Conference Speakers
We couldn't be more proud and excited to host the speakers that are participating in this year's Conference! We look forward to hearing from them and they are sure to enrich the experience for everybody involved. Their bios are listed below.
Keynote Speaker Betsy Plank
APR, Fellow PRSA
Past President (1973) of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Betsy Plank is the first woman to head this major professional organization. She is the only person to have received three of PRSA's top honors for professionals: the Gold Anvil (1977) as the outstanding U.S. professional; the Lund Award (1989) for exemplary civic and community work; the first Jackson Award (2001) for distinguished service to the professional society, She is the first woman elected by readers of the Public Relations News as Professional of the Year (1979) and that international publication also named her one of the World's 40 Outstanding Public Relations Leaders in 1984.
Plank joined the late Bell System in 1973. She was Director of Public Relations Planning at AT&T before coming to Illinois Bell, where she was the first woman to head a company department, directing external affairs. Prior to joining the Bell System, she was Executive Vice President of Daniel J. Edelman, Inc. (now Edelman Public Relations Worldwide), international public relations counseling firm. Since retiring form corporate practice she has returned to public relations counseling.
A member of the Arthur W. Page Society of senior public relations executives, Plank received its first Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. That same year, the Public Relations Institute honored her with its Alexander Hamilton Award.
A longtime champion of public relations education, Plank co-chaired the 1987 Commission to develop guidelines for the undergraduate public relations curriculum at U.S. colleges and universities, serves on the current commission, and initiated PRSA's on-site Certification Reviews of public relations studies.
She has been recognized as an outstanding public relations professional by six universities and in 1997 PRSA's Educators Academy honored her with its first award to a practitioner for exceptional support of public relations education.
A pat National Advisor to the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), she has a namesake PRSSA chapter at Northern Illinois University, which established an annual scholarship in her name. A founder and co-chair of the Champions for PRSSA, Plank received the student organization's 25 th Anniversary Award in 1993 and PRSSA's annual national scholarships are named for her.
Accredited by PRSA, she is a founding member of its College of Fellows, an honorary group of distinguished leaders in the field. Plank served as a Trustee of the Foundation for Public Relations Research and Education and delivered its 1982 Annual Lecture, which was published in the Winter 1983 edition of the Public Relations Review .
Active on the Chicago civic scene, Plank chaired the Illinois Council on Economic Education and the Citizenship Council of Metropolitan Chicago, was a member of the board of United Way of Chicago, and President of United Christian Community Services, a coalition of nine community agencies. She has served on the board of the Girl Scouts USA and the Girl Scouts of Chicago, which named her Volunteer of the Year in 1983 and Woman of Achievement in 1989. She was Communications Chair of the Chicago Metropolitan United Way Campaigns in 1987, 1978, and 1973.
At Chicago's 1984 LeaderLuncheon, she was recognized as the area's leading woman in communications and the YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago named her Volunteer of the Year in 1992. She is a founder and Past Chair (1980-81) of The Chicago Network, the organization of leading career women in the Chicago area and received its First Decade Award in 1989.
Plank is the only person to have served as President of Four Chicago communications organizations: Chicago Chapter PRSA (1969); Welfare Public Relations Forum (1966-67); Publicity Club of Chicago (1963-64); and the Public Relations Forum (1979).
In 2005, trustees of the University of Alabama established the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. Housed in the university's College of Communication, the center's mission is to develop research and programs which advance the ethical practice of the profession. The center also sponsors the Annual Ethics Award for PRSSA Chapters.
A native of Alabama, Plank returned in 1965 to join the final leg of the Civil Rights March from Selma to Montgomery. An alumna of Bethany College, she received her B.A. degree from the University of Alabama (1944), which elected her to its College of Communication Hall of Fame in 2000.
Named in Who's Who in America , she is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, the Union League Club of Chicago, and was associated with radio station KQV-Pittsburgh before entering the public relations field in 1947. Plank was married to the lat Sherman V. Rosenfield and resides in Chicago.
Keynote Speaker Scott Farrell
Executive President and Regional Managing Director, GolinHarris
Scott Farrell is the co-managing director of GolinHarris' global headquarters office in Chicago and co-manages the firm's central region (Chicago, Dallas and Houston offices). He also leads the GolinHarris' Worldwide Corporate Communications Practice which includes geoImpact, the firm's sustainability communications.
Scott offers his clients an expansive portfolio of strategic communications work for corporate, business-to-business, technology, consumer and healthcare companies. At GolinHarris, his work centers on helping companies build brand, reputation and trust leadership with their internal and external stakeholders. He also is a leading expert in the area of crisis communications and issues management and was recently named by PR Week magazine as a “crunch-time counselor” and one of the industry's top people who should be on speed dial when crisis strikes.
