 FPRA Annual Conference and the Annual Conference Committee is already hard at work preparing for the event. Karen Smittle, APR, Annual Conference Chair, has sent the following information that I’d like to share with you regarding the 2009 FPRA Annual Conference.

Location: Boca Raton Resort and Club, Boca Raton, Florida
Date: August 9–12, 2009
Registration Fee: $595/person

The hotel set up a web site for our conference (2009 FPRA Annual Conference Reservations), so you can begin registering now! Room prices are tiered, starting as low as $145/night. By the way, if you make your reservations now, one night will be charged on this year’s budget if you'd like to spread the cost out over 2008 and 2009. Just an idea to pass along to your employers.

We’ve already secured our first speaker, Peter Shankman, creator of HARO (Help A Reporter Out). Peter provides PR professionals with a list of stories that reporters are researching so the PR people can pitch to the reporters. His current readership is 33,000 PR professionals! Check him out at www.shankman.com.

Also, from our Immediate Past President, Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC:
The Treasure Coast Chapter will be coordinating the annual Florida Public Relations (FPR) Education Foundation fundraiser at annual conference this year. The fundraiser is on Monday, August 10, 2009 at the Boca Resort in Boca Raton. The 2008 conference raised $15,500, with $10,000 coming from the fundraiser and $5,500 being donated throughout the year by individual FPRA chapters.

The job for our chapter is to find auction items, especially unique ones. At this point, we need a few chapter members to serve on the committee, to be chaired by Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC. The annual conference committee is using the theme “PR on FIRE” and hopefully, we can come up with something related to that theme. Please notify Adrienne if you’d like to help out at (772) 341-3845 or adrienne.moore7@gmail.com.

Have a great week!
Linette

A Message from the Cruise Director

Good morning Treasure Coast,

Fresh from my cruise on the Disney Wonder, I feel like the FPRA Treasure Coast Chapter's Cruise Director. Navigating through membership renewals, monthly professional development programs and communication efforts, it is an exciting and interesting voyage that I am pleased to be on with all of you. And sometimes, like the photo, I just feel like Goofy ~ see the next paragraph for more information on that!

In our excitement and eagerness to plan the year’s programs and other events, we failed to notice that the November program was scheduled on Veterans Day. As many people will be off for the day and it’s just plain unpatriotic, we’ve rescheduled the November program to the following week. It is now scheduled for Tuesday, November 18th at my office in Stuart. The program is focusing on “How Public Relations Played a Role in the Elections?” With the elections over, the program will examine how our profession played a key role in shaping perceptions and opinions for local, state and federal elections and voter turnout. This event will be held at the South Florida Water Management District’s Martin/St. Lucie Service Center located at 780 SE Indian Street in Stuart.

There is still time to register for the October 14th program as well ~ Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogging for Dummies! Make your reservations and pay online now at http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/ or by calling the Programs Chairman Cara Perry at (772) 873-3339 or e-mail at ccarlton@fau.edu.

A quick reminder about the newsletter…if you have anything to submit, please do so as soon as possible to Sarah Starr of the VNA in Vero. Her e-mail address is sstarr@vnatc.com.

Congratulations to Dale Kostakos, of Helping People Succeed, for making the September 29th edition of Luminaries’ “In the Limelight” featuring the 2009 Art for Living Calendar. Also, congratulations to Joyce Levi, the Emerson Center’s liaison to the Florida Humanities Council, who was pictured in Luminaries for her work on the speakers’ series.

Our Immediate Past President, Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC, has joined the Gold Coast PR Council in West Palm Beach. Their monthly meetings may be of interest to some of our members who work in Palm Beach or Martin Counties, so I am passing along their information. The Tuesday, October 21st meeting is called: URGENT CHALLENGES: How PR Professionals Can Survive & Thrive in a Rapidly Changing Media Market. It’s a panel discussion moderated by Jeff Zbar, columnist for the South Florida Business Journal and panelists include: Rick Christie, Assistant Managing Editor of The Palm Beach Post; Jason Hughes, Director of Media Relations at Lynn University; and Tracy Tilson, President of Tilson PR. Additionally, they will distribute a new list of “Who Now Covers What” from the Palm Beach Post and Sun-Sentinel. Times, locations and cost can be found on their website: http://www.blogger.com/www.goldcoastprcouncil.com.

Have a great week!
Linette

Watching the Pieces Fall Into Place

Good morning Treasure Coast,

Thanks for all the patience and kind feedback last week while attempting to launch the blog. I guess the third time was the charm!

