Yankee Chapter PRSA Awards Scholarship to Champlain College Senior Margaret Kuchinski

Annual Scholarship Sponsored by EDvestinU®

Margaret Kuchinski, a senior at Champlain College and a resident of Delmar, N.Y., has been awarded the 2016 Yankee Chapter PRSA Scholarship. This year for the second time, the annual scholarship is sponsored by EDvestinU®, the NH Higher Education Loan Program’s nonprofit Student Loan Lending and Refinancing Program.

“Margaret’s keen understanding of the value of public relations in the marketplace combined with her enthusiasm and initiative makes her a perfect choice to receive this scholarship award,” said Yankee Chapter President Liz LaRose, APR. “The Yankee Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America is pleased to provide this grant to a college senior whose academic career exemplifies the highest standards of our profession. And this year, we are proud to have the support of EDvestinU®, whose sponsorship made this scholarship possible.”

At Champlain College, Kuchinski is pursuing a major in public relations and a specialization in marketing. She is an active member of the college’s Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and serves as the group’s PR director. In addition, she acts as a liaison between the Communications and Creative Media department and transfer students. This past summer, Kuchinski worked as an intern at the Vermont Brewers Association, where she spearheaded the first-ever social media giveaway for the 2016 Brewers Festival. Kuchinski has been recognized by college faculty for her strong work ethic and her commitment to both academic and professional excellence. She is the daughter of Anne Marie Couser and Bill Kuchinski of Delmar.

 

Measurement Base Camp – September 15

One-day intensive session will help you learn to master measurement

Thursday, September 15

Durham, NH

Most communications professionals have listened to at least one, if not many, lectures on how to do measurement right. The challenge is, once they’ve heard the theory, how do they implement it at their place of work?

What sounds great in a lecture hall or at a conference can end up being a complex situation when one is faced with a limited budget, no staff, and competing priorities. That’s why you should attend Measurement Base Camp – a one-day intensive training session that will cover all things measurement.

Hosted by Paine Publishing in partnership with PRSA’s Yankee Chapter, it will be held this fall on Thursday, September 15, 2016 in Durham, New Hampshire.

Presenters include Katie Delahaye Paine, CEO, Paine Publishing; Doug Chapin, CEO, CyberAlert; and Heather Fysh, Senior Analyst, CyberAlert.

Learn more

Register by August 12 for the Early Bird Rate!
Attendance is limited to a maximum of 30 people so that all attendees can receive hands-on, individualized attention.

Early bird registration is now available. Attendees must register by August 12th to receive the early bird rate.

  • PRSA Member Rate: $250 (early bird rate is $200)
  • Regular Rate: $300 (early bird rate is $250)

A portion of the proceeds will support the James H. Bradley PRSSA Grant for active Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapters, associated with the Yankee Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (Yankee PRSA).

Don’t miss this opportunity to master measurement.
Register today!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game – End of Summer Social with the N.H. Fisher Cats

Join Yankee Chapter PRSA at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester on August 18 for an evening full of fun, family, friends, and baseball! The event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. with an interesting and engaging presentation on the N.H. Fisher Cats followed by a stadium tour for members and their families. The tour will end on-field at 6 p.m. with a Yankee Chapter group photo.

Adults $15 and Kids $12; tickets will be available for pick-up at the front entrance.

Ticket Disclaimer:

This professional development session requires a ticket for entry. The Yankee Chapter will purchase a ticket(s) per your order. In the event you are unable to attend and Yankee PRSA cannot cancel the ticket, you are responsible for value of the ticket(s) purchased on your behalf. If you cannot attend, you can transfer the ticket to a colleague.
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Social Media for Branding and Crisis Communications – July 27

Bringing together some of New England’s leading communications professionals, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, NESHCo, NHHA and Yankee Chapter PRSA are hosting a half-day workshop that will help small businesses and non-profits as well as institutions and organizations of all sizes build their brand using social media and deal with a crisis in an always on socially connected world.

Hosted by Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H., on Wednesday, July 27 from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., the session will share communications strategies and techniques to build a social media presence and respond to a crisis in a social media world.

Session pricing (include luncheon):

  • Dartmough-Hitchcock Staff and Students: $49
  • NESHCo, NHHA and Yankee Chapter PRSA members: $69
  • Non-members: $79

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to programs at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.

Space is limited. Register today!

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Agenda

Luncheon: 12:30 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.

Session I: 1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Building Your Organization’s Social Media Presence
Dan Dunlop, President & CEO, Jennings

In this interactive session, Dan Dunlop, principal at Jennings, will provide an overview of how organizations can build a social media presence, then walk participants through case studies where they can share ideas and lessons learned, and ask questions based on their own social media plans.

