All work and no play?  It’s time to change that.

When we planned the May happy hour, we thought that we would be welcoming summer at Snow and Co. instead of finally – hopefully - giving one last toast to winter. I promise, the weather will be nice by then, but if it’s not their warm drinks are delish too!  If you have a friend who should belong to the chapter, please send me an email for information on how you could bring them as your guest for FREE!

If you haven’t been there you will love it. Great atmosphere combines with a great food and drink menu.  And we will not require you to sing, but I also promise you will have more fun if you do.  

This is our way of taking a little break before things get really busy again in the chapter.  And it will be a much needed break for those of us who have been judging the many PRISM entries sent to us from the Houston Chapter.

Several members have signed up to start the APR prep courses which will start in late June or early July. There is still time to join that group. Just let me know you are interested Even if you don’t feel like you’re ready to take the exam, sitting in on those courses is a great way to network and expand your knowledge. 

On a personal note, please update your records for me. During the past two weeks I have heard from several people who have tried to contact me at my former employer. I apologize if you've done that, because those messages seem to have gone into a black hole. Really I am responsive. Here is my current contact information: 

jody.donohue@ceva.com
Daytime: 913.945.4405 
Cell:  913. 333.6329

Call for volunteer judges!

Do you have at least two years of PR experience? Would you like to pay it forward and volunteer for PRSA? If so, we have the perfect role for you!

We have teamed up with the Houston PRSA Chapter for PRISM award judging and currently are seeking professionals with two years of experience to help with the judging process. We have received Houston’s entries, so judging will take place throughout the next month via email.

If you are interesting in judging, please contact Aaron Smullin at asmullin@ourcommunityfoodbank.org, and he will email the entries to you for judging.

**If you are an APR, we especially need you since each entry must have at least one APR judge! 

Social Media Club of Kansas City Happy Hour

May 16 – 5:30 p.m.

Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen

Our friends from Social Media Club of Kansas City have invited our PRSA chapter to take part in their May happy hour at Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen. The evening includes special happy hour drink and food prices. To take part in this event, visit their EventBright site to register.

Just Posted: New Job Openings

Looking to make a career move? Check out the GKC PRSA Career Center for the latest job openings. Recent additions include: 

• Regional Marketing Manager, UMB
• Business Development and Marketing Manager, Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP
• Marketing Communications Manager, Memory Book
• Writer/Public Relations Specialist, The Missouri Partnership  
   

Does your company have a job posting or internship to share? Send an e-mail with details to Ray Weikal, VP - Job Opportunities.

Save the date for the 2013 PRISM Awards...Friday, October 11!

Save the date! November 1 will be the launch of the *Event Formerly Known as PRSSA Day* now rebranded and refreshed as #PRSSAKC Summit. Start letting any public relations students know about this now, and make plans to volunteer for resume review or just come to the keynote luncheon portion of the summit. 

Preliminary details can be found on the website.

Upcoming monthly events - registration is already open for June and July!

June 13, 2013 June PD Session with the Kansas City Chiefs June 13, 2013 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM BRIO Country Club Plaza 502 Nichols Rd Kansas City, MO 64112 http://www.brioitalian.com/country_club_plaza.html Join us for a PR session with Ted Crews of the Kansas City Chiefs $25.00 Member pass $40.00 Guest ticket   $10.00 Student ticket

Agenda and presentation subject coming soon. Ted Crews was hired as the Chiefs Vice President of Communications on Jan. 27, 2012 and begins his second season with Kansas City in 2013. Crews serves as the club's primary contact for the team's communication needs and is the club's key liaison between coaches, players, team executives and local and national media members. He oversees a staff that also works directly with the coaching and personnel departments on research, statistics and other projects. Crews brings 14 years of previous NFL experience to the Chiefs. This event will sell out fast. Please RSVP by June 10 to ensure your place. Due to space and catering commitments, we cannot provide refunds. After purchase, if you find you are unable to join us, we request you make plans to send a colleague or coworker.

July 23, 2013 July Professional Development Session: Crisis Communications with Edelman July 23, 2013 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM TBD MO  Learning how to handle crisis communications from one of the leading PR firms $25.00 GKC PRSA member ticket $40.00 Guest ticket   $10.00 Student ticket

Join us for an in-depth look at figuring out what is a crisis and how to handle a situation before it gets completely out of hand from one of the leading PR firms, Edelman. Senior vice president Brad Jaffe will share his experience in dealing with situations concerning clients like Penn State University and British Petroleum. Full description and agenda coming soon. Attendees will receive the program content, lunch as well as a chance for any raffle prizes available. Edelman is the world’s largest public relations firm, with 66 offices and more than 4,500 employees worldwide, as well as affiliates in more than 30 cities. Edelman owns specialty firms Edelman Berland (research), Blue (advertising), A&R Edelman (technology), BioScience Communications (medical communications), and agencies Edelman Significa (Brazil) and Pegasus (China).

July 24 – 26, 2013

Omaha, Nebraska

www.prsamdc.com

Defining the Expanding Roles of Public Relations -- Register before the extended early bird rate ends on May 15!

With 25 different sessions you can’t miss the 2013 PRSA Midwest District Conference! We’re Defining the Expanding Role of Public Relations by looking at new technology, tactics and PR’s place at the strategic table. 

Join us in Omaha’s historic downtown Old Market for this interactive conference July 24 – 26, 2013.  We kick off the event with Keynote Speaker Mickey Nall, current PRSA National President and Managing Partner of Ogilvy Atlanta. 

To see the entire speaker lineup and the best room accommodation, visit www.prsamdc.com. 

Don’t forget about QuickStart! Made for current and future leaders within your chapters, this half-day “pre-conference” you’ll gain insights into leadership from Past PRSA National President Rosalee Roberts, APR, Fellow PRSA; learn how to succeed in PRSA leadership; share best practices with other PRSA Midwest District leaders and more!

Congratulations to Eric Morgenstern and team on the new Morningstar Communications office space! More details and where to find them here.