2011 MSPRA Conference
January 25-26 | Kalamazoo Radisson Plaza Hotel
100 West Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo, MI
Reservations:
(269) 343-3333 or online
Request the MSPRA room block
Rate: $135 single/double
KEYNOTES
TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2011 - 11:00 AM
The Hamster Revolution: How to Manage your Email Before it Manages You
Presenter: Tim Burress, Author and President of Cohesive Knowledge Solutions
Looking for a way to improve productivity and quality of life? Join author and consultant Tim Burress for a dynamic and behavior-changing presentation that has helped thousands of professionals take back their lives by managing email more effectively. Burress promises to provide techniques that will cut email processing time by 20 percent and offer tips for making your communications more effective. All participants will receive a copy of his best-selling book, The Hamster Revolution (a $20 value) featuring a foreword by Ken Blanchard (One Minute Manager).
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2011 - 8:30 AM - NOON
The Permanent Campaign: Winning hearts and minds through media and community relations.
Presenter: Terry Abbott of Drive West Communications and former press secretary for the Houston Independent School District
Join colleagues from the Michigan Association of School Administrators (MASA) for a timely session that will help you create and drive positive messages about your district. In this session, which will set the stage for the opening keynote address, you will learn why and how to wage a "Permanent Campaign" for the hearts and minds of various audiences: students, families, staff, media, legislators, and an entire community of stakeholders. Learn strategies - old and new - from an expert who has managed media and community relations on a national scale. And experience hands-on sessions where you can model media strategies that will not only keep you out of trouble, but will also help you tell your district's story.
LUNCHEON - The Importance of Communication During a Time of Change
Presenter: Ron Koehler, Assistant Superintendent, Organizational and Community Initiatives and Legislation for Kent ISD and president of the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA)
Presentation of the Superintendent Communicator Award
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2011 - 1:30 PM
Back to the Future: Communications 2.0
Presenter: Terry Abbott of Drive West Communications and former press secretary for the Houston Independent School District
School district leaders must wage a permanent political-style campaign for the hearts and minds of their stakeholders if public schools are to flourish in 2011 and beyond. The public cares desperately about whether their children are safe in school and learning every day, and whether school district leaders are carefully managing the taxpayers' hard-earned money in these difficult financial times. This session will show school district leaders how to combine new communications technology and tools such as social networking, automated phone messaging, and high-tech public opinion surveys with classic communications strategies for the news media to drive their message to the public and win support for schools.
FULL CONFERENCE OVERVIEW
TUESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2011
8:00 am: Conference registration and continental breakfast
9:00 am: Pre-Conference: Making the Most of Mandatory Communications
11:00 am: Conference introduction:
President's Welcome by Michelle Ready
Kalamazoo RESA Superintendent's Welcome by Ron Fuller
Keynote with author Tim Burress: "The Hamster Revolution: How to Manage Your E-Mail Before It
Manages You" (attendees receive a copy of his book)
12:30 pm: Lunch - Featuring Communication Contest awards
1:15 pm: General Mini-Sessions (everyone attends both sessions back to back)
The Public Relations Profession: An Update and Future Direction with Blaine Lam, Owner of Lam
& Associates
Financial Transparency with the Grosse Pointe Schools Team:
- Christian Fenton, Assistant Superintendent for Business and Support Services
- Thomas Harwood, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and Labor Relations
- Brendan Walsh, Treasurer, Grosse Pointe Board of Education
2:30 pm: Break Out Session A
- Managing Stress in the Workplace with Dick Egli, APR, Egli & Associates
- BrandSense & NoCents: Leveraging internal resources for maximum competitive advantage with
the team from Kalamazoo Valley Community College:
-Thomas Mills, President, MillsIdeas, LLC, Adjunct Special Faculty, KVCC
-Thomas Wrench, Graphic Designer
-Linda Depta, Marketing Director, Kalamazoo Valley Community College
- Communications Planning for Bonds & Millages with Janet Roberts, APR, Director of Community
Relations and Fund Development, Huron Valley Schools
3:30 pm: Break Out Session B
-Working with the Media: An Education Reporter's Perspective with Julie Mack, Kalamazoo Gazette
-The Reality of Social Media with Cyndee Harrison, VP of Account Services and Emergent Media,
Frontier 3 Advertising
-Communicating During Negotiations" with Thomas Harwood, Assistant Superintendent for Human
Resources and Labor Relations, Grosse Point Schools
4:45 pm: Lightening Rounds
-Winning Websites
-Spreading Sunshine: Your District and FOIA
-Parent and Community Surveys: Taking the Temperature of Your District
-Sharing the Good News: Twitter and Facebook Success Stories
-Communicating Budget and Finance Issues to Your Community
-MSPRA Membership Feedback Session
-Connecting with New Web-based Media: Blogging and Podcasting Your Message
-Putting Your District's Best Foot Forward: Working with Realtors and Relocation Specialists
6:00-7:30 pm: Social Hour at the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts (across from the Radisson)
In addition to enjoying some light eats and refreshments in the lobby of the Institute - a unique Kalamazoo treasure - those who are interested in seeing a national exhibit can browse "The Wyeths: America's Artists," featuring three generations of artists from that family for the special low admission of $6. Read more at their web page about this unique exhibit.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2011
8:00 am: Hot breakfast
8:30 am: General Session (also serving as the pre-conference for the MASA Mid-Winter Conference):
The Permanent Campaign: Winning hearts and minds through media and community relations with Terry Abbott
12:00 pm: Lunch featuring The Importance of Communications During a Time of Change with NSPRA President Ron Koehler, who is the Kent ISD Assistant Superintendent for Organizational and Community Initiatives and Legislation. Superintendent Communicator Award presentation follows. (MASA Mid-Winter Conference attendees are also invited)
1:30 pm: Keynote with Terry Abbott - Back to the Future: Communication 2.0 (also serving as the opening keynote for the MASA Mid-Winter Conference)
3:00 pm: Adjournment
MSPRA Annual Conference archives
MSPRA's 2009 Annual Conference was a tremendous success where public relations, communications, media, and leadership professionals from schools across the state gathered to share information on the newest trends in the field and the hottest issues in districts.
View conference highlights and resources , including the video presentation "Facing the Michigan School Funding Crisis" prepared by Washtenaw ISD.
Download the files for "Facing the Michigan School Funding Crisis" presentation to your hard drive (82.5 MB)
Play the flash presentation "Facing the Michigan School Funding Crisis " from the web (16 minutes)
Visit the Michigan EduSource for Conference archives from past years...
Conference Sponsors