Break: 2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Session II: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Crisis Communications in the Age of Social Media

Dawn Fernald, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
Matthew J. Chagnon, Senior Social Media Strategist, Eversource Energy
Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA, Senior Counsel and Partner, Jackson Jackson & Wagner

A crisis can happen anywhere at any time; no organization is exempt. In today’s 24/7 hyper-connected world, social media is often the first source of news and information. Dawn Fernald experienced this first-hand as director of marketing and public relations at Wentworth-Douglass Hospital in Portsmouth. She will share how organizations can manage crisis communications and social media. She will also participate in a panel session featuring Matthew Chagnon, senior social media strategist, Eversource Energy, Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA, senior counsel and partner, Jackson Jackson & Wagner, and David Binkowski, president & CEO at Large Media, discussing specific strategies for managing crisis communications and social media moderated by Danielle Thompson, Social Media Specialist, Dartmouth-Hitchcock.

Panelists

Dan Dunlop, Principal, Jennings

Dan Dunlop

Dan Dunlop

Dan Dunlop is a principal of Jennings, a leading healthcare marketing and audience engagement firm. He is a healthcare marketer, innovator, brand consultant, blogger, author and sought-after speaker, regularly serving on the faculty of national and regional healthcare conferences.

Dan is extremely active as a thought leader in the field of healthcare marketing. He serves on the editorial boards of Healthcare Marketing Advisor and eHealthcare Strategy & Trends. He is a contributor to a number of healthcare marketing publications and news services including Ragan’s Health Care Communication News, SmartBrief for Health Care Marketers, Healthcare Strategy Alert and Healthcare Marketing Report. He serves on the judging panels of the Web Health Awards and the National Health Information Awards. Dan is a board member of the New England Society for Healthcare Communications (NESHCo) and a member of SHSMD’s 2016 Digital Engagement Taskforce.

Dawn Fernald, Director of Marketing and Public Relations, Wentworth Douglass Hospital

Dawn Fernald is the director of marketing and public relations for Wentworth-Douglass Hospital. Dawn has been in healthcare marketing and planning arena for almost 20 years. With a bachelor of arts degree in journalism and mass communication from the University of Maine and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University, she offers expertise, creativity and versatility in an ever changing media and marketing environment. Prior to joining Wentworth-Douglass in early 2014, she held positions as the director of marketing, communications and new service development for York Hospital in southern Maine and advertising manager for Thomson Newspapers. She offers proven expertise in public affairs, crisis communication, community relations, marketing strategy, branding, value proposition and designing care around the consumer experience.

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Matthew Chagnon

Matthew J. Chagnon, Senior Social Media Strategist, Eversource Energy
Matt Chagnon oversees social media strategy for Eversource Energy (formerly Northeast Utilities and its operating companies, including PSNH). Eversource has been at the forefront of electric utilities using social media and has been widely recognized for these efforts during several major storm restorations.

Following a 2012 merger and last year’s significant rebranding, Matt has been focused on organizing Eversource’s many social media accounts and the cross-functional team that uses them. Matt has worked to expand 24/7 coverage of social media to all of Eversource across New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

At PSNH, Matt developed his interest in video production, which coincided with the advent of social media sites like YouTube and Vimeo. Their growth and popularity has given him the opportunity to create dozens of videos for the company’s projects and initiatives. As a result, video has become an essential tool for community engagement and an integral part of the company’s social media strategy.

Matt is also a photographer and web designer. He grew up in New Hampshire and graduated from Juniata College (Huntingdon, Pennsylvania). He became interested in digital media while teaching in China, where he wrote his first travel blog.

Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA, Senior Counsel and Partner, Jackson Jackson & Wagner

Robin Schell, APR

Robin Schell, APR

Robin Schell, APR, Fellow PRSA is senior counsel and partner for Jackson Jackson & Wagner, a behavioral public relations and management consulting firm serving a national base of clients. Robin’s specialties include issue anticipation and crisis communication programs, employee communications, community relationship-building, behavioral research & strategic planning. The firm’s clients range from nonprofit organizations to Fortune 50 companies to government entities.

