Kicking Off the Year Ahead
Dear Yankee Members,
It is a pleasure to serve as this year’s president. Lisa Lance has left us in a strong position from which to move forward. It is clear: Yankee PRSA is strong.
We are financially stable, highly respected across the Northeast District, and delivering professional development and programming that other chapters look to as a benchmark. Now, our work is about focus, follow-through, and translating that strength into measurable growth.
Below is how I’m framing our year ahead.
Our Big Picture Goal is Future Proofing
Sustain Momentum — Don’t Lose the Thread
We’ve built something that works:
- Strong, consistent communications
- High-quality, relevant professional development
- A chapter culture people genuinely value
Our priority is not reinvention — it’s execution at a higher level. That means planning earlier, coordinating better across committees, and assigning clear ownership so great ideas don’t stall.
Grow Membership in a Measurable Way
This year’s membership goal is straightforward and intentional:
- Reach 100 members.
That milestone matters — not just symbolically, but structurally (Leadership Assembly representation) and strategically. Getting there requires:
- Clear value messaging, segmented by career stage
- Stronger conversion of engaged non-members
- Continued personal outreach paired with smarter digital targeting
Growth is not one committee’s job. It’s the result of Professional Development, Communications, and Membership working together.
Lead with Professional Development
Professional development remains our strongest differentiator — and our most powerful membership driver.
This year, we will:
- Continue AI programming, but go deeper and more practical
- Expand crisis communications beyond case studies to anticipation and recovery
- Offer a mix of virtual, in-person, and series-based formats
- Be intentional about audiences, especially Vermont, healthcare, education, nonprofit, and marketing-communications professionals
PD planning will happen earlier, with a clearer annual calendar, so Communications can promote effectively and Members can plan ahead.
Be Clear About Who We Are — and Who We’re For
Public relations today is not siloed, and neither are our members’ roles. Our messaging needs to reflect reality:
- Integrated communications
- Marketing, PR, government, nonprofit, healthcare, and higher ed
- Professionals at every career stage
This year, we’ll focus on telling our story better—through testimonials, clearer website language, and consistent messaging that explains why Yankee PRSA matters no matter where you sit in your career.
How We’ll Work This Year
To make all of this happen:
- Committees will prioritize a small number of achievable goals
- Chairs will bring clear budget requests tied to outcomes
- We’ll use calendars—editorial, PD, and events—to stay aligned
- Tasks will be assigned clearly, with owners and deadlines
We are a volunteer organization, but we will operate with professional discipline. That’s how we respect each other’s time and deliver results.
I’m incredibly optimistic about this year. The ideas are strong. The people are committed. Now it’s about moving from conversation to action.
Thank you for your belief in this chapter.
Let’s get to work.
Best,
Kim MacLeod, APR
President, Yankee PRSA
kmmacleod7@gmail.com
Share Your Thoughts on Local News in New Hampshire
The Granite State News Collaborative, a New Hampshire nonprofit network of 20+ local news, education, and community organizations working to strengthen journalism, is seeking input on local news through its Community News Survey.
In an interview published on Ink Link, Melanie Plenda, executive director of the Granite State News Collaborative and host of “The State We’re In,” said the goals of the survey are to shape coverage across the state, make sure news outlets are covering topics people care about, and help news outlets deliver news in the way people consume it. “It’s really going to help us to better understand how people are interacting with news, — whether they’re even consuming local news, and if not, why not? And how we might bring them back to local news,” she said.
The survey will be open until February 1. Learn more about the Granite State News Collaborative and take the survey here.
“The Organizational Statement Dilemma” Program Recap and Takeaways
Recap of Lively Panel Discussion: “The Organizational Statement Dilemma: Respond? React? Or Remain Silent?”
By Kelly Scargill
Daily, we learn of significant policies, tragedies, scandals, and crises that impact our world – some of these are large-scale, and others more local. Have you had to consider whether to take a public position on these types of events, on behalf of the organization you serve? It’s not always an easy answer.
On October 16, in the Addison Gallery of American Art on the beautiful Phillips Andover Academy campus, the Boston and Yankee Chapters of PRSA welcomed over 30 PR professionals and students for dinner, networking, and a panel discussion on this exact topic.
Panelists were Tracy Sweet, chief communication officer with Phillips Academy; T.J. Winick, principal with Essex Strategies; and Will Katcher, reporter with Mass Live. Nancy Sterling, APR, Fellow PRSA, and senior VP, strategic communications for ML Strategies moderated the discussion, which was followed by a lively question and answer session.
Attendees had an opportunity to wander through the gallery on a self-guided tou r before dinner provided by River St. Café, and a chocolate-tasting provided by M. Cacao of Amesbury, MA.
Key Takeaways from Our Speakers
Have a set of principles or a policy in place about when to issue a statement.
