WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Public Relations Society of America National Capital Chapter (PRSA-NCC) announced today it is hosting “Diversity Summit 2008: A Blueprint for Global Communications” on Oct. 1 at the National Education Association, 1201 16th Street, NW, Washington, D.C. The day-long conference, organized by the Chapter’s Diversity Committee, will build the capacity of mainstream and multicultural practitioners to reach non-traditional audiences. The conference will also help diverse professionals explore innovative strategies and tactics to advance their careers. Leading experts will be on-hand to address global diversity issues that affect education, community, public affairs and technology.
The Black Public Relations Society (BPRS) of Washington, PR Newswire and the National Education Association are co-sponsoring the summit, which opens at 9 a.m. with a plenary lead by PRSA Hall of Fame member and PRSA Fellow Ofield Dukes, APR, president of Ofield Dukes & Associates. This session will explore the many facets of diversity as they apply to communicators. Following the plenary will be roundtable discussions with public relations gurus Christine Clavijo-Kish, senior vice president of multicultural markets at PR Newswire and Dr. Barbara Hines, director of the graduate program in Mass Communication and Media Studies at Howard University.
At lunch, Dr. Elizabeth L. Toth, the 2008 Diversity Champion recipient and chair of the Department of Communication at the University of Maryland, will provide her take on how diversity has changed the communications industry. Later in the day, Fred Lash, APR, senior advisor to the deputy assistant secretary of defense for joint communication at Avisar, Inc., will discuss how public relations practitioners can advance their visibility and reputation as diverse professionals.
Professional development workshops will be held throughout the day. The sessions will include discussions of:
* Maximizing Multicultural Initiatives
* Campaigning to Meet Public Needs (Getting to the Grassroots)
* Tips for Working with Ethnic Media
* Health and Social Marketing
Following the Summit, a Minority Career Fair will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Registration fees for the Summit and Career Fair are $55 for non-Members of PRSA-NCC, $45 for PRSA and BPRS members, and $15 for students and retirees. For the Career Fair only professionals will be charged $15 and students with proper ID will be allowed in free of charge.
Registration is required for all events. To register and for a full schedule, please visit http://www.prsa-ncc.org or call (703) 791-9212.
About The Public Relations Society of America National Capital Chapter
The Public Relations Society of America National Capital Chapter represents the world’s leadership in the practice of public relations and is the essential network for practitioners in the Washington region. Supporting more than 1,400 PRSA members, the chapter provides high-quality and timely professional development programs, accreditation instruction and networking opportunities. The Chapter promotes public relations education through the support of five regional PRSSA chapters and a Career Academy for inner city high school students. For more information please visit http://www.prsa-ncc.org.
