Events - Event View

Online via Zoom.
Access details to be provided via email to registrants.


Registration: 
PRSA Members: $10
PRSSA members: $5
Students/non-members of PRSA: $5 
IABC members: $10
Non-PRSA members and Guests: $20


Moderators:


Marie Moe is a Communications major at Metropolitan State University and a three-time dean's list honoree. She is a customer service professional of 10 years, which launched her decision to enroll at Metro State in the Communications program. Marie and her husband are raising two young children. During her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, watching movies, going to parks and Zooming with grandparents. Marie’s dream job upon graduation will be to leverage her experience in customer service to make improvements to a corporation’s flow of internal communications and boost the overall morale.


Touchsavong Saatsy provides communication strategies and content as an Operations Analyst in the technology area at Target. As a Twin Cities native, he is currently finishing his bachelor’s degree in professional communications and public relations at Metropolitan State University. Touchsavong is a visual and creative communicator with skills in photography, videography, graphic design and animation who strives to make content that is interesting, engaging and informative. As a Genesys Works alumni, Touchsavong also engages with high school students as a mentor.


Panelists:


Rose McKinney, APR, Fellow PRSA, PineappleRM
Rose McKinney, APR, Fellow PRSA, has spent her career on the agency side helping clients tap into the power and potential of public relations to generate results that matter. Within PRSA, she has served as chapter president, on the Universal Accreditation Board and is currently co-chair of the GoodFellows committee for the College of Fellows. In 2011 Rose launched Pineapple RM, a thriving boutique agency focused on brand strategy and reputation management. When she's not "doing" PR, she's co-teaching it with Greg Zimprich, APR, Fellow PRSA, at Metropolitan State University.


Greg Zimprich, APR, Fellow PRSA, Medtronic
Greg Zimprich, APR, Fellow PRSA, currently serves as Senior Director of Finance and IT Communications at Medtronic, where he is responsible for driving communications across the global Finance function as well as understanding critical Finance initiatives across the total enterprise. He also serves as a member of the Finance Executive Committee (FEC) and Finance Leadership Team (FLT).

Previously, Greg served as Director of Global Business Communications for Honeywell’s Home and Building Technologies group. His 30-year career includes experience on both the agency and corporate side, including nearly 20 years with General Mills in senior communication roles. Greg served as Director of Brand Public Relations at General Mills from 2005 to 2012, where he led a nationally recognized team that managed PR and social media efforts for the company’s 100-plus brands, including beloved household products like Wheaties, Cheerios, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker and Yoplait.

His agency experience includes leadership roles with Miller Meester, Weber Shandwick and Kohnstamm Communications. He also currently serves as an adjunct professor at Metropolitan State University.

Greg received his undergraduate degree in psychology and public relations from Saint Mary’s University, and holds a master’s degree in mass communications from Marquette University. He’s an active member of PRSA and served as Minnesota Chapter President in 2019.

Jacque Smith, APR, City of St. Louis Park
Jacque Smith, APR, is the marketing and communications manager for the City of St. Louis Park, a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. She joined the city in 2015 after 11 years as community relations manager for the City of Minnetonka, another Minneapolis suburb; and three years working in communications for a Twin Cities suburban school district. Jacque chose to pursue a public service career after several years in corporate marketing communications for the insurance industry, preceded by a short time as a reporter for a small town west of the Twin Cities.

Jacque has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communications, where she also served a term on the alumni society board. She is a member of and has served on the boards of the Minnesota Association of Community Telecommunications Administrators, Minnesota Public Relations Society of America and Minnesota Association of Government Communicators. Jacque is a member of the City-County Communications & Marketing Association, Public Relations Society of America and National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.

Jacque received her Accreditation in Public Relations credential in 2018 and is now helping others to achieve the same credential by serving as chair of the APR committee for Minnesota PRSA.


Mary Tan, PR Strategist, Animal Humane Society
Mary Tan is the Public Relations Manager for Animal Humane Society, one of the largest private animal shelters in the United States and the largest in the Upper Midwest. While animal adoption is a focus, she also works to establish the humane society as a resource in low-cost veterinary services, training and behavior in helping make sure people can keep their pets once they are adopted.

Mary also is the chief storyteller of Whisker Media, a boutique strategic communications agency where she focuses on marketing and public relations for pet related businesses and animal welfare nonprofits. The mission of her agency is to donate profits back to homeless animal organizations, especially cat rescue groups.

Before her time promoting adoptable pets and the products to support them, Mary worked in government communications at the City of Brooklyn Park, where she led public relations and crisis communications efforts for the community.

Prior to that she was an award-winning reporter and anchor in cities including Atlanta, Minneapolis, Las Vegas and numerous other television markets. She also reported on major stories for most of the major networks including Fox News, CNN, CBS News and NBC News.

The Wisconsin native is also a freelance writer for several pet publications including Catster Magazine, and a member of the Cat Writer’s Association and the Asian American Journalists Association of which she is a past President. Being an animal welfare advocate, Mary believes in adopting special needs animals. She has a 5-year-old kitty named Farley Waddlesworth, a former bottle baby kitten who has behavior issues and a 12-year-old dog named Josie, who has shy and fear issues due to abuse in her past.