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
Originally from: Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Currently live in: Burlington, Vermont
Work History/Background: Public Relations Associate at Cultivate, a communications firm based in Burlington, VT. This is my first full-time PR role as a young professional and where I currently work.
Why I Joined Yankee: I had the pleasure of getting to know the Yankee Chapter through leading my alma mater’s PRSSA chapter. I was President of Champlain College’s chapter, PRSSA Champlain. Our chapter collaborated with and learned from the wonderful professionals within the Yankee chapter which inspired me to join post-graduation.
Most Challenging PR Situation: I recently helped to resolve the rescinding of a press release that was mistakenly sent out for a client prematurely.
Bucket List Trip: I have always wanted to visit Peru to see Machu Picchu!
Hobbies/Interests: In my free time, I am a singer-songwriter and radio host under my artist name, “Abbey B.K.” You can find both my original music and my podcast “ab.stract” on listening platforms.
Contact information: My personal email is abbey.bergerknorr@gmail.com and my company email is abbey@cultivatepr.co.
Ethics Month Professional Development Session: Rebuilding Trust, Ethics and Communication In An Era Of Innovation
On Wed. Sept. 25th, the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications and the Yankee Chapter of PRSA partnered to present a virtual “lunch and learn” featuring highlights from Edelman’s 2024 Trust Barometer. Drake Baer, Senior Vice President, Thought Leadership at the Edelman Trust Institute, led the discussion. Here are some observations from that session:
Trends
Trusted Sources
Takeaways for Communicators
Laura Simoes is a member of Yankee Chapter PRSA and serves as Executive Director of the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communication. For more information on other professional development workshops available, visit: Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications.
Origi
nally 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
Let’s take a brief break for some worthy observations about American gymnast, Simone Biles:
Biles was asked about the (GOAT) necklace, and she admitted the goat was a bit of provocative goof, that she knew some people would like it and others would hate it. She said she couldn’t believe she was in the all-time conversation at all. “I still just think I’m Simone Biles from Spring, Texas that loves to flip.
-Jason Gay, Wall Street Journal, August 3, 2024
A highlight among highlights of the two-week Olympic extravaganza will certainly be Simone Biles, proof that when you get the “twisties”, as we all do, what matters is that we get back up, and how.
From a leadership perspective, The “Simone Biles Effect” spotlights lessons in leadership.
In addition to getting back up (resiliency), lessons are:
Pivot to opportunities.
See how I did that?!
#BeSimone as an inspiration!
🤸🏼♂️
Clark P. Dumont, APR, Fellow PRSA is a longtime Yankee PRSA member. A journalist turned communications professional and organizational leader with experience in health care, aerospace & defense, travel and hospitality and non profit organization leadership, he is a native Granite Stater.
Purposeful Partnerships: Building Trusted Relationships Among Collaborating Organizations
by Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA
“Trust is key to having successful collaborations”: that was a major takeaway from the powerful Yankee Chapter PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) Lunch & Learn session on Aug. 15th. Special thanks to moderator Jill Kimball, APR, Marketing Manager at Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital and panelists Kate Luczko, Sr. Director of HealthForce NH and Peter Wright, President & CEO of Northwestern Medical Center, for sharing your insights.
VIEW LUNCH & LEARN SESSION HERE
Other Key Takeaways Included:
When asked what HealthForce is most proud of, Luczko talked about identifying barriers for hiring more respiratory therapists in NH. “Instead of playing the middleman, we got practicing respiratory therapists in a room together with members of NH OPLC (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification), the NH Hospital Association, and River Valley Community College (who offers the Respiratory Therapy program) and facilitated a discussion on how to solve the problem – while an informal collaboration for now, this felt like a big win.”
According to Wright, the New England Collaborative is working well, with some early group purchasing wins and they have established themselves as a legal entity, hired an Executive Director and reached agreement on how they would be funded. They are well-positioned for future progress. “Relationships are a marathon, not a sprint,” he said.
Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA is Senior Counsel and Partner at Jackson Jackson & Wagner, a behavioral public relations and management consulting firm in the Seacoast of NH. She is currently serving as President of the Yankee Chapter of PRSA.
Rebuilding Trust, Ethics, and Communications in an Age of Innovation
Wednesday, September 25, from 12-1pm EST, ONLINE
FREE
REGISTER HERE: https://loebschool.org/register/trust2024
Now in its 24th year, the Edelman Trust Barometer is a global research study measuring trust in society. The 2024 report highlights broad gaps in the public’s trust in government leaders, business leaders, journalists, and technology companies. The findings serve as a wake-up call for business and policy leaders to better manage communications to regain and grow public trust and have implications for organizations of all sizes which serve customers and stakeholders.
Your Instructor: Drake Baer is Senior Vice President, Thought Leadership at the Edelman Trust Institute, where he guides the narrative development of research. A former editor-at-large at Business Insider and senior writer at New York Magazine, Drake has authored two books, including Perception: How Our Bodies Shape Our Minds.
This PD session for Yankee PRSA is offered in collaboration with the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications.
