Lunch & Learn: First Nations Communications

On Friday, November 22, join us as our very own Shelly Burich and Kevin Brown will share their respective experiences working with First Nations.

Date: November 22, 2013
Time: 12pm-1pm
Where: Canada Winter Games Office Board Room (545 Quebec Street, Prince George) (Teleconference can be arranged; please contact Alyson Gourley-Cramer for details.)
Cost: $20 for members; $25 for non-members
Lunch: Provided
RSVP: by Monday, November 18 by emailing cprsnl@gmail.com or on our Facebook event page.

About the Speakers

Shell1Shelly Burich, in her role as Communications Manager for the Cariboo Regional District, interacts regularly with First Nations communities in the Cariboo and Chilcotin. Recently she handled the communications for both the St. Joseph’s Mission Residential School Commemorative project and was quite involved with the first ever Orange Shirt Day event which received national and global recognition. Whether through formal protocols, or less formal processes the CRD has developed excellent working relationships with many First Nations communities. Shelly will share best practices and lessons learned.

Shelly has been in the marketing and communications industry for almost 25 years. She received her undergraduate degree in social sciences from McMaster University and a diploma in marketing communications management from the BC Institute of Technology. Some of the positions she has held include the national manager of marketing communications for ADT Security Services, publicist for the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts and holds the distinction of being named the first female media director in the CFL while with the Toronto Argonauts Football Club.

One of the highlights of her career includes being named the co-recipient of the Canadian Public Relations Society’s Don Rennie Memorial Award for Excellence in Government Communications along with colleague and Northern Lights Chapter President, Matt Wood.

kevinKevin Brown has worked with the Lheidli T’enneh and the McLeod Lake Indian Band as clients and with many other First Nations around Northern BC in various capacities.  He currently works as the coordinator for Lheidli Community Engagement Committee as well as providing communications and media support for the nation. Kevin will share his experiences, insights and lessons learned.

Kevin is President of Kevin Brown Communications or ‘KBC’ as it is known to his clients, family and friends. He has operated his ‘full-service’ award-winning public relations consulting practice since February, 2003 from his home in Prince George.

Mr. Brown currently provides services to clients in many sectors, including: First Nations, Beetle Action Coalition, bioenergy, community forest, pipelines, local government, property development, and others.

Kevin got his start in public relations in November 1993 when he worked for the provincial government as a regional communications officer. Prior to entering public relations, he spent over a decade in the media including CBC Radio News in Northern BC.

In 2010, the Canadian Public Relations Society honoured Kevin with its Diamond Jubilee Award for Mentor of The Year, and in 2012 Kevin was inducted into the CPRS College of Fellows.

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Lunch & Learn: Social Media with Garth Frizzell

Garth Frizzell

Garth Frizzell

Join us for our October Lunch & Learn when local PG resident Garth Frizzell will talk about his experience with social media as a Prince George City Councillor!

Date: October 24, 2013
Time: 12pm-1pm
Where: Regional District of Fraser Fort George Boardroom (144 George St.) (Teleconference can be arranged; please request.)
Cost: $20 for members; $25 for non-members
Lunch: Provided
RSVP: by Monday, October 21 by emailing cprsnl@gmail.com or on our Facebook event page.

About Garth Frizzell:

Garth Frizzell has extensive experience with social media. He’s used Google+ to build a brand, and pioneered Youtube’s interactive townhall meetings. He’s a popular Facebook storyteller, a LinkedIn CV junkie, a live-tweeter, and once built a blog to get elected.

Career: he is UNBC’s Research Partnership and Innovation Officer. Government: he is serving his second term as Prince George City Councillor. Private life: he is a husband and father.

Your social media advice to Garth might be to build silos for career, public and private life. Garth doesn’t. He’ll tell you the risks and rewards of his Wide Open approach.

About Garth’s Presentation:

Examples for each section will be drawn from Garth’s experience locally, regionally, nationally and internationally.

1. Platforms and why to use them Blog, Twitter, Facebook, G+, LinkedIn, Youtube

2. All Roads Can Lead to the Blog What, How, Why

3. Rules of Engagement How long to spend, when to spend, why to spend it.

4. Silos seem smarter. Why the Wide Open approach? Garth’s case for consistency across the spectrum (think Prince George)

5. The Long Haul Strategic planning on Social Media

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First event and pub night of the year!

