President's Corner

Every four years, the best of the best athletes from around the world come together to represent their countries at the Olympic Winter Games. It’s inspiring to watch them compete, learn their stories, and of course, cheer them on from afar. I myself love figure skating, halfpipe snowboarding and even curling! The Olympics remind us that behind every big moment is a lot of training, dedication and teamwork that happens long before anyone is watching.

In many ways, the field of public relations is not all that different. PR professionals represent their organizations, brands and clients at high levels, relying on preparation, strategy and adaptability to deliver results. They gather the facts, align goals and develop tactics that support their organization’s mission. When the “triple axel” does not land or a campaign misses the mark, it challenges us to adjust, learn and try again. Like Olympic athletes, communicators spend countless hours preparing behind the scenes before stepping up when it matters most. Great public relations work plays an important role in telling meaningful stories, building trust with your audience and shaping conversations.

If you’ve ever wished there was a way to showcase your talent and hard work, you’re in luck. Nominations are now open for the 6th Annual WisCOMsin Awards! Co-sponsored by the PRSA Chapters of Madison and Northeast Wisconsin, it honors outstanding projects, programs and professionals from 2025. You can read more about the WisCOMsin Awards later in this newsletter and on our website, including eligibility details, categories and submission deadlines.

Go for gold!

Meghan Finger
[email protected]

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Upcoming Event

Calling the Right Plays: Lessons from Green Bay’s One-Year Post-Draft Success is a dynamic panel discussion featuring professionals from across the region with deep experience in public relations, crisis communications and event management.

Date: Thursday, April 23
Time: 3-4 p.m.
Location: Lambeau Field, 1265 Lombardi Ave, Green Bay, WI 54303

Register here!

Panelists will offer an inside look at how they strategically planned for the major event in Green Bay, navigated real-time challenges and translated high-level plans into execution.

Attendees will gain practical insights into what worked, new opportunities, and how thoughtful preparation, collaboration and adaptability played a critical role in sustaining momentum long after the event itself.

The discussion will highlight actionable best practices, crisis response strategies and communication lessons that panelists continue to apply in their work today—making this session especially valuable for communicators, planners and leaders looking to strengthen their approach to large-scale events and complex initiatives.

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WisCOMsin Awards

There’s Still Time: Enter the 2026 WisCOMsin Awards

Did your organization do any great communications work in 2025? This is your chance to get recognized!

The WisCOMsin Awards honor outstanding projects, programs and people in Wisconsin. Nominations are open to PRSA members and non-members. There is no limit to the number of entries submitted.

Our PRSA Northeast Wisconsin website has details on award categories and guidelines, as well as links to the award entry forms.

Project Awards
Early bird deadline is Sunday, Feb. 22, and the final deadline is Sunday, March 8.

•    General submission, PRSA member = $35 (early bird) /$50 (final) per entry
•    General submission, non-PRSA member = $75 (early bird) / $95 (final) per entry

Practitioner Awards
The deadline is Sunday, March 8. There is no entry fee for practitioner nominations. All nominations are encouraged, including self-nominations.

Questions? Contact the Awards Committee at [email protected].

The WisCOMsin Awards are co-sponsored by PRSA Madison and PRSA Northeast Wisconsin.  

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Member Spotlight

In this member spotlight, we're pleased to feature Dakota Morin, marketing coordinator at Society Insurance.

First news publication you read in the morning:
Whatever shows up in my inbox, including anything from The New York Times and AP News to local papers and publications like The Northwestern in Oshkosh.

Describe your typical day at work:
My typical day involves ingesting lots of caffeine and listening to loud music while I create press releases, manage internal and external communication campaigns and work on larger projects. Most recently, I’ve been focused on enhancing our internal file-sharing platform on SharePoint to improve consistency, functionality and collaboration across the organization.

Most important career mentor and why:
I’ve been impacted by many strong, smart and nurturing professionals. My professor, Kristine Nicolini, influenced me early on when I interviewed her while deciding on a major. Professor Erin Elliott, who taught my Intro to PR class, made me think, “Yup, I want to be her when I grow up.”

Additionally, my leader Scott Bradley at Oshkosh Corporation had a huge impact on me; he encouraged me to try new things, valued my ideas and provided resources during and after my internship. He always championed my growth and genuinely wanted to see me succeed.

What made you decide to have a career in PR, communications, marketing, or a related field?
I started as an undecided major and took a career exploration course. A quiz suggested PR, so I interviewed Kristine, took all the intro-level courses and everything just started to click.

I enjoy multiple aspects of PR such as strategy, communication and relationship building, but what I value most are the strong ethical standards the profession promotes. I believe communication, persuasion and words are powerful tools that should be used thoughtfully and responsibly.

Why did you join PRSA NEW?
Kind of going back to the mentor theme, Erin reached out to me and suggested I join. I really wanted to continue surrounding myself with PR professionals like Erin and keep learning and growing post-college.

Advice to new public relations professionals:
I’m new myself, and I’ll be celebrating my one-year anniversary at my current company this month. What’s been most valuable for me is staying eager to learn. I seek out opportunities, make connections, ask questions and don’t fear mistakes. Being authentic and curious goes a long way.

Where is your happy place?
Cuddling with my cat and dog under some blankets with a good book (currently Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson) and a lit candle. Bonus points if it’s summer with a light rain outside.

What’s on your professional or personal to-do list?
Professionally, I’ve developed a strong interest in crisis communications and internal communications, so I’m focused on continuing to expand my knowledge in those areas.

Personally, I want to keep investing time into both old and new hobbies. Lately, that’s been poetry, roller skating and piano.

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Member Anniversaries

• Megan J. Mulholland, APR, Compass Communications, 17 years

• Jen Rogers, Destination Door County, 9 years

• Nina Rouse, O’Connor Connective, 4 years

• Sara F. Snyder, Empowered Tutoring, 4 years

• Lori Kaye Lodes, The Boldt Group, 1 year

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General News

Free Chapter Promo Launching in February! New members who join PRSA at the $273 level (excluding Associate and Retired memberships) can receive a free Chapter membership when they use promo code NETWORK26. This offer provides up to $100 in savings and runs throughout February. Promo is limited to the first 100 members, so act fast—register on the PRSA website!

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