Upping Your Game

"Elevate Your Communications Playbook" was the theme of the PRSA 2024 NW Communicators Conference held at Portland State University on September 19-20. The two-day conference featured keynote speakers, breakout sessions and roundtable discussions focusing on the latest case studies and trends in public relations research and evaluation, strategy and tactics, and storytelling in communicating with target audiences.

Topics ranged from the broad (strategic pianning, reputation management and research and evaluation) to the specific (marketing, employee relations, writing, and media relations). Keynote speakers addressed measuring trust in the world of artificial intelligence and empowering businesses and their employees to create a culture of well-being. Sponsors included The Oregonian Media Group, UO SOJC, TTHM.COM and PSU.

Aldo Leopold Society Redux

Any excuse for a party, right? But when one of the charter members of the Aldo Leopold Society ventures from Toronto, Ontario, Canada all the way to the Center of the Known Universe at the Owl Conservatory, then it becomes a clarion call not unlike a gathering of the pirate collective.

And so it was. As former U.S. Forest Service trail dogs, wilderness rangers and firefighters on the Lake Wenatchee and Leavenworth Rangers Districts on the Wenatchee National Forest, we look forward to a reunion of our tribe to cavort and spin tall tales from days of yore in the North Cascades.

Back To The Future

Everybody loves a good comeback story. Yet to experience a comeback, you must have weathered a setback.

 

At the 2018 PRSA International Conference, the University of Oregon PRSSA Chapter, the oldest in the Pacific Northwest since its founding by UO Associate Professor Jack Ewan in 1972, was as strong as ever.

 

At the conference, UO PRSSA accepted PRSA’s Certification for Education in Public Relations on behalf of the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication from PRSA Chair Anthony D’Angelo and Chair-elect Debra Peterson at the PRSSA Champions breakfast. Life was good.

 

Lily Gordon (above, left), UO PRSSA Chapter President for 2018-19, reported that by the end of fall quarter, the chapter had 75 active, dues-paying members, with 24 members participating on the events and communications committees.

“Average chapter meeting attendance increased by 25 percent during the fall quarter of 2018 compared to the previous year,” said Gordon, “and we launched a new website that was more user-friendly and featured career resources and video content. For 2019, we anticipated expanding our Seattle professional development tour to include a networking function with the PRSA Puget Sound Chapter.”

 

The next year, UO PRSSA ramped up for another record-breaking year after riding the wave of success inspired by previous executive teams, with no signs of slowing down.

 

But then, COVID-19 made its way to America, affecting institutions and organizations everywhere. UO PRSSA was no exception to the difficulties and challenges during this period. 

 

In 2019-20, Amelia Bennett served as Chapter President for UO PRSSA. She recalls that the pandemic presented myriad issues in continuing to support members.

“Fearful of the unknown, we transitioned our meetings to Zoom,” said Bennett, “and as a team, we relied on each other to remain optimistic about the future as we passed the baton to the next leadership team.”  

 

As classes continued online, University of Oregon student groups, if they even met at all, utilized virtual methods to connect with one another through Zoom and FaceTime. The first year of the pandemic proved to be the most difficult of times, and the challenges continued into the 2020-21 school year.

 

After two years of pandemic shutdowns, UO PRSSA membership numbers practically fell off the map, dwindling from over 75 in 2018 to only five in 2022. The low water mark for the chapter came in spring 2021, when only six candidates applied for five leadership positions for the 2021-2022 school year.

 

UO PRSSA had lost its momentum, but then leadership found new ways to accomplish their stated goals, according to 2021-22 Chapter President Madilyne Nguyen-Acosta.

“When the pandemic hit, we had to get creative with programming for our chapter” said Nguyen-Acosta. “Despite the challenges of navigating a virtual landscape for the first time in class, and also with our extracurricular activities, we made the most of our circumstances.”

