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March NewsletterCelebrating Women’s History MonthDuring the month of March, New Mexico PRSA celebrates, along with the rest of the UnitedStates, the observance and celebration of the vital role women have played in Americanhistory. The evolution of Women’s History Month began with a weeklong celebration ofwomen’s contributions to culture, history, and society. Organized by the local school district inSonoma, Calif. in 1978, the idea caught on moreso a few years later in other school districtsand organizations across the country.Shortly thereafter in 1980, President Jimmy Carter issued the first presidential proclamationdeclaring the week of March 8 as National Women’s History Week and Congress also passed

a resolution establishing a national celebration. Congress was petitioned by the NationalWomen’s History project six years later to expand the event to the entire month of March, andsince 1987, Women’s History Month has been celebrated annually during the month of March.There are many remarkable women who have helped shape U.S. history including Susan B.Anthony, Clara Barton, Amelia Earhart, Marguerite Higgins, and Coretta Scott King are a fewnames that come to mind for me. On a personal level, my mom is without a doubt the mostinfluential woman to play a role in my life. As a single mother raising four kids, shedemonstrated over the decades several traits I have carried throughout life – determination,hard work, perseverance, and resolve – have in large part molded me into the individual I amtoday. I miss my mom every day, but the lessons she taught me throughout life will remain withme forever.During Women’s History Month, we encourage one and all to celebrate, honor and recognizenot only women who have helped shape our history, but also those who have played a directand instrumental role in your lives.If you have thoughts, suggestions, new ideas for the chapter or an exciting project or storyyou'd like to share with us for our website or social media platforms, please feel free to reachout anytime and send an email to prsanewmexico@gmail.com.All the best!Steve

March Program: Women in Public RelationsWomen’s History Month is celebrated annually in March and New Mexico PRSA (NMPRSA) iscommemorating and encouraging the study, observance and celebration of the vital rolewomen have played in American history. NMPRSA will put a public relations angle to themonthlong celebration. On March 31, NMPRSA presents an in-person luncheon: Women inPublic Relations, a panel discussion from 11:30 a.m.– 1 p.m. at the Indian Pueblo CulturalCenter in the Silver Room.Featured guests include Jennifer Brower, co-founder of 2540 Group, Marisa Maez,communications director, N.M. Department of Transportation, and Jessica Priego, publicrelations director/stakeholder relations, Albuquerque Regional Economic Alliance. The panelwill be moderated by NMPRSA Board member Andie Mercer, director, The Garrity GroupPublic Relations.In-person luncheon cost is 30 for NMPRSA members and students, 35 for non-members.Live stream Zoom option is 15 for NMPRSA members, students and non-members. For those who choose to attend virtually, the program will run from 12 to 1 p.m. Virtualattendees may log-on approximately 5 minutes prior to the program beginning.To register, click the button below or visit March Program: Women in Public Relations.Registration closes Wednesday, March 30 at 5 p.m. Due to limited seating, we are unable toaccommodate walk-up registration on the day of the event.

Meet the PanelistsJennifer BrowerAs the former Senior Director of Marketing and PublicRelations for Central New Mexico Community College, andAssociate Director of Marketing for Dion’s, Jennifer Browerhas extensive experience in marketing, digital strategy,creative services and public relations. A two-time Universityof New Mexico graduate, she holds a bachelor’s degree inSpanish and political science, and a master’s degree inbusiness administration.Brower is the current Board President for AlbuquerqueSexual Assault Nurse Examiners Collaborative, anorganization dedicated to assisting survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. She alsoserves on the University of New Mexico’s Anderson School of Management AlumniCouncil, Viante and Pivotal New Mexico boards.Marisa MaezMarisa Maez is the Communication Director for the NewMexico Department of Transportation. She leads a team ofsix public information officers, four photojournalists, twographic designers and a social media manager. Maezoversees all internal and external communication, somemarketing campaigns as well as promoting safetycampaigns, project information and department initiativesthrough radio, television, static and digital outreach. She hasbeen called upon twice over the past two years to lead crisisCOVID communication efforts and step in an ActingCommunication Director for the New Mexico Department ofHealth.Prior to spending 20 years as a reporter and morning newsanchor for KOAT-7, she worked as a pediatric nurse for five years at UNM Health SciencesCenter in Albuquerque. Maez is a native New Mexican who attended UNM receiving abachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism. She plans to begin classes to attain an MBA in thefall.

