#PRSALA

March 2014

Table of Contents

Message from the President

Event: How to Prevent a Digital Disaster

Western District Conference Recap

Recap: Happy Hour Hangout with Top Tech Journalists

PRSA-LA Counselors Academy

Recap: Young Professionals Networking Mixer

PRSSA One-Day Conference

New Member Promotion

2014 Kennth Owler Smith Symposium

Member News

Credential Corner

Welcome New Members

Job Listings

Join The Conversation

2014 PRSA-LA
Board of Directors

PRESIDENT

Erik Deutsch
ExcelPR Group

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Jean Gonsoulin
The Gonsoulin Group

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Steve Roth
OutThink Partners

VP / TREASURER

Kerry Sinclair
GCI Health

VP / SECRETARY

Kristin Wood
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts

VICE PRESIDENTS

Holly Ferris
Ferris Communications

Alfredo Padilla
Wells Fargo Mortgage

Philip Sokoloski
FilmL.A., Inc.

DIRECTORS

Jackie Chase
Cunard Line

Natascha French
Allison+Partners

Raul Gordillo
Southern California Gas Co.

Charlie Gu
China Luxury Advisors

Victoria Lelash, APR
Citizen Relations

Shari Mesulam
The Mesulam Group

Rebecca Mikkelsen, APR
Doug Hay & Associates

Matt Myerhoff
L.A. Tourism & Convention Board

Keith Pillow, APR
Caddy Marketing & Communications

Clint Schaff
DARE

Angelica Urquijo
The Imagen Group

ASSEMBLY DELEGATES

Peter Hidalgo, APR
Time Warner Cable

Eric Moses
Occidental Petroleum

Sallie Olmstead, APR
Rogers & Cowan

Stefan Pollack
The Pollack PR Marketing Group

Rita Tateel
The Celebrity Source

Denis Wolcott, APR
The Wolcott Company

YP PRESIDENT

Jade Steven

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Mindy Brundige

Resource Links

Job Listings

Membership Info

2014 Board of Directors

Chapter Committees

The Los Angeles Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America is comprised of more than 575 public relations professionals representing many LA-area corporations, public relations agencies, independent practitioners, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations.

Our diverse membership benefits from PRSA-LA's educational and networking opportunities, as well as services such as job listings, referral programs, internship opportunities, chapter meetings and other resources.

Chapter Milestones

2011
PRSA-LA welcomes Mindy Brundige as its new Executive Director.

2010
PRSA-LA presents Barbara Shore with its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award for her 40 years of service to the Chapter as Executive Director.

2008
PRSA-LA celebrates its 60th anniversary with the largest gathering of past presidents in the chapter's history. More than 20 past presidents chronicle their recollections about the history of the chapter.

2004
PRSA-LA Board Member Dawn Wilcox, APR stages the first Quality Time with PR Minds event and creates a model program for assisting nonprofits that is emulated by other PRSA chapters.

2003
PRSA-LA holds its first IPG (Independent Practitioners Group) Meeting.

1990
PRSA-LA and the Annenberg School for Communication hold the first Kenneth Owler Smith (KOS) Symposium named after the beloved USC professor.

1989
PRSA-LA awards the first Don Perkins Grant to fund PR services for worthy nonprofit organizations.

1988
PRSA-LA members Eric Stoltz and Tom Trevett form PRSA's first Young Professionals (YP) section.

1985
PRSA-LA awards the first Joseph Roos Award to recognize PR professionals who have demonstrated extraordinary community service.

1970
PRSA-LA Executive Director Barbara Shore is hired to run the chapter's day-to-day operations - a position she held until December 2010.

1965
PRSA-LA elects its first woman president, Pat Penney.

1964
PRSA-LA holds the first annual PRism Awards competition and banquet.

1955
PRSA-LA hosts the national PRSA Annual Conference. More than 1,100 PR pros attend at the Ambassador Hotel.

1948
PRSA-LA incorporated as one of PRSA's first five founding chapters. Bob Roberts elected first chapter president.

Young Professionals (YP) was founded in January of 1988 by members of PRSA-LA. Its purpose is to provide a forum for the career enhancement of public relations practitioners with fewer than five years of experience.

