PRISM chooses new PResident

Friday, April 4, 2008

What do you enjoy most about PRISM?

PRISM brings together some of the most creative and forward-thinking individuals in the Southern Maryland community. Of all the groups I belong to, I think PRISM gives me the feeling that after every meeting I walk away with a wealth of knowledge of what is happening amongst our businesses and organizations in the community. Members work together, even those who are in competition, towards common goals and make sure their events, ideas and information are disseminated quickly to their respective communities.

What do you see as the most pressing issue for PR professionals today?

I believe in today’s electronic information age that PR professionals are faced with a barrage of new communication mediums that can be difficult to use, control or even understand. Print newspapers, radio and television are no longer the only players in information control and information outreach. The Internet continues to present new and exciting ways to virally reach out to audiences. I think the largest challenge for today’s PR professionals is learning to harness the Internet to effectively present their messages.

What is your goal for PRISM this year?

One of our main goals is growing membership by reaching out to some of the larger organizations in the community. I would like to have representatives from larger businesses and contractors participating in a more involved capacity. I’d also like to increase fundraising for the group so that we can provide more value-added benefits to our members. I feel it is time that PRISM introduce to its members more involved and complex PR practices so we are not just tackling the basics year after year.

To accomplish this we need to refine our PRISM introduction packet for new members so that it covers the information provided in the three past annual seminars and basic PR information. Lastly, I would like to see an awards banquet this year to congratulate those PR professionals that have done an outstanding job.

Tell us about you: Where did you graduate? What are your hobbies, favorite professor or college class, hero, favorite read?

Education: St. Mary’s College of Maryland with degree in Web entrepreneurship (focus in computer science, economics and public relations); master’s in technology management and MBA candidate from the University of Maryland.

Current boards: Big Brothers Big Sisters, Charles County Community Foundation, Pax Habitat for Humanity.

Organizations: Lexington Park Rotary Club, PRISM, chambers of commerce.

Awards: St. Mary’s College SGA Staff Member of the Year Award, Platinum Golden Web Award, Winner of AOL marketing plan contest.

Event speaker: Chamber of commerce on emerging technologies and the Internet; AOL: Internet trends for video; PRISM: Workshop on web for nonprofits; St. Mary’s College: Emerging media and the press.

Hobbies: Wakeboarding, skiing, socializing, reading and wine tasting.

Favorite class: Bob Schaller, marketing; and Don Stabile, management.

Hero: Winston Churchill and Charlie Wilson.

Book: Taylor Caldwell, ‘‘Captains and Kings.”

PR Tip of the Month: Learn how to cut through the clutter creatively. To help you in that endeavor with regard to spam filters and overfilled inboxes, PRISM will have Greg Cangialosi, president and CEO of Blue Sky Factory, as the speaker for the networking lunch at noon April 17 at Petruzzi’s, 23415 Three Notch Road, California.

Cangialosi will talk about e-mail marketing best practices, how to build a message — from subject line to salutation — that gets delivered, opened, seen and acted upon. A young, entrepreneurial force in online marketing, Cangialosi has been creating a strategic online presence for more than a decade for a collection of today’s most impressive companies, from Fortune 500 to entertainment, retail and hospitality clients.

As an ambassador of new and emerging media, Cangialosi’s involvement in the new media industry began when the medium was new to the market. In 2005, he produced Disney’s first podcast at Disneyland’s 50th anniversary celebration. Since then, he has produced podcasts and new media projects for companies such as Verizon Wireless, GM⁄ Pontiac, Dow Chemical and Ortho-McNeil. For reservations for the April meeting, register online at www.prismonline.info by noon April 16 or contact Jenny Mercer at 301-866-5426 or JMercer@thebaynet.com. Cost is $14 for PRISM members or $18 for nonmembers.

PRISM is the organization of public relations and marketing professionals in Southern Maryland. Bimonthly luncheon meetings rotate among venues in Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties.

The purpose of the organization is to provide professional development and networking opportunities to individuals practicing public relations and marketing. Currently, PRISM comprises members serving in various industries such as economic development, defense, retailing, health care, government, nonprofit, education and professional services.

Karen Smith Hupp is on the Past Presidents’ Council of the Public Relations Individuals of Southern Maryland and is the director of community relations at the College of Southern Maryland.

For information on PRISM, go to www.prismonline.info, e-mail Hupp at karens@csmd.edu or call 301-934-7701.