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From the President Hope this finds you doing well and staying warm in our season of white (... and sometimes windchill and wicked weather!). Maybe it’s time to Think Spring. Mark your calendars and plan now to attend the North Dakota Professional Communicators Spring Conference April 23-24 in Fargo. Members of the Southeast District are concocting a mixture of events and speakers that will feed your craving for professional development and satisfy your appetite for knowledge. The conference promises to be fulfilling, fun and not the least bit fattening — unless you overindulge at Saturday’s banquet. (More details follow in this edition of Type-Hi.) Don’t miss this great opportunity to network with your peers and learn about current trends in communications. NDPC is a wonderful organization that connects you with others who work and create in an array of communications roles. In NDPC, not only can you build valuable contacts important to your career success, you’ll also enjoy warm, lasting friendships. If you haven’t yet taken the plunge to secure your membership, please contact Cathy Jelsing, first vice president for membership, at cjelsing@gondtc.com. She’ll be happy to fill you in with whatever info you need to begin or update your membership. The NDPC College Communications Contest 2010 is in full swing. If you are a student or a faculty member who advises students in communication, be sure to check out the info in this edition. The contest is a terrific opportunity for students to gain confidence and recognition, as well as feedback from experienced judges, for their extraordinary efforts in communication. Congratulations to Merrie Sue Holtan, our last year’s Communicator of the Year, on the special honor she received for her outstanding book, “Power and Stride, The Nancy Burggraf Story,” about a Roseau, Minn., woman who inspired excellence and dedication in young hockey players and whose life was cut short by ALS – Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Hope to see you at the NDPC Spring Conference in April at Fargo. Until then, wishing you peace, joy, prosperity and good health. All the best, Get ready to CONNECT The NDPC board will meet Friday, April 23, at 6 p.m. at Grazies Italian Grill, 2000 44th St. S. in Fargo. The conference will be held April 24 at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, 4510 13th Ave. S. The general meeting and breakfast will be from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. Conference sessions include:
The NDPC communications awards banquet will be at 6 p.m. at the VIP Room, 624 Main Ave. Time for college communications contest In 2009, more than 100 college students and teams from seven North Dakota and Minnesota schools participated in the annual competition. Communications professionals in each field judged more than 120 entries from student writers, editors, broadcasters, photographers and designers. More than 90 entries received awards. All entries must have been produced between March 2, 2009, and March 1, 2010. Entries must be postmarked by Monday, March 22. Copies of the contest rules, categories and entry forms are available at www.aboutndpc.org. For more information, contact Contest Chair Megan Fraase at megan.fraase@bcbsnd.com or 701-277-2661.197 contest entries submitted State winners will be announced at this year’s NDPC spring conference and, provided that NFPW has completed its process and notified us of national winners, they will also be announced at that time. NDPC Northeast District co-hosts Link: Communication event
By Patrick Bugliosi, UND communication student The room was full of enthusiastic talk during our recent event co-hosted by the Northeast District of NDPC. Link: Communication, held Feb. 16, was the first of a series of events linking University of North Dakota students with Grand Forks area professionals. Link is a partnership of the UND Center for Community Engagement and the Grand Forks Region More than 25 students and more than 30 professionals gathered to exchange ideas and make connections at the event. Comments from those who attended showed there was a mutual benefit. One sophomore in communication commented, “It was a good experience, The business sponsor for the event was the marketing communications firm SimmonsFlint. Co-hosting with NDPC was the UND student chapter of the Association for Women in Communication. Blogging: The communicator’s ‘playland’ (and more) By Roxane B. Salonen When friends began suggesting I start a blog a few years back, I’ll admit I viewed blogging as either a form of journalism that lacked integrity or a place where people who wanted to become instant writers could find an But at some point, I decided to give blogging another look. I’d been hired to produce a monthly parenting column, and once that vein was open, ideas began pouring out and spilling over. Might blogging be a place where I could put all the extra thoughts that hadn’t made it into the column but seemed valuable nevertheless? So one evening, I sat down in a local coffee shop and created “Peace Garden Mama,” a blog named as a reference to my children’s book, “P is for Peace Garden: A North Dakota Alphabet.” It didn’t take long for me to take to the blogging world. As one of our group members remarked last spring, “Blogging is the communicator’s ‘playland.’” It’s true. We communicators have the skills it takes to produce a visually appealing blog with interesting content and minimal effort. I’ve been blogging at “Peace Garden Mama” two years now and have been surprised by the benefits it has brought me as a communicator and human being. Among them:
Blogging is not all I’m about as a writer, but it keeps me writing daily, keeps ideas flowing constantly and keeps my work fresh and alive. If blogging is the communicator’s playland, why not jump in and give it a try? You might enjoy the ride more than you’d anticipated. Roxane B. Salonen, children’s author and freelance writer, blogs at “Peace Garden Mama,” or www.roxanesalonen.blogspot.com, where she writes on the subjects of family, faith and following the muse. To contact her by e-mail, write to rbsalonen@cableone.net. Top of Page Welcome, new members!
