On Tuesday, July 6 during the CoSIDA Convention's "Strategic Communications Day", attendees were informed, inspired and equipped with practical and strategic knowledge and toolsets as issues and topics on crisis management, strategic communications and building a professional/strategic reputation on campuses/in conference offices were discussed.
It was a day filled with key leaders from the athletic communications world addressing the CoSIDA Convention attendees.
• Ari Fleischer - CoSIDA Keynote Luncheon Speaker/Strategic Communications Panelist
The highlight of the day was the appearance of communications strategist and sports media consultant Ari Fleisher
(pictured above) - former White House Press Secretary - who gave the keynote address during Tuesday's luncheon.
The former White House press secretary during the George Bush administration and during the historic presidential recount, September 11th, two wars and the anthrax attack who is now principal at Ari Fleischer Sports Communications, Fleischer gave an inspiring keynote Convention address to members and guests in attendance. Fleischer then followed with a standing-room only panel on strategic communications.
His best-selling book,
Taking Heat, details his years in the White House and reached #7 on
The New York Times best-seller list. Since leaving the White House, Fleischer has worked extensively in the world of sports. He has helped Major League Baseball deal with its controversies, as well as its opportunities, and he has worked for the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association.
View ARI FLEISCHER'S CoSIDA KEYNOTE ADDRESS (July 6, 2010) - VIDEO (21:57)
YouTube VIDEO URL: http://www.youtube.com/cosidatube
Also, via
ASAP Sports, CoSIDA's Offical Instant Transcript Provider, see full transcript of Fleischer's address
HERE
• Other Special Presenters on "Strategic Communications Day"
•
Bill Hancock (left), BCS Executive Director and Ari Fleischer, discussing "The BCS and You" with moderator Charles Bloom, SEC Associate Commissioner
•
Bonnie Caver, President of Caver Public Relations (Austin, Texas) and a former SID at Ole Miss, presented a powerpoint on "When It Comes to
Reputation, What’s Your Win-Loss Record?" Caver asked her audience, "How are you helping your institution guide reputation - are you winning or are you losing?" She also discussed the changing environment on college campuses and in athletic departments, the basic elements of reputation and how your to-do list has impact.
•
Ben
Porritt, partner and Senior Strategist at Outside Eyes, a strategic communications PR company, spoke on crisis communications. Prior to joining Outside Eyes, Porritt served as the Press Secretary for Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, as Deputy Communication Director for Department of Justice, and Deputy Press Secretary for the 55th Presidential inaugural Committee.
•
Erik Christianson, NCAA Director of Public and Media Relations, held a panel on strategic communications and issues management, using the NCAA national headquarters' own retooling of its Public and Media Relations group and strategies over the last few years. Christianson gave concrete examples of what strategic communications really means and how to do it, as the
NCAA PR staff moved from a reactive, just-answer-the-phones office to a unit focused on strategic communications and issues management. He unveiled the NCAA's strategic communications roadmap, how it was developed, and how that model of communications planning and strategy can be utilized at campuses and conferences regardless of size or resources.
• Following the presentation, CoSIDA members moved into
breakout sessions based on NCAA Division for further discussion of strategic communications, respective to their divisional strategic positioning initiatives.
The Division I Communications Breakout Session was coordinated by
Christianson with an important Q&A session with the membership.
The Division II Breakout Session featured
Mike Racy, NCAA Vice President for Division II; Bob Fortosis (Eckerd), Division II Management Council; Jill Willson, Division Governance; Julie Ruppert, Commissioner, Northeast 10 Conference; Eric Schoh (Wayne State), Vice President for Div. II Athletic Directors Association.
The NCAA DII panel distributed the new DII Strategic Communications Toolkit (see below), a manual and jump drive with DII promotional materials to strengthen the communication of Division II news and values.
DOWNLOAD the DII Strategic Communications Toolkit (PDF- 7.9 MB)
Coordinating the Division III Breakout Session were
Dan Dutcher, NCAA Vice President for Division III; Jo Jo Rinebold, NCAA Managing Director of Brand Strategy and Events; Jennifer Royer, NCAA Associate Director of Public and Media Relations.
• CoSIDA Hall of Fame Gala: Enshrinement of Academic All-America® Hall of Fame and CoSIDA Hall of Fame Classes of 2010
The evening concluded with an emotional and heartfelt dinner and awards ceremony featuring the newest members of the
CoSIDA Hall of Fame and the newest members of the
Academic All-America® Hall of Fame. In addition, the
Dick Enberg Award (to Tom Hansen, Pac 10 Conference) and Lester Jordan Award (to Mike Wolf of Northwestern) - both for outstanding service and contributions to the Academic All-America program and its mission - were presented.
2010 Academic All-America® Hall of Fame release (May 24)
Inductees and honorees (l to r): Tom Hansen (Pac 10), Enberg Award winner; football standouts Dewey Selmon (Oklahoma) and Dr. James Kovach (Kentucky); rowing Olympian Anita DeFrantz (Connecticut College); and basketball standout Adonal Foyle (Colgate).
2010 CoSIDA Hall of Fame Class of 2010 release (May 18)
CoSIDA Hall of Fame inductees: front, L to R: former CoSIDA president Max Corbet (Boise State); CoSIDA’s Director of External Affairs Barb Kowal (Texas/Connecticut); Dave Kellogg (Air Force). Standing, L to R: Carol Hudson (Old Dominion), Roger Crosley (Emerson College); and Larry Happel (Central College).