April 30, 2024
| Present: | 18 attendees |
| Next meeting: | May 21, 2024 |
The PRC of the Shenandoah Valley met at Bridgewater Retirement Community on Tuesday, April 30 with 16 members, one guest and our speaker in attendance.
PRC president Heather Ream opened the meeting with introductions and invited everyone to enjoy the provided lunch.
Following lunch, treasurer Eric Gorton provided brief reports on finances and membership, sharing that we have $2,793 in the bank.
We currently have funding to do a spring social event. The group briefly discussed locations, with Alpine Goat Brewery, Ridge Room and SHD all mentioned as options. Heather Ream suggested we send out a quick survey to get more input on location, date, and time for a spring social.
Vice President Preston Knight introduced our guest speaker, Jonathan Treese from Surface to Air Media.
Jonathan shared his journey to start this business and then discussed drone usage: types, how they can benefit your business, social media uses and more.
The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m. Our next meeting is earlier in the month due to the Memorial Day holiday: May 21.
In attendance:
Sarah Wichael
Eric Gorton
Ashlie Heatwole
Jess Nickels
Heather Cole
Arianna Williams
Bob Grebe
Lydia Weaver
John Stone
Bekka Harsh
Preston Knight
Heather Ream
Katie LaPira
Zack Germroth
Ryan Cornell
Abbie Parkhurst
Guest: Emily Coombe (EMU)
Speaker: Jonathan Treese
March 26, 2024
| Present: | 17 attendees |
| Next meeting: | April 30, 2024 |
The PRC of the Shenandoah Valley met at Bridgewater Retirement Community on Tuesday, March 26 with 17 people in attendance.
Vice President Preston Knight welcomed members and introduced several of our newest members.
Treasurer Eric Gorton provided brief reports on finances and membership, sharing that we have around $3,000 in the bank, which is great for this time of year, and 24 members.
Several members shared announcements.
Preston reviewed our speakers for the upcoming months. He then introduced today’s speaker, Brea Prokop with the Minnesota Twins. Brea is a Bridgewater College grad who now works as the Senior Manager, Social Content and Event Marketing for the Twins.
Brea shared her journey from BC to her current position. She walked us through some of the challenges that come with handling PR and social media for a professional sports team, content creation, events and travel, training for the players, etc.
The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m.
In attendance:
Ashlie Heatwole
Jeremy Douylliez
Everett Brubaker
Katie LaPira
Lydia Weaver
Preston Knight
Ariana Williams
Crista Cabe
Eric Gorton
Mia Kivilighan
Bekah Castle
Sarah Wichael
Bob Grebe
Abbie Parkhurst
Zack Germorth
Ryan Cornell
Juliana McGrathBy Zoom: guest speaker Brea Prokop
Our next meeting is Tuesday, April 30 at noon.
February 27, 2024
| Present: | 20 attendees |
| Next meeting: | March 26, 2024 |
The PRC of the Shenandoah Valley met at Bridgewater Retirement Community on Tuesday, Feburary 27 with 17 people in attendance.
President Heather Ream welcomed members and invited them to lunch.
Treasurer Eric Gorton provided brief reports on finances and membership, sharing that we had around $2,300 in the bank with dues rolling in.
Member Stephanie Duncan shared that Harmony Harvest Farm recently received an award; she may be reaching out to some of us to brainstorm some ideas.
Vice President Preston Knight introduced the guest speaker, Cayce Myers from the Virginia Tech School of Communications, who presented to us via Zoom. Cayce explained the many ethical dilemmas, fun possibilities, and potential challenges of A.I. and public relations.
The meeting adjourned at 1 p.m.
In attendance:
Amanda Shrader
Jeremy Douylliez
Everett Brubaker
Katie LaPira
Lydia Weaver
Jess Nichols
Preston Knight
Stephanie Duncan
Ariana Williams
Crista Cabe
Issac Woo
Eric Gorton
Mia Kivilighan
Bekah Castle
Heather Ream
Sarah Wichael
By zoom: guest speaker Cayce Myers
Guests: Juliana McGrath, Ryan Cornell, Zack Germorth
January 30, 2024
| Present: | 17 attendees |
| Next meeting: | February 27, 2024 |
The PRC of the Shenandoah Valley met at Bridgewater Retirement Community on Tuesday, Jan. 30 with 17 people in attendance, including our guest speakers.
