Those country-fried raconteurs Mike Cochran and Clayton Williams will command your attention at a Dallas Press Club free-beer-wine-appetizers book signing of "Claytie," Cochran's biography of Williams, Thursday evening, Nov. 15, at the Anatole Hotel. "Things have been going extremely well," Cochran reported Oct. 29. "Just got back from a weekend of events in College Station, and we're ahead of schedule on sales heading into the Texas Book Festival this week in Austin." ...
UTA's Alexa Garcia-Ditta received honorable mention in the Associated Collegiate Press' Feature Story of the Year contest announced in late October at the National College Media Convention in Washington, D.C. Reneé Gatons, Dominic Bracco and Daniel Johnson were recognized for page design and photography. ...
Alpha & Omega Services has chosen Immotion Studios to revamp its web site. A&O is the leading national contractor for mounted security services for large outdoor venues such as music festivals, shows and tours. The revamp is part of a larger A&O brand repositioning. Clients of A&O and its consulting division,Kel Executive Services, include the Town Center Improvement District of The Woodlands near Houston, the annual Bonnaroo Music Festival in Tennessee and dozens of amphitheaters nationwide. ...
After nearly eight years at the Fort Worth Zoo, Lyndsay Nantz is leaving to become the PR and development director at the Presbyterian Night Shelter. "As most of you know, I have volunteered for the shelter for the past three years, and God has grown in me a heart for the homeless in our society," she wrote friends in October. "I'm excited (and a little daunted) with the new challenges ahead as my new co-workers and I try to slowly eradicate homelessness in Fort Worth." Her first day on the job is Nov. 19.
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GET A JOB
For those interested in weekly journalism, the Flower Mound Messenger has an opening. Writes executive editor Charles Young: "It's an entry-level position, can add measurably to a clips file and put food on the table, too. You get to wear a lot of hats but don't have to take them off when you eat." Contact Young at editor@alliancenews.net or 817-329-7700, ext. 115. ...
The Jewish Federation of Greater Dallas seeks a 12 hours-a-week graphic designer to join its in-house marketing department. Should have at least two years in design, pre-press and print production and a visual communications degree, plus proficiency in Quark, InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop. E-mail résumé and three .pdf design samples (or a link to a portfolio) to employment@jfgd.org. ...
A small boutique firm seeks a freelance publicist for pitching restaurant and retail accounts to the Dallas and Austin media. Freelancer may work from home. Send résumé to kellie@kmccrory.com. ... A local PR consultant is needed to help an international software company with press releases. Clients are at the enterprise level in finance, insurance, healthcare, telecommunications and utilities. Respond to karen.owens@isis-papyrus.com.
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NEW MEMBERS
SPJ ... Jenny Blankenship, UTA
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PRESIDENT'S CORNER
Marc Flake, Greater Fort Worth PRSA
As I write this, a handful of Greater Fort Worth PRSA members are packing their bags for the annual International PRSA Conference in Philadelphia. They will return better informed about our craft, more educated about the issues we face and inspired with a fresh enthusiasm for our profession.
I have attended three of these conferences, and each provided a banquet of growth activities that kept me busy from sunrise to sunset. Thankfully, the organizations I've worked for have always valued keeping employees current with new tools and techniques. I hope your company is as visionary, but if it needs a little encouragement, one look at a 50-page magazine on this year's conference, downloadable at prsa.org, should convince the most skeptical employer that sending you to next year's event would greatly benefit your organization.
At many companies, this is a good time to make your pitch. If nothing else, get included in next year's professional development budget. I'd like to go every year, but I know better than to push my luck. By spacing out my requests, I've been successful despite my notorious procrastination.
Those of you who own your own business have a greater funding challenge. I assure you the investment will be worth it. Just ask any of those who traveled to Philadelphia in October.
The Fort Worth chapter will host its own professional development seminar on PR measurement Nov. 14 when we welcome the return of Joe Trahan, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA. Dr. Trahan has spent more than 25 years in governmental, association, and educational and nonprofit public relations. He's knowledgable, skilled, with a depth of experience not often found. You'll learn something and have a great time doing it.
In other words, if you can't make an International PRSA Conference, we'll bring conference-quality professional development to you.
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PRESIDENT'S COLUMN
Betsy Boyett, IABC Fort Worth
The end of the year is just around the corner, and communicators are really getting busy with projects. It's times like these when being a member of IABC is vital. IABC is more than a support system, it's a room full of resources with years of experience at their fingertips. I hope you have utilized your IABC membership and resources.
There couldn't be a better opportunity to tap into those resources than our new "Dine-Around." The inaugural event was Nov. 1 at Taverna Restaurant in downtown Fort Worth and provided a great opportunity to network in a relaxed environment and build some relationships. A very big thank you to planners Cheryl Hart and Mike Agnello.
You all should be back from travels (and full of turkey) just in time for our next professonal development meeting the week after Thanksgiving. After that, IABC is working hard to make your Christmas shopping easy and fun at the communicators holiday party and gift drawing Wednesday, Dec. 5.
I appreciate your continued support of IABC Fort Worth. We hope you will take advantage of the many opportunities planned for the coming year.
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OVER & OUT
John Dycus, Fort Worth SPJ
Relive the 2007 SPJ Convention and National Journalism Conference. Right here. ...
Thanks, Lloyd Goodman, for the tip -- for anyone in the business, cyberjournalist.net is worth a visit. And thanks, Bill Massad, for alerting us to Linda Pavlik's OU honor. Without attentive readers, the eChaser is just chasing its tail. ...
She was too gracious to say so, but don't you figure Susan Tallant was surprised to see her crisp Clayton Wiliiams-Mike Cochran eChaser piece last month sans byline. Susan's a gem and undeserving of such shabby (accidental) treatment. To prove my contriteness, I think I'll just double her pay.
Closing words: "I have never been lost, but I will admit to being confused for several weeks." -- frontiersman Daniel Boone ... "Stare, pry, listen, eavesdrop. Die knowing something. You are not here long." -- photographer Walker Evans ... "There are no wrong notes." -- Thelonious Monk ... "If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans." -- James Herriot
