DATE:                                       EVENT:
Tuesday, July 7, 2009                Lantern Awards Deadline

Friday, July 31, 2009                  PAA Nominee Entries Due
Friday, July 31, 2009                  Educator of the Year Nominee Entries Due

Friday, July 31, 2009                  Sr. Practitioner Nominee Names Due 
Friday, August 28, 2009              Chapter of Distinction Books Due (Postmark Date)
Monday, September 1, 2009       Sr. Practitioner Nominees Receive Communication

                                                about their Recognition
October 4-6, 2009                      All Awards (PAA, Educator of the Year Senior Practitioner,      

                                                Chapter of Distinction) will be presented at SPRF Conference

                                                in Tunica, Mississippi  

 

For more information contact Jennifer Jenkins,VP for Professional Development, at jennifer@redsquareagency.com

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EBRPSS Communications Department Wins National Awards 
 
The East Baton Rouge Parish School System's Communications Department recently received several national honors for outstanding public relations and marketing projects.  The Department is under the leadership of Chris Trahan, director for Communications & Community Engagement.  The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) gave the district awards in every category entered.  This is the second consecutive year the district has entered the national competition and been recognized.  The district's 2009 NSPRA awards are:
 
Golden Achievement Award 
The Golden Achievement Awards program recognizes exemplary public relations activities, programs and projects.  All public and private schools and institutions are eligible. 
"Learn the Facts" Marketing Campaign
Television, billboard, Web site, print ad campaign
Chris Trahan, Director of Communications & Community Engagement
 
Recognition Awards
NSPRA's Publications and Electronic Media Awards program recognizes outstanding education publications and electronic media programs -- radio/TV/cable, Internet Web sites, slide productions and videotape.
 
Merit Award - Print Newsletters, External Audience
Education Matters
East Baton Rouge Parish School System
 
Honorable Mention -- Excellence in Writing
"First Year Teacher Is an Educational Knockout"
Sonya T. Gordon, APR, Public Information Officer
 
Honorable Mention -- Electronic Newsletter, External Audience
Superintendent's eNews
Demetris Blakes, Webmaster
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PRAM Honors Practitioners  at Annual Awards Banquet 

Public relations practitioners from around Mississippi were honored for outstanding work during the Public Relations Association of Mississippi's Annual PRism Awards Luncheon, held recently at the Jackson Hilton. Awards, including Certificates of Merit, Awards of Excellence and PRism Awards, were given in 25 categories. From those, the judges also selected the Best of Show Award and Judges' Choice Awards.
 
Coast Electric Power Association (left) received the Best of Show Award for the Long-Term Special Public Relations Program, "Co-op Connections." Judges' Choice Awards were given to GodwinGroup, The Mississippi Department of Education and State Farm - Public Education Forum for the public service program, "On the Bus" Dropout Prevention Campaign and to Mississippi College in the Web site development category.
 
In addition, the Educator of the Year was named and the Professional Achievement Award was given to a public relations practitioner and PRAM member whose accomplishments have made a major contribution to the profession. It is PRAM's top honor and recognizes excellence in the field of public relations. Recipients embody the highest degree of professionalism, serve their communities, are committed to advancing the profession and have outstanding achievements in the practice of public relations.
 
Ocean Springs resident Kristie Aylett, APR (right) received the Professional Achievement Award. Over her 19-year career, she has amassed a varied repertoire of work in fields including government, health care and big business. Currently she owns a public relations firm, The KARD Group PR/Marketing. She has also promoted the public relations field, both by her involvement in a variety of professional communications' organizations and by the level of her involvement as a college-level instructor and mentor to others entering the profession.  She served as president of the Mississippi Beach chapter of PRAM in 2008 and currently serves on the state board of the 600-member association. 
 

Robin Street, APR (left with PRAM President Pete Smith) was named the Educator of the Year. She is currently a lecturer at the University of Mississippi. Street is devoted to the highest standards of PR professionalism and shares her passion with future practitioners every day. Enrollment in the public relations emphasis has tripled since she started teaching the courses, and she had to add a summer course this year in order to accommodate all the students who wanted to participate. She is also a founding member of her local PRAM chapter and has won numerous PRAM and SPRF awards. 
 
The PRism awards began in 2003 as a way to honor and recognize outstanding work in the field of public relations by professionals within the state of Mississippi. The awards are judged by professionals outside the geographical boundaries of the Southern Public Relations Federation -- Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and Louisiana. A best of show is awarded as well as a judge's choice. The highest award honor goes to the PRism winners, followed by Awards of Excellence and Certificates of Merit.  (PRism Winners pictured right)

 

 

 

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Tarpy will graduate in May with a degree in journalism.  She currently works in the Ole Miss Sports Media Relations office.  She is described by her supervisor there as "our most versatile student worker."  Tarpy worked for a year as a senior reporter for the Ole Miss campus daily newspaper.  Most notably, she served as a Southeastern Conference media relations volunteer, as well as a student intern for MSNBC in its coverage of the Presidential debate at Ole Miss.

Tarpy has many scholastic honors including membership in the Alpha Lambda Delta Honors Society and the Order of Omega. She has been named to the Chancellor's List and Dean's List throughout her collegiate career. She is a dedicated volunteer on and off campus. Some of her areas of service include the Catholic Student Association and the Holly Springs Hummingbird Festival. (Tarpy, middle right, is pictured with PRAM President Pete Smith, left; Ole Miss Journalism Professor Robin Street, middle left; and Scholarship Chair Celeste Cade, right.)

 

"Whitney is an outstanding example of the next generation of public relations professionals, and we are pleased that we can support her studies as she pursues a degree in the field," said Celeste Cade, PRAM state board member-at-large, scholarships. "She is very deserving of this honor."

