Volume 8:: July 2006

Terry Koehne, CalSPRA President

Greetings!
First of all, I want to thank Danielle Clark, last year’s CalSPRA president, for her thoughtful leadership of our organization. As you probably know, Danielle has entered a new phase of her life in Tennessee, where she is now a full-time stay-at-home mom for her twin girls. Thanks to Danielle’s guidance, CalSPRA enjoyed another fabulous year of quality professional development and strong advocacy of the school communications profession. Good luck Danielle, and thanks for everything!

Of course, CalSPRA could not accomplish all it does for our members without dedicated volunteers. The CalSPRA Board of Directors meets during each of our conferences, and schedules time outside of CalSPRA events to plan, implement and evaluate the annual goals and objectives of the organization. Board members volunteer their time to CalSPRA outside of their normal jobs so that CalSPRA members are fully supported in their professional lives. I am excited to introduce your Board of Directors for the 2006-07 school year, a group of  talented and committed (or maybe they should be “committed”) professionals dedicated to making your professional life a little easier:

Kelly Avants, President-Elect (Communications Director, Clovis Unified School District)
Joan Sieczkowski, Past-President (Academic Events Coordinator, Contra Costa County Office of Education)
Dianne Pavia, Secretary (Communications & Public Relations Manager, Riverside Unified School District)
Trent Allen, Treasurer (Public Information Officer, San Joaquin COE)

In addition, several CalSPRA members are volunteering their time to lead committees that play an integral role in CalSPRA’s work throughout the year. My sincere thanks to all of these amazing people! If you are interested in taking a leadership role in CalSPRA next year as one of our committee chairs, please let me know.

• Communications Contest (Judy Leitz/ Cynthia Fenech, Stanislaus COE)
• E-Newsletter (Cindy Sabato, former CalSPRA president and our Guam “correspondent”)
• CalSPRA Website (Steve Bateman, Contra Costa COE)
• Membership (Joan Boiko, Palm Springs USD)
• Mentoring (Nola Lionberger, Solano COE)
• Accreditation in Public Relations (TBA)

2006-07 Goals and Objectives
Your CalSPRA Board has established the following goals and objectives for the upcoming school year:

• Continue (2) major conferences: “Sacramento Summit” in January and “Celebrating Communicators” in May;
• Conduct a Fall “Special Issues” Conference in October for school communication professionals and educators;
• Continue to promote and conduct APR training and other professional development opportunities;
• Establish a pricing structure so that conferences are fully funded through registration fees;
• Continue to build the listserv and quarterly e-Newsletter as a benefit to members;
• Increase membership by 5%;
• Promote effective school communication and advocate for the school PR profession by presenting workshops at other professional organizations’ conferences (e.g. ACSA, CSBA, CASBO, etc.);
• Promote participation by CalSPRA members on NSPRA boards and committees;
• Continue to promote a Mentor program that provides CalSPRA members who are new to the profession with opportunities to connect with and learn from school PR veterans.

A Great Year for Professional Development!
I am particularly excited about our conference schedule this year. We are trying something new, yet tried and true, in October—the CalSPRA Fall Issues Conference (old-timers will remember it as the PR Institute). Kelly Avants has done a stellar job putting this together. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a been-there-done-that veteran to an other-duties-as assigned rookie. This is a great chance to provide some communications training for your superintendent, board members, principals and staff. Take time to invest in your district’s message. Make sure it’s heard clearly, especially during a crisis. We are also extending invitations to school PR pros in neighboring states—an excellent chance to gain alternative perspectives on education issues. Plan to join us for this sure-to-be exceptional conference.

Our annual Sacramento Summit in January returns to the gorgeous Sheraton Hotel in downtown Sacramento. During this banner budget year where we are seeing the largest COLA in recent memory, it is especially important to understand how to communicate this information to our education communities.

We end in May once again by recognizing the fabulous work of our members at the annual Celebrating Communicators Skill Building Workshop & Excellence in Communications Awards. This is an opportunity for you to get the kudos you deserve for that special project or idea that helped to keep your community engaged. Plus, we will once again offer a special skill-building workshop that you can add to your repertoire of communication tools and strategies.

I hope you will make plans to attend each of these conferences, and as always, don’t hesitate to contact any of the board members with questions or comments.

I know that many of you have plans to attend the annual NSPRA Conference in Chicago. Please feel free to share with the listserve some of the many things you learn about in the Windy City (whether it be the latest techno gadget or how to sing the blues!) I know you will show the rest of the country the strength that is…. CalSPRA!

Here’s to a great year!

May Conference was a big hit, as usual
By Terry Koehne, CalSPRA President
Situated once again in the beautiful Shelter Island area of San Diego, CalSPRA’s annual Celebrating Communicators Skill Building Workshop and Excellence in Communications Awards was a rip-roaring success...

California Gold winners are a gold mine of PR wisdom
By Cindy Sabato, past CalSPRA President and CalSPRA eNewsletter Committee Chair
California Gold award-winning projects combine all elements of the public relations four-step process to create a long-range, strategic program designed to meet specific goals and objectives, plus incorporate methods for evaluating the success of the program once it’s been implemented...

Golden (Mentor) Nuggets
By Nola Lionberger, Mentor Committee Chair
One of the awesome benefits to CalSPRA members is the combined experience and expertise of its members...

:: Save these Dates

::You’ve got issues? We’ve got answers! CalSPRA's 2006 Issues in Education Conference
Kelly Avants, CalSPRA President Elect

As you make your professional development plans for the 2006-07 school year mark off October 15 – 17 and plan to attend CalSPRA's 2006 Issues in Education Conference. Major issues facing California’s schools and tricks to maintain your sanity as a school PR professional come together in this action packed two-day conference. More information will be mailed to CalSPRA members in the coming months, but highlights of the conference include three keynote seminars and eight break-out session options around the seminar topics. 

Attendees will come home with a suitcase packed full of great ideas and practical answers to some of the tough topics on California’s public education agenda. Whether it’s crisis readiness, marketing your schools in an era of school choice, or hanging on to your sanity as you navigate the everyday life of a school pr professional, this conference has something for you.

Kicking off the conference is a networking reception on Sunday, October 15, followed by two days of keynote sessions with options for a variety of hands-on breakout sessions.  Capping off the conference is a session by nationally known motivational speaker and author Mimi Donaldson. Other featured speakers include: 30-year PR veteran Steve Knagg from Garland Independent School District in Texas; Gary Aungst, Director of Community Affairs & Marketing for Tempe, AZ schools; and our own Tom DeLapp, President of Communication Resources for Schools. Breakout sessions will feature LACOE’s Frank Kwan, CalSPRA Golden Mentors Vic Pallos and Dick Van der Laan, and others. So, grab your big red Sharpie and mark your calendar:

2006 Issues in Education Conference
DoubleTree Anaheim
October 15 - 17, 2006
Registration $209
Room rates $129/night plus taxes

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