 

The UO PRSSA executive team, taking advantage of the virtual environment to expand its reach, and understanding that members often seek public relations positions in Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles, introduced the West Coast Connection: a collaborative, virtual speed networking event hosted by PRSSA chapters from University of Oregon, University of Washington, and University of Southern California.

 

“The event was a success in expanding networks for our members both horizontally and vertically.” concluded Nguyen-Acosta.

 

By spring 2021, the UO PRSSA team acknowledged that while they couldn’t turn back the hands of time, they could pivot in rebuilding their chapter by modeling approaches that professionals across the U.S. had begun to implement, according to 2021-22 President Ellie Shalvarjian.

“We learned how to take our meetings from fully remote to hybrid to in-person,” said Shalvarjian, “but another wave of COVID cancelled our first in-person professional development tour in over two years, so we continued to rely on the practicality of the West Coast Connection.”

 

But the issues facing UO PRSSA were far more significant than the pandemic. Internal processes concerning budgeting had changed dramatically and support systems for the chapter were in flux. For example, instead of writing checks to become members of UO PRSSA, an electronic portal process through the PRSSA website had been instituted.

Yet a clear resurgence would develop in the 2022-23 school year. That previous spring, UO saw a 100 percent increase in the number of members interested in leadership positions, from five to ten. Momentum, however modest, was building, and an enthusiastic new leadership team was in place.

 

While working to address the electronic portal process, UO PRSSA received a timely assist from Public Relations Society of America Headquarters in New York. Senior Vice President of Programs Jeneen Garcia appealed to the PRSA Foundation to help fund membership dues for the new UO PRSSA executive team, providing a jumpstart for the school year.

The energy of the new team was palpable, with bold visions for the upcoming school year, including a trip to the PRSA/PRSSA International Conference in Dallas, Texas. Unfortunately, the group didn’t quite have its sea legs yet when negotiating internal policies and procedures within the University of Oregon, and the effort fell short.

 

So the group pivoted strategically and focused on providing professional development tours for members in Seattle, Portland and Eugene. With each tour, the leadership team learned valuable skills for providing meaningful and transformative experiences for growing membership. 

 

“Not only did students finally get the opportunity to engage face-to-face with an expansive network of PR professionals,” said 2022-2023 Vice President Megan O’Keefe, “but we witnessed beautiful friendships growing between our members that I believe played a vital role in restoring the group’s spirit.” 

 

The 2023-24 UO PRSSA immediately began to build upon the success from the previous year, and the leadership team, led by 2023-2024 President Karrigen Hansen, attended the PRSA/PRSSA International Conference in Nashville, the group’s first ICON since 2018-19.

“Attending ICON in Nashville for the first time in five years bonded our team and allowed our chapter to ignite the passion projects we hadn’t seen for a while,” said Hanson. “Back in Oregon, our numbers grew to the point that we were able to curate a guest speaker series and professional development workshops that truly benefited our members. Even outside Allen Hall, our executive team worked diligently in nurturing and continuing to grow the chapter.” 

 

“For example, we worked with PRSA Oregon in collaborating with other PRSSA chapters like George Fox University,” continued Hanson. “More specifically, we learned the ins and outs of what it takes to finance a club.  Beyond that, we were determined to advocate for ourselves as an organization that should be taken seriously.”  

 

Much like the phoenix, the immortal bird from Greek mythology that cyclically regenerates, UO PRSSA is now back to its former position of strength and vitality. Thanks to the diligent efforts of student leaders and their mentors, the recovery was gradual but steady and consistent. These students literally willed UO PRSSA to succeed while emerging from the pandemic.

 

“It’s been gratifying to witness their perseverance, and continued growth to their former position of strength,” said UO PRSSA Professional Advisor John Mitchell, APR, Fellow PRSA.

As for the future, current UO PRSSA Chapter President Jillian Gray said the future is bright and 2024-25 is shaping up to be an exciting year for members.