Michaela Schell is a marketing associate with the Grand Forks Region Economic Development Corp. She holds a bachelor’s in communications and English and a master’s in communications from UND. She was recommended by Lana Rakow. Nichole Scherweit is an information specialist at North Dakota State University in Fargo. Prior to joining NDSU, she spent five years working as a marketing specialist for Bobcat Corp. She holds a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from NDSU. She was recommended for membership by Linsey Hegvik. Shanna Shervheim is associate director of communications at Dickinson State University. Prior to joining DSU, she worked as a newspaper reporter. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English. Melissa Splichal is a graphic designer at Dickinson State University. She has more than 10 years of experience as a graphic designer and is an AdFed member. She earned her associate’s degree in commercial art from Bismarck State College and is currently enrolled at Dickinson State.
Members news Anne works in Corporate Communications at Noridian Mutual Insurance Co. Book nominated for award The print biography and documentary tell the story of Nancy Burggraf, of Roseau, Minn., the first woman nominated to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. Burggraf, 68, died in 1999 of ALS. It was published by Finney Company, Pogo Press, in Minneapolis. For more information, check out www.powerandstride.com. Jeanine Larson joins State Bank & Trust as Web content coordinator For more than two years, Larson had been interactive content coordinator in the Larson earned a bachelor of science degree in broadcast journalism and communication arts and sciences from Penn State University, Pennsylvania. Larson is the Southeast District Director for NDPC. She is working with Karen Stensrud, vice president of marketing at State Bank & Trust. Stensrud is the immediate past president of NDPC. Agweek looking for reporter Candidate must be a strong writer and adept at managing time and multiple assignments. Must have a genuine interest in agriculture and general knowledge of commodity prices, agriculture policy, agriculture economics and trends in the industry. Photography skills desirable. Job requires some travel. College degree preferred. Please send applications, resumes and writing samples to: Kim Deats, Editor Agweek, Box 6008, Grand Forks, ND 58206-6008; Phone: 701-780-1236; e-mail: kdeats@agweek.com. |
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easy platform. 
Jen Braaten is marketing coordinator for the Grand Forks Herald, where she has worked for the past three years. Her previous experience includes two years working for John Deere and four years with a Kansas City radio station. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Central Missouri State University. She was recommended for membership by Lana Rakow.
Barb Pates handles communications, marketing and media relations for North Dakota Child Care Resources and Referral in Fargo. Before starting her current position, she spent three years doing communications and graphic design for Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota. Prior to that, she handled advertising and marketing for Scheels All Sports for 23 years. Barb was recommended for membership by Cathy Jelsing.
Tom Rafferty is Minot community relations and communications manager for Verendrye Electric Cooperative in Minot. Before joining Verendrye four months ago, Tom spent three years working in consumer affairs for the North Dakota Public Service Commission in Bismarck. He spent the first seven and a half years of his professional career reporting government and business news for the Minot Daily News. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Minot State University and is working on his master’s in public administration at UND. He was recommended for membership by Jill Schramm.
Sheyna Strommen is communication director for the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association in Bismarck. She’s worked in marketing and public relations her entire career, first for the Red River Valley Potato Growers Association and later with LoAnn’s Marketing Inc. and Fisher Industries, both in Dickinson. She earned her bachelor's degree in mass communications from NDSU. She was recommended for membership by Julie Ellingson and LoAnn Wegh.
Constance Walter is director of University Relations for Dickinson State University. She holds a master’s degree in organizational management from Peru State College and a bachelor’s in English from Dickinson State. She has worked in communications, public and media relations, fundraising, marketing, editing and publishing.
Catherine Paul, who was born Oct. 17, 2009. Emma weighed 6 pounds 4 ounces and was 18 inches long.
nominated this January for a Minnesota Book Award. However, the book did not receive a top four designation in the Minnesota category. The documentary had also received the Ruth Landfield Award during the 2003 Fargo Film Fesival. 
Communications Department at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, where her responsibilities included writing, recording and editing content, videos and podcasts for members, providers and employers. Previously she was an anchor at FOX-TV and WDAY-TV, Fargo.