Robin is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and has served in many capacities for that organization, including past president of the Yankee Chapter of PRSA, Environmental Section chair, National Membership co-chair and assembly delegate. She is also involved in the Educational Initiatives Committee of the College of Fellows. She has presented at the national conferences of PRSA, the New England Society of Healthcare Communicators (NESHCO), NSPRA (National School Public Relations Association), the Department of Veterans Affairs, APPA (American Public Power Association) and the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA). She has served as an adjunct professor at the University of New Hampshire and the University of South Carolina and is a contributing editor to Public Relations Practices: Managerial Case Studies & Problems (8th edition) by Allen Center, Patrick Jackson, Stacey Smith and Frank Stansberry. She has also served as chair of the communications & trust advisory panel for Brookhaven National Laboratory and is currently the chair of the committee of visitors for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science Communications. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Robin is an active member of the UNH Alumni Association. Her volunteer activities include work for the Main Street Congregational Church, LUNGSTRONG (a nonprofit organization that raises funds for innovative lung cancer research) and the Readers are Leaders program through the Amesbury Rotary.

David Binkowski, President & CEO of Large Media

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David Binkowski

David Binkowski is the president & CEO of Large Media, a thriving, ROI-driven, Catskills-based social and digital marketing agency. David has spent the past 17 years of his career working online and has handled social media crises for companies across multiple verticals including healthcare, CPG, and technology. His agency’s work has been recognized as award-winning, best in class and record-breaking.

In addition to his client work, David has keynoted, presented, and been a panelist at leading industry events including PRSA, SxSWi, WOMMA and ad:tech. He was also named as a Holmes Report’s Innovator 25 for 2015 in North America.

APR Prep Sessions Begin July 12

The Yankee Chapter’s Accreditation Committee is offering study sessions to those pursuing accreditation in public relations (APR) or to those wishing to deepen and broaden their knowledge, skills and abilities in public relations. The first session is scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, from 5:30 – 7 pm at the NH Housing Finance Authority office on Constitution Drive in Bedford. There will be four additional sessions to follow every 3-4 weeks.

Participants in these sessions are urged to complete pre-reading of the text, Cutlip and Center’s Effective Public Relations (11th Edition). It is available on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Cutlip-Centers-Effective-Public-Relations/dp/0132669153 or you may be able to borrow it from a fellow Yankee Chapter member. Also, we urge you to download the APR Study Guide from PRSA here: http://www.praccreditation.org/resources/documents/apr-study-guide.pdf.

During each session, we will discuss the chapter questions, underscore specific topics that are likely to be on the exam, and review complementary material (e.g., case studies).

There is no charge for these sessions if you have already applied for APR and are on the “one year clock” to complete the process. For others, Chapter members may still attend for a $10 fee per session, non-member may attend for $20 per session; the fees are refundable if you apply for the APR before the conclusion of the study sessions.

The first session will cover:

  •  Introduction to Contemporary Public Relations – Chapter 1
  •  Practitioners of Public Relations – Chapter 2
  •  Organizational Settings – Chapter 3
  • Historical Origins and Evolution – Chapter 4
  •  Professionalism and Ethics – Chapter 5
  • Legal Considerations – Chapter 6

Please RSVP to Rosemarie Rung, APR, rung@comcast.net. Thank you!

Radio Promotion in the Digital Age – June 23 Professional Development

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On-Air, On-Site, Online Presentation & Tour with Manchester Radio Group

Remember radio? Our increasingly digital world has opened new possibilities for radio, which offers a wealth of opportunities for you to reach target audiences. Digital media has elevated radio and advertising capabilities by allowing media to be created, viewed, distributed, edited, and saved on any digital electronic device. The Manchester Radio Group uses these platforms to provide an array of effective marketing and promotional services to local and national advertisers, and we’ve got the inside scoop on how to make the most of these new options.

Join Yankee Chapter PRSA at the Manchester Radio Group, 500 Commercial Street in Manchester, on Thursday, June 23 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. for an On-Air, On-Site, Online presentation. Bob Cox, MRG President/General Manager, and Andy Orcutt, MRG Sales Manager, will discuss marketing techniques, listener base insight, fostering relationships with PR professionals and other media companies, best practices for emergency communication, and much more! Following the presentation, a station tour will be offered to those in attendance.

This session is $20 for members and $25 for non-members.

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PRSA Northeast District Conference – Register Now

PRXNE: Relationships + Reinvention

How PR is Leading the New Marketing Mix

Destination: Boston
Date: Monday, June 13, 2016

On Monday, June 13, PRSA Boston will host over 250 PR practitioners from the eight-state PRSA Northeast District for our annual Northeast District conference—a must-attend conclave of inspiration, learning and networking. This conference will feature exceptional speakers and networking opportunities with peers and colleagues from every industry, discipline and management level.

Keynoters Announced for District Conference!

