District 6780 - Communications Committees

Our District's Public Relations Committee is a significant part of our effort to raise awareness and visibility for Rotary and its work in the world and in our communities. Click here for more information on Rotary International's view of this important effort and to learn more about the outstanding multimedia materials available free of charge for use by Rotary clubs.

In 2009, District PR Committee Chair Karen Bridgeman of Oak Ridge Breakfast Rotary Club began looking for assistance from Rotarians in our District, particularly from those with experience and/or interest in promotion, marketing, and communications.

In addition, she sought contact information for the people responsible
for public relations in each of our District's 65 clubs (check the list below
and contact us to provide information for your club).

Watch this space for information on the continuing PR efforts, led in 2010-11 by Brooks Clark of the Rotary Club of Knoxville.

ALL of the information on the Rotary International website is available for use by Rotary clubs to promote their efforts (cutting and pasting encouraged!).

Click here to see a list of newsletters produced regularly on a number of topics – you can view them online or have them sent to you via email (click here to go directly to the page where you can sign up for the bi-weekly PR tips).

Our district won a major Public Relations Grant from Rotary International for the 2008-09 and 2009-10 Rotary years. We were awarded the maximum amount -- $10,000 -- for a campaign that will use RI's Humanity in Motion materials in local media in the weeks before and after World Rotary Day to capitalize on RI's expenditures and efforts in that same timeframe.

Click here to see a Microsoft Word document that details our 2008-09 proposal (the 2009-10 proposal was very similar). The District effort included:

Paid newspaper advertising in local newspapers across the district through the network established by the Tennessee Press Association (TPA).
Press releases in local newspapers through the TPA network.
"Earned media" - news stories - additional coverage as clubs can be persuaded to submit information to and/or work with newspapers in their communities to cover special activities.
Paid advertising and public service announcements:
- in the Knoxville and Chattanooga metropolitan areas where coverage extends far beyond those cities' geographic boundaries.
- on network television stations (WATE in Knoxville and WRCB in Chattanooga), National Public Radio stations (WUOT in Knoxville and WUTC in Chattanooga), and billboards (Lamar Advertising in Knoxville and LaFoy Outdoor Advertising in Chattanooga)

If you are a club-level PR coordinator or interested in helping with this effort in your community, we have more information about the project and specific ways YOUR club can participate.

The successful proposal was made possible with considerable assistance from Zone PR Coordinator Townes Osborne of the Knoxville Rotary Club, who has coordinated this effort for our District in years past and who laid an amazing foundation with area media.

In addition, support provided by members of the Chattanooga Rotary Club – Scott LaFoy of LaFoy Outdoor Advertising, Tom Griscom of the Chattanooga Times Free Press, and Tom Tolar of WRCB-TV – was invaluable.

Click here for more information on the RI PR Grant program on the RI website.

Click here to order a free CD of RI's Humanity in Motion materials for your club's use.

PR CONTACTS/COORDINATORS - ALPHABETICAL BY CLUB

LAST UPDATED 1/22/09

A • B • C • D • E • F • G • H • I • J • K • L • M • N • O • P • Q • R • S • T • U • V • W • X • Y • Z

ROTARY CLUB PR Contact/Coordinator

A

Alcoa

B

Bradley Sunrise Cheryl Dunson

C

Carthage

Chattanooga

Cleveland

Clinton

Cookeville

Cookeville Breakfast Steve Phillips and Ben Marsee

Crossville

Crossville Breakfast

D                               (top of page)

Dayton

E

Etowah

F

Fairfield Glade

Farragut

Fayetteville
Jerry McNeal

Franklin County

G

Gatlinburg

Grundy County

H                               (top of page)

Hamilton Place

Harriman

Hartsville Jerry Richmond

J

Jamestown

Jefferson City

K

Kingston

Knoxville

Knoxville Breakfast

Knoxville Volunteer

L                               (top of page)

Lafayette Truett Langston

Lebanon

Lebanon Breakfast

Lenoir City

Livingston Mark Peek

Loudon

M

Manchester

Maryville JeffreyEberting

McMinnville

McMinnville Breakfast David Snowden

Monteagle

Morristown

Morristown AM

Mt. Juliet

Mt. Juliet Noon

N                               (top of page)

North Knoxville

North River

O

Oak Ridge Marilyn McLaughlin

Oak Ridge Breakfast Courtney Henry

Oak Ridge Sunset Bruce Easley

P

Pigeon Forge

R

Rockwood

Rogersville Philip Beal

S                               (top of page)

Sevierville

Sevierville Sunrise Ranee King

Seymour Breakfast

Shelbyville Jim Allison

Shelbyville Breakfast

Smithville

South Campbell County

South Knoxville

South Pittsburg

Sparta

T                               (top of page)

Tellico Lake Dave Hudgens

Tullahoma Noon Stan McNabb

Tullahoma Sunrise

W

West Knoxville

Winchester