PRSA Silicon Valley Expands Board of Directors

September 1, 2020
min
By PRSA
PRSA Silicon Valley Expands Board of Directors

New Board Members Across Agency, Corporate and Public Sector Answer the Call to Serve, Educating and Advocating for Industry Change and Connecting 1000 Mentors to 1000 Mentees

SILICON VALLEY, September 1, 2020 – PRSA Silicon Valley, as part of PRSA, the nation’s leading professional organization serving the communications community, announced it is expanding its Board of Directors as more professionals focus their pro-bono work on reinforcing the communications industry’s future.

“In one of the most challenging industries, more than ever, communications professionals are giving back by answering the call to serve,” said Vanessa Yanez, PRSA Silicon Valley President. “We have one of the most diverse teams in all of communications. Our leadership team includes several past presidents, several former National Board members, a PRSA fellow and four APRs. More leaders from both agency and corporate, various career stages, all working towards the same vision to bring value to this industry that we love.”

Professional Development

PRSA Silicon Valley is committed to providing professional development opportunities that are reflective and inclusive of all segments of our society. Our goal is to provide communications programming that encompasses a wide variety of ideas, perspectives and cultural backgrounds. Through our events and resources, we aim to encourage, educate and engage with a diverse group of communications professionals while affecting change and fostering growth in the public relations industry.

Today PRSA Silicon Valley announces its new partnership with San Francisco State University “Fellows Program” – designed to shepherd talent into the communications profession. This program ties to the Chapter’s already robust mentoring programs with PRSSA San Jose State University and the 1000 Mentors Program, The PRSA Silicon Valley 1000 Mentors Program is focused on connecting 1000 mentors to 1000 mentees by the end of 2021.

This effort complements the Chapter’s APR program and its new weekly virtual “Industry Team Meeting” #FridayForum attended by hundreds of pros in all career stages and guests ranging from Edelman’s, Richard Edelman, HP’s Chief Diversity Officer, Lesley Slaton Brown, to TED’s new Curator, Simone Ross.

Join Us and/or Sponsor

Join PRSA Silicon Valley and/or volunteer and/or become a PRSA SV member. PRSA is a network of over 21,000 professionals through local and regional communities, high-quality events and industry-specific groups. Members receive access to a suite of tools that foster professional development and enhance career growth.

Our newsletters and #FridayForum programs reach thousands of industry leaders across the country. If you’re looking for a way to reach cutting-edge communicators, we have the tools to help. Contact us for details about sponsorship opportunities and learn more about how your support for the PRSA Silicon Valley Chapter supports Bay Area scholarships.”

General Meeting
This year’s general meeting, hosted by PRovoke’s Aarti Shah, September 25, 11 AM PT will cover the state of the communications industry with emphasis on PRSA Silicon Valley’s progress and actions to make the communications industry as diverse as the populations it serves. Please join this meeting designed to hear from our members and drive communications industry change and growth.

New, At Large PRSA Silicon Valley Board Members

Active 2020 Board Members, Officers, and Advisors

  • Jocelyn Breeland, APR, Executive Director for Strategic Communications, Residential and Dining Enterprises, Stanford University
  • Jazmin Eusebio, At Large; Account Associate, Highwire PR
  • Meghan Fintland, Treasurer; Director, Influencer Relations, Corporate Communications, Early Warning, LLC
  • Shaun Fletcher, PHD, Diversity and Inclusion Chair; Assistant Professor, Public Relations & Sport Communication, San Jose State University
  • Camelia Gendreau, Programming Co-Chair; Corporate Communications, Diversity and Inclusion, Culture Initiatives, HP Inc.
  • Elizabeth Handler, APR, APR Chair; Public Information Manager at San Jose Office of Economic Development
  • Emily Horn, Programming Co-Chair; Director of Corporate Communications, HP Inc.
  • Jeannie Entin, Mentorship Chair; Vice President, Communications at Aclima
  • Megan Grasty Phelan, Programming Co-Chair; Account Director at Highwire PR.
  • Kristin Harlan, Stanford Programs Chair; Director Strategic Communications, Stanford Graduate School of Business
  • Ellie Javadi, APR, Membership Chair & Immediate Past President, PRSA; VP, Marketing, Brand, Digital at Norwest Venture Partners
  • Mar Junge, Marketing and IPA Chair; Founder and Principal, C3PR
  • Elsabete Kebede, PRSSA Liaison; PR Intern, MullenLowe U.S.
  • Robin Kim, Programming Co-Chair; Practice Head, Global Technology and Innovation, Ruder Finn
  • Brooke Kruger, Professional Development Chair; Communications Recruiter and Founder, KC Partners
  • Lauren Kwan, Secretary; Vice President, Marketing, plus.ai
  • Alicia Nieva-Woodgate, Social Media Co-Chair; Vice President Corporate Communications at USA Technologies Inc.
  • Scott Thornburg, National Board Member/Liaison, Past President; Global Communications Lead at Sojern
  • Krista Todd, At Large; Vice President of Marketing and Communications at NortonLifeLock
  • David Vossbrink– At Large APR; Former Director of Communications, City of San Jose
  • Karen Noelle Smyth– Programs; Senior Product Marketing Manager, VMware
  • JoAnn Yamani, Esq., APR, New Programs; Director of Communications, NIO
  • Vanessa Yanez, President; Global Head of Print Communications, HP Inc.

Executive Advisors and Committee Chairs

  • Professor Charles Byers, Executive Advisor; Full Time Lecturer, Santa Clara University
  • Gerard Corbett, APR, Fellow, PRSA, Executive Advisor, Past National Chair; Founder, Chair, CEO, Chief Content Officer, Red Phlag
  • Randy Ksar, Advisory Board, Senior Manager Digital and Social Media, Uniphore

Media Contact:

Laura T. Desmarais
LTD Communications
Laura@LTDCommunications.net
(m) 207.590.7193

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