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March is membership month at CPRS! All month, we will be getting to know some of our CPRS-VI members. Meet Sharlene Smith, APR, FCPRS and a CPRS-VI life member. How long have you worked in PR/comms and what was your first job? Let’s just say it’s been a really long time. My first comms job was producing a weekly newsletter for the sales force of a life insurance company in Western Canada. What is/has been the hardest lesson to learn in your communications career? Knowing what communications can and can’t do. Sometimes communications is expected to ‘sell or fix’ what’s actually a faulty product, policy or service. What's one thing that you would tell someone who is considering becoming a member of CPRS-VI? Go for it. It’s a good investment in your professional and personal development. What’s one specific area of expertise that you have that members can reach out to you for advice? Communication planning. What’s your guilty pleasure? I have a few, but If I have to pick only one - red wine. What’s your favourite word or expression right now? Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare. Connect with Sharlene on LinkedIn. During March, new members get the initiation fee waived. That's a $50 discount! Curious to know more about becoming a member? Send us an email to cprs-vi.membership@gmail.com. Or simply, join today at https://cprs.ca/Join-us.

March is membership month at CPRS! All month, we will be getting to know some of our CPRS-VI members. Meet Iris Mueller. What’s your current job title & workplace? Marketing Coordinator Work Lead at BC Transit How long have you worked in PR/comms? Over 5 years What’s a specific area of experti se that you have that CPRS-VI members can contact you for advice? Digital marketing Care to share one of your guilty pleasures? Kinder chocolate eggs (a reminder of my childhood) What’s your favorite word or expression right now? "Think outside of the box" Connect with Iris on LinkedIn. During March, new members get the initiation fee waived. That's a $50 discount! Curious to know more about becoming a member? Send us an email to cprs-vi.membership@gmail.com. Or simply, join today at https://cprs.ca/Join-us.

March is membership month at CPRS! All month, we will be getting to know some of our CPRS-VI members. Meet Sabina Saransingh. What’s your current job title & workplace? I'm the Chief Operating Officer and Communications Lead h with the Victoria Harbour Ferry Co Ltd. How long have you worked in PR/comms? 10 years What’s a specific area of expertise that you have that CPRS-VI members can contact you for advice? Communications management and event planning. Care to share one of your guilty pleasures? Following Maya the Samoyed on Instagram. What’s your favorite word or expression right now? I have two - community and integrity. Connect with Sabina on LinkedIn. During March, new members get the initiation fee waived. That's a $50 discount! Curious to know more about becoming a member? Send us an email to cprs-vi.membership@gmail.com. Or simply, join today at https://cprs.ca/Join-us.

March is membership month at CPRS! All month, we will be getting to know some of our CPRS-VI members. Meet Caroline Smith What’s your current job title & workplace? Marketing and Communications Coordinator with the City of Langford. How long have you worked in PR/comms? A year and a half. What’s one or two specific areas of expertise that you have that members can reach out to you for advice? Using marketing and communications strategies in a municipal government setting and project coordination. What’s your guilty pleasure? Cheddar popcorn and 80s romcoms What’s your favourite word or expression right now? Be kind. Connect with Caroline on LinkedIn. During March, new members get the initiation fee waived. That's a $50 discount! Curious to know more about becoming a member? Send us an email to cprs-vi.membership@gmail.com. Or simply, join today at https://cprs.ca/Join-us.

March is membership month at CPRS! All month, we will be getting to know some of our CPRS-VI members. Meet Eric Berndt, APR What’s your current job title & workplace? Director of Communications with the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions How long have you worked in PR/comms? Over 15 years. What’s one or two specific areas of expertise that you have that members can reach out to you for advice? Government communications and social marketing. What’s your guilty pleasure? Potato chips of any kind! What’s your favourite word or expression right now? Less is more. Connect with Eric on LinkedIn. During March, new members get the initiation fee waived. That's a $50 discount! Curious to know more about becoming a member? Send us an email to cprs-vi.membership@gmail.com. Or simply, join today at https://cprs.ca/Join-us.

