If you’re reading this blog, hopefully you’ve realized the importance of the PR Coordinator’s role in your Section or Branch. And maybe you’ve even developed a media protocol that helps your PR Coordinator coordinate the Section or Branch’s contact with the media.

But now that you have the infrastructure in place to work with the media, what do you do when you’re actually contacted by a reporter who needs a spokesperson from your Section or Branch? Good question!

You’ll want to carefully choose someone within your Section or Branch since they’ll be speaking on its behalf. The Section president is a good choice, but the president doesn’t have to be your only option. (And, if you’ve attended a PR University workshop, hopefully you’ve realized the importance of having more than one designated spokesperson!) Perhaps a reporter is calling to talk about your local Report Card. In that case, the chair of your local Report Card Committee would be an excellent spokesperson.

Below are some tips for choosing a spokesperson:

Do not choose a spokesperson who:

• Is uncomfortable publicly commenting on the particular issue with which you are dealing.
• Is not permitted by their employer to give media interviews, even when representing the Section or Branch.
• Has an unpredictable schedule or who is often unreachable due to travel or other work/personal commitments. Reporters are often on tight deadlines and responding to a reporter the day after they call may be too late.

Do choose a spokesperson who:

• Is a high-ranking volunteer within the Section or Branch (Section President, chair of the local Report Card Committee, etc.)
• Is able to easily and clearly explain technical issues to non-technical audiences.

Have you served as a spokesperson for your Section or Branch? Do you have any more tips to add to our list?

Karen Albers
Manager, State Public Relations

Everyone is talking about social media!  From Facebook to You Tube to Twitter, there seems to be no end to the growing number of online communities people can use to share stories and connect with others. We all seem to be linking in to see what’s going on!

What is it about social media that draws us in? Perhaps it’s because we learn through the experiences of others; or perhaps because we are all hungry to connect with others who have the same enthusiasm and passion for common interests.

ASCE Pre-College Outreach is getting off the sidelines and joining in the fun. With volunteers across the country holding educational outreach events, participating in engineering competitions, attending career fairs, mentoring youth and visiting classrooms, social media offers the perfect opportunity for civil engineers to share their experiences and successes in a unique online outreach community center. The time has never been better to share with and learn from others about reaching out to and engaging kids in civil engineering.

Do you have an interest in talking to kids about civil engineering? Then be sure to visit our pre-college outreach community center on the Web. There you can read stories about other champions of outreach around the country and learn new ways to get involved.  You can also participate in our outreach survey by telling us about your outreach experiences. Your feedback can help us provide the programs and services that better support your outreach efforts. Links to ASCE’s Pre-College outreach community on Facebook and The View – ASCE’s Pre-College Outreach Photo Gallery on Flickr - will give you places to look at photos, leave comments and have discussions, all with the purpose of teaching others and learning how to better reach kids with information about the excitement and importance of civil engineering.

And don’t forget about the advantages ASCE’s Pre-College Outreach program’s social media could hold for your Section or Branch. By tuning in, posting stories, following links, learning from others and holding discussions about what is working or what isn’t, you may find the information your Section or Branch needs to make a lasting impact on engineering education in your community.

So get off the sidelines and join in the fun with us. Send us your stories or post your comments, photos, videos, etc. online. Get social!

Leslie Payne
Manager, Pre-College Outreach

We never become who we are or get to where we need to be alone. We all have had a little help along the way.

I mentor at a youth detention center in Washington, D.C. For me, it’s my way of giving back – my way of repaying those who helped keep me away from the myriad of distractions placed before me during my youth.

The mostly teen audience I speak to stumbled along the wrong path, some due to circumstance, others because they didn’t have someone to show them a better way.

I visit once or twice a week. We talk about anything, everything and nothing at all. They probe me about my background, want to know some war stories from my Army days, or simply rag me about my favorite teams not being in the playoffs.

I ask them about how they are bettering themselves while confined, and what their plans are upon release. I also inquire about what they foresee in their futures. To assist me in explaining what I do for a living, I once shared ASCE’s 2009 Report Card for America’s Infrastructure with the group. There were two young adults who were more intrigued by the document than the others. Before I left, they had many insightful questions, much like the reporters who query me at work.