PRSA Northeast’s conference is heating up with the announcement of a hat-trick of top keynoters from a Who’s Who in the communications and digital marketing industry.

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Christopher Penn, Carol Cone and Mick Ebeling each bring leading-edge insight and experience—but together, staged throughout the June 13 event, will offer non-stop learning, engagement and must-see conference sessions.

Penn is the Vice President of Marketing Technology at SHIFT Communications, a data-driven PR and marketing agency.

Cone is internationally recognized for her work in Purpose and CSR.

And Ebeling was honored as one of the Top 50 Most Creative People of 2014 and won the 2014 Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award.

Learn more about their sessions and backgrounds, then register today for our Early Bird rates!

 

Spring Social at Smutty Nose Brewery – May 19

logo-smuttynoseKick off summer with a cold one and Yankee Chapter PRSA at Smuttynose Brewery in Hampton, N.H. on Thursday, May 19! The event is set to begin at 4 p.m. with a complimentary brewery tour and optional beer tasting followed by networking at the Hayseed Restaurant. There is no charge for the event, so invite a friend or colleague for a great chance to network with colleagues old and new! Food and beverages will be available for purchase in the Hayseed Restaurant.

About Smuttynose

Brewed in New Hampshire since 1994, Smuttynose has and continues to create craft beers inspired by the history, character and flavor of coastal New England. This small brewer was named one of the top 100 brewers in the world by ratebeer.com and is now distributed in more than 24 states, as well as overseas in Europe and Asia.

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Communicating Your Skills – April 19

Learn How to Stand out From the Competition to Land Your First Job or Next Job

We’ve all heard that saying you only get one first impression. Learn to make the most of your first impressions and get your career moving with the Yankee PRSA “Communicating Your Skills” professional development session!

The session will share strategies for a successful job search that leverage your resume, professional appearance and LinkedIn to land you your first job or next job. As a career professional, your resume and social profile make you stand out from the competition. The question is: do you stand out for the right reasons?

Join the Yankee Chapter on April 19, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., for this special professional development session at Webster Hall on the Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) campus where you will learn:

  • How to organize a resume, what to include and how to make yourself standout.
  • How to take advantage your network and LinkedIn to get your career moving.
  • What hiring human resources and managers look for in a job candidate.

Leave the session better prepared to start a job search with best practices from experts that reflect who you are and what you know, how use the tools recruiters and hiring managers use and how candidates are assessed when applying for a position.

Cost: Students $5, Members $20, and non-members $25.

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Panel Experts:

Lisa Landry, Founder, Savvy Workshop

Lisa Landry has been in the marketing industry for more than 25 years. As a seasoned marketing professional and business owner, she speaks regularly on topics of branding, content marketing strategy and using event based marketing and social media to grow business. An early adopter of LinkedIn and other social media channels, she supports her clients (and her own business) in developing and implementing effective social media strategies. Lisa believes that the best customer is an educated customer and enjoys sharing her knowledge about the wonderful world of marketing and promotion with everyone who wants to be more Marketing-Savvy!

Jen Cully White, Human Resources Administrator, New Hampshire Housing

Cully WhiteJen Cully White is the human resources administrator at New Hampshire Housing in Bedford, N.H. Jen graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a bachelor’s degree in communication arts and has been in the field of human resources for more than 15 years.

Jen served on the Manchester Area Human Resources Association (MAHRA) board of directors for the last five years and has been a member for nine years. Other volunteer activities include director of Miss Deerfield Fair as part of the Miss NH Organization and committee member of Scout Troop 91 in Manchester.  She is a New Hampshire native and enjoys cheerleading, shopping, and spending time with her family, which includes her husband and three children.

David Yudkin, Certified Resume Writer, Creative Professional Resumes

yudkinDavid Yudkin founded R&D Designs in 1992 and soon launched Creative Professional Résumés as a Career Services division. One of approximately 400 certified professional résumé writers worldwide, David graduated as the top communications graduate from Quinnipiac College and has completed additional MBA courses. His earlier positions included business administration and management roles in legal, healthcare, and sales environments.

Since forming CPR, David has written thousands of résumés in all fields, including career search materials for over 30 vice president or director level clients from FORTUNE 1000 companies. With the advent of the Internet and a high volume of referrals, CPR has built a client base of customers from 35 nations.

New Professionals – Join PRSA now and Receive a free Section Membership

New PRSSA graduates or those with less then three years experience receive a free one-year New Professionals Section membership when they join National PRSA as an associate member. Use promototional code AM16.

Join PRSA