December 10, 2021
From the Co-Chair, Molly Walker
Wow, 2022, we look forward to your arrival.
I’ve penned a few newsletters the last two years, but I haven’t managed an official co-chair’s letter till now. It seems time. I want to thank the Round Table’s Board of Trustees and all our members and colleagues for your wonderful camaraderie, participation in our programs, and for bearing with us as we continue to navigate the pandemic and virtual meeting world. Here’s the news…
Pizza With PRos: Last night (December 9), we celebrated our inaugural Pizza With PRos event at the home of Round Table member Terry Peckham [see photo, above, of Round Table Board members, from left, Jay Rooney, Molly Walker (yours truly) and Janet Lynn]. We invited a small contingent of members and had a thoroughly marvelous time. We practiced safe distancing and spent time outside watching the stars. Seriously! The new series is the brainchild of Board member Hatti Hamlin. Please let us know if you want to be invited to the next gathering.
What We Did: In 2021, we featured online events with a great host of folks: journalist Carla Marinucci, recently retired from Politico’s California Playbook, and the wonderful Donna Sachet at last year’s Valentine’s Party fundraiser for scholarships; journalist Heather Knight of the San Francisco Chronicle; Substack publisher Loren Feldman of 21Hats; and Cityside co-founder, journalist and author Frances Dinkelspiel. We co-produced a panel with Golden Gate University about adapting to the public relations challenges of a post-covid world, featuring Victoria Sánchez De Alba, Lisa Abboud, Jay Rooney and Sarah Segal. In addition, we organized a panel about the importance of supporting journalists and writers who are incarcerated, but canceled due to low signups. (We understand that Golden Gate University plans to produce a similar program in March.)
What’s Ahead: We’re currently planning a moderated panel discussion in January featuring spokespeople from Bay Area public agencies. Also, stay tuned for details about our February 14 Valentine’s Day program, which will benefit the Round Table’s Philip N. McCombs Scholarship Program.
Round Table Board: We are currently assessing our needs for Board leadership in 2022. My colleague Jay Rooney will be stepping up as chair, and Paul Rose will continue as treasurer. I will stay on as past chair. Other Board members who will continue in their roles include Kathleen Brennan, Darolyn Davis, Brenda Kahn, Ed Kamrin, Janet Lynn, Jan Potts and Sarah Segal. Life Member and Past Chair Hatti Hamlin, who joined us this year, plans to step off the Board but will continue to support us. Please get in touch if you are interested in taking on a leadership or other volunteer role.
Welcoming Back Returning Colleagues: We’re always happy when people come back. We recently welcomed as members Jill Center, senior communications specialist with the Health Plan of San Joaquin, and Sally Haims, director of communications at the Epiphany Center. We look forward to your participation in the Round Table, Jill and Sally.
Members in the News: Marcus Young, co-founder of Town Kryer, is now executive producer at DISNEY/ABC News, and Paul Rose, formerly a partner with Lighthouse Public Affairs, is now chief external relations and communications officer with the San Francisco General Hospital Foundation. Congratulations to you both. (Have you recently moved to a new position? Let us know at info@sfprrt.org, and we’ll share the good news.)
Special Deals on Membership: Please get in touch with any Board member or me if you’re interested in becoming a member of the Round Table. If you join before the end of 2021, you will get your 2022 membership for free. If you’re already a member, it’s not too early to renew for next year. And the big news is that we’re re-instituting corporate memberships, which really are a very good deal. Visit our website for details.
Scholarship Deadline: The deadline for scholarship applications for our 2022 Philip N. McCombs Scholarship Program is March 11, 2022. Details will be posted soon to our website. For questions or to help with this program, please contact Kathleen Brennan at scholarships@sfprrt.org.
Volunteers Always Welcome! If you’re part of the Round Table, you may have been a Board member or volunteer in the past. Or perhaps you’ve never gotten involved. I’ve always found that becoming a member of anything is more meaningful if you serve in a volunteer or leadership role. Your task doesn’t have to be huge, just something meaningful. We could use help in the following roles:
- An individual conversant in Photoshop, Illustrator and/or Squarespace to help us reengineer our website and repopulate it.
- People to help us make our February 14 Valentine’s Party and fundraiser for scholarships great. While several Board members have offered to serve in key roles, there are a number of things we’ll need help with.
- Programs Chair, Webmaster, Membership Directory, Social Media Chair, recapping programs and support for our Scholarship Program.
Please contact me or any Board member to discuss your interest. Thank you!
If you have news items for our ebulletin, please send them to me.
Have a wonderful holiday and a great 2022. We’ll see you soon!
Follow us on social media at the links atop our homepage, and please repost and retweet our news.
Stay safe!
—Molly Walker, Round Table 2021 Co-Chair
mwalker@mwalkercommunications.com
510.207.9291