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Unleash Your Creativity with AI -- Interview With Our July 2023 Speaker
By Diane Streleckis -- Generative artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to do more than simply save communication professionals time or boost productivity—although it can certainly do both those things. Innovation expert Gina Debogovich shared how AI can invigorate your creativity so the messages and experiences you create connect with the people you’re trying to reach.
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Rick Alcantara published Know the Meaning of Inclusion? (Hint: It’s Not Just Diversity) in News 2023-06-27 12:48:46 -0400
Know the Meaning of Inclusion? (Hint: It’s Not Just Diversity)
by Diane Streleckis - Whether it’s connecting with customers or attracting and keeping the best employees, companies recognize the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in their practices and communications.
But multiculture communication leader and Socios PR founder Lilly Cortes Wyatt finds that often, people in business miss one key point. “Inclusivity isn’t just about race or gender or sexual orientation. It’s about different worldviews, different backgrounds coming together to tell relevant and authentic stories,” she said.
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Rick Alcantara published Do You (or Your Leaders) Know the True Meaning of DEI? in News 2023-06-20 10:38:46 -0400
Do You (or Your Leaders) Know the True Meaning of DEI?
By Diane Streleckis - Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is the next transformation of business. As with so many water-cooler words, people make assumptions about their meaning. But what happens when those assumptions don’t match others’ meanings? Or if an assumption is off the mark?
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Rick Alcantara published Empowering Voices and Breaking Barriers: Speakers and Panelists Bios in Events 2023-06-01 15:04:43 -0400
Empowering Voices and Breaking Barriers: Speakers and Panelists Bios
Luke-Matthew Iveson
Luke-Matthew Iveson (they/them) is the Director of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Centre of Excellence at Forty1, an employee engagement agency. They harness the power of diversity, equity and inclusion to create better employee experiences, working with clients to turn DEI commitments into action.
Their experience includes DEI communication campaigns, engagement programmes, leadership and employee development, global strategy development and activation. Luke-Matthew works with clients across various industries, including Capgemini, Nissan, AstraZeneca and GSK.
Prior to joining, Luke was an Associate Lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University, delivering lectures on queer and gender studies, alongside their further studies.
Kim Clark
Kim Clark has focused her career on messaging, audiences and how communications shape people's experiences. Her career spans documentary filmmaking, agency partnerships with the Discovery Channel, and leading global internal communication teams at KLA, PayPal, GoDaddy and GitHub. She is known for her ability to facilitate sensitive and yet urgent conversations to make meaningful progress in creating inclusive workplaces. She speaks at conferences, runs custom workshops and consults with companies on all things diversity, equity and inclusion communications related. She lives in California with her two cats, two kids, and one girlfriend.
Lili Gil Valletta
Lili is a former corporate executive turned entrepreneur, Cultural Intelligence® expert, and television business commentator known for her analysis of data and cultural trends impacting our economy and businesses. As an immigrant from Colombia, who came to the U.S. at the age of 17 without speaking English, she embodies the American Dream going from corporate executive turned entrepreneur. After a successful corporate career, including a 10-year tenure at Johnson & Johnson, where she pioneered multicultural marketing efforts for the Pharma sector and co-founded the Hispanic employee resource group “HOLA”, Lili co-founded the marketing agency CIEN+ and the A.I. market research tech firm CulturIntel.
Lili is one of less than 1% of Latinas serving on a Fortune 500+ public board, as an independent director for the global youth retailer Zumiez (NASDAQ: ZUMZ) and RCN Television (BVC: RCNTELEVI). She also serves as Chairwoman of the FRIENDS of the National American Latino Museum and is an investor and operating executive board member for AUA Private Equity Partners, an investment firm that has deployed over $475 million in capital to scale family-owned and Hispanic-focused businesses.
J.L. Grayson
J.L. Grayson is a brand strategist and analyst with nearly twenty years of synthesizing consumer data, blending analytics and marketing to create practical strategies to build brand equity.
J.L. collaborates with the best and brightest within organizations across disciplines, she holds a core belief that “when we all contribute to the conversation, a more holistic story emerges”.
In her current role as Director, Brand Strategy, many of her efforts are centered around consistently delivering differentiating messaging and creative, that will continuously result in the identification and preference of treatment and care.
Steve Jones
Steve is the Founder & CEO of pocstock, a global diversity stock media company that unapologetically focuses on positive images of people of color. Steve is a serial entrepreneur who has spent over 20 years leading marketing and technology companies to solve everyday problems.
