2008 Professional Development Seminar
“Surviving the Flames: Crisis Communications from the Pros Who Invented It”
Full Day Professional Development Seminar
Friday, September 12, 2008
Elon University
8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Directions to Elon and printable map [PDF]
Registration is now closed.
Featuring:
Nora Carr, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, Columbine Crisis
Mike Herman, Catevo Group, Union Carbide (Bhopal, India) Crisis
Al Tortorella, Ogilvy PR, Tylenol Crisis
Rick Amme, Amme & Associates
Hugh Munn, University of South Carolina, Susan Smith Murder Case
Steve Welch, Appian Digital, Inc.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Nora Carr, APR, Fellow PRSA – Columbine
Nora Carr is a nationally known and respected authority on strategic public relations, marketing and crisis communications. A sought-after speaker, Carr is a frequent presenter at local, state and national conferences for education and business audiences. She has won more than 90 local, state and national awards for excellence in public relations. Her work has been published in a variety of news outlets and professional trade publications. In 1999, Carr was one of four national experts asked to provide on-site assistance to the Jefferson County Public Schools in Golden, Colorado. Carr coordinated media relations in the aftermath of the Columbine High School tragedy. While there, she dealt with more than 750 news outlets and more than 1,000 reporters on a daily basis.
Mike Herman, APR, Fellow PRSA – Union Carbide
With more than 35 years of experience in the public and private sectors, Mike is among the most skilled business consultants in the U.S. with special expertise in crisis and issues management, internal communications, research and strategic planning. Prior to the formation of Catevo, Mike served as chairman/CEO and president of Epley Associates, Inc. In 1993, he had merged his company, Communication Sciences International (CSI), with Epley. Prior to opening CSIin 1986, Mike worked with Union Carbide Corporation and served as an integral member of its crisis communications team during the Bhopal industrial accident. Over his career, Mike has consulted with a number of leading corporations, including John Deere, GSK, ABB, Ford Motor Company, Nortel, Austin Nichols, Praxair and Bell Atlantic.
Al Tortorella – Tylenol
Al Tortorella brings more than twenty-five years of corporate and crisis management experience to Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. Since 1982 when he represented Tylenol during its cyanide tampering episode and national re-call, followed by Union Carbide’s Bhopal, India gas leak and Perrier’s benzene-tainted water product in the mid-80’s and early 90’s, he has developed an international reputation as an expert on crisis management and media, advising some of the world’s largest companies in dealing with sensitive public issues. Many of the companies he represents are in the food, beverage, energy, pharmaceutical and medical category. A former William Randolph Hearst Foundation Scholar at the University of Maryland, Mr. Tortorella has also worked for The Wall Street Journal, Burson-Marsteller and General Electric in various management and executive positions.
BREAKOUT SPEAKERS
Rick Amme - Amme & Associates
A member of the PRSA Tar Heel Chapter, Richard (Rick) Amme heads the crisis and media relations firm Amme & Associates, Inc. For more than 13 years he has consulted with Fortune 500 companies, institutions, and executives throughout the country to protect and enhance their reputations especially during times of urgency. His clients include Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, the U.S. Government, Sara Lee Corporation, American Express, BB&T, La-Z-Boy, Simmons, Adventist Health Care System, and Targacept. Even pro football greats John Elway, Tony Dorsett, and Joe Theismann have worked with Rick to prepare to talk with the national media about products they represent.
Hugh Munn – Susan Smith Murder Case
Hugh Munn is a professor at the University of South Carolina's School of Communications. He served as official agency spokesman and news media liaison for the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) on all matters affecting the agency for 26 years. A well recognized speaker, Munn has conducted media relations seminars nationwide and crisis communications seminars in 45 states and Puerto Rico. Munn also consults on a variety on media training issues involving the AMBER alert system a nationwide effort by the U.S. Justice Department. In 1994, Munn managed the international media coverage of the Susan Smith murder case in Union, South Carolina. He coordinated SLED's response to media inquires based on the case and insured a candid flow of information between the agency and the public.
Steve Welch, Appian Digital, Inc.
Steve Welch has over 18 years of strategic marketing communications experience with a focus on developing and managing interactive campaigns. As Director of Business Development at Appian, Steve helps businesses and organizations improve online channels by leveraging emerging information technologies and trends. He has directed the development interactive solutions for a wide range of companies including Lowes Home Improvement, Volvo Action Service, Square D, Kingsdown, and LeBleu. Steve has previously served as Creative Director for several North Carolina interactive design firms. Steve will share strategies for using the Internet during a crisis. He'll describe the best practices for implementaiton of a "dark site," an alternate Web site or landing page prepared specifically for crisis situations.
PRSA Tarheel Blog
Title Sponsor:
Seminar Location Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Alamance Regional Medical Center
Advanced Direct
BB&T
Business Wire
High Point Regional Health System
Leapfrog Marketing, PR & Design
Moses Cone Health System
Trone, Inc.