As you saw last week, not only did we launch the blog we distributed the first Chapter newsletter of the year. Thanks so much to Misti Guertin, APR, of Regan Communications and Erick Gill of St. Lucie County for their efforts in getting out the newsletter. Misti redesigned the entire newsletter and did a beautiful job. The feedback from the membership ~ and from the FPRA Executive Committee and State Board members ~ was fantastic. We are well on our way to Chapter of the Year! I can feel it…the enthusiasm and teamwork is outstanding! If you missed seeing the newsletter, check it out on our website: http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/. Feel free to submit information by October 1 to Sarah Starr of VNA at sstarr@vnatc.com for the next issue.

On another communications note, the Chapter made the business section of the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers on Saturday, Sept. 20th thanks to the efforts of our Communications Chairman Erick Gill and his fellow committee member Mark Weinberg of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office. So far, this duo has written and released three press releases for the Chapter. I suspect we’ll be seeing more and more coverage in the media regarding our events and projects. Way to go guys! The Chapter was also recognized and congratulated during the morning news on WQCS 88.9 FM on Wednesday, Sept. 24th thanks to the efforts of Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC.

The Board held a Strategic Planning meeting on Friday and made some ambitious plans for this year. Thanks to the Board Members who participated and shared their ideas and efforts for our Chapter.

Membership renewals are underway. Our new Membership Chair, Nancy McCarthy, APR, has set a Chapter goal of 83 members this year. We reached our goal of 75 members last year, and with determination and persistence, I'm sure we can reach this ambitious goal. If you know of a potential member, please forward the information to Nancy at nsmccarthy@yahoo.com and she will follow up.

In an effort to bring the Chapter to a new level of professionalism and continuity, we’ve opened a P.O. Box in Stuart. The new address is FPRA-Treasure Coast, P.O. BOX 2678, Stuart, FL 34995. Thanks to Debi Malcomson, Riverside Bank, for coordinating this effort.

Congratulations to Krista Garofalo, director of communications and marketing, and Judy Cruz, vice president of resource development of the United Way of St. Lucie County. They made the Monday, Sept. 22nd edition of the Palm Beach Post’s Notables showcasing the United Way’s donation from the St. Lucie Mets! Good job!

Don’t forget to RSVP online for the Oct. 14th monthly business meeting ~ Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogging for Dummies! This should be an exciting and fun event where everyone will get the opportunity to explore the world of social networking as three local public relations professionals share the basics of creating and maintaining a blog, developing a Facebook group, and establishing a LinkedIn profile. Social networking is quickly becoming an effective means of viral marketing and communication that opens the door for increased exposure for you, your business, your clients and your events. The cost is $20 for FPRA members and $25 for non-members. The reservation deadline is Oct. 9. Make your reservations online now at http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/ or by calling Programs Chairman Cara Perry, director of University Relations at FAU Treasure Coast Campus, at (772) 873-3339 or e-mail at ccarlton@fau.edu.

Bryan Beaty, President-Elect, will be in charge of the Chapter this Thursday-Sunday as I will be on a Disney Cruise celebrating the big 4-0 with my family! If you need to reach him, please contact him by e-mail at bbeaty@ircc.edu or at (772) 462-4804. Remember, together we can build a network of professionals and put all the pieces of the puzzle together to form a great Chapter. When we all work together, anything is possible. Thanks for your continued support and enthusiasm.

Have a great week!
Linette

Welcome to FPRA Treasure Coast Chapter's BLOG!

Hello and welcome to my first blog! Like many of you, I've heard about blogging over and over again, but never tried it. I hope you'll enjoy receiving weekly messages from me via this blog and hope this inspires you to try blogging for yourself!

Just a couple of quick items to start off your week, since the Installation Ceremony on Sept. 9th and even before that, many people have been working very hard to make the 2008-09 FPRA Treasure Coast year great. We want to bring VALUE to you, the members, in many different ways. Value for your dollar, value for your time and value for your profession. Together, we can build a network of professionals and put all the pieces of the puzzle together to form a great chapter. The goal for this year is to be Chapter of the Year! If we all work together, anything is possible.

Don't forget to join us for the first professional development opportunity this year for our monthly business meeting on October 14th at the IRSC Schreiber Center in St. Lucie West called, "Facebook, LinkedIn and Blogging for Dummies." Three experienced professionals, Bryan Beaty, Felonice Margasak and Scott Samples, will guide us through this unchartered territory on the web with hands-on experiences and opportunities. You don't want to miss this event! Register and pay online now at http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/.

Speaking of websites, have you checked out your Chapter's website recently? You will be amazed at how wonderful and beautiful it is. Thanks so much to Global Design, Inc. and Linda Probst for all of the hard work that went into this awesome site. Check it out and come back often as new content is constantly being added! This past week, we added photos from the State's Annual Conference and Golden Image Awards Ceremony, the Chapter's Installation Ceremony and the first PR Workshop hosted by the Indian River Council. You'll also find this year's calendar of events, so you can mark your calendars for the entire year and never miss an exciting event hosted by the Chapter.

That's it for now. Have a blogtastic week!

Linette Trabulsy