Meet New Yankee Chapter Member Hannah Chauvin!

/in , , , /by

Name, Title, Organization: Hannah Chauvin, Director of Communications (Marketing) and Legislative Affairs, Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery.

Originally from: Morrisville, Vermont

Currently live in: Morrisville, Vermont! (It was a long and winding road back to my hometown)

Work History/Background: I began my professional career as an intern on Capitol Hill, which turned into a nearly 8 year journey and encompassed time in both Senator Patrick Leahy’s personal office, the Senate Appropriations Committee full Committee office, and the Appropriations Legislative Branch and Agriculture subcommittees. I bid the Hill farewell in 2023 to pursue an MBA at INSEAD, where I spent half the year in France and half in Singapore before returning to my home state of Vermont in early 2025. I’m thrilled to currently lead the Communications and Marketing team at the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery, a state agency that operates two distinct consumer-facing brands and enterprise funds that contribute revenue to the State. It’s truly the perfect nexus of business and government, and I use every piece of my academic and professional training every day!

Why I Joined PRSA: I’m new to the (formal) communications space, and am thrilled to connect with other PR professionals, especially as comms grows in recognition as a strategy rather than solely as a function. I have much to learn!

Most Challenging PR Situation I Have Faced: Every day is a fresh new challenge – as a State agency operating two enterprise funds, we manage a lot of different B2B and B2C relationships at the Department-level, and across two consumer-facing brands (802Spirits and Vermont Lottery). Leveraging strategic communications and brand-aligned messaging (and making sure it reflects our distinct entities!) to build relationships with our many audiences means I’m never bored.

Bucket List Trip: Reallllllly hoping to do a horseback tour of either Argentina, Kazakhstan, or Mongolia in the next couple years!

Hobbies/Interests: Sewing, reading, running, hiking with my very sweet pup Clover, traveling… and sending snail mail!

Contact Information: 

Hannah Chauvin – 802 760 0227 (work)
hannah.chauvin@vermont.gov (work)

hcchauvin@gmail.com (personal)

Big Turnout for AI Workshop; Join Us Oct. 16 for Next Event!

/in , , , , , , /by

Southern NH University hosted 50 PR professionals and students at Yankee Chapter’s Interact AI conference on Oct. 6th.  Special thanks to speakers David Humphreys, Dir. of AI Integration, SNHU; Cameron Shilling, Dir. Litigation Dept. & Chair, Cybersecurity & Privacy Group, McLane Middleton and Rebecca Emery, APR, Founder & AI Marketing Advisor, Seacoast AI and lead sponsors SNHU and Easterseals NH/VT.

Please join us for Yankee Chapter’s next event, a joint effort with Boston Chapter PRSA, “The Organizational Statement Dilemma:  React, Respond or Remain Silent?” on Thurs. Oct. 16, 2025, 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA.  This event includes a viewing of the Addison Gallery of Art, a networking dinner and lively panel discussion facilitated by Nancy Sterling, APR, Fellow PRSA, co-president of Boston Chapter PRSA.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS & REGISTRATION

For more information about joining PRSA and Yankee Chapter, email Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA, Membership Chair, at rschell@jjwpr.com.

AI WORKSHOP PICS


Photo captions (from top left)

  1. Thanks to Gordon College for attending the Interact AI conference: (left to right):  Evie Hammond; Prof. Brad Belote, APR; Matt DeCampos; Ainslie Milewski and Abi Paschal.
  2. YC President Lisa Lance and AI Conference Chair Jen Ranz at the podium.
  3. Thanks to all our sponsors!
  4. Rebecca Emery, APR shares her take on AI, 2025
  5. Cameron Shilling talks to conference attendees about the restrictions around the use of AI.

 

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR AI WORKSHOP!!

/in , , , , /by

There’s still time to register for the October 6 Interact AI Workshop at SNHU, but you gotta hurry!

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER 

This event promises to be one of our best sessions of the year, and it’s definitely the best deal. Learn more at the Interact AI Event page  and sign up today!

Already registered? CLICK HERE and know what to expect.

Register Now for Interact AI Conference!

/in , , , , /by

Registration is open for what’s shaping up to be the Yankee Chapter’s best professional development event of the year!

Interact AI: Workshop for Communications and PR Professionals is a high-impact workshop exploring how public relations and communications professionals can harness the power of artificial intelligence in real-world, strategic ways. From content planning and brand messaging to research, crisis response, and internal use-case development – this session will equip attendees with the insights and tools needed to apply AI with purpose and precision.

This event will be held October 6, 2025 at Southern NH University.

GET ALL THE DETAILS HERE

REGISTER BEFORE SEPTEMBER 8 to get the Early Bird discount!

May 21 Crisis Communications Panel Wrap up

/in , , , , /by

It was a great turnout for the Yankee Chapter’s May 21 panel discussion on crisis communications. Our homegrown crisis communications experts, Clark Dumont, APR, Fellow PRSA and Lauren Collins Cline, explored how to build communication strategies in an unpredictable and ever-changing world.

