October 19, 2012 | SharkAdmin Several Northwest Vista College employees and district colleagues attended an in-depth workshop titled, “What to Do When YOU Are the News! – Going ‘Live at Five.’” Hosted by a local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, this hands-on session trained participants on media relations and how to be credible with reporters and responsive to the public when scandals and/or disasters occur. It provided practical tips and insights on crisis communication, how to develop talking points and strategies to work with media before, during and after a crisis. “The PRSA workshop was a great learning opportunity,” said Debi Gaitan, vice president of Student Success, who attended the workshop. “It helped me learn more about the importance of having strong partnerships with our local media and being prepared for interviews.” Debi was joined by Renata Serafin, director of Community and Public Relations, Melissa Monroe-Young, public information officer and Lisa McDaniel, coordinator of Communication. Some participants were videotaped and critiqued during the workshop to practice interview techniques for tough questions and gain understanding of how not to stumble when being interviewed by reporters. Workshop speaker and expert trainer, Joe V. Trahan, Ph.D, entertained the audience with stories that span 29 years in training world leaders and public relations experts. Trahan is the CEO of Trahan & Associates, a media relations and communications firm; and he teaches at the University of Foreign Military and Cultural Studies and at Georgia State University. “We attended this workshop to further enhance our communication skills and to prepare for a new emergency management process that NVC is working on with our district colleagues,” Renata said. “The best way to prepare for a crisis is to role-play possible scenarios and take out the element of surprise.” NVC employees attended the workshop alongside their Alamo Colleges’ colleagues, including Leo Zuniga, associate vice chancellor of Communications; Mario Muniz, district director of Public Relations; and Kathleen Johnson-Hodge, director of Community Affairs and Public Relations at Northeast Lakeview College. Participants at the workshop felt similar training would be valuable for more college employees to further strengthen college sustainability in a rapidly changing communications world. Plans are underway to bring media trainers to the college and empower more employees with the knowledge and skills needed in times of crisis. Please forward media inquiries to the public relations team at 210-486-4689 or 210-486-4681.
