This play on words was the theme for the 2011 National Federation of Press Women conference held in Council Bluffs, Iowa and Omaha, Nebraska.
To kick off the conference outgoing president Cynthia Price held a POWER Networking session structured to focus on truly connecting with the members. Held the first morning of conference, it was a great way to meet many members and encourage follow-up connections from those brief conversations. With so many ways to communicate in today’s era, we were encouraged to network with first-timers (identified by special ribbons) and veteran conference attendees long after the morning session through social media including LinkedIn and Facebook. Connections were made (in some instances are still reconnecting) creating excitement and a buzz throughout the week. Clearly, Price hit on something everyone benefitted from not only at the moment but continuing long after we had all returned home.
Connections from Alaska, where it’s been announced the 2015 conference will take place, to New Jersey, Virginia to Arizona (conference site for 2012) and all affiliates in-between kept this conference attendee busy as the line-up of speakers informed, entertained and helped us learn. Highlights from the roster of speakers included Matt Waite enlightening us on PolitiFact, the first website to win the Pulitzer Prize. Waite is the Senior News Technologist for the St. Petersburg Times and principal developer of the site. He has been with the Times since 2000 and won state and national awards for a series of stories on Florida vanishing wetlands. Thomas Gouttierre, the Dean of International Studies and Programs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), and as the Director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at UNO shared his extensive knowledge of Afghanistan starting with his experience as a Peace Corps volunteer in the 1960s, a Fulbright Fellow, and Executive Director of the Fulbright Foundation. International bestselling author Alex Kava shared her experiences and pitfalls crafting her highly successful suspense novels series of Maggie O'Dell thrillers. Multiple award winning teacher, humorist and author Juli Burney reminded us of the power of laughter in the workplace, daily life, while attending conference and those moments when everything happening around us seems “out of control.”
On Saturday morning a number of NFPW members took advantage of the sunbaked day to walk the s-curved Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge connecting Iowa to Nebraska across the Missouri River. It was a great day for exercise after the many delicious meals planned by conference organizers to showcase the Iowa and Nebraska Beef Council. The walk while peaceful reminded us of the great flooding which took place this summer affecting farmers in the Midwest.
This conference also celebrated the writing achievements of 2011 award winners in the National Communications Competition. Beth Miller of Delaware was honored as the 2011 NFPW Communicator of Achievement and Communicator of Achievement Nominees from 12 states were recognized for their state honor. During the High School Communications Contest Awards, Illinois was thrilled at the recognition for nine local students who earned national awards: 4 first place, 2 third place and 3 honorable mentions.
A new NFPW board was elected and installed at the Saturday evening banquet with Lori Potter of Nebraska taking the reins of president and Marianne Wolf-Astrauskas of Illinois taking on the responsibilities as NFPW secretary. (Visit the NFW.org website for a complete list of new officers and appointed board members.) It was a touching moment to witness the tradition of the passing of the gavel first used by the Illinois Woman’s Press Association in 1885. The NFPW Code of Ethics was read as the gavel was slowly handed down the line of six past NFPW presidents present at the ceremony.
It was a fast paced four days on the plains of the Midwest. Reflecting on the flight back to Chicago, the message was made clear. Communicating, in all of its forms, is more important than ever - reach out, network, make a connection. |