President Heather Ream welcomed members and guests and invited them to lunch.
Following lunch, Heather invited everyone to introduce themselves.
Eric Gorton gave the treasurer’s report and mentioned 14 members have paid dues for the new year and he is expecting several more. We should have close to 22 paid members again this year. The bank balance is in good shape and we will be in good shape to have a spring social.
Members Stephanie Duncan, Mia Kivlighan and Eric Gorton gave brief announcements.
* Stephanie announced that Harmony Harvest Farms has Virginia-grown tulips available for Valentine’s Day that are available for preorder at hhfshop.com. We are also offering pre-orders at any business (they just need to ask me for a sign-up sheet!) where people can order flowers through their business and we will deliver on 2/14. Lastly, we will be slinging blooms at the Walgreens parking lot in Verona and at the Ace Hardware in Bridgewater on 2/14. With 80% of the flowers in this country imported, we challenge everyone to buy domestic blooms this Valentine’s Day!
* Mia announced Augusta County is running a confidential Comprehensive Plan Survey to hear from citizens about the County’s quality of life, ideas, concerns, and future growth. If you live, work, or visit regularly please take the survey, share the link, and encourage your circle of family, friends, and colleagues in Augusta County to take the survey. The Comprehensive Plan will guide decision making for the next 20 years in areas like future land use, economic growth, housing, community and youth services, development of cultural resources, transportation, and energy – for our current residents and for those who will one day call Augusta County home.
* Eric announced he knows of a JMU student who is seeking a summer communications internship and that his office has an open position. Check with Eric for more information.
Following the announcements, Heather introduced our speakers, Kayla Brooks and Taylor Rizzari of WHSV TV-3, who discussed their roles at the station and the kinds of stories they look for. They also discussed ways area public relations practitioners can work with them.
Attending: Eric Gorton, Preston Knight, Ashlie Heatwole, Mia Kivlighan, Stephanie Duncan, Rebekah Castle, Everett Brubaker, Lydia Weaver, Jeremy Douylliez, David Pulgar, Jessica Nickels, Bekka Harsh, Heather Ream, Bob Grebe, Crista Cabe, Kayla Brooks (guest speaker), Taylor Rizarri (guest speaker)
October 31, 2023
| Present: | 14 attendees |
| Next meeting: | Januauary 30, 2024 |
The PRC of the Shenandoah Valley met at Bridgewater Retirement Community on Tuesday, October 31 with 14 people in attendance, including our guest speaker and several guests.
President Crista Cabe welcomed members and invited them to lunch.
Following lunch, Crista invited everyone to introduce themselves. Member Jessica Luck from Bridgewater College announced that this would be her last PRC meeting; she has accepted a new position at Washington and Lee University. We also welcomed two guests: Nadia DaMes and Logan Berry.
After introductions, Crista gave a brief treasurer’s report on behalf of Eric Gorton, who was unable to attend. We currently have $1,611.20 in the account, and are in the process of collecting dues for 2024.
Crista also shared that the October meeting is our final “official” meeting of 2023. On December 6, PRC is hosting a “happy hour” social event at The Ridge Room in Harrisonburg, 3:30-5pm. PRC will provide appetizers and one drink for each attendee. More info to come.
We held a quick election of offers for 2024. Heather Ream was voted in as president, and Preston Knight, Eric Gorton and Sarah Wichael will continue on as vice president, treasurer and secretary, respectively.
Vice President Preston Knight invited members to pass along suggestions for speakers in 2024. He then introduced guest speaker Steve Gilman, president and brand strategist for Gravity Group.
Gravity Group is a marketing agency located in downtown Harrisonburg. They provide a wide-array of services, including marketing, branding, and production. They also have a podcast, “Brand Story.”