 

“Last year, we had more applicants than ever for our executive board,” Gray noted, “and full classrooms packed with eager members ready to learn from inspiring guest speakers from companies like Dreamworks, Starbucks L’Oreal, Edelman, Airbnb, Dutch Bros, and Allison."

 

“There’s real energy in our chapter right now,” Gray continued. “We have an incredible team leading our chapter and more members than ever attending meetings, with new faces each week. We’re also in the process of planning robust professional development tours in cities like Seattle and Portland.” 

 

Indeed, these Ducks appear to have risen from the ashes.

Editor's Note: 2024-25 UO PRSSA President Jillian Gray, (below, right) contributed to this article.

Too Close For Comfort

A lightning bust sparked a wildfire on Bee Sting Hill across Shugart Flats from the Owl Conservatory on Saturday, August 17, initiating an evacuation notice for homeowners. The fire initially covered 10 acres when firefighters and air support from the State of Washington Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service arrived to battle the blaze.

The fire grew to 15 acres before saw crews dug fire lines along the irrigation ditch on the west side of Bee Sting Hill.Other firefighters prepared buffer zones around nearby structures. Fire activity then moderated with heavy rains. The next morning, a Forest Service air tanker strafed the fire with water from Lake Wenatchee to dampen the flames down more.

Initial attack crews then fell hazard trees and reinforced existing control lines for the rest of the week before establishing direct control lines and mopping up hot spots and heavy fuels. The steepness of the hillside terrain led to burning materials and rocks rolling downhill, creating hazardous challenges for firefighters. Hose lays were installed to provide firefighters with water support to mop up the conflagration.

Crews continued to create containment zones using hand crews on the sides and lower edges, and a bulldozer along the top edge. Multiple air resources were used to drop water within the fire's perimeter. Air resources included two helicopters with buckets, two "super scoopers," four "fire boss scoopers," and an air attack aircraft used to coordinate air traffic. The fire was declared contained on Thursday, August 22.

The Chiwawa-Wenatchee Irrigation District canal flows along the west side of Bee Sting Hill, and its summit stands about 600 feet above the little mountain community of Shugart Flats. On a clear day, the summit provides an excellent perspective toward the south, overlooking the pastoral village of Plain, along with Natapoc Mountain, Beaver Hill and Icicle Ridge near Leavenworth, Washington in the background.

Return To The Mountain

One of the benefits of growing up in East Portland was its proximity to Mt. Hood and environs. My grandparents, Carl and Emilia Cargni, shared a cabin in Welches with my great-uncle and great-aunt which we would frequent often. The town sits squarely in the middle of the Mt. Hood Corridor near the peak, along with other little towns and villages like Brightwood, Wemme, Zigzag and Rhododendron.

It would be the beginning of my lifelong love affair with the mountain, known as Wy'east to the indigenous peoples of the Sandy, Zigzag and Salmon River drainages. Since those early years, I have continued to make pilgrimages to "the mountain," as it's simply know to locals. My Dad (Rhododendron), sister (Welches) and uncle (Zigzag) have all owned homes along the Mt. Hood Corridor over the years.

The Mt. Hood Corridor, now known as U.S. Highway 26. follows the old Barlow Road, built in 1846 by Sam Barlow and Philip Foster. The toll road was constructed to allow covered wagons to cross the Cascade Range in reaching the Willamette Valley. Before the opening of the Barlow Road, pioneers floated down the Columbia River from The Dalles to Fort Vancouver, in those days a hazardous and expensive journey.

In keeping the family tradition alive, we spent a week on the mountain this month at a dog-friendly Airbnb located between Brightwood and Wemme. Brightwood appears to be one of the few little villages along the Barlow Road that was bypassed by the Mt. Hood Scenic Highway, primarily because the town was unfortunately located on the north side of the Sandy River, unlike Wemme, Welches, Zigzag and Rhododendron.

