March 2000
MEETINGS
Next at PRSA ...
Catchy Copy, Peppy Prose: Web Expert Tells All
Elly Mixsell, president of elly.communications and a driving force behind Dallas/IABC's Internet presence, will stress using intranets and Websites as powerful communication tools when she offers "Top Ten Tips for Wired Writing" at the PRSA meeting March 8.
A former education reporter and broadcast news director, Mixsell launched elly.communications in 1996 as a virtual communications agency emphasizing crisp copy and digital design. Clients include Dell Computer, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, inteleSolve and My Table magazine. Her business philosophy? "Doing good work for good people." Key issues? Animals and the environment. She also is enrolled in the masters of theology program at the University of Dallas.
* Date: Wednesday, March 8
* Time: lunch 11:45 a.m., program 12:30 p.m.
* Place: Dee J. Kelly Alumni and Visitors Center, 2820 Stadium Drive across from the TCU student center
* Cost: $16 members, $15 students, $19 nonmembers and members without a reservation
* RSVP: (817) 347-8649 by noon March 6 (PRSA pays for all meals ordered, so no-shows will be billed)
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Next at IABC ...
JPS's Witt Chosen Communicator of the Year
Drenda Witt, director of public relations and marketing for JPS Health Network, will be honored as Communicator of the Year at the IABC/Fort Worth luncheon March 14.
From serving an unprecedented two terms on the board of directors of the Texas Society for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing -- she was the group's first president in 1988-89 -- to helping the hospital establish an identity away from the Tarrant County Hospital District, Witt has led colleagues, mentored protégés and served her community personally and professionally. A JPS employee since 1983, she was the voice of the hospital, appearing repeatedly on news broadcasts to update patients' conditions, when JPS was thrust into the spotlight in the aftermath of the Wedgwood Baptist Church shootings.
* Time & date: 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 14* Cost: $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $150 table of 8
* Place: Petroleum Club, UPR Plaza, 777 Main St., 39th floor; parking in UPR garage at Seventh and Commerce streets
* Reservations by noon March 10: (817) 460-2609 or mailto:jan@jgary.com
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Next at SPJ ...
Free, Not Easy: Barricades Litter Every Bend
on Freedom of Information Highway
Ever had a governmental agency tell you it needed an attorney general opinion before it could release something? Ever waited 10 days for the minutes of a meeting that you knew the public had a right to?
These are just a few of the issues that will be explored at the combined Fort Worth-Dallas SPJ meeting March 16 on "FOI Horror Stories." Dallas Observer columnist Jim Schutze, WFAA-TV reporter Brett Shipp and Denton Record-Chronicle staff writer Charles Siderius will present the problems they have encountered acquiring public information. Tom Williams of the Fort Worth legal firm Haynes and Boone LLP will give an update on the effects of recent legislation.
* Date: Thursday, March 16
* Time: mingling & food 6 p.m., program 7
* Place: the Dugout room in Friday's Front Row Sports Grill at The Ballpark in Arlington
* Cost: only what you eat and drink, but Friday's will collect an average of $10/person, either through sales or from the chapters; at least moderate consumption is encouraged
* RSVP: Dallas SPJ president Katherine Garner, (214) 977-6658 or mailto:klgarner@swbell.net
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STRAIGHT STUFF
PRSA Pro-Am Day is coming. Professional practitioners of the communicative arts may sign up to mentor a student for a full or half day of experience in the real world. Contact Pamela Smith, (817) 737-9990 ext. 130 or mailto:psmith@cancer.org.
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Saws for a Cause: PRSA Members Give Habitat a Hand
Tim "the Tool Man" Taylor, Bob Vila -- step aside. On Saturday, March 18, GFW/PRSA members will have the chance to show off their home improvement skills at a Habitat for Humanity new home site.
In response to membership survey results about community service projects, the chapter is seeking volunteer opportunities that are not solely focused on public relations. Organizers call the construction outreach a prime opportunity for members to exercise hidden talents. Family and friends are welcome, too.
Twelve volunteers will be needed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Habitat will announce the specific job and location of the home a week before the event. Contact Eliz Hopkins (mailto:eliz_76114@yahoo.com) or Jade Hoffman (mailto:jade_hoffman@crosstimbers.com).
The Fort Worth Area Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that constructs and rebuilds homes based on "sweat equity." Since the Fort Worth Habitat debuted in 1989, 70 homes have been built. The 100th home should be completed this year.
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On This, SPJ Panelists Agree: Rapid Expansion
of Internet Comes With Social Consequences
by Dave Lieber
The word "fear" crept into the panel discussion at the February SPJ meeting. As in: Much about the social implications of today's high-tech growth is unknown. "It's an exciting time," said Lee Gilbert, cofounder of the Web design company QuantumHost Internet Services, "but also a scary time."