March is membership month at CPRS! All month, we will be getting to know some of our CPRS-VI members. Meet Tara Zajac. What’s your current job title & workplace? I'm the Communications Manager with the Township of Esquimalt. How long have you worked in PR/comms? My first job was a bit by accident. I had just finished my (Biology) undergrad in 2005 and needed a job—any job, really, as is often the case with new grads. I was hired at the Victoria lululemon store as a general staff person, but was promoted to the store’s community relations manager after a few months. I was suddenly getting paid for what I already loved to do: meet the community, create relationships and find opportunities to collaborate. I was happy to launch the store’s first running clinic and community fundraising campaign for the Queen Alexandra Foundation, among other firsts. What’s one or two specific areas of expertise that you have that members can reach out to you for advice? Breaking a big idea down to its parts to help narrow the messaging to what you’re wanting people to do and what you’re trying to achieve. And working with departments that may have limited experience (and sometimes interest) in communications. What’s your guilty pleasure? Cooking shows, from old Julia Child vids on YouTube to the latest chef show. What’s your favourite word or expression right now? Personalization - the great thing about Esquimalt being a small community is that in addition to communication best practices, we can hone in on very specific groups or businesses with the tactics that resonate with them the most. Connect with Tara on LinkedIn. During March, new members get the initiation fee waived. That's a $50 discount! Curious to know more about becoming a member? Send us an email to cprs-vi.membership@gmail.com. Or simply, join today at https://cprs.ca/Join-us.

March is membership month at CPRS! All month, we will be getting to know some of our CPRS-VI members. Meet Neal Tougas. What program are you in currently? I'm in the Bachelor of Arts in Professional Communication program at Royal Roads University. What is it about communications/PR that interests you the most? What interests me the most about communications is the relationship between people's perceptions and the content portrayed in film and television. What’s one thing that you would like to gain from being a part of the Island’s communications community? I would like to attend more panel discussion and CPRS events to further my knowledge on relevant communication topics. What’s your guilty pleasure? An excess of coffee. What’s your favourite social platform right now? Facebook. Connect with Neal on LinkedIn. During March, new members get the initiation fee waived. That's a $50 discount! Curious to know more about becoming a member? Send us an email to cprs-vi.membership@gmail.com. Or simply, join today at https://cprs.ca/Join-us.

March is membership month at CPRS! All month, we will be getting to know some of our CPRS-VI members. Meet Andy Watson. What’s your current job title & workplace? I am the manager of Strategic Communications with the BC Coroners Service; our organization investigates all sudden and unexpected deaths in British Columbia with the goal to make recommendations aimed at preventing death in similar circumstances. How long have you worked in PR/comms? I was a journalist for a decade before moving into communications and public relations. My first jobs in the communications side of the fence were in sport. What’s one or two specific areas of expertise that you have that members can reach out to you for advice? Media relations and relationship management. That said, I truly believe the key transferrable skill that all professional communicators need to be successful is the ability to collaborate and build consensus. What’s your guilty pleasure? Refereeing lacrosse. I also am a sucker for any social networking events – the power of collaboration and networking in our business is crucially important to building trust and gaining credibility. What’s your favourite word or expression right now? I could say I am tired of overused language: “robust”, “innovate”, “expect the unexpected” and “LEAN out processes” One thing I always hold true: “if you’re ever the smartest person in your organization, move on.” Connect with Andy on LinkedIn. During March, new members get the initiation fee waived. That's a $50 discount! Curious to know more about becoming a member? Send us an email to cprs-vi.membership@gmail.com. Or simply, join today at https://cprs.ca/Join-us.

March is membership month at CPRS! All month, we will be getting to know some of our CPRS-VI members. Meet Irine Polyzogopoulos What’s your current job title & workplace? Communications and Development Coordinator, Uu-a-thluk Fisheries, Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. How long have you worked in PR/comms? I just entered my fourth year. What’s one or two specific areas of expertise that you have that members can reach out to you for advice? Indigenous relations. Working with the 14 First Nations of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council these past two years has been incredible; I've been exposed to Indigenous spiritual and social practices, and have learned about hereditary vs. elected leadership. I've also learned about the ways the Canadian government consults with Indigenous Peoples, and how methods can be improved. What’s your guilty pleasure? I don't believe in guilty pleasures, just pleasures! That said, I probably spend too much time watching dog videos on Instagram and am fairly certain I love Willie Nelson more than most people. What’s your favourite word or expression right now? Impeachment Connect with Irine on LinkedIn. During March, new members get the initiation fee waived. That's a $50 discount! Curious to know more about becoming a member? Send us an email to cprs-vi.membership@gmail.com. Or simply, join today at https://cprs.ca/Join-us.

