President's Column from the September eChaser

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By Andra Bennett, APR

E-chatting the other day with my old friend and fellow Beatlemaniac from junior high, we mulled whether we had the time, energy and dinero to go to the Paul McCartney concert last week at Cowboys Stadium. (We’d seen Ringo together back in ’88 in Dallas.)

After we had about decided it was all too much, she playfully suggested we do what her teenage son often advises: “Let’s don’t go, but say we did.”

In our social lives, we may be able to get away with that one a time or two. But what about when it spills over into our professional lives? How many times have you heard these:

“Oh yes, those figures are 6 months old, but use them in the release anyway. No one will ever check that.”

“How do we make these customer survey results say what WE want them to say?”

“Just tell the reporter I’m out of town.”

“This grassroots campaign is funded by an industry special-interest group, but we’re going to roll it out under the auspices of the foundation.”

These words are not coming out of a teenager’s mouth. They are uttered by employers, clients and colleagues. Where’s the line for you?

Join us at the next PRSA professional development workshop Sept. 9: Building a Recession-Proof Brand Communications Strategy Through Ethical Decision-Making, http://www.fortworthprsa.org/events.htm presented by Alan Hilburg, president and CEO of Hilburg Associates, a Virginia-based firm. Formerly president of DFW’s Bloom Co., Alan is an award-winning author, filmmaker, teacher and senior advisor in organizational transition communications and marketing.

The half-day workshop with interactive small groups and illustrative examples is presented in conjunction with National PRSA’s Ethics month. Kudos to Lauren Kwedar, professional development chair, and Margaret Ritsch, ethics chair, for putting together this excellent opportunity to revisit the PRSA Code of Ethics with challenging activities and meaningful take-aways.

Don’t just say you came. Get a ticket to ride. Register today.

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Ft. Worth PRSA member receives promotion at TCU

Congratulations to Tracy Syler-Jones has been promoted to Vice Chancellor for Marketing Communication at TCU, Chancellor Victor Boschini  announced in an internal e-mail to faculty and staff July 27th. Tracy succeeds Mr. Larry Lauer who is now the Vice Chancellor for Governmental Affairs for TCU. Mr. Lauer will be based in Washington, D.C.

Until her assumption of this new position, Tracy was the Associate Vice Chancellor for Marketing Communication and Executive Director of Operations in the Office of Communication. She is the first African-American to be named to the post.