Communicating Crisis within Minutes, Hours and Days after Tragedy
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Tuscany Steakhouse, Decatur
Join the Central Illinois PRSA chapter in celebrating our 30th Anniversary and hear how PRSA 2009 Best of Silver Anvil Award winner, Melanie Magara, and her staff at Northern Illinois University were successful in communicating one our state’s worst crisis situations in recent years.
Magara is assistant vice president for public affairs at NIU, where a shooting on campus killed six people and injured 19 others on February 14, 2008. She will share the story about how the NIU Office of Public Affairs immediately went into crisis mode, handling everything from emergency alerts, news conferences, message development, to media relations, event management and speech writing.
When the eyes of the world were focused on Dekalb, Magara and her staff consistently provided a story of preparedness, transparency, compassion, courage and healing. One year later, campus, community, media government and professional audiences call NIU’s response exemplary. NIU has emerged from crisis with its reputation as a safe and caring institution intact, and inspired by an increase in applications from prospective students.
Prior to her tenure at NIU, Magara served in a similar position at her alma mater, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her background includes eight years as director of marketing communications at The Carle Foundation/Carle Clinic Association in Champaign.
Location: Tuscany Steak and Pasta House, 1099 W. Wood St., Decatur (near Millikin University), or www.tuscanysteakhouse.com.
Social/Networking: 6:00 p.m.
Dinner: 6:45 p.m.
Meeting: 7:30 p.m. (Over by 9:00 p.m.)
Dinner selections: Penne with red sauce (vegetarian), Lasanga or Chicken Scarpariella. Meals served with salad, breadsticks, dessert, soft drinks, coffee or tea.
Nonmembers - $30
Members - $25
Students - $22
RSVP: Ruth Slottag, rslottag@aol.com, by September 21, 2009.
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When the eyes of the world were focused on Dekalb, Magara and her staff consistently provided a story of preparedness, transparency, compassion, courage and healing. essay writer service
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