January is already in the books, and 2012 is off to an exciting start for the Volunteer Chapter! The 2012 V Awards are scheduled for April 26 at the Orangery in Knoxville, and the chapter's new leadership has developed an outstanding slate of meetings for the year.

Next month in this space, new president Jennifer Faddis will share her insights and wisdom on the activities of the PRSA's Volunteer Chapter. I am going to take this one last opportunity to thank everyone who made 2011 a successful venture for the chapter. We had a great crew of board members that invested their time and energy to the oversight of the chapter, and the incoming leadership team for 2012 is excited at what this year holds for our chapter and its members.

A special thanks to outgoing board members for their service: Susanne Dupes, Julia Wood and Megan Brown. Megan has changed roles for 2012, going from an assembly delegate position to serving as our APR Chair for this year. To all of you, my thanks!

Lastly, thanks to incoming president Jennifer Faddis. She has worked tirelessly this last year to make 2012 the best year ever. She is smart and driven and innovative, and she will do a fantastic job. Thank you, Jennifer!

Thank you for allowing me to serve as your president in 2011!

All the best,

Chris Davis, APR

A Day in the Life of Dollywood! 

Join us at the February PRSA Volunteer Chapter luncheon and hear from Pete Owens, Media and Public Relations Manager for Dollywood, a provider of themed entertainment experiences including Dollywood and Dollywood’s Splash Country and Dollywood Vacations located in Pigeon Forge; Dixie Stampede locations in three states; the American Eagle Foundation; and the Dollywood Foundation. Dollywood Media and Public Relations offers publicity services, crisis communications, community outreach, special events planning and execution, and media buying.

Pete will share how he manages the public relations for this 150-acre family adventure park which offers more than 40 rides and attractions, award-winning live entertainment, and a dozen crafters authentic to the East Tennessee region. Pete will also give an inside look at working with one of America’s best known and loved celebrities, Dolly Parton!

A Nebraska native, Pete majored in Radio, Television and Film at the University of Kansas and spent 15 years in affiliate television working in every aspect of news. Immediately before joining Dollywood, he was the Assistant News Director and Executive Producer of WATE-TV, the ABC affiliate in Knoxville. Pete is an active speaker in the amusement industry and sits on the National Roller Coaster Museum Board of Directors. He is a member of the International Amusement Parks and Attractions Association’s communications committee, the PRSA Volunteer Chapter, and the Radio Television News Director’s Association.

All attendees will be entered for a chance to win FREE 2012 Dollywood day passes! 

When: Thursday, February 16; Networking: 11:30 a.m.; Program: Noon

Where: Calhoun’s on the River, 400 Neyland Drive (BBQ buffet)

Cost: $20 for PRSA members; $25 for non-members

RSVP: By Friday, February 10 to chelsey.riemann@townoffarragut.org. (Please note: no-shows will be billed.)

Save the Date to Attend the 2012 “V” Awards

Come and celebrate the 37^th annual “V” Awards with the PRSA Volunteer Chapter!

The “V” Awards will be held on April 26 at 6:30pm at The Orangery! Please save the date now to attend! This year, John Becker from WBIR will be our host emcee for the evening.

The Call for Entries is on the Volunteer Chapter website. Take the time to create your entry so that your work can be recognized!  Please note that the deadline for entries is 5 p.m. Friday, February 17, 2012. Drop off locations are listed on the Call for Entries. No entries will be accepted after noon on Monday, February 20. Individual Award nominations are due to Ellen Liston by March 23.

The “V” Awards committee is also excited to announce new initiatives for the 2012 awards!  New for 2012, those submitting multiple awards will be eligible for an entry fee discount and the J. Carroll Bateman Award of Excellence winner will receive a $250 donation to his or her chosen charity. Please see the Call for Entries for additional details.

All locations are TBA. Meetings begin with networking at 11:30 a.m. followed by the Noon program.

Thursday, Feb. 16 - Pete Owens, Dollywood/Tourism PR

Thursday, March 15 - Dr. Jim McIntyre, Knox County Schools, Value of PR in Education

Thursday, April 26 - “V” Awards (no monthly luncheon)

Thursday, May 17 - Mary Beth West, Mary Beth West Consulting, Role of PR in Corporate Mergers

Thursday, June 21 - Bryan Campbell, Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Search Engine Optimization

No July Meeting

Thursday, Aug. 16 - Heather Ripley, Fletcher PR, Garnering National Media Placements

Thursday, Sept. 20 - PRSA Ethics Month,Speaker and Topic TBA

Friday, Oct. 26 - PR Day (no monthly luncheon)

Thursday, Nov. 15 - Cynthia Moxley, Moxley Carmichael, Being the PR Sponsor for the Extreme Makeover Home Edition Knoxville Build

No December meeting

Are you ready to pursue Accreditation?

I am so excited to be the Volunteer Chapter's APR Chair for 2012. I know many of you have been considering pursuing your APR for some time. The chapter will be hosting an informational meeting for anyone interested in learning about the APR process on February 23, noon - 1 p.m. at the American Cancer Society offices, 871 N. Weisgarber Road. Bring your own lunch and join us for a presentation and Q & A.

RSVP to Megan Brown at megan.brown@cancer.org.

Megan Brown, APR

PRSSA Spring 2012 Update

Between regular meetings, attending conferences and keeping up with schoolwork, the Sammie Lynn Puett Chapter of PRSSA has a busy spring semester! One of our members’ favorite meetings each year is the resume critique with PR professionals from various sectors of the industry. They edited and gave valuable advice to prepare us for the daunting internship and job searches ahead. Other meeting topics include the importance of internships and how to prepare for an interview with a large corporation. Officer elections are coming up soon, and the future of PRSSA at UT looks very bright!

