Blue Ridge Chapter Meetings
The 2010 meeting schedule is as follows:
February 11 -- noon,
Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
April 15 -- noon, Inn at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
June 10 -- noon, Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
August 12 -- noon, Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
October 14 -- noon, Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
December 9 -- noon, Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center
Guests and non-members are welcome! Students and Interns: $17.00,
Members: $22.00,
Non-Members: $30.00. Reservations are due to the Hospitality Chair by 11 a.m.
on the Monday prior to the luncheon. Additions can
be made; however, cancellations cannot be made after noon Monday
once the guarantee has been given. To make a reservation
go to
Click & Pledge.
Please make plans to join us. You may
RSVP by e-mailing Nancy Simmons at
nsimmons@national-college.edu.
PRSA February 2010 Luncheon with
Robert Parker of VDH
Discussing Public Relations and Public Health Issues
The first luncheon of 2010 for the
Blue Ridge chapter of PRSA will be
Thursday, February 11th.
Lunch will begin at noon
at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center.
Robert Parker, public information
officer for the Virginia Department of Health, will discuss the PR
implications of the H1N1 flu virus and other public-health issues.
Please reply with your reservation no later than
11 a.m. on Monday, February 7th. A $5 fee will be added
after that date if you decide to attend.
Thank you, and we look forward to
seeing you on the 11th.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
PRSA December 2009 Luncheon with Eric Earnhart
"The Public Relations Challenges of Carilion Clinic’s Transformation"
Carilion Clinic is in the midst of a
10-year transformation from hospital
system to patient-centered
clinic. This ambitious plan, though
beneficial to patients and the community,
has been a public relations
challenge for Carilion. Add to that
a new clinic building and medical
school and there’s a lot to talk
about.
Join us on Thursday, Dec. 10, at
noon at the Hotel Roanoke for the
Blue Ridge chapter’s December
luncheon as Carilion spokesman
Eric Earnhart describes the challenges
and pitfalls of communicating
change.
The luncheon is sponsored by
National College.
Eric began his career in broadcast
news as a producer, reporter, bureau
chief and ultimately weekend
anchor at WDBJ-Channel 7.
He spent one year as an account
executive for a public relations
firm before joining Carilion, where
he is now Director of Media and
Community Relations, and serves
as the company spokesperson.
His memorable career moments
include: Having to be decontaminated
after getting too close to a
chemical spill while trying to get
video; the Pittston coal strike of
1989; covering his own apartment
fire; spending a day outside the
OJ Simpson trial; reporting live
from top of Bent Mountain during
a 5 a.m. ice storm; writing his
first news release after leaving the
media; the Virginia Tech shooting;
launching the Carilion Clinic reorganization;
and watching the Roanoke
City Mill silos come down.
.