As a result, Brightwood is not unlike some of the small towns along U.S. Highway 66, more popularly known as Route 66, when major interstates bypassed the little burgs and left many outposts essentially marooned. A prime example is the Brightwood Tavern, a throwback in the center of town. The old log cabin structure is dark on the inside, with little natural light, and reeks of cigarette smoke from the casino in the back.

The rental was reasonably priced and featured a fenced yard with play area, hot tub and swimming pool, a perfect spot for a weeklong hiatus on the mountain. A highlight was a trip up to historic Timberline Lodge, which was built and furnished by local artisans during the Great Depression. Timberline Lodge was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Another Roadside Antiquity

When I entered school in 1959, the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park was already 30 years old and a premier attraction in Portland, Oregon. At that point, the park, adjacent to the Columbia River, was already on the wane. Yet its primary feature, a wooden-framed roller coaster known at "The Big Dipper," still drew throngs throughout the 1960s.

The roller coaster ride was wild and woolly, and when schools celebrated "Safety Patrol Day" or other summertime events at the park, youngsters turned out in droves. The Big Dipper was widely known as the biggest and the best roller coaster ride in the West. The park also featured swimming pools, other thrill rides, midway games and a carousel.

In reality, the park was a marketing ploy by Carl Jantzen, a partner in Portland Knitting Mills, to promote swimsuits used by the Portland Rowing Club. The park, however, remained wildly popular even after the Vanport Flood wiped away the nearby residences in 1948. Eventually, Jantzen Beach Park closed in 1970 and is now a shopping mall.

Jantzen Beach was the premier summertime attraction in Portland in the 1960s. We went there frequently, riding our bikes on the ten-mile trek from Mt. Tabor to the Interstate Bridge. The park was a great place to meet kids from other neighborhoods, and The Big Dipper was the main attraction, though the wooden construction seemed dubious, even in those days

As kids, we would stop at another roadside attraction on the way to our beach house on the north side of Lincoln City on the Central Oregon Coast. Spawned by a themed restaurant known as "The Pixie Kitchen," the park, known as Pixieland, seemed like a good idea at the time, but Pixieland only lasted a mere six years before closing for good.

Jerry Parks, an entrepreneur with Disney connections, worried that the State of Oregon would bypass the Pixie Kitchen, his highly successful restaurant during a reroute of U.S Highway 101, so he purchased 57 acres nearby to build a new western-themed amusement park. The new theme park was just minutes from the Pixie Kitchen in Lincoln City.

When it opened in 1968, the 44-acre park near Otis featured a 600-foot log flume ride not unlike the one at Knott's Berry Farm, a steam train with 2,000 feet of trestle, a recreational vehicle camping site and a western-themed main street with food vendors, arcade and opera house. Though nitially successful, the park ceased operations in 1974.

A laundry list of reasons plagued Pixieland: short tourist season further diminished by rainy coastal weather, a gas crisis, undercapitalization and corrosive salt air eroding wood and metal. But the real deal killer was the fact that the Forest Service was under mandate to restore the wetlands near the Salmon River, dooming the future of Pixieland.

One of the more unusual attractions from my youth was known as "Wally's Dam" located in rural Clackamas County southeast of Portland. In 1966, Wally Hubbard built a 320-foot long, 180-foot high fiberglass slide over a wide swimming hole on Sieben Creek that had formed on his property. Soon, youngsters like myself and many others were coming from all over Portland.

The slide -- an adrenaline rush from top to bottom -- was a delight on hot summer days. Wally charged no admission fee, but he had a set of rules clear posted at the entrance: no cussing, no smoking, no drinking and a commitment to go to Church or Sunday school twice a month (a requirement met with ease for those of us who were Catholics).

A rural postal carrier, Wally's route was usually completed by noon, so he was on-site watching the kids have fun. A lifelong bachelor with a severe stutter, Wally was not shy about sharing his faith with kids or chasing off troublemakers if they caused problems. Though Wally had a pension and Social Security, he lived like a pauper and supported many causes.