Steve explained the process behind launching the podcast, “Brand Story,” which is now entering its 4th season. It’s currently in the top 5% of business podcasts on Spotify. Explaining the success (and work) behind his podcast, Steve explained that we should “choose something to talk about because you’re passionate about it or want to GIVE something – not because you want to GET something. I do not promote our agency through our podcast.” Steve shared other interesting information regarding interview style, podcast set-up and management, and promotion.
The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m.
****
In attendance:
Sarah Wichael
Jessica Nickels
David Pulgar
Heather Ream
Katie LaPira
Everett Brubaker
Jessica Luck
Crista Cabe
Preston Knight
Bob Grebe
Lydia Weaver
Guest: Nada Domas
Guest: Logan Berry
Guest Speaker: Steve Gilman
September 26, 2023
| Present: | 17 attendees |
| Next meeting: | Oct. 31, 2023 |
The PRC of the Shenandoah Valley met at Bridgewater Retirement Community on Tuesday, September 26 with 17 people in attendance, including our guest speaker.
PRC president Crista Cabe welcomed members and invited them to lunch.
Following lunch, Crista provided some quick updates, including introducing the nominating committee (Heather Ream, Stephanie Duncan and Mia Kivlighan) that will be working to nominate a member for the position of president, which will be vacant as of January 1, 2024.
Treasurer Eric Gorton provided brief reports on finances and membership. Our bank account has dropped some, but that is typical for end-of-year finances. Dues notices will soon be going out to all members, which is around 27 individuals. Eric also shared that Bekka Harsh from Shenandoah Valley Partnership will be joining PRC.
Vice President Preston Knight introduced the guest speaker, Jillian Lynch, managing editor of the Daily News Record.
Jilian shared her journey from reporter to managing editor, the recent transitions the DNR has experienced, how the stories are assigned and determined each day. Jillian also shared how we can best support reporters who are looking to cover local stories that impact and support our organizations.
The meeting adjourned at 1:12 p.m.
In attendance:Crista Cabe
Sarah Wichael
Heather Ream
Jessica Luck
Logan Bogert (guest, Bridgewater College)
Eric Gorton
Preston Knight
Jeremy Douylliez
Mia Kivlighan
Bob Grebe
Darin Bowman
Bekka Harsh
Ashlie Heatwole
Stephanie Duncan
Lydia Weaver
Guest speaker: Jillian Lynch
August 29, 2023
President Crista Cabe welcomed members and invited them to lunch.
Treasurer Eric Gorton provided brief reports on finances and membership.
Vice President Preston Knight introduced the guest speaker, Mike Miriello, president and co-founder of The Downtown Creative.
Mike explained the origins of The Downtown Creative, the services they provide our local community, and their approach to marketing and brand management.
He also shared several marketing models, including the PESO (paid, earned, shared, owned) model. The models shared during the meeting can be reviewed here: https://tdcmarketing.com/valley-prc.
The meeting adjourned at 1 p.m.
In attendance:
Crista Cabe
Stephanie Duncan
Abena Foreman-Trice
Guest: Maureen Pearson
Jessica Luck
Katie LaPira
Eric Gorton
Heather Ream
Everett Brubaker
Preston Knight
Jess Nickels
Jeremy Douylliez
Darin Bowman (JMU CoB)
Sarah Wichael
Lydia Weaver
Bob Grebe
Trisha Blosser (Eastern Mennonite School)
Guest: Sabrina Forbes (EMS student intern)
Mia Kivilighan
Guest: Sarah Linn
John Stone
Speaker: Mike Miriello
July 2023
The PRC does not meet in July.
June 27, 2023
| Present: | 16 attendees |
| Next meeting: | August 29, 2023 |
The PRC of the Shenandoah Valley met at Bridgewater Retirement Community on Tuesday, June 27 with 16 people in attendance, including our guest speakers.
Vice President Preston Knight, filling in for President Crista Cabe, welcomed members and invited them to lunch.
Treasurer Eric Gorton provided brief reports on finances and membership.