I invited a friend who is a civil engineer to join me for my next visit. Coincidently, she grew up in the same neighborhood as the two young adults who quizzed me the previous week about the Report Card. I linked her up with them and it was as if the light switch was flipped for the two young adults. And my civil engineer friend says she probably got more out of that visit than her inquisitive admirers!

Since that day, each time I visit the detention center, those two youths share with me the ways they think we can improve our infrastructure, how my engineer friend is helping them build a pseudo-Concrete Canoe and their plans to become engineers. I cannot take credit for piquing their interest, but I will beam with pride when I see them perhaps one day becoming one of ASCE’s New Faces of Civil Engineering.

Have you had any experiences mentoring? Does your Section or Branch have a mentoring program?

Anthony Reed
Manager, External Relations

Women engineers are creating bold new solutions to meet some of the world’s greatest challenges. Their excellence and innovation has been captured in ASCE’s publication Changing Our World: True Stories of Women Engineers and ASCE continues to recognize their notable accomplishments as civil engineers and industry leaders.

But did you know that many women civil engineers are change agents on college and university campuses around the world? Many of these women are highly skilled practitioners and faculty members, scholars and administrators. Their research is making a significant contribution to the understanding of issues related to the civil engineering profession and to the advancement of women in industry and academia. Many are also spearheading successful women in engineering and diversity programs as well as pre-college outreach programs that inspire girls’ interest and pursuit of civil engineering. Their dedication to outreach is pivotal to the recruitment, retention and development of women interested in civil engineering. Many are effective advocates for creating a positive climate and culture for women in engineering, which has helped shape the perception of civil engineering into a profession that is empowering, rewarding and exciting!

What an exciting time for women civil engineers in academic leadership. They are literally transforming the culture of engineering education! What’s more, many of these women are ASCE members! Members whose enterprising spirits and notable accomplishments are tremendous! Their academic leadership has made it possible for students - male and female - to excel in their studies. And their professional mentorship has enhanced opportunities for their peers to advance in engineering as academic leaders.

Take this opportunity to celebrate women’s academic leadership. Do you know a woman civil engineer who’s also an academician? If so, celebrate her achievements in this blog. You could also spotlight her achievements in your Section/Branch newsletter or Web site. If you don’t know a woman engineer who’s also an academician, ask around within your Section or Branch. You could also contact your local college or university’s school of engineering and ask for their support. If you’re still having trouble, contact diversity@asce.org for assistance.

If you’re a woman civil engineer and academician, don’t wait to be nominated or promoted. Promote yourself! As our current President, Wayne Klotz, has said repeatedly, civil engineers are not self-promoters. We need to change that and here’s your chance. Promote yourself and the contributions your work is making to the civil engineering profession and/or to your campus community. Start now. Click the response key below and start typing. If you submit nothing more than your name, institutional affiliation and professional title, make the first move and start the ball rolling for women engineering academicians!

Lisa J. Jennings
Senior Manager, Diversity and Pre-College Outreach

You’ll give your e-newsletter a boost simply by writing more in the second person!

The “you’ll” and “your” in that sentence might have stood out after reading what the subject was - but not before feeling the tug of the personal touch that use of the second person, the sound of speaking directly to you, creates. That feeling can lend some insight into why and how writing in the second person can benefit e-newsletters and other communications.

Here are some reasons why “you” will benefit:

• You’ll find yourself writing more conversationally. If it feels right to use a contraction, do it. Sentences that are more to-the-point also should flow more naturally. Adjacent third-person writing also benefits.
• It’s well suited for items that are calls to action. Frequently the second person in this case is an understood “you” — Act now! Register today!  But beware of sounding obnoxious through excessive use; it can feel like shouting, especially in headlines.
• Common use of the second person in an e-newsletter helps give it a voice, setting a friendly tone that encourages readers to read it through, and to click through and read more or take action where called on.

Naturally, not every subject lends itself to second-person voice; most news-oriented items or other serious, sensitive subjects should avoid it, unless handled delicately. Most often, though, the kinds of subjects covered in e-newsletters and similar communiqués are light enough that a second-person conversational approach, used judiciously, can really work to your advantage. Try it today!

John Marston
Editor, Web Content