March is membership month at CPRS! All month, we will be getting to know some of our CPRS-VI members. Meet Zoe Gray. What’s your current job title & workplace? I'm the Manager, Website & Multimedia Development with the Capital Regional District. How long have you worked in PR/comms? Since 2002. What’s one or two specific areas of expertise that you have that members can reach out to you for advice? Digital engagement and issues management. What’s your guilty pleasure? I like to carry a mug of coffee around without a lid. I have two theories why. Perhaps I like living on the edge (of spilling) or I like to feel like the world is my living room. What’s your favourite word or expression right now? Legit. I have two kids and they make me laugh (and think of MC Hammer) when they say things like, “I am legit hungry right now.” Connect with Zoe on LinkedIn. During March, new members get the initiation fee waived. That's a $50 discount! Curious to know more about becoming a member? Send us an email to cprs-vi.membership@gmail.com. Or simply, join today at https://cprs.ca/Join-us.

Dear Superstar, CPRS-Vancouver Island is a really caring, talented and fun community; and lately, we have experienced great momentum in our CPRS family.Have you been thinking about getting more involved with us? Take a step in and get to know us better at this very special event. Event: Calling All Superstars! Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 Time: 5:30-7:00 pm Location: Swans Brewpub, private room Cost: Free RSVP: https://conta.cc/37vhL0S You belong with us. Please join us to hear about our vision for the Chapter’s future and learn about volunteer opportunities (big and small) open to our members. We think you are great and that, together, we can do amazing things for our communications community. We know that life can get busy and that our profession can be stressful - sometimes it’s downright overwhelming. So let’s come together to talk about all the ways that we can realistically contribute to our profession and create a community that supports each other. In all ways. Always. To celebrate how awesome you are, appetizers are on us! Of course, there will also be a cash bar so that we may all cheers together. To us! Please RSVP if you are joining us. We are excited to see you, Catherine, Celia, Gaëlle, Michelle and Tatiana Your 2019-2020 CPRS-VI Board of Directors If you live up-Island or you just can't make it to this event and you are interested in volunteering with us, please email us at cprs.vi.communications@gmail.com and we can chat! Please note that you must be a CPRS-VI member to volunteer.

We had a great turnout at our second members-only Lunch & Learn on January 28, 2020. The topic was podcasting and our speaker was Richard Davies who is the PR, Content and Communications Manager with AbeBooks. During this engaging session, Richard spoke about his experience creating, producing and building an audience for his podcast Behind the Bookshelf, which is dedicated to telling the stories behind books and the people who love them. He's a big fan of podcasts because it's long-form content, people engage with you longer, it's free and it's global. Here are a few of Richard's insights & tips: A podcast is ideal for specialist content. The audience is usually younger (under 35 years old). You don't need a lot of tech. Practice a lot. It will feel weird to hear your own voice at first. You need to get your speaking speed correct. You want to guide your guests and have your questions be clear and succinct. Be aware of your background noise. Interviewing remotely is more difficult from a technical perspective. You will get the best quality face to face. Mondays are a good day to publish your podcast. Much more information is shared in person so don't miss our future Lunch & Learn sessions! Biography: Richard Davies has worked with AbeBooks since 2005. Born in England and now a resident of Canada, Richard brings a personal touch to the podcasts with plenty of anecdotes from his own experiences in online bookselling. Some episodes are monologues while other feature interviews with guests. Past Lunch & Learns: - September 2019: Revitalize your Social Strategy using Data, Creativity & your Instincts. Speaker: Tatiana Chabeaux-Smith, Manager of Corporate Communications & Marketing with Consumer Protection BC.