Some days, Wally said he counted as many as 400 youngsters riding the slide on his property in the foothills of the Boring Lava Field southwest of Mt. Hood. Inevitably, there were bound to be injuries at Wally's Dam, and Clackamas County officials obliged Wally to cut the slide back. Eventually, he took it down, another roadside attraction lost to the ages.

Just up the Willamette River from Jantzen Beach and the Interstate Bridge is the only amusement park still operating in the City of Roses: Oaks Park. One of the oldest continuously-operated amusement parks in the country., the 44-acre park was conceived as an attraction timed to accompany the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition.

But Jantzen Beach wasn't the only amusement park affected by the Vanport Flood of 1948. The rising water submerged the park, killing a third of the stately oaks on the bluff, warping most of the rides, damaging the skating rink, and closing the park for about six months. Eventually, Oaks Park experienced a resurgence after Jantzen Beach closed in 1970.

In 1985, the owner of Oaks Park donated the site to the nonprofit Oaks Park Association, which continues to operate the park as "an affordable and family-friendly recreation attraction open to the general public" to this day. In 2005, Oaks Amusement Park celebrated 100 years of continuous operation, making it the oldest amusement park in the United States.

Oaks Park was located in the Sellwood District, so it was fairly easy access for from where I lived, first in Eastmoreland, and later Mt. Tabor. The park includes midway games, about two dozen rides that operate seasonally, a year-round skating rink and picnic grounds. Most of the year, our focus was on the skating rink, which was a good place to meet girls.

Sail On, Sailor

My dear friend, Jeff Foreman, a lifelong sailor and lover of adventure, passed away in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday, June 8. Born in on May 2, 1952 in Salem, Oregon to Hazel and Neil Foreman, the family later relocated to Eugene in 1958. He attended Willamette High School, graduating in 1970.

Right after high school, Jeff joined the U.S. Army and served as an infantry sergeant in Germany. Following the service, he enrolled at the University of Oregon and received a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism with emphasis in public relations. Following graduation from the UO, Jeff was hired as a reporter and darkroom technician at the Siuslaw News.

Jeff then worked for several weekly newspapers in Oregon, including the Polk County Itemizer-Observer, Independence Sun-Enterprise, Cottage Grove Sentinel, Capital Press and The Springfield News. In 1982, Jeff married Barbara Bierly of Harrisburg in Eugene, Oregon. The couple had two children, Dylan and Duncan Foreman.

In 1984, Jeff transitioned into public relations, working for the Lane Education Service District in Eugene as Information and Communications Manager. He was later promoted to Marketing and District Relations Manager.

In 2000, Jeff was hired in media relations for the Oregon Department of Forestry, where he worked until his retirement.

Jeff had a passion for sailing and owned several sailboats, including the Pura Vida. He primarily sailed the waters of Fern Ridge Reservoir, but also in the San Juan Islands. He enjoyed telling the story of hiring on as first mate on the sailboat for a hair-raising trip from Reedsport, Oregon to San Francisco, California, surviving an intense storm off Cape Blanco.

The tempest began with pounding rain, blustering wind and 30-foot swells. One of the crew fell overboard but was roped to the deck of the sailboat and lived to tell the story. By the time the boat had weathered the storm and eventually reached the approach to the Golden Gate Bridge, they were greeted by a warm sun, calm waters and frolicking dolphins.

Both students at the University of Oregon, Jeff and I first met in 1974 in an upper division literature class entitled “Satire.” A couple years older than the other students in class, we bonded quickly after completing one of the reading assignments titled: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson. It would become an epiphany for us both.

As journalism majors, we took many classes together and worked as reporters at the campus newspaper, the Oregon Daily Emerald, during a watershed moment in America: Vietnam protests, Watergate fallout, free speech movement, civil rights marches. We labored long hours for low wages with only occasional trips to the Pioneer Cemetery for inspiration.