Through various member services and professional outreach programs, YP members learn about the industry's latest developments and form relationships with peers, as well as with experienced, respected industry professionals.

YP membership represents an opportunity to be a part of one of LA's leading professional public relations societies.

Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and join our group on LinkedIn!

L.A. Connect
is published by

PRSA-LA

11271 Ventura Blvd. #376

Studio City, CA 91604

Phone: 818.582.3233

info@prsala.org

www.prsala.org

Philip Sokoloski
Editor
213.977.8630
psokoloski@filmla.com

Andrew Hindes
Associate Editor
323.256.4950

andrew@theinhousewriter.com

Erik Deutsch

In last month's newsletter I wrote (with some bravado) that readers should get ready for "more of everything" from PRSA-LA, and I'm happy to report that it's beginning to arrive.

In terms of events, we recently held the first in a series of online "Happy Hour Hangouts" with local journalists (see story below). We're back offline this month with an all-star panel focused on preventing digital crises. On tap for April are the annual Kenneth Owler Smtih Symposium (April 24th) and the latest installment of our "At Breakfast With..." series (April 12th), which will feature reporters from KNBC-TV.

In terms of technology, we recently launched our updated chapter website. It's still very much a work-in-progress, but we're off to a good start. In the months ahead we will reintroduce our online directory of agencies and independent practitioners, with free listings for members. And get ready for something entirely new as we transform this monthly newsletter into a blog, with more in-depth stories and opportunities for reader engagement.

Finally, with respect to professional development, we have something planned for practitioners at every level. Next month we'll stage our one-day PRSSA Conference for student members, as well as our first meeting of the chapter's new Counselors Academy for senior practitioners. We're also teaming up with the Society of Professional Journalists (SJP/LA) to develop our first-ever Publicity Summit (stay tuned for details).

At PRSA-LA, more is better... and we want you to have it all.

Sincerely,

Erik Deutsch, PRSA-LA President
Principal, ExcelPR Group

erik@prsala.org
@ErikDeutsch

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March Chapter Event

How to Prevent a Digital Disaster:
The PR Pro's Guide to Online
Reputation Management

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Omni Hotel (map)

Despite the PR industry's growing digital expertise, online crises continue to play out and leave professional communicators scrambling to minimize the damage. Can anything be done to prevent these volatile situations in the first place?

This program will examine recent high-profile digital disasters, and what steps could have been taken to prevent them. Our all-star panel of experts will weigh in on these real-world situations and discuss hands-on best practices for crisis prevention in a digital world.

Panelists will include:

Eric Schwartzman, Founder and CEO, Comply Socially, @EricSchwartzman

Siobhan O'Neill, VP, Edelman Digital, @AngelCityBlues

Chris Baccus, Executive Director, Digital, GolinHarris, @cbaccus

Laura Knapp, President, Social Spotlight Media, @LauraKnapp

Moderator: Karen Kovaks North, Chair, Online Social Communities Program, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, @APOCusc

Cost & Registration Details

$45: PRSA Members

$55: Non-Members & Guests

$25: YP & PRSSA Members

Visit the Registration Page

Share this Event

_________________

Sponsored by: PR Newswire

Event Photography by Marshall Thompson, PRVideo.TV

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Western District Conference Recap

PRSA-LA's Denis Wolcott, APR Receives Platinum Service Award; L.A. Chapter Gears Up to Host 2015 Conference

Denis Wolcott, APR

PRSA members from five states convened in San Diego last week for the 2014 Western District Conference.

Among the many highlights, PRSA-LA Board Member and Past President Denis Wolcott, APR was honored during the keynote luncheon with the 2014 PRSA Western District Platinum Service Award.

As the highest individual honor bestowed by the Western District, the award recognizes outstanding achievement in advancing the field of public relations.

