{"id":11922,"date":"2015-01-14T16:01:41","date_gmt":"2015-01-14T21:01:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mcreativepr.com\/?p=11922"},"modified":"2015-01-14T16:01:41","modified_gmt":"2015-01-14T21:01:41","slug":"media-panel-for-nonprofit-seminar-announced","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mcreativepr.com\/2015\/01\/14\/media-panel-for-nonprofit-seminar-announced\/","title":{"rendered":"Media panel for nonprofit seminar announced"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"<\/a>\u00a0\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

FORT MYERS, Fla. (Jan. 14, 2015) \u2013 Four longtime local media professionals will participate in a panel during Myers, Brettholtz & Company<\/a>\u2019s 13th<\/sup>\u00a0annual nonprofit seminar on Wednesday, Jan 21. .<\/p>\n

The full-day seminar, \u201cMake Every Word Count,\u201d will take place\u00a0at the Holiday Inn Fort Myers Airport-Town Center located at 9931 Interstate Commerce Drive in Fort Myers\u00a0from 7:15 a.m. to 4 p.m.<\/p>\n

Kellie Burns, Wendy Fullerton Powell, Jim McLaughlin and Osvaldo Padilla will participate in a panel on how nonprofits can work with the news media.<\/p>\n

Burns anchors NBC-2 News at 5, 5:30 and 6 p.m. Originally from upstate New York, she graduated from State University of New York at Geneseo with a bachelor\u2019s degree in both communications and political science, and a minor in international relations. Her award-winning career includes three Regional Edward R. Murrow Awards as well as with several Florida Associated Press Awards. She serves on Gulfshore Life Magazine\u2019s advisory board and the board of trustees for Canterbury School and the Children\u2019s Advocacy Center.<\/p>\n

Fullerton Powell is news director for The News-Press Media Group in Fort Myers. She joined Gannett and The News-Press in October 1989, starting out first as a bureau reporter then spent time covering education, growth and special projects. She also served as regional editor, deputy metro editor and business editor before moving to targeted content, which included features, sports and niche publications. Fullerton Powell was named news director in December 2014. She holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in political science from the University of Vermont.<\/p>\n

After more than three\u00a0decades in the broadcast news business, McLaughlin is now director of the food program for Beacon of H.O.P.E. (Helping Our People Excel). Pine Island\u2019s United Way House. \u00a0He also serves on the nonprofit\u2019s board of directors. As food program director, he cooks for 40 Pine Island Elementary and Middle School students enrolled in the Beacon\u2019s after-school mentoring program called SAS (Students Achieving Success). Working out of the kitchen at the Pine Island United Methodist Church, he prepares nutritious, home-style meals for more than 400 SAS students each month. He also prepares lunch twice a week for the Beacon\u2019s GED program.<\/p>\n

Padilla\u00a0is the managing editor of Florida Weekly. He has more than 20 years of experience as a writer, journalist and media personality covering news throughout Florida. A graduate of the master\u2019s program at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, he has covered Capitol Hill for media outlets in Oregon and the Keys, and served as a reporter for WINK-TV and The News-Press. During his time at Florida Weekly, the paper has won dozens of awards including General Excellence from the Florida Press Association. Padilla has recently won two Florida Press Association Awards for investigative and health reporting.<\/p>\n

Since 2001, Myers, Brettholtz & Company, PA has sponsored seminars focused on the needs of nonprofits in the areas of human resources, fundraising, accounting practices and finance. The firm hosts the annual seminar in partnership with the Southwest Florida Community Foundation and the United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties More than 130 nonprofit board members, leaders and staff attended last year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s program will include information on new skills that will help nonprofits gain the support of the people whose support they need to succeed. Sessions will include how to identify the people best positioned to bring success, how to craft messages that will keep them engaged and tools that will keep nonprofits connected.<\/p>\n

Guest speaker and media panel moderator Ann Christiano is the Frank Karel endowed chair of public interest communications for the University of Florida.<\/p>\n

During the event, the 2015 UNITE (Uniting Nonprofits In Teaming for Excellence) Award collaboration winner will be announced. The UNITE Award is a private\/public partnership established by Myers, Brettholtz & Company and supported by the Southwest Florida Community Foundation, the Cape Coral Community Foundation, the United Way of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties and the Smith Family Foundation. The winner will receive $25,000,\u00a0and the top two runners up will receive $2,500 each.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s call for entries received 21 applications. Twelve collaborations made it to the second round before the five finalists were chosen.<\/p>\n

The five finalists include:<\/p>\n