Full Name: Maryemma Bachelder

Title: Director of Marketing
Company: Lake Wales Medical Center
Years on the job: five
What was your first job in PR?: Public Information Director for Florida Department of Transportation, District 1
What made you decide to get involved in PR?: The opportunity to try something new after working as a journalist for over a decade.
What is your favorite hobby outside work? I enjoy running and cycling, and tolerate swimming, so I dabble in sprint distance triathlons. I plan to tackle six sprint triathlons and an Olympic distance triathlon in 2013, and I just completed by first half-marathon in December.
What sports teams do you root for (if any)? Sorry, I'm not a sports buff at all!! But I do spend most weekends at motocross tracks around Central Florida watching my 15-year-old son race. :)
What is something many people don't realize about you? I'm an introvert by nature!

Join us in welcoming Maryemma to the chapter!

Maryemma Bachelder 

Director of Marketing

Lake Wales Medical Center

Maryemma_Bachelder@chs.net

www.lakewalesmedicalcenter.com

410 S. 11th Street

Lake Wales, Florida 33853

Tel: 863.679-6869

On Saturday, May 25, the DP/PC FPRA Chapter will, once again, partner with Bok Tower Gardens and the George W. Harris Jr. Youth Runaway and Crisis Shelter, to host the 2nd Annual Carillon Classic Run & Walk. This will be Memorial Day Weekend, so please mark your calendars to volunteer. Proceeds will benefit the shelter, along with our chapter's networking and educational initiatives. We need a fantastic volunteer showing from our membership, and I guarantee you will have fun and feel satisfied knowing you are making a difference!

Katy Martin and Marybeth Soderstrom have teamed up to co-chair the 5k. We have already begun planning and will hold our first committee meeting on Friday, January 18 at 1 p.m. at Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales. Subsequent meetings will be held in Lakeland. At our first committee meeting, we will talk about what we need to do in the areas of:  

• Sponsorships
• Fine-tuning the course
• PR & Marketing
• Event planning

Also, we need creative minds to come up with an additional fund-raising element to add to the event this year. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please email katy.martin@LRMC.com.

1.  Read the directions. Make sure to address all five elements of the summary: Research,  Objectives, Implementation, Evaluation and Budget. Don't try to fake any of them. You must provide valid information on each element.

2.  Track projects throughout the year, not just at awards time. Keep a file for notes, surveys and documentation. It will make compilation that much easier.

• Evaluate every project as a potential entry.
• Keep good records.
• Record your objectives.
• Set quantifiable goals.
• Organize your support materials. Include survey results, proof of research, before and after samples, media clips, letters of appreciation, pertinent reference material. Get audio and video files of all radio and television publicity.

3.  Plan ahead to conduct research and document results. It will strengthen your work. Manage by fact. Measure your results.

4.  Put the most work into the summary, not just the notebook. It is 70% of your total score. Be clear, concise and factual, not just creative.

5.  Review the checklist provided in the Call for Entries. Be sure all criteria are met. 

• Some part of the entry took place within the specified time frame.
• Entry is contained in a standard hardcover, stiff-spin, three-ring binder no larger than 3" thick.
• Original or photocopied entry form is the first page of the entry.
• Summary is a Word document no longer than two pages. Pages have a 1" margin and type is double-spaced. Font used is Times New Roman, no smaller than 10 point.
• Three copies of the summary are included, in addition to the original.
• A brief organizational overview immediately follows the two-page summary.
• All support materials and AV and electronic requirements are met.
• All support materials are labeled with proper identification, division and category.
• 50-word summary is included.
• Name(s) to be used on the award are specified and properly spelled.
• Check payment and duplicates of entry form (if check is used for more than one entry) are attached.
• CD containing the two-page summary, 50-word summary and digital image is labeled, placed in an envelope and attached to the 50-word summary.

Your board of directors is proud to announce that Project Fill-a-Bag/Bucket was such a success, our Chapter will continue collecting items year-round! The DP/PC Chapter has been an integral part of this effort, providing children who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless with hygiene necessities. We are in need of:

shampoo/conditioner | bath soap | deodorant toothbrushes/toothpaste | brushes/combs | washcloths

Please bring your donations of full-size products to our meeting each month!