Gilbert joined Fred Balda, president of Hillwood Development Corp., and Dr. Paul Geisel, UTA urban planning professor, in discussing the growing prevalence of computers in our daily lives. Balda unveiled plans for the 2,500-acre Heritage residential community in north Fort Worth; Gilbert was enthusiastic -- "five years from now, every home in America will be wired," he said -- and Geisel skeptical.
Heritage will be North Texas' first "high-tech community," according to Hillwood's Website. Groundbreaking was a week before the SPJ meeting. "When you turn on your computer, the home page of Heritage will pop up on your screen,'' Balda said. "You'll see icons for the Keller independent school district, community news, grocery stores. Each neighbor can teleconference with each other. ... We want to pull in this great technology in a usable fashion."
Geisel, a defender of the traditional neighborhood structure, warned that society one day could be polarized between those who use computers and those who do not. In a recent study, he found that nearly half of all Tarrant County residents participate in at least one organized activity outside the home each week such as church or a social club. But in Silicon Valley, birthplace of the high-tech movement, citizen participation is at less than 1 percent for weekly organized activities. He asked: "How are we going to keep a strong community?"
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PEOPLE & PLACES
Viqui Litman's novel "The Ladies Farm," about four women who are running a bed and breakfast when a fifth woman shows up and begins causing trouble, has gone into a second printing. A Literary Guild selection, it's available at most local stores. The author is hard at work on her next book, "The Unconditional Mother." ...
FW S-T writer and cybermerchant Barry Shlachter (http://www.startext.net/advertise/vshops/gtl/index.htm) needs recipes for his "Tex-Mex Muy Bodacious" cookbook to convert ignorant Yankees. It's the third volume in his Texas cookbook trilogy, following "Cordon Bubba Texas Cuisine" (3rd printing) and "Texas Braggin' Rights: Winning Texas Cook-Off Recipes" (2nd printing). As compensation expect fame and glory (blurb with name of adapter and person who originated recipe, i.e. Meemaw), but no money. A portion of the proceeds, like with "Cordon Bubba," go to Habitat for Humanity of North Texas. ... More gee-commerce: Sharon Belz still calls Dallas home but gets a paycheck these days from Internet Tradeline (http://www.pointshop.com) in New York for helping major media outlets create a retail presence on their Website using local businesses. Latest effort involved the Houston Chronicle, with Belo targeted for a summer launch. ...
Applause, applause: Darrell Goolsbee, Arlington S-T copy editor, won a national award for his dog magazine, Pyr Tales. The Dog Writers Association of America recognized Pyr Tales as best local publication last month in a New York ceremony during Westminster Kennel Club activities. ... Sue Ellen Schlitzer, president of Communication Dynamics, received a Gold award for outstanding achievement at the 21st annual Carlson International Business Conference. ... PR/Texas received four ADDY Citations of Excellence from the Fort Worth Ad Club for its United Way work; Aries Productions, as part of the PR/Texas team, received a bronze Telly for its television PSA for the Texas Department on Aging. ... The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra chose Stuart Bacon to create its 75th anniversary commemorative brochure. ...
Great seafood in Portugal, enhanced by having an ocean behind the hotel, reports PRSA's Mary Dulle, who spent a week there last month polishing Alcon Labs' European publication. She oversees a newsletter for Alcon's European Union employees and meets annually with the European human resources managers. From an electronic postcard: "After the copy is approved by several levels of management, it is translated into eight languages (UK English being one of them!) and printed in each language. A company in Belgium translates, designs and prints the issues. European layout and design is truly different from what we're used to in the U.S." The idea may expand to Alcon's Far East affiliates. "Don't know what might come of that, but it's an interesting idea." Indeed.
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NEW MEMBERS, WELCOME
SPJ ... Lila LaHood, since August with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram business section, where she focuses on retail and real estate; prior to that, she worked at The Kansas City Star, the Contra Costa Times in Walnut Creek, Calif., and the S-T, all part of a Knight Ridder rotating internship program ... Melinda "Mel" Rice, a freelance writer who will soon have her own Dallas Morning News column on e-commerce and technology; her articles have appeared in area publications, including the DMN and D Magazine, and she has written three children's books, which will be released this year.
IABC ... Dan Frost, a database writer with Carter & Burgess ... Kate Mewhinney, communications and advertising manager for the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau.
PRSA ... Mae Johnson, executive director of Fort Worth Sister Cities International.
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COMINGS & GOINGS
Promotions ... at the S-T: Mitchell Schnurman to associate business editor ... Mari Estrella to Sunday news editor ... NE night editor Gene Trainor to assistant city editor ... Rob Vardon to NE assistant copy desk chief ... Rick Waters to NE senior design editor.