Prior to founding pocstock, Steve founded an award-winning digital agency recognized for creating innovative digital creative, marketing, and technologies for hundreds of companies including Colgate Palmolive, Cartoon Network, NBC Universal, 9/11 Memorial, NYU, Rutgers University, Pfizer, Whole Foods, Pepsico Frito Lay, Port Authority of NY & NJ, and more.
Steve started his first entrepreneurial venture at the age of 16 and since has owned an independent record label, recording studio, social network, and a video game company. He also gained valuable corporate experience working at large companies like Chase Manhattan Bank, Cardinal Health, Barnes & Noble, and Morgan Stanley.
Steve was born in Barbados, raised in Brooklyn, NY and now resides in NJ with his lovely wife Marie, five beautiful children, organic vegetable garden, and his Xbox One.
Claire Riggs
A driven and accomplished professional, Claire has more than 25 years of experience in developing, implementing and managing strategic communications, as well as relationship and reputation management, in corporate, regional and independent site settings. She has specialized talent in internal and external communications, crisis management, government affairs, media relations, brand development and marketing strategies.
Claire hold a Master's degree in Public Relations and her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a graduate of Leadership New Jersey.
She currently serves as Managing Partner at Riggs Creative Group and teaches Advertising and Public Relations courses at Rowan University's Ric Edelman College of Communication and Creative Arts. She also serves on the Board of the United Way of Gloucester County and Women Empowered International.Lilly Cortes Wyatt
Lilly is the founder of SociosPR, a Latina-owned, full-service multicultural creative communications company with a deep fluency in the nuances of cultural competence. Lilly and her team work with diverse communities for private enterprises and public agencies.
Lilly has extensive experience in media, having worked in journalism, marketing communications, and public relations for both general and multicultural audiences. She spent nearly 20 years in news broadcasting as Executive Producer, Host, Producer, and Assignment Editor for NBC Universal, ABC, Univision, and Telemundo affiliates in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento regions. Her bilingual skills in Spanish and English were instrumental in connecting important sources to community members for creating powerful feature stories. Lilly firmly believes teamwork is essential in providing strategic integrated communication plans that utilize existing media relations and establish new contacts to secure high-level placements in print, broadcast, and online media.
Adena White
Adena J. White is an accredited public relations professional and social-impact storyteller with more than 15 years of experience leading communications efforts for place-based nonprofit organizations. In 2017, she founded Blackbelt Media to tell the stories of changemakers working to make the South a better place for all. Blackbelt Media produces the Blackbelt Voices podcast, which tells stories from and about Black folks down South that honor Black history, celebrate Black Southern culture, and shape the future of the region.
Adena obtained a bachelor’s degree in speech communication and journalism with an emphasis in public relations from Arkansas Tech University and was inducted into ATU's Hall of Distinction in 2021 as an Outstanding Young Alumna. She completed a master’s degree in applied communication studies from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and, in 2022, received the department’s “Alumni Making a Difference Award.” She was selected as a 2023 Arkansas Business 40 Under 40 honoree.
Adena achieved her Accreditation in Public Relations through the Public Relations Society of America and earned a Certificate in Social Impact Storytelling from Georgetown University. She is a highly requested speaker on storytelling and has presented at industry and association conferences, including PRSA ICON, the Arkansas Governor’s Conference on Tourism, the Kentucky Travel Industry Association, and the Mid-America Cable Telecommunications Association’s Mid-America Cable Show.
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Rick Alcantara published Toner Receives Bartley Medallion from Villanova School of Business in News 2023-05-22 12:17:42 -0400
Toner Receives Bartley Medallion from Villanova School of Business
Cathy J. Toner, JD, Assistant Dean, Villanova School of Business, was chosen to receive the Bartley Medallion for Excellence in Church Management at the Master’s Level from the Villanova School of Business. The Bartley Medallion is awarded annually by the faculty of the school in recognition of outstanding achievement in a specific discipline. It is the highest distinction the school can bestow upon a graduating student and serves as a visible reflection of the significant contribution made by the student to the life of the school community.
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Rick Alcantara published Maximize Your Video Presence: Lessons from an Emmy-Winning Journalist in News 2023-05-11 13:02:42 -0400
Maximize Your Video Presence: Lessons from an Emmy-Winning Journalist
by Diane Streleckis - Video is the medium to get your message across these days. That’s why knowing how to be your best self on camera and connect effectively with viewers is a crucial skill for communicators.