Among the clients for whom Scott has provided strategic and creative leadership are Aon Corporation, BP, Bristol-Myers Squibb Corporation, Dow Chemical Company, Coors Brewing Company, Nestle Purina, Owens Corning, and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company.
Scott joined GolinHarris in 1997 to direct the Chicago office's corporate communications unit. Prior to that Scott led corporate and consumer brand marketing communications engagements for Cohn & Wolfe's Chicago office. He also served as director of marketing services for Culligan International and spent 11 years with Burson-Marsteller in corporate and consumer communications work
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a Bachelor's degree in journalism/public relations, Scott has contributed to several college textbooks on public relations and communications measurement, and is a frequent lecturer at Wisconsin. He's also a winner of the University's Nafziger Award for Professional Achievement and a second award for Distinguished Professional Service.
Scott enjoys reading about American history, tackling home improvement products, following both sons' college athletic teams and -- with his wife -- keeping up with two hyperactive dogs. He's also a genealogy buff and devotes some of his spare time to compiling a family history.
Ashley Kaye Houston
Director of Recruitment, GolinHarris
Ashley has 10+ years total professional experiences to include 2 years in contingency staffing, 2 as a contract recruiter, and 3 years in corporate recruiting. Having started her career in her hometown of Houston, Texas, with an information technology staffing & consulting firm, she moved to Chicago in 1999 and has recruited for Arthur Andersen, Clifton Gunderson, and RSM McGladrey.
Upon taking a 3-month break from recruiting to pursue her interests in information technology, Ashley returned to her first love of matching talented people with great opportunities and is now the Director of Recruitment for GolinHarris, a global public relations agency headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Ashley has spent almost her entire career sourcing often hard-to-find talent on a local, regional and national level. From desktop support professionals to supply chain consultants, and from media relations experts to international transfer pricing specialists, she enjoys learning new industries and making mutually beneficial connections.
In doing so Ashley has logged countless hours reviewing resumes and interviewing candidates. Having a passion for networking, business operations and talking to new people all the time are essential for recruiting success. Ashley possesses these passions and is eager to share her knowledge and opinions of job hunting success with you!
Brenda Schulze
Vice President of Public Relations, PRSSA National Committee
Brenda Schulze, PRSSA 2007-2008 vice president of public relations, is a senior at the nation's premier fine arts and media communications college, Columbia College Chicago. She is majoring in marketing communications with a concentration in public relations.
Schulze is currently the public relations and special events intern at the Chicago Lighthouse for People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired, one of the country's most comprehensive social service agencies serving people who are blind or visually impaired. At the Lighthouse, Schulze conducts tours and speaking engagements for the public, assists with writing, pitching, and distributing stories to local media outlets and helps to plan and execute special events.
Her prior internship experience included working for New Homes Magazine, Inc. where she created and maintained web pages for upcoming Chicagoland real estate properties, planned and conducted magazine distribution checks and prepared media kits for perspective clients.
Schulze's PRSSA experience began her freshman year of college and blossomed over the successive years as she took advantage of opportunities to publicize campus and city-wide events. Last year, she served on her local Chapter's executive board as programming director.
In addition to her involvement in PRSSA, Brenda is part of the Chicago Lighthouse Young Philanthropists Board and a core leader in Columbia College's Catholic Campus Ministry.
Daniel O. Ash
Vice President, Strategic Communications
Chicago Public Radio
As Chicago Public Radio's vice president of strategic communications, Daniel is responsible for audience development, marketing, and digital media for the station.
Daniel's professional career has been focused on developing and using marketing and communication tools to advance social causes. He has worked exclusively in the non-profit sector on issues including low-income families, adolescent health, and HIV/AIDS.
Prior to joining the staff of Chicago Public Radio in January 2005, Daniel worked as the Director of Communications for the Sergeant Shriver National Center on Poverty Law. He has also been the Director of Marketing for the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Director of Communications for the Center for Family Policy and Practice in Madison, Wisconsin.
Daniel has a M.P.P. from the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago and a B.A. in Economics from Oberlin College. He also completed a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship at Princeton University.
Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, Daniel resides in the Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago with his wife, Sarah Karp, and their three sons, DeVonte, Josiah and Zion.
Heather Crowley
Recruitment Coordinator, Edelman Public Relations
Heather is responsible for using research resources to generate accurate lists of target names/new candidates for job openings in Chicago, Dallas and Austin. She also assists in coordinating interviews between teams and candidates, posting job opportunities, and campus recruitment.
Heather works with teams to help fill their junior level staffing needs. These searches include Assistant Account Executive, Account Executive and Senior Account Executive level opportunities. Heather also helps source intern candidates through Edelman's College Outreach program. She also manages Administrative Assistant needs and helps with junior level staffing for the Finance Department and Corporate Human Resources Department in Chicago.