While societal events are important in our world, publicly responding to every event on behalf of an organization is not appropriate. Phillips Academy created a policy built around the foundational elements of relevance, credibility, and action to guide decisions about making statements. These guidelines ensure any statements that the school makes are mission-focused, action-oriented, and relevant to the broader conversation. Guidelines remove the ambiguity of decision making at a time when a quick response is needed and emotions may be running high. An overview of the Phillips Academy principles for issuing public statements can be found on their website HERE.
Understanding stakeholder expectations, risks, and staying true to the organizational goals.
There is growing expectation among stakeholders that they will hear from the brands they follow and invest in. Social media is an important platform for amplifying messages, but it comes with risks. Missteps and even silence become amplified on social media, which may make it seem like your organization is politicizing an event or it may appear to be indifferent to the issue at hand. The decision about whether to issue a statement and how to craft the message is based on the goal of protecting the credibility of the organization while staying mission driven.
Know deadlines, needs, and contacts for key media outlets.
When an event is unfolding, time is of the essence. Broadcast and online news outlets can’t wait for your leader or expert to be ready to talk. Most of the time, they will do the story with or without input from your organization. Be prepared in advance of a crisis or unexpected event by forming relationships with your key media contacts. Know their deadlines and how they prefer to receive information (phone call, on-camera interview, statement). The media looks to PR professionals for relevant, accurate, and timely information. When appropriate, offer any information you can, as soon as possible during an event. If you issue a statement, give an authentic point of view from your organization – differentiate your statement from the many others a reporter will receive.
As you can tell, it was an informative session! If you could not join us, we hope to see you at an upcoming event.
Visit https://www.yankeeprsa.org for more information.
Special thanks to Tracy Sweet for hosting and presenting, and Kelly Scargill and Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA for working with PRSA Boston Co-Presidents Nancy Sterling, APR, Fellow PRSA and Sarah Leaf-Hermann to put the program together.
Event Recap: The Ins and Outs of Influencer Marketing
Strategies from Multiple Perspectives
By Casey Huczko, Intern at Cultivate
On September 5, 2025, influencer marketing experts Lindsay Bumps, Erin Torres, and Nick Mattera joined a panel discussion on influencer marketing. Organized by the Yankee Chapter of PRSA and Cultivate, a Burlington, VT-based PR and communications agency, with moderation by Lisa Lance, Yankee PRSA Chapter President and Abbey Berger-Knorr, Senior PR & Communications Associate at Cultivate and Yankee PRSA Member, the event explored strategies for finding success in today’s crowded influencer landscape.
Big Turnout for AI Workshop; Join Us Oct. 16 for Next Event!
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)
- 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.
- YC President Lisa Lance and AI Conference Chair Jen Ranz at the podium.
- Thanks to all our sponsors!
- Rebecca Emery, APR shares her take on AI, 2025
- Cameron Shilling talks to conference attendees about the restrictions around the use of AI.
EVENT REPORT: Supporting & Empowering Employees Keeps Delta Climbing
KEEP CLIMBING DELTA: AN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE SUCCESS STORY
The Yankee Chapter of PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) invited Delta Air Lines communicators Kristin Seay, Managing Director of Operations Communications and Laura Smyth, General Manager of Employer Brand Communications to share their wisdom on how Delta has built a strong, people-centered culture, at their July 31st virtual lunch & learn.
Founded in 1925, Delta celebrates its centennial anniversary this year. The airline remains focused on their mission of “connecting the world better than any other airline.”
According to Seay and Smyth, “it’s the people of Delta that make it all happen”. Supporting them are:
- A staff of 100 communicators (serving a workforce of 100,000) – though Seay admits, “even 500 would not be enough!”
- A CEO and leadership team that fully support the investment in communication, employee engagement and appreciation
Size of budget and staff aside, here are words of wisdom from Delta Air Lines that we can all apply to our organizations:
- Give your employees a boost when they need it most. Summer is an extra-busy, extra-challenging time for the airline industry – there are customers flying off to vacation, weather challenges etc. Their “summer boost” campaign consists of everything from movie ticket giveaways to a “mid-summer cool down” with employee toolkits to an end of summer celebration featuring food, fun and the presence of senior leaders.
- Target communication with personalized messages for different stakeholder groups. The communications team leans heavily on email, but they streamline it, and send personalized weekly messages to their internal stakeholders: Airport Customer Service; Flight Operations; In-Flight Service; Operations & Customer Center (aka the “nerve center”); Reservation & Customer Care and Tech Operations. “We keep the weekly communication focused on what’s most important to each group.”
In addition to email and Thursday updates, Delta offers:
- DeltaNet (intranet) as its “communication of record”
- SkyHub, an internal FB platform that offers employees an opportunity to share feedback, personal photos etc.
- Life@Delta, a new platform used to showcase “a day in the life of a Delta employee” Side benefit: it’s a great talent acquisition tool!
- Delta Vision, 800 strategically-placed digital billboards with attention-grabbing headlines
- Delta News Hub, primarily used for press releases and other external announcements
- Share profits with employees. Delta’s “work together, win together” program means that when the company does well, so do the employees. Profit-sharing is announced on Valentine’s Day and is reported to be “the happiest day of the year for Delta employees.”
