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| Thursday, September 9, 2010 |
| - In This Issue - |
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March Meeting – Secrets Behind the Iowa Chops
Date: Thursday, March 19
Time: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Location: AllPlay (formerly InPlay)
615 3rd St.
Des Moines, Iowa
Alex Kyrias, Vice President of Communications, will reveal the Iowa Chops' strategy for entering the Iowa market, creating the initial excitement and support, and how they've kept the momentum going. From traditional tactics to out-of-the-box ideas, you'll walk away with fresh insights into stretching your own communications strategy.
Please register online at www.prsaciowa.org. If you have questions about the online registration process, please contact the chapter's treasurer-elect, Jarad Bernstein, at 515-280-2040. |
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Fiscal Year Change
During the February board meeting, chapter leaders voted to approve a bylaw change that would move our chapter’s fiscal year from the current June 1 to May 31 to a more traditional January 1 to December 31.
This change is being directed by the National PRSA Office, as it works to encourage all chapters to operate under a similar fiscal year. Most PRSA chapters have already conformed to this change. Please note that Central Iowa PRSA members will have an opportunity to vote on this proposed bylaw change later this spring.
This proposed change in fiscal year is mostly an administrative update, and will have a minimal impact on our membership at large.
One change is that chapter leaders elected in May 2009 will serve in their positions for 19 months (until December 2010). This extended term is needed to transition the board elections to a January start time. The next round of chapter leader elections will take place in October 2010, with all other future elections also happening in October.
Another change will be moving our day-long annual Institute meeting from spring (April 2009) to a fall (October 2010) event. This is needed so the incoming chapter leaders will have ample time to plan, secure sponsorships and invite quality speakers.
A fiscal year change will help the National Office with many administrative tasks, including ease in communicating with chapter officers and monitoring our chapter’s financial status.
At the chapter level, I believe this change will benefit us as well. One example is that the chapter will begin providing members with programs during the first month of the fiscal year; currently we offer minimal programming during the first three months of our fiscal year.
If you have any questions about this proposed fiscal year change, please feel free to call me at 284-4747 or send me an e-mail at Darin.Leach@ia.usda.gov.
Darin Leach, APR
President, Central Iowa PRSA Chapter |
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Actions Speak Louder than Words: Register Now for Institute
Online registration is now open for the 2009 PRSA Institute, scheduled for Friday, April 10, 2009, at the Methodist Medical Center Education and Research Center. The speaker line-up features the who’s who of social media, including Peter Shankman, founder of “Help a Reporter Out” (HARO). Register, see the full agenda and learn more about this year’s speakers at www.prsaciowa.org. |
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Spring PR Event
Benefiting “Teacher Tools 4 Tomorrow”
All children deserve to have an equal opportunity to learn and should be equipped with the proper materials to maximize their school experience. Every day thousands of Iowa children go to school without the basic supplies necessary for academic success. Things as simple as paper, glue, scissors and even pens and pencils are more than some students’ caregivers can afford.
During the months of March through August, Central Iowa PRSA will be collecting school supplies to benefit Teacher Tools 4 Tomorrow. The organization’s mission is to ensure all students have the proper materials through contributions by the community from surplus supplies and merchandise.
As a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, Teachers Tools 4 Tomorrow provides donated school supplies to eligible Iowa schools, or those with 70 percent or more of their student population on the free/reduced lunch program. Teachers from the selected schools are invited to participate in a free shopping experience at the Teacher Tools 4 Tomorrow store to stock up on much-needed school supplies.
Please join in the effort to support Teacher Tools 4 Tomorrow and donate any gently used or new school supplies by bringing them to our PRSA monthly luncheons or the 2009 Institute. Encourage your offices to participate by holding their own school supply drive and donating the items to Teacher Tools 4 Tomorrow.
In September, the donated items will be delivered on behalf of PRSA members to the Meals from the Heartland event, where donations will also be collected and delivered to Teacher Tools 4 Tomorrow.
Items most in need for donation include:
- Pencils
- Glue
- Pens
- Scissors
- Markers
- Notebook paper
- Crayons
If you have questions about other supplies that may be suitable for collection, please contact Andrea James at 515-223-1383, or Lindsey Maas at 515-284-4444. |
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Receive Free First-Year Chapter Membership with Paid National Membership
Savings Available in March
PRSA is offering new members a free one-year Chapter membership when you join PRSA National at the regular price in March. Those who are new to PRSA, as well as former members who have been inactive for at least one year, are eligible for this offer.
By joining PRSA, you’ll become part of an elite member network of more than 22,000 public relations professionals. As a member of PRSA you’ll receive the following:
- Access to MemberNet – Use this tool to locate PRSA professionals using the member directory, participate in e-groups, and search PRSA’s editorial database.
- Public Relations Strategist and Public Relations Tactics – Receive these quarterly and monthly publications to read up on new developments in our industry.
- Search and Post Jobs – As a member, you have access to a national public relations job bank, as well as the Central Iowa’s job bank, to search for new jobs and post jobs that are available within your organization.
- Professional Development Opportunities – You can choose from a variety of tele-seminars, on-site seminars and conferences, as well as on demand programming, to enhance your public relations skills throughout the year.
To join online, visit www.prsa.org/membership/freechapter.html. Be sure to use the promotion code “CHAP2009” to secure your savings, and select Central Iowa Chapter 025. You can also download an application online or submit a request to Emily Oliver, Membership Chair, at emilyo@iowacreditunions.com. For questions, please contact Emily at 515-221-3015. |
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Spring Social at Café Su
Join the members of PRSA for happy hour at Café Su in Valley Junction on Monday, March 30, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Feel free to bring a friend who may be interested in joining, too! Relax, network and enjoy a spring roll or two (or five) on the chapter. |
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PRSA is on Facebook
Central Iowa PRSA is now part of the Facebook network and would love your support. Our new Facebook page provides information about the society to prospective and current PRSA members. It will also be used to announce upcoming PRSA meetings and events, as well as serve as a place for discussion about current PRSA and public relations topics. If you are currently a Facebook user, please add Central Iowa PRSA to your “Friends” list and to your list of favorite groups.
If you have any questions or would like any additional information added to the PRSA Facebook page, please contact Lindsey Maas at lindsey.maas@ia.usda.gov or 515-284-4444.
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Meet Tamara Kuhn
In this month’s member spotlight podcast, PRSA members are encouraged to learn more about Tamara Kuhn from the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA). Listen to Kuhn describe her role as an Editor Communications Specialist and how she communicates with ISEA’s 34,000 members, as well as some of her personal interests. |
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Happy Anniversary!
In each issue of this newsletter, we will recognize Central Iowa PRSA Chapter members who are celebrating milestone PRSA anniversaries that month. This month, a special congratulations goes to the following individuals:
- Annette Hacker, of Iowa State University – 10 years
- Amelia Hamilton-Morris, of the City of Des Moines – 5 years
- Shelly Perkins, of Wells Fargo – 5 years
- Teresa Roof, of National Pork Board – 5 years
- Kay Rosene, of West Des Moines Community School District – 20 years
- Amy Swenson, of Iowa Energy Center – Iowa State University – 5 years
- Elaine Watkins-Miller, of Iowa Department of Education – 5 years
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