Originally from Colorado, Heather graduated from Saint Mary's College (Notre Dame, IN) where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies.
Jack Wlezein
Senior Account Executive, Public Communications Inc.
Jack Wlezien works on a variety of accounts for conservation and not-for-profit organizations, including the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the National Elephant Center, and the Iowa Transportation Museum; and in Chicago, the Museum of Science and Industry, Lincoln Park Zoo and Chicago Wilderness, an alliance of more than 200 public and private organizations working together to protect, restore, study and manage the natural ecosystems of the Chicago region. Jack's passion for conservation issues drives his personal dedication to clients and their causes.
Jack tracks news and trends in conservation, environmental issues and animal welfare by monitoring news outlets, social media sites, blogs and message boards. He keeps PCI conservation clients aware of issues and the pulse of public opinion. In addition to specifically benefiting Lincoln Park Zoo, Jack's expertise has contributed to successful programs within the larger zoo and aquarium community.
As the primary public relations contact for Lincoln Park Zoo, Jack oversees all media relations and contributes to communications strategy for new exhibits, capital campaigns, special announcements and events. His work to publicize the Mind of the Chimpanzee scientific conference generated international media attention and established the Zoo's Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study of Conservation of Apes as a leader in primate science and conservation.
Before joining PCI, Jack was an intern in the public affairs department at Lincoln Park Zoo and gained valuable experience working with media, opening a major new exhibit, coordinating events and preparing media materials.
Jack graduated magna cum laude from Valparaiso University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and graphic design.
Jenny Keeney
Account Executive, Fleishman-Hillard/Chicago
Jenny Keeney, an account executive with Fleishman-Hillard in Chicago, joined the healthcare group in June, 2006. Keeney works on a variety of accounts for the healthcare team including Emergency Nurses Association (ENA), Astellas Pharma Inc. and CIGNA Behavioral Health. Her core responsibilities are managing the daily account activities, signature programs and media outreach for ENA, the voice of more than 32,000 emergency nurses in 20 different countries. Keeney also runs the Astellas Ride of a Lifetime essay contest, which sends five transplant recipients to ride the Donate Life Rose Parade float each year.
Keeney specializes in media relations and has secured placements with Wall Street Journal, Chicago Sun-Times and Teen Vogue and arranged a deskside media tour with several top-tier women's magazines, including Marie Claire, Women's Day, and Shape .
Before joining FH, Keeney was an intern in the healthcare practice of GolinHarris (GH). Her clients included Bristol-Myers Squibb and Schwarz Pharma. While at GH, Jenny supported the media campaign of a FDA drug approval for the first transdermal patch for the treatment of major depressive disorder. She also assisted in planning and preparing for a patient roundtable at the World Parkinson Congress in Washington, D.C.
Keeney began her career at Metro Waste Authority, where she interned in the communications department. She developed and implemented marketing, advertising and public relations programs for the central Iowa landfill's 22 member communities.
Keeney graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications. She currently serves as the Chicago PRSA Young Professionals Network Co-chairperson and is a member of the Donate Life yPOD Steering Committee.
Jill Marie Zugaj
Senior Event Coordinator, Classic Party Rentals
Jill Marie Zugaj is a 2001 graduate of Valparaiso University currently employed as a Senior Event Coordinator with Classic Party Rentals. Jill began her professional career as an intern with Weber Shandwick Worldwide. From there she worked as a Catering / Sales manager for Holiday Inn Select brand hotels before being promoted to Conventions Manager. Jill has recently completed the Certified Event Rental Professional training curriculum and has been granted the distinguished CERP designation. Jill currently resides with her husband Tony and daughter Amelia in Tinley Park, IL.
Kevin Saghy
Immediate Past President, PRSSA National Committee
Kevin J. Saghy, 2007-2008 immediate past president of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), graduated with high distinction from Ohio Northern University with a B.A. in public relations and a business option. He is currently an account coordinator for the corporate communications team at Ketchum in Chicago.
Saghy served as PRSSA president from 2006-2007, where he advanced the Society's International Coalition efforts by attending the World Public Relations Festival in Cape Town, South Africa to establish partnerships for the formation of a neutral collaborative Web site. Saghy served as the first ex-officio board member for the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations and contributed to its student-created online magazine. Saghy wrote entries for the Society's inaugural PRSSA Blog; was published in the textbook “Public Relations, a Values-Driven Approach” and wrote for several other national, local and industry publications.
Saghy entered his presidency after serving as vice president of chapter development in 2005-2006. As vice president, he led a Diversity Task Force of members to create the revised PRSSA Diversity Initiative. Saghy also assumed an active role in furthering the Advocacy Initiative put forth by previous Committee members. Finally, he was awarded both the Lawrence G. Foster Award for Excellence in Public Relations and the National President's Citation in 2005.
