Our fun holiday tradition is returning Thursday December 8, 2022! Join us for PR Palooza, an exciting night of networking with the PRSA Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter! The annual event for PR and Communications professionals will be held at Hoyt Park’s Grand Hall in Wauwatosa, from 5:15 – 8:00 p.m.

Come enjoy reconnecting with area communications professionals. Communications professionals of all levels of experience and backgrounds are welcome to join! The event also serves as a fundraiser to support PRSA’s 2023 programming and chapter events. Water, soda and snacks will be complimentary. A cash bar will be available for alcohol purchases.

In the spirit of the holiday season, please consider helping us in our community service efforts by supporting the local nonprofit Allies for Teens in Foster Care, Inc. You can purchase an item from their Amazon wish list and have the items sent directly to the organization or you can bring them to our PR Palooza event. They are also in need of Target gift cards in $10 or $25 denominations. We will also have blank holiday cards at PR Palooza for our members to write a holiday message to a teen in foster care. Your support of this important cause is truly appreciated.

Please note this event also serves as our Annual Meeting. At it we will be electing our 2023 board.  The proposed 2023 board is:
President – Dave Racine
President Elect – Angela Hesil
Past President – Don Klein
Membership Chair – Jackie Gozdowiak
Director at Large – Brian Knox
Director at Large – Josh Anderson
Director at Large – Charlee Hrubesky
Assembly Delegate – Tammy Belton-Davis
APR Co-Chairs – Ann Knabe, APR and Michael Pflughoeft, APR, Fellow

Previously elected and also serving will be:
Secretary – Amy Freeze
Treasurer – Angela Hesil (serving dual role)
Director at Large – McKenna Carrigan
PRSSA Liaison – Heidi Fendos

Watch for information about the upcoming online auction!

Special thanks to our sponsors!

Platinum Sponsor:

Gold Level Sponsor:

Silver Level Sponsors:
Big Shoes Network
Boelter + Lincoln

Register »

The pandemic, Ukrainian war, Supreme Court precedents, inflation, global warming, contentious elections, the Metaverse, EVs, crypto – this decade has had more than enough going on already and we’re only starting 2023! What more should we as PR professionals expect in this decade?

In this presentation, public relations pro and futurist Stephen Dupont, APR, Fellow PRSA, shares his insights about what’s around the corner for PR and communications professionals for the next 7 years and what you can do to be better prepared. Applying a futurist mindset, Dupont will explore key trends and significant events that public relations professionals should consider keeping a careful eye upon.

Dupont will discuss how to scan for signals of change, how to prepare for game-changing events (for example, taking a stand on a social issue), and how the action you take today matters in achieving the future you want tomorrow.

Objectives of the presentation:

1. Participants will learn about trends and events that will inform the work of public relations professionals.
2. Participants will be able to identify actions public relations professionals should take now to prepare for future changes.
3. Participants will learn how to prepare for these changes and remain nimble in the coming months and years.

Stephen Dupont, APR, Fellow PRSA, is Vice President of Public Relations and Branded Content with the Minnetonka, Minn. creative firm Pocket Hercules. Dupont is a frequent contributor to PRSA’s Strategies & Tactics. He frequently writes and speaks about the intersection of communications and foresight. He is the editor of Compass magazine, the quarterly publication of the Association of Professional Futurists, and has been a member of the Forbes Communications Council since 2017.

This program will hosted on Wednesday, January 18 at the Newsroom Pub, 137 E. Wells Street in Downtown Milwaukee. It will begin with networking and light snacks from 4-4:30 pm and then Stephen’s presentation will run from 4:30-5:30 pm so you can get home in time for dinner! Please come join us! Or, if you prefer we do have a zoom option as well.

Register »

PR pros and communications experts alike know the value of establishing individuals as thought leaders – but the road there can be tough. Gain insights on how to set your leader on the path to becoming a polished and sought after media resource.

Carmen Pitre, President and CEO of Sojourner Family Peace Center is the “go to” thought leader and subject matter expert in Wisconsin and beyond on the topic of family violence. With over 30 years in the field, her media skills are finely honed, and she is usually the first person media come to when there is an issue related to violence in the community. Her position as a thought leader is well earned and she’ll provide insights into how she developed her media skills, built trusting relationships with reporters and what it took to establish herself as a thought leader.

Annie Scholz is the Communications Manager for Sojourner and a former anchor/reporter for TMJ4 . Annie will speak from a reporter’s viewpoint and discuss the attributes journalists look for when working with thought leaders, how to pitch a thought leader to a reporter, what makes the thought leader/reporter relationship work and end with valuable insights into how to establish someone as a thought leader in their space.

This program will hosted on Thursday, February 16. It will begin with networking and light snacks from 4-4:30 pm and then Carmen and Annie’s presentation will run from 4:30-5:30 pm so you can get home in time for dinner! Please come join us! Or, if you prefer we do have a zoom option as well.

We would like to thank WDA for hosting this meeting in their conference facilities .

Register »