Additions ... at Haggar Clothing Co.: IABC's Shelley Hulme as corporate communications manager ... at AmeriCredit: another IABC member, Shelda Dean, formerly with Pier 1; she prepares the employee and dealer newsletters, keeps the AmeriCredit intranet current and helps coordinate company events ... at the S-T: David House, formerly an editor at The Dallas Morning News and The Denver Post; Sunday editor ... Khary Khalid McGhee, previously with The Journal News, White Plains, N.Y.; Arlington high school sports writer ... Texas Tech master's grad Gina Augustini Best, formerly Lubbock Avalanche-Journal state editor; NE specialties editor ... Bernie Diemer, from The Daily Gazette in Schenectady, N.Y.; NE copy editor/designer ... Stephanie Guthrie, from The Gainesville (Fla.) Sun; NE copy editor/designer ... UT Austin grad Sam Jackson, previously with the Plano Star Courier; Lamar U. grad Tonya Andris, formerly with the Port Arthur News; UMissouri grad and Knight Ridder intern Jeanine Davis -- all Arlington Sports Zone copy editors ... Khalil Abdullah as NE municipal affairs reporter covering Colleyville ... 24-year photojournalist Michael Martinez, most recently an Associated Press senior photo editor; photographer.
Exits ... at the S-T: state editor Roland Lindsey, "retiring" to a new home, complete with wow! view, on the Oregon coast ... city editor Steve Kaye, changing careers with Merrill Lynch & Co. ... versatile Kaye Northcott, for 11 years a staff writer, assistant city editor and copy editor, moving to Austin, the city she loves ... the Washington bureau's Mike Towle, deciding to devote more time to raising his kids ... transportation writer G. Chambers Williams III, to the San Antonio Express-News as auto columnist/writer ... 12-year S-T veteran Frank Christlieb, to The Dallas Morning News copy desk ... real estate writer D'Ann Mabry Shippy, relocating to Dallas and a public relations job ... Megan Overman, leaving the NE Hometown Star for a position with the Birdville school district.
Debuts ... Paul David Payne on Saturday, Jan. 15, weighing in at 7 pounds 5 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. Kristi Payne, editor of the Arlington Hometown Star, and husband Daren are the proud parents.
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FROM THE PRESIDENT Kim Speairs / PRSA
I promised to elaborate this month on the PRSA leadership rally in New York. Instead, here's what's really important -- thanking everyone who made the PRSA Southwest District Conference a success. Attendance topped 250, our sponsors were pleased, the vendor fair created excitement, and the host chapters made a profit, a feat not accomplished in our district in three years.
I wish I had the space to list all the achievements of these outstanding volunteers: Kristie Aylett, APR, and Hope Caldwell; Wendy Dunn, Jennifer Hensley and Carolyn Hodge, APR; Eliz Hopkins, Julie Neal and Beth Park, APR; Roger Partridge, Jerrod Resweber and David Silverberg. And what sponsors! June Norman, APR, urged her company, Texas New Mexico Power, to be the largest underwriter and then donated her full conference registration so that a TCU PRSSA student could attend. Mary Dulle secured her company, Alcon Laboratories, as a corporate sponsor. Greg Staley arranged for the Fort Worth Convention & Visitors Bureau to donate gifts for conference speakers.
The Greater Fort Worth chapter contributed nearly $300 to enable three students from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene and two TCU students to attend. Finally, the conference gave us a wonderful opportunity to work with the Dallas chapter. Great friendships were born, and we look forward to collaborating with our Dallas pals again soon.
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PRESIDENT'S COLUMN Jan Gary / IABC
Drenda Witt being honored March 14 as Communicator of the Year should be a gratifying time for everyone involved. After a mention appeared Feb. 21 in Tarrant Business, I received several calls from Drenda's friends eager to share in her special day. We expect a large turnout, so please make your reservation as soon as possible. The presentation will serve as IABC/Fort Worth's executive luncheon, with proceeds supporting our member development program. Many thanks to everyone who worked on the CoY committee. Markem printed the invitations, which were designed by Regian & Wilson/Grey. Arden Dufilho carried the standard for IABC with much support from Janet Zipperlen.
A second committee is gearing up for the Bronze Quill competition. Bronze Quill is the first step in the march to IABC/International's Gold Quill competition. Quite a few of us have won a Bronze Quill and then gone on to win a Silver Quill at the district, but to my knowledge, Kristy Keener is the only Gold Quill winner who began with the Bronze Quill competition in Fort Worth.
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OVER & OUT John Dycus / SPJ
The long-awaited, much-anticipated (OK, a couple of you asked) chapter directory should appear this month. Any data that you don't want included, speak now.
Thanks, Frank Perkins, for organizing local judges for national SPJ's high school essay contest, and Tonie Auer, for offering to speak to high school students about being a reporter. A Fort Worth Business Press writer with two small children, Tonie has limited volunteer time, so the high school gig still needs a coordinator. ... More gratitude and a dozen votes under the table for the S-T's Dave Lieber, a.k.a. J.R. Lieber, the "Yankee Cowboy fer Vice President" (http://www.virtualtexan.com). When the original writer on the story about last month's meeting cratered, Dave jumped in with 300 choice words. Meeting his constituents' needs on short notice -- you have to like that in the nation's VP.