Saghy joined PRSSA as a freshman and immediately became an active member. He worked for Image and Communication Consultants, Ohio Northern's student-run firm, and gained his first Web experience contributing to the ONU PRSSA Web site which was awarded a Dr. F.H. Teahan National Chapter Award in 2004.
Saghy served as treasurer of the ONU chapter during his sophomore year. He also continued working for Image and Communication Consultants and the Web site committee. Saghy began his national involvement by presenting at a Chapter Development Session at the PRSSA 2004 National Conference in New York.
Professionally, Saghy served as an intern for University Hospitals' marketing and communications department in Cleveland, Ohio. He also interned for Buchanan & associates, a full-service brand communications firm in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to his internships, Saghy started his own contracting company, KJS Contracting. The Sherwin-Williams Company hired his company to install and relocate their stores in the Midwest region.
At Ohio Northern, he was an employee of the sports information department and served as president for the ONU Chapter of Phi Eta Sigma Freshman National Honor Society. Saghy is also a member of Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society and Lambda Pi Eta National Communications Honorary. In 2005, he was awarded the DeBow Freed Award for Outstanding Leadership, given to one male and one female in each class.
Favorite quote:
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Kristine Kappel
Manager, Marketing and Communications; Chicago Cares
Kristine joined Chicago Cares in May 2006 as Manager of Marketing and Communications. In this role, she is responsible for all external marketing, advertising and public relations campaigns for the organization and works in close contact with the organization's various departments to help each reach its strategic goals.
Kristine oversees the organization's Web site, monthly calendar writing and production, weekly and monthly marketing e-mails campaigns to volunteers, and manages all external communication tools. In addition, Kristine proactively reaches out to the media and schedules speaking opportunities for its executives to help establish Chicago Cares as the city's premier volunteer organization.
Prior to joining Chicago Cares, Kristine was a Senior Account Executive in the corporate communications practice at Edelman Public Relations, the world's largest independent public relations firm. While at Edelman, Kristine implemented strategic communication plans for clients in a variety of industries, including real estate, insurance and architecture. Kristine's media relations skills landed her clients in the pages of The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune and CNN.com, among others.
Kristine has also worked at GolinHarris International, a top 10 public relations firm, where she specialized in corporate and employee communications for clients such as Lowe's Home Improvement, McDonald's, Kmart and Wrigley. Kristine was responsible for implementing communication campaigns for the Lowe's Home Improvement partnership with Habitat for Humanity and Whirlpool, resulting in increased awareness with President Jimmy Carter (Habitat for Humanity spokesman) and multiple national media hits.
Kristine serves on the board of directors for the Chicago chapter of the Public Relations Society of America and is the recipient of the organization's 2004 Young Professional of the Year award. Her public relations work has been recognized with two PRSA Chicago Skyline Awards and two Publicity Club of Chicago Silver Trumpet awards.
Kristine received a Bachelor of Science degree in Integrated Public Relations and Advertising and a Minor in Political Science from Minnesota State University Moorhead. She is a frequent guest speaker at DePaul University, Loyola University and her alma mater.
In her spare time, Kristine enjoys volunteering for local political campaigns, visiting museums, traveling and serving as the team coordinator for the Chicago Cares' Chicago Explorers and News Crew programs.
Mike Banas
Account Supervisor
Ketchum Chicago
Mike Banas is an Account Supervisor at Ketchum specializing in financial and corporate communication, brand positioning, executive communication and reputation management. He joined Ketchum in 2007.
Banas has experience in all matters of corporate communications - specifically during times of change within an organization - including entering new markets, following reorganizations and during times of financial difficulties. This includes developing comprehensive communications, messaging and media programs reaching employees, vendors, customers, partners, investors and influencer groups.
Banas joined Ketchum most recently from Ashton Partners, where he counseled publicly traded corporate communication and management teams through financial crises, restructuring and corporate brand changes. This included executive transitions, restatements, options backdating, litigation, divestitures and corporate malfeasance. He has served in both a spokesperson role, as well as behind the scenes developing and executing reputation-protecting and -enhancing programs.
Prior to Ashton Partners, Banas worked at Ogilvy Public Relations in both corporate and consumer public relations. His experience comes from clients in a diverse range of industries, including outsourcing to telecommunications, intellectual property to business services, and transportation to medical technology.
Banas has been recognized for his work through many industry awards, including: “Public Relations (Young) Professional of the Year” by PRSA Chicago, Bulldog Reporter's “Gold Award” for media relations and publicity, and a Holmes Report “Sabre Award.” He also currently co-chairs the PRSA Chicago Young Professionals Network. Banas earned his bachelor's degree in journalism and telecommunications from Ball State University in Muncie, Ind.