Eoin Foley

Eoin Foley, Co-owner, Nancy O’s

Join the CPRS Northern Lights Chapter as we kick-off our first professional development and pub night of the year! The evening will start with a presentation from Eoin Foley, Co-Owner of Nancy O’s, who will speak about the various communication initiatives from the local restaurant.

Please RSVP to Renee McCloskey at rmccolskey@rdffg.bc.ca, or on the Northern Lights Facebook event page. Be sure to confirm your participation before Monday, September 16. A conference call can be arranged for CPRS members who are not in Prince George or are unable to attend. Please contact Renee McCloskey at (250) 960-4453 if you want to take advantage of this opportunity. Calls will only be set up if there is demand, so please register in advance.

Date: Wednesday, September 18
Time: 7:00pm
Where: Regional District of Fraser Fort George – Prince George (Boardroom)
Fee: Members/Students $15 Non-members $20
Appies will be provided.

After the presentation, CPRS Northern Lights will be hosting its first 2013/2014 Pub Night at Nancy O’s to enjoy the atmosphere and network with our colleagues after the summer break. It is Open Mic night at Nancy O’s, so if you feel like performing bring your singing voice, musical instrument, comedy act, or poetry reading.

About Eoin Foley

Eoin Foley is born, raised and educated in, Prince George, BC. After a bit of travelling and bartending in Ireland and Australia, Eoin came back to attend CNC and UNBC. In 2005 at CNC, Eoin enrolled in the Business: the Next Generation program, an entrepreneurial program where the students start up a real for profit business. Seeing school as no barrier to entering the business world, in 2009 while in the commerce program at UNBC, with partner Garrett Fedorkiw, Eoin opened Nancy O’s, a small restaurant in the heart of downtown with an aim to be a major cultural influence in the community.

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CPRS Northern Lights 2012/2013 AGM

It’s that time of year again – time for our Annual General Meeting where we will determine our leadership for the next year! Please join us on Thursday May 30 for this and a mini-presentation by Alyson Gourley-Cramer and Mike Davis from the 2015 Canada Winter

When: Thursday, May 30, 2013
Time: 12pm – lunch followed by AGM and 2015 Canada Winter Games presentation
Where: Regional District of Fraser Fort George Board Room
Cost: $20 for members/$25 for non-members
Lunch: Included
RSVP: By May 28 via Facebook event page or reply to cprsnl@gmail.com

The 2015 Canada Winter Games – Presentation Overview
The 2015 Canada Winter Games are fast-approaching, and it will take a dedicated team of 4,500 volunteers to make it happen. Currently, the Marketing and Communications Department of the 2015 Games are looking for key planning volunteers to take some of the most exciting and fun projects and bring them to life.

Join Mike Davis and Alyson Gourley-Cramer as they deliver a Games 101 session and describe the opportunities available to local CPRS professionals leading up to the largest multi-sport and cultural event this city and region has ever hosted.

2013 CPRS National AGM and Conference
For those of you planning on attending the CPRS National AGM and Conference, if you attend our local AGM you will be offered the early bird rate – a savings of $200 off the National Conference registration fees! To register for this rate, please contact Elizabeth Tang at the National Office 416-239-5884.

As our National Board member announced earlier this week, if you are not attending this year’s National event in Ottawa, please make sure you take the time to send in your proxy which was distributed earlier this week.

The proxy form asks for your vote on the resolutions regarding changes to the national by-laws. A list of these resolutions is also attached.

Deadline to submit your proxy form is 2pm on Monday, June 3. You can appoint any CPRS member in good standing who has confirmed they will be attending the national AGM. (there are about 12 members from Northern Lights going to conference, though not sure everyone is planning on making it to the AGM). If you have any questions, please bring them with you to the Northern Lights AGM or email them to cprsnl@gmail.com or post them on our Facebook page.

See you all there!
Jessica Quinn
Vice President

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May Media Panel

Come join us for our next 2013 Lunch & Learn session with some of our local and regional media for our annual Media Panel session. If you know someone who might enjoy or benefit by this session, please spread the word.

This year’s panelists include:
Marissa Harvey – CBC Daybreak North
Neil Godbout – Prince George Citizen
Greg Fry – Vista Radio
Autumn MacDonald – Quesnel Observer
Michelle Cyr-Whiting – Opinion 250 online news.

When: Friday, May 17, 2013
Time: 12 – 1 p.m.
Where: Regional District of Fraser Fort George Board Room
Cost: $20 for members/$25 for non-members
Lunch: Included
RSVP: By May 15 on our Facebook group page or reply to cprsnl@gmail.com

See you there!

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