Name: Katie Paine
Originally from: New York City
Currently live in: Shankhassick Farm, Durham, NH
Job Title and Organization: CEO and Founder, Paine Publishing
Work History/Background: started out in marketing in Silicon Valley in the ‘80s. When I was asked to “show my results” I learned that engineers and software developers do not understand words. So I started collecting data to prove my value in charts and graphs and numbers. Moved back East in 1986 to work for Lotus Development in Cambridge where I was the 9th Director of Communications in five years. Needless to say, I knew I had to deliver results. Fortunately I had Lotus 1-2-3. We analyzed and coded 2000 articles to determine the extent to which we’d been able to communicate our messages. Bob Strayton, head of our PR agency told me “anyone who isn’t using this system by the year 2000 doesn’t deserve to be in business.” So I quit Lotus and started the Delahaye Group, arguably the first company devoted to measuring PR. It was purchased in 1999 by what is now Cision (and many Delahaye employees are still there!) My next plan was to start a subscription newsletter devoted to PR measurement, but I kept on getting requests to implement measurement programs, so KDPaine & Partners was born. That was bought in 2013 by Carma. Then I went back to the original idea of a measurement newsletter and started Paine Publishing. Not a great time for paid newsletters so I now am back to measurement consulting and training and implementing integrated measurement dashboards. A big part of what I do is train more “measurement mavens” through our online courses: https://painepublishing.com/training-education/type/courses/
Why I joined Yankee Chapter
PRSA has always been a great place for networking. I’ve met so many great people at Yankee Chapter events.
PRSA Positions I Have Held or Are Interested in: Have never held a PRSA position, but would be open to something in the future.
Most challenging PR situation: When I was at Lotus, the Boston Bureau Chief of Business Week walked into my office after an extended exclusive interview with my boss at Lotus, Jim Manzi and told me: “I’m going to write the “Jim Manzi is an A-hole story.” He proceeded to provide me his impressions of my boss, none of which were favorable. Knowing I did NOT want to be within 100 yards of Manzi when that story came out, I asked him to give me a week to resign before he ran it. He obliged and I quit and started The Delahaye Group.
Bucket list/trip activity. Win first place in the Great Bay Yacht Club Merrymac Sailing Regatta. https://www.piperboatworks.com/history-of-the-merrymac.html
Hobbies/interests: Sailing, maintaining the farm, raising chickens, gardening and hanging with my Great Pyrenees Sir Lancelot, Knight Protector of Shankhassick Farm.
Contact Information: kdpaine@painepublishing.com
Making a Statement On Societal Issues:
Andover’s Principles Clarify When A Response To World Events Is (And Is Not) Warranted
By Tracy M. Sweet, Chief Communications Officer, Phillips Academy
Yankee Chapter PRSA member
Reprinted with permission from Currents magazine (May/June 2024), published by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
Phillips Academy is an independent co-educational boarding school. As its CCO, Tracy Sweet takes to heart her role in providing communications that enrich, inform, and protect the school community. When pressures to respond to an increasing number of political and societal events began taking her away from that mission, she, and the school’s leadership team, took action by developing guidelines for responding to world events.
What prompted the need for guidelines that establish when to address societal issues?
In the span of two years, we issued eight statements on societal events, such as the war in Ukraine, the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The process was reactive and, further, it felt presumptuous to think that a school statement would have some profound effect. We questioned whether putting out such statements aligned with our mission. We took a moment to pause and really think about that.
The guidelines start by asking what the campus community needs from Andover. This includes things like informational resources and support, a place for fellowship, or an educational forum.
Once our campus community is taken care of, we address the need for a public statement by asking: Is the matter relevant to education? Does it directly impact our mission? Does Andover have expertise to advance a deeper understanding of the issue?
If we answer “yes” to any of those questions, the guidelines lead us through a discussion that helps us consider the potential effects of issuing a statement such as, “Would some students, faculty, or staff feel ignored or silenced, their opinions unwelcome?”
How do the guidelines for societal issues differ from those that guide communication surrounding a crisis directly affecting your campus community?
The guidelines are an addendum to our crisis communication plan. The fundamental question no matter the issue is: “How are we responding to the needs of our campus community?” That’s the start for both; then the processes are entirely different. We recently revamped our crisis communications plan in the form of scenarios. We’ve designed 10 different possible scenarios, which we’ll keep adding to; they include a cyber-attack, a student tragedy, an environmental disaster, an active shooter—all the things that keep us up at night.
You revisited the new guidelines last fall. Why?
When war broke out in the Middle East, Andover’s response did not include a statement. It did include immediate support and resources as the crisis escalated. Our Head of School addressed a campus-wide assembly, and education programming came a few weeks later when a guest scholar explored the history of the conflict and the current political and religious climate. Our challenge, from a communications stance, was that students recalled previous global events when Andover did speak out and wanted to know why we did not issue a statement this time.
We quickly realized we had not done a good enough job to broadly share that our approach to statements had evolved. To increase awareness, we emailed our “Andover Principles” campus-wide and posted them online.
For instance, one of the principles states:
Andover’s mission is to educate high school students. We teach students how to think, not what to think. And we teach them to analyze societal issues through a wide range of perspectives. We are not policymakers or experts in global affairs. Therefore, it is rare that Andover will issue a statement on societal events that do not directly impact the school’s mission.
Why are these guidelines so important?
Having guiding principles helps to create clarity when emotions are running high. Without a framework, you risk making an unanchored ethical decision by weighing the importance of one tragedy against another. In some cases, you are placing value on one group’s needs over another. That’s not sustainable, and it’s certainly not a best practice.
If you develop a pattern of issuing performative statements, you could erode your institution’s reputation. As a strategic communications professional, I see that as an affront to the profession. We are not vending machines for generic quotes. We must offer substance. It is not the statement, but the action that signals care and empathy and compassion.