If you missed this year's conference, take heart! Recaps of various conference proceedings will soon be available via the official conference website.

PRSA-LA is also very pleased to announce that the 2015 Western District Conference will be hosted and produced by the Los Angeles Chapter! Look for more details (and requests for speakers and volunteers) in the months ahead.

Connect with PRSA's Western District on Twitter and Facebook.

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February Event Recap

PRSA-LA's First 'Happy Hour Hangout' Connects Members with Top Tech Journalists Via Google+

Thanks to everyone who tuned-in and helped make our first online "Happy Hour Hangout" event a resounding success. Last month's debut 'Hangout' featured some of L.A.'s top technology industry journalists. Hundreds of viewers tuned in to the free online event, and many submitted questions via Twitter and Google+.

Special thanks to our all-star panelists Rich DeMuro (KTLA-TV), Natalie Jarvey (The Hollywood Reporter), Benjamin Kuo (socalTECH) and Salvador Rodriguez (Los Angeles Times), as well as our moderator David Bloom (Deadline.com).

View event highlights through archived tweets and video clips via Storify, and check out the full event video on YouTube.

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Calling all PR Agency Leaders with 20-Plus Years' Experience...

PRSA-LA Counselors Academy Now Recruiting Senior Practitioners

After a long hiatus, PRSA-LA is relaunching its local version of PRSA's "Counselors Academy" to provide the most senior-level professionals an opportunity to network, share ideas and build camaraderie with their peers.

The new "Counselors Academy - Los Angeles" seeks PR agency leaders with 20-plus years of experience. The group's first event is currently in the planning stage. The group is spearheaded by longtime PRSA-LA members Susan Tellem, APR, Denis Wolcott, APR and Stefan Pollack.

For more information, please contact the PRSA-LA office: info@prsala.org (use subject line "Senior Practitioners").

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Young Professionals

PRSA-LA YP Networking Mixer Kicks Off New Year of Programming

On March 12th, PRSA-LA's YP (Young Professionals) Group held its first event of 2014.

Nearly 40 YP members met at the Hilton Checkers Hotel in downtown L.A. for networking and good times.

The next YP event is a panel discussion scheduled for June at Golin Harris. Details will be announced in a future issue of "L.A. Connect." Follow the YP Group on Twitter @YPofPRSALA.

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Save the Date

Calling All Students: PRSSA One-Day Conference Set for April 12th

PRSSA student members - are you ready for a day all your own to network, learn and be inspired?

PRSA-LA's second annual PRSSA Student Conference is returning to Loyola Marymount University on Saturday, April 12, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The conference will kick-off with a keynote presentation titled "Find Your Dream Job with Social Media" by Eric Schwartzman, Founder & CEO of Comply Socially.

Breakout Sessions will Include:

Hire Me! Tips on Resumes, Portfolios and Networking

So Many Choices: An Exploration of Different Practice Areas with People in the Know

Media Calling: Advice to New PR Professionals from Real Live Editors

Cost & Registration

$25: PRSSA Members

$35: Non-PRSSA Students

Fee includes all sessions, continental breakfast, lunch and sweets.

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New Member Promotion

Refer a Colleague in March and Help Them Earn Free Interest Section Membership!

Now is a great time to encourage your colleagues to join PRSA. Through the end of March, PR pros can receive a FREE professional interest section membership when they join the national organization (cost is $255 annual dues plus a one-time $65 initiation fee) and use promotion code MAR14.

Please forward this special offer to colleagues and associates. For more information about membership dues and benefits, visit the PRSA National website.

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Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium

Pop Culture, PopPR and PopMarketing: Putting the Pop into Major Brands

Thursday, April 24, 2014

6:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

USC Annenberg

The entertainment industry and the pop culture it helps to create play a powerful role in brand marketing, and that influence appears to be increasing exponentially. The implications for professionals and students in public relations, advertising, and other marketing-related disciplines are profound.