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Rick Alcantara published Get More Out of Your Relationship With Chat GPT and AI in News 2023-04-24 15:25:15 -0400
Get More Out of Your Relationship With Chat GPT and AI
by Diane Streleckis -
The explosion of coverage about ChatGPT crystalizes that AI is not just the future of communication, but its present. But how can communicators develop a clear-eyed, productive relationship with the technology? Communication industry leader Shel Holtz shared some ideas in advance of his virtual IABC Philadelphia session How to Make AI Your Friend and Improve Communications on Tuesday, April 25 at noon.
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Rick Alcantara published 5 Tips to Land the Job You Want In Today's Job Market in News 2023-04-05 21:50:28 -0400
5 Tips to Land the Job You Want In Today's Job Market
by Diane Strelekis - Whether you’re just starting out or deep in your career, navigating the job-search process these days is a daunting task. Layoffs are rising while candidate-screening software complicates getting your application in front of a hiring manager. Executive career coach Ed Samuel, founder of SamNova, Inc. shares five of his top ways to get the role that’s right for you, not just the role available right now.
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Communicators: Embrace Your Power!
by Diane Streleckis - Communicators excel at shining the spotlight on others. But they often can be reluctant to seek it out for themselves, according to Kathryn Kneller, founder and lead consultant at Internal Comms Mastery.
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Rick Alcantara published Our Panelists and Moderators for How to Prepare for and Deal with a Crisis in Events 2022-12-30 10:34:09 -0500
Our Panelists and Moderators for How to Prepare for and Deal with a Crisis
Panelists
Lynn Perry Wooten
Lynn Perry Wooten, a seasoned academic and an expert on organizational development and transformation, is the ninth president of Simmons University. She is the first African American to lead the University. Specializing in crisis leadership, diversity and inclusion, and positive leadership, Dr. Wooten is an innovative leader and prolific author and presenter. Dr. Wooten holds a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina A&T State University, where she was valedictorian; an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business; and a doctorate from the University of Michigan. In addition, she received a Certificate in Advanced Educational Leadership from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She is the author of nearly 30 journal articles, more than 15 book chapters and four books. Beyond all her accomplishments, Dr. Wooten currently serves on the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, the Boston Public Library Board of Trustees, the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Trustee Advisory Board, the JFK Library Foundation Board of Advisors, the Fenway Alliance Board of Directors, The George School Board of Trustees, the MASCO Board of Directors, and the GBH Board of Trustees.Richard Levick
Richard Levick, Esq. is Chairman & CEO of LEVICK, representing countries and companies in the highest-stakes global communications matters. Mr. Levick has been honored multiple times on the prestigious list of “The 100 Most Influential People in the Boardroom” and has been named to multiple professional Halls of Fame for lifetime achievement. He is the co-author of four books and is a regular commentator on television and in print. Richard hosts the daily podcast for the Corporate Counsel Business Journal which draws the highest profile guests from former U.S. Attorneys General to former legal counsels to U.S. presidents.
Carey Dearnley
Carey Dearnley is a Senior Consultant at Local Wisdom, and is positioned as an Executive and Sales Communication Leader at Janssen Pharmaceutical. She is responsible for driving the organization’s strategic narrative, town halls, senior leader communications, special projects, and change management. In her two decades of experience, Carey has worked as a press secretary on Capitol Hill and in various agency and in-house roles, where she has been a strategic partner to leaders on crisis and issues management, executive positioning, change management, employee engagement, thought leadership and brand strategy and reputation.David KIucsik
Corporate crises have characterized (some would say "plagued") David KIucsik’s professional life from his first job as a newspaper reporter, right thru his communications work for a global chemical company. He provides that unique perspective for clients, via his own Same Page consultancy on reputation risk, as well as Princeton Strategic Communications, a full-service agency.Moderators
Rick Alcantara
Rick Alcantara is president of Rick Alcantara Consulting. He advises corporate, nonprofit and government clients on public relations, crisis communications, social media and digital marketing. He is president of IABC Philadelphia, past president and current director-at-large of PRSA Philadelphia, and a member of PRSA's Counselor's Academy.Audra Hession
Audra is executive vice president of marketing and communications at OWL Services and founder and CEO of Unbridled Communications. She is also president of IABC New York Tristate.
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Committees
Programming
Chairperson: Daniel PaullingDaniel Paulling is the Director of Communications and Publications at U.S. Masters Swimming, as well as the Editor-in-Chief of SWIMMER magazine. He develops and executes USMS’s internal and external communications and email marketing campaigns, and leads the organization’s content marketing strategy. He’s also a nationally-ranked swimmer in multiple events.
