December Bulletin 2011

PRSA Detroit Elects Officers and Honors Public Relations Leaders at 2011 Annual Meeting
Public relations professionals from across the region gathered together recently to honor experienced and new professionals for their outstanding work. PRSA Detroit held its annual meeting on Thursday, November 3, 2011 at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial. The event provided members a chance to network, celebrate their achievements and look forward to the year ahead.The 400-member chapter elected officers to its board of directors including incoming president Jennifer Flowers, APR, Henry Ford Health System; president-elect, John Austerberry, APR, DTE Energy; treasurer, Dan Artman, APR, public relations consultant; secretary, Debra Lacey, APR, Johnson Controls; and immediate past president Susan Ferraro, APR, Martopia Public Relations Group. The group also elected members to its 16-member board including Melanie Davis, APR, Adcraft Club of Detroit; Kim Eberhardt, Hennessey Capital; Jim Burke, Federal Mogul; Jennifer Marsik Friess, Jemef Public Relations; and Tim Wieland, APR, Airfoil Public Relations.

One of the highlights of the annual program was the induction of Dr. James Measell and Eleanor Wright, APR to the PRSA Detroit Hall of Fame, the chapter’s highest honor. The award reflects significant contributions to the profession, to the chapter and to the community. Measell and Wright both enjoyed long careers as public relations professors at Wayne State University and Eastern Michigan University, respectively. Both excellent instructors were recognized for their dedication to their students and the profession outside the classroom.

Scott Simons, APR, was awarded the Robert Hefty Distinguished Service Award for his outstanding service to the chapter. The Award is named in memory of longtime PRSA-Detroit board member and Bulletin editor, Robert Hefty.

 Simons, a former colleague of Hefty, is currently senior specialist of media relations at DTE Energy and has served the chapter as a hardworking volunteer in a number of leadership roles, including board of directors member, 2002-2009; 2008 chapter president; PRSA Assembly delegate several times; and 2008 Detroit PRSA International Conference Host Committee co-chair.In addition to honoring these esteemed colleagues, the chapter awarded the 2011 PRSA Detroit Chapter Scholarships. Two Wayne State University public relations students Liliana Medina and Tyler Gawenda were honored with Donald P. Durocher Memorial Scholarships. The scholarships, named in honor of the late Donald P. Durocher, APR, Fellow PRSA, was established in 1992 and supports students in their pursuit of public relations education and professional development.

Finally, members were honored who have furthered the profession throughout the past year through their participation in the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) program and the Ethics Honors Code Program. Newly accredited members include Sharon Garcia, APR; Sheila McKean, APR; Megan Soule, APR; and Jennifer Wilt, APR. This mark of distinction demonstrates a commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice.

The Ethics Honors Code Program is an educational toolkit to enable PR practitioners to further their understanding of ethical matters in the workplace. To date, 137 participants representing solo practitioners and 21 local organizations were honored for participating in the program.

Passing the gavel to 2012 Detroit Chapter President Jennifer Flowers, APR (holding gavel), are past presidents (from left) Karen Spica, APR (1987), Renee Ahee, APR (1998), Pam Young, APR (2000), Susan Ferraro, APR (2011), Mary Henige, APR (2003), Flowers, Lisa Vallee-Smith, APR (2004), Jennifer Day, APR (2005), Glen Foldessy, APR (2007), Scott Simons, APR (2008), and Rich Donley, APR (2010).

Hope Brown, APR, Detroit chapter board member and ethics chair, recognized participants in this year’s PRSA Detroit Ethics Honors Code program.

Incoming President Jennifer Flowers, APR, acknowledged WSU student and scholarship recipient Tyler Gawenda.

Ofield Dukes, APR, Fellow PRSA, enjoyed the evening with guest Irma Clark. Sadly, Mr. Dukes passed away in Detroit on Dec. 7.

Newly elected 2012 Detroit Chapter President Jennifer Flowers, APR, spoke to those in attendance about her plans for the coming year.

Board Member Don Tanner (left) visited with Scott Simons, APR. Simons was awarded the Robert Hefty Distinguished Service Award for his many years of volunteer service to PRSA Detroit.

Elly Wright, APR, traveled from St. Louis to receive her PRSA Detroit Hall of Fame Award. Wright, a retired EMU professor, toured Eastern’s campus and spoke to students during her trip to Michigan. The EMU PRSSA chapter bears her name, another honor bestowed to her. She was a longtime member of PRSA Detroit while employed at Eastern.

(From left) Past Detroit Chapter Presidents Jennifer Day, APR, (2005) and Glen Foldessy, APR, (2007) and 2012 President Elect John Austerberry, APR, enjoyed the evening.

Two of his former students, Mary Henige, APR (left), and Shelly Najor, Ph.D., introduced the video acceptance speech of Dr. James Measell. The longtime WSU professor retired to southeast Ohio and was not able to accept his Hall of Fame Award in person.

Approximately 150 chapter members and guests attended the 2011 Annual Meeting dinner.

WSU student Liliana Medina receives her scholarship from 2012 Chapter President Jennifer Flowers, APR.

Chapter Board Member and 2011 APR Committee Co-chair Tim Wieland, APR (center), recognized the newly accredited members: From left, Jennifer Wilt, APR, Sheila McKean, APR, Sharon Garcia, APR, and Megan Soule, APR.

PRSA remembers Ofield Dukes, APR, Fellow PRSA
Ofield Dukes, APR, Fellow PRSA, a distinguished PR professional, educator and journalist, died Dec. 7 in his hometown of Detroit after a battle with bone cancer. He was 79.Dukes was president of Ofield Dukes and Associates, a highly regarded Washington, D.C.-based PR firm that specialized in political affairs and minority affairs with particular focus on African-American and African issues.