The 2014 Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium, presented by USC Annenberg Public Relations Studies and PRSA-LA, offers a unique opportunity to gain valuable insight into this significant trend from some of its most prominent leaders.

Mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details about this exciting event featuring:

Keynote Speaker: Jae Goodman, Chief Creative Officer and Co-Head of CAA Marketing, a division of Creative Artists Agency

Plus a panel discussion with the following experts:

Michael Nyman, Chairman and CEO, PMK/BNC

Prof. Dennis Rock, Marketing Department Chair, USC Marshall School of Business

Moderator: Ernest W. Wilson, Dean, USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism

More details will follow soon via email!

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Member News

Richard and Marcella Tyler Named First Recipients of New CSUN Honor

Richard & Marcella Tyler
Richard Tyler, PRSA Fellow and past PRSA-LA president, together with his wife Marcella, a past vice president of the chapter, were honored as the first recipients of the "CSUN for Life" Award presented by California State University, Northridge.

The new award acknowledges those whose service is consistently a reflection of the university's mission and its highest values.

Tyler, whose 35-year PR career included time at American Airlines and Ford Motor Company, retired from his last job as associate vice president of PR and communication at CSUN, where he also taught for 13 years. Marcella served for more than 30 years as executive director for marketing at CSUN, during which time she organized numerous high-profile events.

Tracy Gale, APR Embraces New Role at Chandler Chicco Agency

Tracy Gale, APR

Tracy Gale, APR recently started a new role as Team Leader in the LA office of Chandler Chicco Agency (CCA), the world's largest pure-play healthcare communications firm.

As a member of the leadership team, Gale will provide senior counsel to medical device, diagnostic and pharma clients, as well as help grow the agency's West Coast business.

Gale has more than 14 years of PR and digital experience, and most recently served as a senior leader at WCG. She is also a part-time faculty member in the communications department at Cal State Fullerton.

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Credential Corner

What Role Do Ethics Play in Accreditation?

Earning the APR (Accreditation in Public Relations) gives practitioners a proven method for ethical decision making. It also assures clients and employers that they are hiring a professional who is experienced in organizational management decision making, has a superior grasp of the public relations field, and understands and abides by ethical standards accepted by organizations participating in the credentialing program.

Practitioners with the APR designation place special emphasis on PRSA's professional code of ethics. The values found in the code are advocacy, honesty, expertise, independence, loyalty and fairness. Adherence to these values builds respect and credibility with the public and hence trust for the profession.

A portion of the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations covers ethics and legal concerns that public relations practitioners will likely encounter in their careers. Ethics have been part of the Examination since its inception 50 years ago, and continue to be integrated into the APR process.

To learn how PRSA-LA supports members who pursue the APR credential please contact APR Committee Chairperson Rebecca Mikkelsen, APR at rebeccam@usa.net / (626) 660-5231.

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Welcome New Members

Joshua Beck-Jnes JLBECKENT Media Consulting	Caitlin Bergh C.E.B. Publicity
Lisa Brogan	Christian Chamberlin Citizen Relations
Susan De Havilland Acker	Davina Douthard The Image Cartel
Imani Greene Weber Shandwick	Michael C. Hope Weber Shandwick
Nick Iannitti Fuel Entertainment	Melody Kleiman Serrato+Co
Erica Larsen Brookledge Follies	Joseph Marchelewski, III Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley
Elizabeth Moran	Paul Putignano
Pamela Reese	Lana Rushing Rushing PR
Yumnah Syed	Vanessa Waite
Wendy Woods-Williams Amgen

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Attention Employers!
PRSA-LA Job Listings
Learn to Use Social Media in Disaster Response

The job listings section of PRSA-LA's website is a great resource for reaching qualified PR professionals seeking employment. Listings are free to post, and remain on the site for 30 days (renewable upon request). Click here to post a job.

Members, check out the recent job postings by Equality California, OC Fair & Event Center, and University of California, Riverside, among others.

If you need assistance accessing the site, contact info@prsala.org.