Vice President Preston Knight introduced the guest speakers, Miriam Burrows, director of educational programs for the Community Foundation, Central Blue Ridge, and two student representatives of the foundation’s Youth Philanthropy Council, Mary McCoy and Santiago Berrizbeitia.
Burrows gave a brief overview of the nonprofit Community Foundation and its mission to improve communities by distributing grants, scholarships and awards to organizations and individuals in Staunton, Waynesboro and the counties of Augusta, Highland and Nelson.
The organization manages 197 funds with $41.9 million. It distributes $1.7 million each year.
The organization also works to instill a sense of caring in youth through its Youth Philanthropy Council. Among the YPC duties is running a $30,000 grant program that involves deciding who gets grants and how much.
The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m.
In attendance:
Preston Knight
Eric Gorton
Rebekah Castle
Jeremy Douylliez
Abena Foreman-Trice
Bob Grebe
Ashlie Heatwole
Mia Kivlighan
Katie LaPira
John Stone
David Pulgar
Heather Ream
Lydia Weaver
Miriam Burrows (guest speaker)
Mary McCoy (guest speaker)
Santiago Berrizbeitia (guest speaker)
May 23, 2023
| Present: | 16 attendees |
| Next meeting: | June 27, 2023 |
The PRC of the Shenandoah Valley met at Bridgewater Retirement Community on Tuesday, May 23 with 16 people in attendance, including our guest speaker.
President Crista Cabe welcomed members and invited them to lunch.
Treasurer Eric Gorton provided brief reports on finances and membership.
Vice President Preston Knight introduced the guest speaker, Jay Langston, executive director of the Shenandoah Valley Partnership.
Langston discussed how SVP, a public/private organization, works on behalf of 12 localities up and down the Shenandoah Valley to grow the region’s economy.
While the Valley is rural, it continues to grow in population and economic prosperity.
SVP’s mission is to improve the quality of life through economic prosperity. It accomplishes its mission by attracting new jobs and investment.
Other points Langston discussed included:
– Basic tenets of economic development
– Location factors
– The SVP strategic plan, which is based on trends
– SVP’s No. 1 focal point is talent retention and attraction
– The region’s 10 colleges and universities produce 9,500 graduates annually. It’s important to market the region’s career opportunities to them.
The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m.
In attendance:
Bob Grebe
Jess Nickels
Crista Cabe
Gail Price
Heather Ream
Isaac Woo
Jeremy Douylliez
Mia Kivlighan
Preston Knight
Eric Gorton
Lydia Weaver
Abena Foreman-Trice
Stephanie Duncan
David Pulgar
Katie LaPira
Guest speaker: Jay Langston
April 25, 2023
| Present: | 20 attendees |
| Next meeting: | May 23, 2023 |
The PRC of the Shenandoah Valley met at Bridgewater Retirement Community on Tuesday, April 25 with 20 people in attendance, including our two guest speakers.
President Crista Cabe began the meeting with a welcome and introductions.
Treasurer’s report (Eric Gorton): Organization currently has $3000 in the account. We are in good financial shape if we’d like to do some type of spring event.
Current Business
Crista asked for feedback on our lunch menus. Any input or suggestions are needed within a week.
Vice President Preston Knight introduced our guest speakers: Austin Raines and Mary Snow from Estland marketing agency.
Estland’s presentation to the PRC Council focused on brand identity: when is it needed, when to update and change, how you determine your branding process, and how you effectively roll out your brand to your consumers. Their presentation was followed by several questions from PRC members.
Meeting was adjourned at 1:15 p.m.
In attendance:
Carrie Wood
Everette Brubaker
Heather Ream
Jeremy Douylliez
Mia Kivlighan
Rebekah Castle
June Miller
Sarah Wichael
Eric Gorton
Lydia Weaver
Abena Foreman-Trice
Stephanie Duncan
Ashlie Heatwole
Preston Knight
Crista Cabe
Katie LaPira, guest
Brittany Bowman
Jess Nickels
Mary Snow, Estland
Austin Raines, Estland