Meet three new chapter committee chairs
And become a committee chair, too!
Three Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter members from the non-profit, agency and corporate sectors will serve as new chairs of standing committees starting next year.
The new chairs are looking for new committee members. Read about each of the new chairs and their committees below.
The chapter also is seeking chairs for the Media Relations Committee and the annual PR Pro Day. See details below. Contact Jeff Bentoff if you’re interested in serving (jeffrey.bentoff@att.com or 414-227-6985).
Renee Kimberger - Community Service Committee chair
Renee serves as director of Development & Communications for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Wisconsin, where she’s worked for nearly five years.
“The best part of my job is that I get to share the inspiring wish-come-true stories of Wisconsin children living with life-threatening medical conditions,” said Kirnberger.
She got the PR and Make-A-Wish bugs while interning for the Milwaukee Bucks in college at the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, where she graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in public relations.
“I had the opportunity to grant two wishes for kids wishing to meet NBA players. It was a defining experience and led me to pursue a career in nonprofit development and public relations work. And it's wonderful to have seen both sides of a wish!”
The Community Service Committee serves as a channel for members to give back to the community through volunteer strategic public relations counsel. This outreach is conducted through our POWER Lunch! series, which consists of one-hour sessions with a non-profit agency and a team of PRSA members.
Kirnberger plans for the committee to identify interested nonprofits in the first quarter of 2008 and begin holding the lunches by spring.
For more information on how to get involved with the committee or to volunteer at a session, please contact Kimberger at 262-781-4445 or kirnberger@wisconsin.wish.org.
Jaime Buege - Hospitality Committee chair
Jaime is a public relations account executive at Blue Horse, a marketing communications agency in the Historic Third Ward. She has nearly 10 years of experience in public relations, publication development, research and special events planning.
In addition to the Public Relations Society of America, Buege is a member of the Milwaukee Press Club and the communications committee of the Wisconsin Breast Cancer Coalition. She has been active as a volunteer in the community for many years, most recently having served as a public affairs team member with the American Red Cross in Southeastern Wisconsin.
The Hospitality Committee welcomes attendees at chapter events by staffing the registration table. Involvement generally involves 45 minutes of time prior to the start of each meeting.
“A great way to meet other professionals in the PR field is to help at the registration table during a PRSA luncheon or special event,” said Buege, who was a member of the committee before becoming chair. To join the Hospitality Committee, please contact Buege at jbuege@bluehorseinc.com.
Keith Lester - Masters Program Committee co-chair
With more than 20 years of professional experience, Keith Lester has developed and implemented public relations programs for Rockwell Automation, Dow AgroSciences, Broan-Nutone and USAA, having worked in both client and agency settings.
Lester holds an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management and a bachelor's degree in journalism from Marquette University.
He recently served as chair of the chapter’s Media Relations Committee. He will co-chair the Masters Program Committee with Membership Officer Chad Ritterbusch, APR, who headed the committee in 2007.
The Masters Program Committee was formed to address the needs of senior-level chapter members with many years of full-time experience in public relations and either accreditation or a senior leadership PR role at their organization.
To get involved in the Masters Program Committee, please contact Lester at klester@ra.rockwell.com or 414-382-4871.
Committee chair openings
- Media Relations Committee
The Media Relations Committee helps get the word out about the chapter and its activities. This includes drafting and distributing media releases about our monthly luncheons.
- PR Pro Day Committee
The committee coordinates our annual PR Pro Day, a series of events that provides college students with exposure to PR and valuable career information.
To chair or join one of these committees, please contact Jeff Bentoff at jeffrey.bentoff@att.com or 414-227-6985.