He was a PRSA member for more than 40 years. In 2001, he received the Gold Anvil Award, PRSA’s highest individual honor. He was the first African-American that the Society honored with the award.

 Dukes led PRSA’s first National Diversity Task Force In 2002 and 2003, which resulted in the Chapter Diversity Awards. Dukes began an educational campaign across the country, taking the diversity message to Chapters as one of the top priorities of the National leadership. PRSA Detroit 2012 Chapter President Jennifer Flowers, APR, is focusing on diversity next year. The chapter will hold its first Diversity Summit in February, named in honor of Mr. Dukes. She mentioned it during her remarks at the annual meeting, which he attended. Look for more details on the summit soon.For more information on Ofield Dukes’ life and legacy, click here to be taken to the national PRSA website.

2012: New Year, New Look
PRSA Detroit will ring in the New Year with a new website design for 2012 and beyond.Our website serves as the initial impression that new and potential members have of PRSA Detroit, and it will now match our Chapter’s high caliber of professionalism. In addition to streamlining our assets and resources, the cleaner, simpler design will bring our Chapter’s web presence up-to-date stylistically.

With our new website, we aim to inspire confidence in businesses seeking an agency match, to recruit public relations professionals as new PRSA members and to serve as a more reliable and convenient resource for our current members.

 Our online assets and resources are better organized for easier reference and navigation. One aspect of this easy access will feature prominent buttons to our social media presences (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Flickr), to inspire connections among our members as colleagues, and to improve our website’s integration with the social sphere.Our last website redesign was in May 2008 under the leadership of Scott Simons, APR and will continue to evolve over time after this redesign. Please take a look and let us know what you think! If you have any questions or comments, find us on Twitter @PRSADetroit or email Karah Street or Nicole Burdiss.

Keep your eye out for a new bulletin design that will complement the new website in 2012.

Eastern Michigan University’s Professor Emeritus Eleanor Wright, APR
For many professors in higher education, their main goal is research. For Eastern Michigan University Professor Emeritus Eleanor Wright, her goal was to help her students succeed.“For me, the greatest reward in program development and teaching has always been and always will be seeing the students succeed in the communications profession,” said Wright. “The best reward is having the people you’ve taught succeed.”

Wright came to Eastern in 1979 after seeing an advertisement for a journalism professor in the newspaper. Within three years, she was an associate professor – without having the required Ph.D.

By 1983, Wright had created both public relations and written communications programs at the university. She was responsible for bringing the internship requirement to the public relations program, helped developed numerous key courses and also helped bring computers to the English department.

Because of her achievements and contributions to Eastern Michigan University, PRSA Detroit honored Wright at the annual dinner on Nov. 3, 2011 with the PRSA Detroit Hall of Fame award.

 “I am in my 88th year and I never had anticipated having this kind of an award. It is wonderful to be recognized,” said Wright. “It was such a surprise and I am delighted to be here.”Prior to accepting her award, Wright visited with students at Eastern where she shared with them her insights on public relations, the changing industry and her history with the PR program.

“Elly was known to be tough, but fair, always expecting the very best of her students – and, as a result, receiving it,” said Lolita Cummings Carson, APR, a public relations professor at Eastern.

Wright has stayed in touch with the PR program at Eastern, even after moving back to St. Louis, Mo. She regularly communications with faculty, students and former students and offers her helpful suggestions and input when needed.

“The lessons she taught me – storytelling, accuracy, integrity, interviewing, copy-editing, heck: even the importance of good spelling – have stayed with me for decades and have greatly contributed to my professional success,” said Tim McIntyre, vice president of communications for Domino’s Pizza. “She’s one in a million.”

UM-D PRSSA attends PRSSA 2011 National Conference with Support of PRSA Detroit
The University of Michigan-Dearborn PRSSA chapter (UM-D PRSSA) was able to attend the PRSSA 2011 National Conference in Orlando, Fla. with $1,000 in support from PRSA Detroit.The UM-D chapter attended the conference the weekend of Oct. 13-15. As one of the most influential and important steps a PR student can take to start their career, the conference provided a great opportunity for students to fine-tune their chapter, as well as develop professionally. Seminars varied from emotional intelligence in public relations to breaking into the sports PR world. Professors and professionals intermingled with students to share real-life experiences in the field.

The National Conference theme was “perception is reality” and was held at the Renaissance Hotel at SeaWorld. Inspiration from SeaWorld and Disney made the conference atmosphere magical for the many chapters who attended across the country.

 Richard Levick, CEO of Levick Strategic Communications, gave a session on Crisis Communications. The theme was simple; Levick gave several explanations of why organizations succeed and why they fail, when they are faced with crises.
The top reason for failure was fear. Levick said there is no reason to be afraid of change, and encouraged students to be open to challenges.General Motors also played a key role in the conference, with the most significant Chapter Development session being the Presidents Workshop with Mary Henige, APR, director of social media & digital communications at General Motors. Henige gave specifics on how to manage a chapter’s “brand,” while developing a strong executive board and membership loyalty.

Thanks to PRSA Detroit, the UM-D PRSSA chapter was able to not only learn about the industry, but participate as well. UM-D PRSSA realized that not only is it important to meet and learn from professionals, but also their future colleagues. “The 2011 National Conference was inspirational to our chapter, and the memories will last forever,” said Meghan Sears, president, UM-D PRSSA.