PR Boot Camp Offered for Local Non-Profits

Non-profit professionals are invited to attend “PR Boot Camp 2012” on Tuesday, June 12, at The University of Findlay. The daylong conference will focus on how to do more with less using public relations, digital media and innovative collaborations.

The Department of Communication at The University of Findlay is hosting the conference, which has been made possible with a grant from the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation.
Delivering the keynote address, “Town and Gown: A Partnership of Excellence,” will be Dr. Janet Rice McCoy, associate professor of advertising and public relations at Morehead State University.

Before returning to the university to teach, McCoy spent more than 20 years as a project coordinator, event planner, editor, grant writer, technical writer and trainer. With a passion for non-profit organizations, McCoy regularly integrates service learning into her teaching and actively engages her students with non-profit organizations (NPOs) throughout Kentucky. She also serves on the board of directors for the Girl Scouts of Kentucky’s Wilderness Road Council.

Myriad workshops will be presented throughout the day by UF professors and professionals and include the following:

• “Online Tactics and Strategies” presented by Dr. Jeanette Drake, associate professor of communication.  Accredited in public relations, Drake is a former president of the Northwest Ohio Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and is a member of PRSA’s College of Fellows.  With more than 14 years’ experience in managing strategic communication in the non-profit and corporate sectors, Drake conducts training workshops throughout the country.
• “Finding a Grant” and “Grant Writing” presented by Jill Gear, director of grants development. Gear has led project development and grant development teams, writing and submitting proposals that averaged $1.5 million per year in awards with a success rate of more than 65 percent.
• “Volunteer Recruiting” presented by Dr. Cheri Hampton-Farmer, assistant professor of communication, who often deploys students to work with local agencies. A recent service-learning project produced data from 20-plus NPOs in Hancock County and provided the impetus for the PR Boot Camp.
• “How Do I Get the Media to Notice My Agency?” presented by Dr. Diana Montague, professor of communication. Montague was assistant news editor and columnist for the Winona Daily News in Winona, Minn., before she began working at the University. Montague regularly incorporates service learning in her classes. She has served as a writing instructor for the Hancock County Police Department and has worked with Habitat for Humanity.
• “Building a Web Presence for NPOs” presented by Michael Shaffer, academic technology specialist.
• “Creating and Maintaining Mutually Beneficial Partnerships” presented by Crystal Weitz, coordinator of Campus Compact at the University.

Registration is $10 and includes a continental breakfast, boxed lunch and a series of workshops conducted by experts in strategic communication, social media, organizational communication and grant writing. Space is limited to the first 50 registrants. Those interested in reserving a seat should contact Barbara Glock at glock@findlay.edu or 419-434-6982.