Prior to joining USMS, he covered Major League Baseball, the NFL, and Southeastern Conference athletics for a number of newspapers and websites across the country, including The Kansas City Star, MLB.com, and USA Today. His work has been published by The New York Times and ESPN. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri and a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Rollins College.
In his spare time, Daniel enjoys reading and spending time with his dogs Baxter and Izzy.
Communications
Diane StreleckisDiane Streleckis has dedicated her 30+-year career to understanding what people need from communications and then crafting content that fulfills those needs.
Diane has created almost every form of content. Social media, videos, podcasts, blogs, news articles, sales and proposal materials, emails, presentations, and even full-blown white papers are all in her repertoire. She’s developed communication strategies for internal and external audiences in business-to-business and business-to-consumer communities, as well as the general public.
Much of Diane’s experience is in the financial services industry, for organizations including American Century Investments, KPMG, and Vanguard. She’s also worked in a number of other industries, such as public affairs, advertising, and software.
To get even better at creating connections through content, Diane is pursuing a Master of Science degree in Strategic and Digital Communications at Drexel University.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Chairperson: Roy WoodsRoy Woods Jr. is the Director of Communications for Springpoint, a nationally recognized senior living provider serving older adults and their families in the Mid-Atlantic region. Roy is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing communications to inform and engage internal audiences including employees, residents, members, and clients as well as external audiences including prospects, families, and industry peers. He has over 16 years of communications experience in the public and non-profit sector. Previously, he was a Senior Communications Technician with the Office of Information Technology for the State of New Jersey. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Thomas Edison State University, and a Master of Communications and Media from Rutgers University.
Accreditation/Certification
Chairperson:Rashi IyerAs senior vice president, corporate communications, at Radian, Rashi is responsible for leading the development and implementation of the company’s corporate and business public relations including online print and social media channels; corporate and business brand experience; corporate philanthropy/social impact; corporate reputation and crisis management; event marketing; corporate and business creative services and executive/strategic employee communications strategies and programs.
Rashi holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Communications, Journalism and Media Studies, and prior to joining Radian worked in various capacities in academia, government and corporate in communications roles of increasing and varied responsibility. She holds several post graduate certificates in both internal and external communications and is a current holder of the IABC’s Communications Management Professional (CMP) certification.
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Rick Alcantara published 6 Tips for Behavior-Influencing Communications in News 2022-11-09 09:07:00 -0500
6 Tips for Behavior-Influencing Communications
By Diane Streleckis -
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Creating communications that spur action is a common goal for communication professionals. Kieran Flanagan and Dan Gregory, co-founders of The Behaviour Report™ with more than 30 years of success in behavioral science and communication, shared tips on how to achieve that goal—by making smart people people-smart.
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Marcomm Super Meetup
Philadelphia’s marketing communications organizations are coming together to host the ultimate MarComm Super Meetup.
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Save 20% on IABC Membership
Open new doors with IABC membership! Our benefits include access to the latest industry insights, career assessment tools, and more. Join or renew today and save 20%. https://bit.ly/3kLDM2I.
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Rick Alcantara published A Matter of Trust, A Communication Expert's View in News 2022-10-04 14:17:07 -0400
A Matter of Trust, A Communication Expert's View
By Diane Streleckis -
“When we improve our relationships, we improve our results and we improve our performance. The core of those relationships is trust,” veteran communication professional Roy Reid, APR, CPRC said during a recent interview with IABC Philadelphia.
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How to Get Hired
Calling all students and early career professionals in the communication field! Attend this invaluable workshop on September 28: “How to Get Hired: Learn from the Experts!"
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Rick Alcantara published September IABC Guests Interviewed by the Philadelphia Tribune in News 2022-09-13 11:19:51 -0400
September IABC Guests Interviewed by the Philadelphia Tribune
Our September 15 webcast guests appeared in an interview today by The Philadelphia Tribune. They discussed the program and their soon-to-publish book on DEI and social justice communications. https://bit.ly/3QDIVcn
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Rick Alcantara published IABC Event Sponsorship Enrollment in Sponsorships 2022-06-17 10:38:02 -0400
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IABC Conference 2022
Join IABC – right here in our backyard – for World Conference 2022!
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Attend the Silver Quill Prep Session
Earning an IABC Heritage Region Silver Quill Award feels great. But the growth in skills and confidence you gain from completing the submission process is perhaps even more important than the distinction itself.
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Rick Alcantara, VP of Communications
Rick Alcantara
Executive Communications Director at Princeton Strategic Communications