Setting the Record Straight About the Ethical Practice of Public Relations

/in , , , /by

By Teresa Valerio Parrot, Ed. D., APR

There was a time when someone asked what I did for a living, and I would give them a sly smile and say, “Do you watch Scandal?” and tell them I worked in crisis communications. Or if it were more of a policy or academic crowd, I would say, “Well, if you’re a fan of The West Wing, my job is basically an outsourced Toby Ziegler and CJ Cregg role.”

However, I quickly realized that this type of response was a disservice to the public relations profession, my work and my colleagues…

READ MORE HERE

Mix & Jingle – Yankee PRSA Annual Meeting December 11, 2024

/in , , /by

Yankee Chapter PRSA Invites You to Save the Date:

Wed. Dec. 11, 2024

Meet The Media “Mix & Jingle,” presented by the Nackey S. Loeb School.

Location: Nackey S. Loeb School, inside the NH Institute of Politics on the campus of Saint Anselm College, in the West Wing room.

After our media panel, join us for mocktails, appetizers and holiday cheer sponsored by Northeast Delta Dental

SEE EVENT PAGE HERE FOR MORE INFO AND TO REGISTER

NEW MEMBER PROFILE: Marissa Payne

/in , , , /by

Originally from: Concord NH

Currently live in: Concord NH

Work History/Background: I graduated from Saint Anselm College this past spring with a major in business administration. While at Saint A’s I was a member of the Women in Business Club and I started my first full time position in operations with the Better Business Bureau in July!

Why I Joined Yankee Chapter:

While my role as a business analyst doesn’t require any media interaction, it does require communicating and building trust with the companies and organizations we serve. I joined PRSA, on the recommendation of my mom who has always described that the network of professionals helped her early in her marketing and communications career.

Most Challenging PR Situation

As a new professional, I haven’t had much PR exposure, however so far in my position I have learned much already. Because the focus of the BBB is helping the public find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust, it has been enlightening to work with the BBB operations team to experience how carefully and thoroughly my colleagues work to ensure that every business is vetted. And, as a less experienced member of the team, I’m learning every day from the expert communication skills of our leadership team.

Bucket list trip: Mykonos

Hobbies/Interests: Concerts, Reading,

Contact information:    603-931-0224     marissa@bbbnh.org

REGISTER NOW: Purposeful Partnerships: The Role of PR In Building Trust Among Collaborating Organizations

/in , , /by

Title:  Purposeful Partnerships: The Role of PR In Building Trust Among Collaborating Organizations

Date:  Thursday. Aug. 15, 2024 12-1 p.m., via Zoom

Cost:  Free to PRSA members and Maine PR Council members; $20 for non-members

Registration Link: lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/tykyyxe

Teamwork makes the dream work! We all know the saying, but in today’s cluttered communications and nonstop marketing environments, collaboration with external partners and like-minded organizations is a fundamental necessity. As many businesses undergo post-pandemic ‘re-sets’ or try to engage or retain audiences, partnerships or collaborations can help like-minded organizations achieve success by sharing resources, elevating messages, and broadening markets. But in reality – how does that collaboration flow? How do you build positive relationships, set goals and execute actions? How efficient is it? Where does conflict resolution come in? And what does ‘success’ look like?

Join the Yankee Chapter of PRSA August 15 for a productive one-hour lunch and learn session exploring this topic with leaders who are forging collaborations or have implemented successful partnerships. Jill Kimball, APR and the Marketing Manager at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury,

Vermont, will moderate the session.

MODERATOR:

 

Jill Kimball, APR is Marketing Manager at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, where she works with internal and external partners to demonstrate the value of high-quality health care services to community. Prior to NVRH, Jill was Community Relations Director at Ammonoosuc Community Health Services, Inc. a Federally Qualified Community Health Center in northern New Hampshire. She is the current VP of Public Relations for North Country Toastmasters, and founding member and Co-Chair of North Country Pride of Littleton, NH.

SPEAKERS:

Kate Luczko is the Senior Director of HealthForce NH, where she serves as a statewide leader on healthcare workforce issues. She promotes solutions to healthcare workforce challenges by engaging, collaborating with, and soliciting input from partners, employers, higher education, policymakers, funders, the public, groups representing historically underserved populations, and other stakeholders. Prior to joining HealthForce, Kate engaged with many community partners through her work as the President & CEO of the Greater Nashua Chamber of Commerce, and as the founding President & CEO of Stay Work Play New Hampshire.

 

Peter J. Wright, FACHE is the President & CEO of Northwestern Medical Center in St. Albans, Vermont. Prior to coming to Vermont in January 2023, he served as the President of Bridgton & Rumford hospitals, two rural facilities within Central Maine Healthcare where he also served as a CMH Senior Vice President. Starting his career in marketing and public relations, he has more than two decades of leadership experience in healthcare operations and executive leadership. Peter served as an ACHE Regent for NH, Chair of the AHA Regional policy board for New England and as a Trustee for the American Hospital Association. Currently, Peter leads the New England Collaborative Health Network, a partnership of like-minded independent healthcare organizations established to enhance economic and financial stability, support clinical excellence, and strengthen communities for partners in the New England region.