PRSSA has a full travel itinerary as well: A group of graduating seniors will attend the Real World PR 2012 Conference this February in Atlanta, hosted by the Georgia Chapter of PRSA, to learn more about what it’s like in the “real world” of public relations after graduation. A delegate from our Chapter will attend PRSSA National Assembly in mid-March in Charlotte, NC, to elect the 2012-2013 National Committee and attend leadership workshops. Last, we are excited to attend PRSSA Regional Conference in Nashville at the end of March, hosted by the Belmont University Chapter of PRSSA. We’ll attend panel discussions, leadership seminars and network with PRSSA members from schools in Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas.

For the most up-to-date information about PRSSA at UT, follow us on Twitter @UTK_PRSSA, check out our website, http://web.utk.edu/~prssa, or email PRSSA@utk.edu. 

We are so thankful to have such an active and supportive PRSA Chapter in Knoxville. We appreciate all that you do for us!

Catherine Bodie

President, PRSSA

My name is Daniel Stoltz and I am the Internship coordinator for PRSSA here at the University of Tennessee. Dr. Lisa Fall and I are working to update our records of all the past internships in order to create a database for our new internship site. Our previous internship website was created using a free website builder and subsequently ran out of memory storage, therefore rendering it obsolete.

The new website will make it easier for students and professionals to access and update data, as well as view current and past internships. We will share more information about the new site later - before we get it up and running.

In the meantime, we need your help!

Dr. Fall and I would appreciate it if you could help us to update our records. If you have offered our students an internship in the past, are presenting hosting an internship, or plan to in the future- please email us the following information: 

 *   Title of Internship (e.g., publicity asst., media relations coord., etc.)

 *   Name of Organization

 *   Responsibilities and Requirements

 *   Duration

 *   Compensation

 *   Contact Information (How to apply)

 *   Deadline/Date Offered

 *   Company Overview and Website

 *  Anything else you want to include

Thank you for your time. If you have any questions, please email or call me using the information provided below.

Sincerely,

Daniel Stoltz

Internship Coordinator, PRSSA

Jstoltz1@utk.edu

Public Relations Coordinator

The Oak Ridge Convention & Visitors Bureau currently has a position available for Public Relations Coordinator who will be responsible for all Public Relations, Marketing and Advertising efforts for the ORCVB, along with special initiatives for various events and activities as deemed appropriate. The Oak Ridge Convention & Visitors Bureau was founded in 1981, to market and promote the city of Oak Ridge to visitors in an effort to enhance the economic fabric of the community. This position reports directly to the President of the ORCVB.

Responsibilities:

· Draft basic public relations materials including press releases, media alerts, press kits

· Generate and pitch stories about the hospitality industry in Oak Ridge, including our organization, events, attractions, hotels, etc. and follow up with general media sources and travel writers on a regular basis

· Maintain and develop social media campaigns for multiple ORCVB accounts

· Maintenance of CSM based website (knowledge of Dreamweaver a plus)

· Create and implement advertising plan with national and regional publications based on lead generation and response

· Use Media Hub to create media lists and disseminate information

· Assist the President and ORCVB staff with other PR projects as needed

Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Public Relations, Communications or Journalism. Two to four years of experience in public relations, tourism/hospitality focus preferred. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Event planning experience. Advanced knowledge and interest in social media. Research and prepare informational one-sheets. Maintain monthly and quarterly reports. Willingness to take ownership of assignments and see through to completion. Must be able to work independently and carry through tasks and responsibilities on own. Must be able to work nights and weekends on occasion. Must be available for travel.

Deadline for applications is: Friday, February 10, 2012. Please forward resumes and three writing samples to: Katy Brown, President, Oak Ridge Convention & Visitors Bureau, 102 Robertsville Road, Ste C, Oak Ridge, TN 37830katy@OakRidgeVisitor.com

I wanted to take this opportunity to say goodbye to my friends in the Volunteer Chapter of PRSA. I am leaving Tennessee and embarking on an exciting new journey in my home state of Kentucky.  I’ll be running the Lebanon Visitors & Convention Commission and taking my knowledge of public relations and marketing with me as I work to promote a new area.

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know many of my peers in the PR industry through PRSA, and I wish each of you the best.  Please stay in touch via social media! And come visit me in Lebanon! We’ll take a tour together through Maker’s Mark Distillery!

Best,

Nicky Reynolds

The following message is from Mitch Edwards, APR, and the 2012 Southeast District Chair-elect

Call for Presentations!

PRSA Southeast District is now accepting presentation proposals http://www.seprsaconference.com/call/ for it's Sept. 19-21, 2012 conference in Chattanooga, Tenn.

Share your PR expertise by submitting a presentation proposal by Feb. 29, 2012.

Hosted by the PRSA Lookout Chapter, the theme of the conference will be "Creating Authentic Relationships in the Age of Me."  We look forward to seeing you there!

February 2012 Membership Promotion

When a new member joins PRSA National during February and uses promotion code FEB12, they will receive a free one-year membership to the PRSA Chapter of their choice. PRSA National covers the cost of the first-year Chapter dues!      

This free Chapter offer is open to new members and reinstating members who have been inactive for at least one year and rejoin as regular members. (Associate and renewing members are not eligible).   

Details are available online at the PRSA National website.