Photos from our 2019 Crisis Communications Workshop!  

CRISIS COMMUNICATION: PR TO THE RESCUE
PRSA Pikes Peak Workshop: Crisis and Emergency Management Communications
October 16, 2019
D11 Tesla Professional Development Center, 2560 International Circle, COS, CO 80910

• SPEAKERS LINEUP & TOPICS

 

• Fred Morgan, APR, Crisis Communications Network Administration Chair, PRSA Pikes Peak Community Outreach Chair, Ret. USAF

• BIO: Fred Morgan, APR, has been a member of PRSA since 1971 and has been a board member of the Pikes Peak chapter for the past 21 years. He is a founding member of the Pikes Peak Crisis Communication Network and has served as its administrator for the past 18 years. Fred is a retired Air Force Public Affairs officer and a member of Senior Pikes Peak.
• PRESENTATION TITLE: “Earth, Wind, Fire and Flood: Managing Multiple Community-Wide Crises”
• Background and function of CCN
• Waldo Canyon Fire, 2012
• Black Forest Fire, 2013
• Post-fire floods, 2012-2013
• Communications lessons learned during crises
• 40min + 15min Q&A
• Fred Morgan is confirmed.

 

• Christopher Valentine, Assistant Vice-Chancellor Marketing & Communications, UCCS, APR

• BIO: Chris Valentine is the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Chris serves as the Chief Marketing Officer for UCCS and is responsible for leading the University’s integrated strategic marketing and communications function. Chris joined UCCS in 2019 after working almost 25 years in health care, most recently overseeing all aspects of marketing and communications for for Penrose-St. Francis Health Services-Centura Health and previously Memorial Hospital-UC Health. Chris is one of the founding members of the Pikes Peak Crisis Communication Network and has served on a number of non-profit boards and community event committees.
• PRESENTATION TITLE: “Doomsday! Intro & overview of effective crisis communications”
• Identifying possible crisis and anticipating scenarios
• Earning and maintaining public trust
• Inspiring consumer confidence
• Building competitive advantage
• First steps and laying down foundational protocols to optimize response
• Getting executive buy-in & support
• Operational readiness
• 1-2 case scenarios
• 35-40 min + 15min Q&A
• Chris Valentine is confirmed.

 

• Bill Fortune, Regional Communications Director (CO & WY), Red Cross

• BIO: Bill Fortune has served as Public Affairs/Public Information Officer for the Pikes Peak Region of the American Red Cross and Regional Communications Director for Colorado and Wyoming for more than 10 years. Bill is a member of the Red Cross Advanced Public Affairs Team (APAT) and manages communications and public affairs for five chapter locations across two states with volunteers responding from all 87 counties.
• PRESENTATION TITLE: “It Takes A Village: Safety, integrity and community outreach for emergency response”
• Emergency and crisis management community outreach & relations
• Partnering with other agencies and nonprofits to respond to emergencies and mass crisis
• Incident commands, JICs, OEMs, etc. – how they work, why they work and how we all work together
• How PR and media hinder emergency response – be part of the solution!
• 35-40 min + 15min Q&A
• Bill Fortune is confirmed. 

 
 

• Kim Melchor, Lead Communications Specialist, City of Colorado Springs

• BIO: Kim Melchor has more than 20 years of experience in media and public relations. She is the Lead Communications Specialist for the City of Colorado Springs where she is responsible for media relations and emergency communications planning for the City. She was hired to develop the City’s Joint Information System plan and bring together local PIOs to enhance public information efforts during times of emergency. Kim has supported public information needs for the Black Forest Fire, Planned Parenthood shooting incident, several flash flooding events and the “Bomb Cyclone” winter storm in March 2019.
• PRESENTATION TITLE: “Choose Your Weapon: Crisis communication tools & how to wield them”
• Internal comms (transparency within the family)

• Aligning messaging to employees, affiliated partners, leadership, boards of trustees, stakeholders, etc.

• External comms (storytelling in a crisis)

• Aligning messaging to news/media outlets, identifying and training PIOs, communicating with community stakeholders, partnering agencies and organizations, etc.

• Digital & Social Media

• Using digital/social media tools like FB, Twitter, Instagram, blogging, third-party forums and outlets, etc. to communicate effectively, drive narrative, establish subject matter expertise, etc.

• 30 min presentation + 5-10min Q&A
• Kim Melchor is confirmed.

 

• Amy Sufak, President & Founder at Red Energy Public RelationsAmy has a account

• BIO: Amy Sufak is president and founder of Red Energy Public Relations, Advertising & Events, is a speaker, trainer and award-winning published writer who has worked in the public relations and marketing industry for 22 years. Founded in 2008, the Red Energy team provides public relations, crisis communications, advertising, graphic design, event production and social media management to dozens of clients across the U.S.
• Amy has routinely worked with national and international news and broadcast media outlets and has logged 1,600 hours of executive media coaching and crisis communication training. Her global crisis communications experience includes handling international news and social media response efforts for aircraft crashes, truck bombs, mass shootings, hostage and terrorism negotiations, sex scandals, embezzlement, federal, state and local investigations surrounding crimes which involve deaths and serious injuries.
• PRESENTATION TITLE: “Don’t Forget The Details: Maintaining Operational & Hospitality Integrity through PR Crises”
• Products, services, hospitality, food & beverage operations and logistics can be severely interrupted by PR/comms crises.
• Maintaining operations integrity while going through a communications/PR crisis can be challenging to multitask and to prioritize.
• 35-40min + 15min Q&A
• Amy Sufak is confirmed.   ​