As students, the only game in town was the UO men’s basketball team, with its audacious coach, Dick Harter, and his "Kamikaze Kids" led by Ronnie Lee. We attended all the games, of course, and the Ducks were good, even beating UCLA. Mac Court was intense. The crowd was deafening. The scoreboard swayed. And the old court felt like it might implode. What a rush. 

 

Jeff and I also attended football games but the Ducks had more losses than wins. Attendance was dismal and the weather was lousy. We’d lose to Fresno State and Pacific. As we huddled in the endzone on a gloomy day, Jeff, with a forlorn face, asks: “Do you think we’ll ever go to a bowl game in our lifetime?” “I don’t know, ” I replied. “But if we do, we’re going.”

Moving to Washington after graduation, I returned to Eugene for graduate school in 1981-83, and Jeff and I picked up where we left off. About 15 years after that damp, gloomy day in the endzone at Autzen, the Ducks were inexplicably invited to their first bowl game in 26 years. We both agreed: "We must go," and Barb handled the arrangements.

 

En route, we were delayed for de-icing in Denver, followed by a two-hour layover in Houston. Finding other Duck fans at a table in an airport bar, one inebriated Duck fan became too boisterous, and we were all asked to leave. As we left, the chief instigator of our ejection let out a loud  “Fuck Houston!”  Seizing the moment, Jeff yells out: "And how ‘bout them Ducks!?!”

Meeting my brother, Robert, in Shreveport, it was downright chilly in town on game day. We toured the downtown area and stopped at one of the few businesses open that day called “Fatso’s Sports Bistro.” Afterward, we walked to the game from our motel, well supplied, of course, where the temperature at game time was 20 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

After a comeback Duck victory fueled by quarterback Bill Musgrave, we stormed the field in our delirium. As Jeff joyously slapped shoulder pads with players, our friend Walter Olson surprised him with a blindside tackle on the 50-yard line. It was 10 degrees when we walked back to the hotel, where we watched the entire replay of the game until the wee hours.

In 1988, Jeff and I purchased season football tickets together on the 50-yard line. We wouldn’t regret it. In 1994, we had ringside seats for a dream season that started ominously but turned on a dime when Kenny Wheaton picked off Damon Huard in an epic “reversal-of-fortune” story for the ages. Yes, the Ducks had beaten the mighty Huskies with "The Pick."

The Ducks subsequently ran the table, propelling the team to its first Rose Bowl in 36 years. Naturally, we went to the game in sunny Pasadena and rubbed elbows with Ahmad Rashad and Dan Fouts at the pre-game party at the adjacent golf course. Jeff also ventured with me to the Palouse for another freeze-your-ass-off game against the WSU Cougars.

A

We then adjourned to our cabin at Lake Wenatchee to celebrate and pay homage to the great duck gods in the sky, huddling around the council fire and drinking beer, burning slash and spinning fish tales. We both had our ways of making each other laugh. Sometimes all it took was a look, or even an eyebrow, to instigate uproarious fits of laughter.

Toward the end, Jeff weathered his affliction with great patience and good humor. He was a fighter. Each season, we would continue to meet to consummate our annual bet on Duck football. Our last meeting was with Walter at Jeff and Barb’s home for the spring game, where we dined on Coburg Pizza and opened the envelopes from last year’s “bet.” 

Despite an extraordinary season of success with Duck quarterback Bo Nix at the helm, Jeff went against form and won by a nose. Yes, Jeff won our final bet. Watching the game with him and Walter, it was clearly apparent  that despite the ravages on his physical being, his intelligence, spirit, humor and goodness still shined through as brightly as ever.

Auf wiedersehen, mein freund. Thanks for for your loving friendship over the many years we have known one another. I will miss you, to be sure. To quote Tom Petty, “You and I will meet again. When we’re least expecting it, in some far-off place, I will recognize your face. I won’t say good-bye, my friend, for you and I will meet again.” It will likely be in a bar.