- Offer feedback mechanisms for employees. Don’t just listen — act on their ideas. Delta offers a variety of in-person and on-line opportunities to both celebrate employees and listen to them, including:
- “Velvet” conferences (up to 20 per year); Two-day meetings that offer in-person updates from executive leaders for frontline employees –wildly popular!
- Town Hall meetings – Virtual, 45-min updates, as needed (note: during COVID, these meetings happened up to 3X a week!). Done at both the corporate and divisional levels.
- Base and station visits: An authentic way for senior leaders to meet Delta team members in their workplaces to get to know them.
- Email the CEO: CEO Ed Bastian invites any member of the Delta team to email him directly with feedback or ideas. Some recommendations are implemented quickly; others take more time. “We had a flight attendant who pointed out that pizza was being served on a morning flight and within a week, Delta made the change to a more breakfast-sensible inflight meal”. Other examples include changes in family leave policy and establishment of the emergency savings fund. “Some of the best ideas come from our frontline employees.”
- Employee engagement surveys: These annual surveys demonstrate how the communication team “moves the needle” on engagement each year.
- Engage in storytelling that highlights employees. Smyth shared a heartwarming video of Delta team members who were supported by their teams during cancer treatments, highlighted for acts of heroism at the “Chairman’s Conference” and engaged in acts of extreme kindness (e.g. one Delta employee donated a kidney to a regular customer she befriended over the years).
- Create activities that foster teamwork. From the annual leadership conference to the “Jet Drag” competition that raises money for the American Cancer Society to the Boulevard Bash that celebrates employees, retirees and their families – Delta knows the importance of fostering collaboration and team spirit.
- Measure your success. Delta’s leadership team sees the impact of making their people the center of all that they do, through metrics on employee engagement and behavioral results. In addition to measuring click-through rates and engagement in activities, the annual engagement survey includes questions like, “Are you proud to work at Delta?” and “Do you have the tools you need to do your job?”. Third-party advocates also recognize Delta’s success (Delta is #15 on Fortune 100 list of “Best Places To Work”): https://news.delta.com/delta-earns-no-15-spot-fortune-100-best-companies-work-forr-list
Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA is Senior Counsel and Partner at Jackson Jackson & Wagner, a behavioral public relations and management consulting firm based in the Seacoast of NH. rschell@jjwpr.com.
OCT. 6, 2025 – Interact AI: Workshop for Communications and PR Professionals
Practical Intelligence about Artificial Intelligence
Date & Time:
Monday, October 6, 2025 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Optional hands-on workshop add-on from 1-2:30 p.m.
Location/Venue:
Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester, NH
Description:
Join Yankee PRSA for 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.
The main program features expert-led sessions focused on how communications leaders can guide AI integration, strengthen business strategy, and stay ahead in a fast-moving digital landscape. Speakers include:
- Rebecca Emery, APR – Founder and AI Marketing Advisor, Seacoast AI
- David Humphreys – Director of Artificial Intelligence Integration, Southern New Hampshire University
- Cameron Shilling – Director, Litigation Department & Chair, Cybersecurity and Privacy Group, McLane Middleton
Want to go deeper? Register for the optional hands-on workshop, AI in Action: Tools, Prompts, and Real-Time Insights, led by Rebecca Emery. Learn to build effective prompts, train AI in brand voice, explore tools for crisis response, and practice live demo scenarios you can bring back to your team.
Registration Fees
Main Program (8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., with coffee and networking 8:30-9:30 a.m., program starts at 9:30 a.m.) Early Bird: $55 members / $75 non-members (Early Bird Deadline: Sept. 8, 2025) Registration After Sept. 8th: $75 members / $95 non-members
Optional Workshop Add-On (1-2:30 p.m.) Additional Cost for All: $45
Coffee, continental breakfast, and boxed lunch included. Event will be held in the banquet room above the dining hall at SNHU.
The Ins and Outs of Influencer Marketing
Hey Vermont, we’re headed your way!!
The Ins and Outs of Influencer Marketing
Friday, Sept. 5, 2025; 2-4 p.m.
Hula – 50 Lakeside Ave, Burlington, VT 05401
$25 Yankee Chapter members and friends; $35 non-members $15 Virtual
Join us for an engaging panel discussion featuring leading voices in the influencer marketing space. You’ll hear firsthand from:
- Nick Mattera, Vice President at Ykone, a global influencer marketing group
- Lindsay Bumps, Influencer Marketing Consultant, former Influencer Relations Lead at Ben & Jerry’s
- Erin Torres, Social Media Influencer for Travel Like a Local: Vermont and VP of Communications & Culture at Livian Realty Group.
- Learn how to effectively incorporate influencers into your PR and marketing strategy, build lasting and authentic relationships, and stay ahead of industry trends. Stick around after the conversation for an hour of networking, complete with light fare and refreshments.