Jessica PriegoJessica Priego brings more than 20 years of non-profitand corporate experience in branding, public relations,marketing, stakeholder relations and strategic planningto her role at AREA.Jessica’s professional skillset is grounded in brandingand public relations with niche expertise in fundraisingand stakeholder relations. She has a strong track-recordof success in building public relations campaigns thatengage and inform key audiences and stakeholders.Priego has held senior-level posts with high-profilecompanies and national non-profits alike, including theCesar Chavez Foundation, the National Council of LaRaza, the National Museum of Mexican Art, Cook County Assessor’s Office (Chicago),MasterCard International, the Chicago White Sox, the Chicago Bulls, Merck, AllstateInsurance, Minute Maid, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Doheny EyeInstitute.Priego is a former City of Los Angeles Commissioner for the El Pueblo Historical Monumentand was named a Top 50 Woman of Influence by the LA Business Journal in 2016. Jessicahas received industry awards ranging from PR Week and CIPRA recognition for socialmarketing campaigns to Gold and Silver Anvils for creative development of advertisingtargeting urban youth. Jessica serves on the Board of Trustees of the National Museum ofMexican Art and was named a ‘Nueva Estrella Latina’ by Verizon for her leadership in smallbusiness management.Andie Mercer – ModeratorAndie Mercer is the Director of the Garrity Group PublicRelations where she leverages various media platforms totell the stories of local and national brands. She has ledsocial and digital media efforts that have resulted in over200% growth in followers and media relations outreachthat has garnered coverage around New Mexico. Mercervalues creativity, honesty, and logic in the workplace,which guide her strategic approach to messaging andtactics. She earned a Master of Business Administrationfrom the University of New Mexico. She has been with thefirm since 2016.

New Pros ProgramNew Mexico PRSA Hosts New Pros Networking EventNew Mexico Public Relations Society of America (NMPRSA) presents its first New Prosprogram for 2022, “Networking 101 – How It Can Help Advance Your Career,” featuring localnetworking guru Stacy Sacco on Tuesday, March 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.Networking is an essential component of career-building. As professionals, we need to use it tobuild authentic long-term relationships with people in our industry. In doing this, we canadvance our careers and build confidence not only in our daily work but for the future. Forstudents, this is a critical skill, that down the line can set you apart in your industry.Join New Mexico PRSA as it hosts Stacy Sacco to provide tips and insights on networkingand how you can use it to benefit or start your career. This program takes place in-person atthe Jackson Student Center at The Anderson School of Management at UNM. The programis 15 for non-members, 10 for members, and FREE of charge to students. To register, clickthe button below or visit Networking 101: How It Can Help Advance Your Career.If you have any questions or more information, reach out to New Pros Chair Lucas Bacaat lucasb@cwastrategic.com or 505-573-2858.

APR Month set for AprilAPR Month Activities you guessed it, in April!April is APR Month and NMPRSA is getting ready for an exciting month! The Accreditation inPublic Relations (APR) credential certifies your drive, professionalism, and principles, settingyou apart from your peers and positioning you as a leader and mentor in the competitive publicrelations field. While earning the APR demonstrates your mastery of today’s strategiccommunications practice and your commitment to lifelong learning it could also lead tosecuring major awards.This April, NMPRSA hosts a luncheon practicum that pairs the principles of the APRcurriculum with the criteria for winning Cumbre entries.Thursday, April 28 - Jumpstart your Cumbre Nominations with these APR PrinciplesBy studying the foundations of Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation (RPIE),you will be well on your way to preparing for the APR process. During this interactiveworkshop, participants can use current projects and examine them with the RPIE lens, also thekey to a successful Cumbre nomination. On-Demand: The Value and the Values of Accreditation: Why an APR for Your Career

Membership UpdateWelcome New Members!!New Mexico PRSA is excited to welcome several new members to our chapter! Theyinclude Nicole Barker, Ben Cloutier, Cody Johnson and James Walton. On behalfof NMPRSA’s Board of Directors, welcome to our Chapter! Thank you forchoosing NMPRSA as your professional go-to resource for communications and publicrelations.We are excited to see several, including Nicole, Cody and James, join as a team from the NewMexico State Department of Tourism, while Ben joins the chapter from UNM's Project ECHO.Also, of note, we are currently in the planning stages of our May program featuring Travel andTourism. I believe we may still need a panelist or two so.more to come! Again, we're excitedto have each and every one of you as part of our organization and look forward to meeting youat one of our upcoming events!Membership ReminderWith that in mind, PRSA national is reminding individuals and chapters about membership.Have you told your professional colleagues who do not yet belong to PRSA about the manybenefits of this informative organization? PRSA connects you with a network of manyprofessionals through local and regional communities, high-quality events and industry-specific