PRAM began its scholarship program in 2007.  The winner receives $1,000 and is recognized at the organization's annual awards banquet, which took place April 17, 2009, at the Hilton Hotel and Conference Center in Jackson, Miss. Tarpy attended the banquet, along with her parents and nominating professor, Robin Street, APR.

 

PRAM consists of approximately 600 public relations professionals from advertising and public relations agencies, corporations, non-profit organizations, government, education, industries and others throughout the state of Mississippi. PRAM is a source of expertise and inspiration, and a forum for networking with public relations practitioners throughout the state and the region. The association is composed of 11 local chapters geographically located throughout the state's major population centers. For more information about the organization, visit pramonline.org.

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Karen Stanley, Sales and Marketing Director for Triangle Maintenance Service, LLC
 
"When Karen first interviewed for this position, she said something that rings true today," said John Bean, CEO of the Eat With Us Group and Sweet Peppers Franchise Systems. "Karen let me know she was looking to work with a company that believes in giving back to the communities where they live and work."

Stanley moved to Columbus 12 years ago and immediately began to throw herself into the community, putting together everything from ground breakings to ribbon cuttings for the Columbus Lowndes Development LINK and staying busy with the Columbus Convention &Visitor's Bureau, the Greater Starkville Development Partnership and Tupelo's Community Development Foundation.

Stanley had lived in three states (Texas, Louisiana and Alabama) by the time she was in the fifth grade, so it is little wonder that she has enjoyed settling down in the vibrant North Mississippi community. Stanley's zest for activity began at her Mobile, Ala. high school where was active in the Pep Club and the Student Government Association.

"No matter how bad our football team lost I continued to spread the BakerHigh School spirit," Stanley said. "Staying  positive is a trait that I have carried with me my entire life."

 

Stanley studied organizational communications at the University of South Alabama and business administration at the Mississippi University for Women. Her career in marketing kicked off at Gayfers Department stores in Tuscaloosa, Ala., and Mobile where she organizing store events and fell in love and married one of the store's internal security officers.

 

"Our wedding practically shut down the store," Stanley said.
 

Her success in marketing continues today at Eat With Us where Stanley manages five different restaurant concepts (a total of 22 eateries including 10 Sweet Peppers across the Southeast). As marketing director, she has helped redesign and launch two web sites as well as the first branded marketing campaign for the Sweet Peppers restaurant concept. She has also overseen large growth periods in the company, and designed, planned and hosted two annual conferences for the franchise.

When Stanley is not generating fresh new ideas and goals for Eat With Us, she enjoys shopping, reading fashion and parenting magazines and watching sons Aiden and Logan and playing with dogs Molly and Trixie. Sometimes she even finds time to attempt a well-deserved nap.

"My husband is a rock of support for me," Stanley said. "He alternates between the roles of toughest critic and strongest supporter and is quick to keep me grounded and remind me of the important things in life. He believes in me more than I believe in myself."

 

Stanley calls herself an anomaly in today's society as so few people major in and then work in the careers they thought they would in college.

"In moving to Columbus I could not imagine I would find the type of opportunities and companies I have been able to work with since I have lived in this area," she said.

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Dear Members,
I sincerely thank everyone that attended the State Luncheon in April.  What a magical sight it was to see more than 200 public relations and communications professionals come together from all corners of the state to learn more about our industry. 

If you were not able to attend, you really missed a memorable event.  Beginning with the luncheon, then the awards ceremony and concluding with the seminars - everything was outstanding! 

The luncheon speaker, Corey Ealons, Director of African American Media and Special Projects for President Obama's Administration, was thought-provoking.  What made his appearance even more special is that he is one of us - a Public Relations practitioner from the State of Alabama.

The seminars were not only educational, but also motivational.  Attendees walked away with tools to help them both professionally and personally.

The awards ceremony was exceptional.  Thanks to Kay Yarbrough, APR, vice president of Projects, and Nia Johnson, vice president of Students, for coordinating the Chapter and Student Awards. Congratulations to all of the individual and chapter winners.  Special accolades to the Mobile Chapter for being named the PRCA Chapter of the Year; Vanessa Murphree, Ph. D, for being recognized as the PRCA State Educator of the Year; and Heather Chance, the Student of the Year.      

 

Special thanks to Brandon Wilson, vice president of Programs, and Josh Till, president of the Birmingham Chapter for coordinating and hosting the luncheon.  The Birmingham Chapter laid out the red carpet and really made us feel welcome.  I sincerely appreciate ALL of the luncheon committee members' hard work in making our first State Luncheon a success. 

 

I'm looking forward to the 2010 State Conference, which will be hosted by the East Alabama Chapter.  Based on their exciting pre-conference presentation, we are in for real "Old School" treat in Auburn!

 

As we make plans for the second half of 2009, I encourage you to attend the Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) Conference to be held in Tunica, Mississippi, October 4-6.  Each chapter will have an opportunity to compete on a regional level, and several of our members will be recognized as Senior Practitioners.  Vanessa Murphree will compete for the SPRF Educator of the Year; and Bill Cunningham (of the Montgomery Chapter), our 2008 Professional Achievement Award (PAA), recipient will compete for the 2009 SPRF PAA.   This conference offers numerous professional development opportunities, so you will not want to miss it.

Although this year has been challenging for many of us because of the economy, I believe it is quickly becoming a year to reinvent ourselves and our profession.  That's why I applaud you for attending the State Luncheon and I urge you to attend the upcoming the SPRF Conference. 

 

Have a safe and fulfilling summer,
Nan Baldwin, APR