2009-2010

JUNE MEETING: Tues., June 15, 2010
"Inside the Corporate Mind: How to Ask for and Increase Non-Profit Sponsorship Dollars” 

In the non-profit sector, asking for money and support is a given.  However, if you dread asking for money, this was a great program to boost your attitude.  Carol Wheeler of Stormont-Vail HealthCare gave us some great tips to help increase your sponsorship dollars, how to approach corporations for sponsorships, how to package your request to get it noticed, and how to follow-up.  This program was back by popular demand and was enjoyed by new attendees the second time.

Carol Wheeler serves as vice president and Professional Services Officer for Stormont-Vail.  She has been employed by Stormont-Vail for 41 years in several clinical and non-clinical positions.  She is a fellow in the American College of HealthCare Executives, past President of the Kansas Forum for Women Healthcare Executives, a member of Kansas Association for Healthcare Executives and serves in several volunteer capacities in the community including Past President of the Rotary Club of Topeka, President of the YWCA, and past board member for the American Red Cross.    Wheeler received a diploma in nursing from Stormont-Vail School of Nursing, a Bachelors of Science in Nursing from Washburn University and certificate in Hospital Administration from the University of Minnesota.

MAY MEETING: Tues., May 18, 2010
“Members Only After Hours” 

We held our first-ever Members Only Appreciation Event on May 18.  Our organization won't be such a great organization without our diverse membership, so it was time to honor all of them!  Members got to enjoy a wine and cheese tasting complete with an explanation of how the two complimented each other.  Along with the wine and cheese, current and past members of AWC honored fellow AWC members with the Topeka AWC annual membership awards and members took advantage of the great event to network and get to know each other even better.  Everyone had a great time.  For more information on the award winners, click here.

APRIL MEETING: Tues., April 20, 2010
“Thinking Big in Topeka” 

Brandon and Alissa Sheley came and talked to our group about how to "Think Big in Topeka."  They discussed the story behind Think Big Topeka, how it was formed, how it evolved, and where it is going.  They also discussed the Google Fiber Experiment, which is the reason Think Big Topeka was started.  The grassroots marketing strategy used by Think Big Topeka has been very successful, so our communications professionals learned a lot about how to Think Big and see what happens.  (And we learned more about the Topeka community and what can be accomplished if we work together.)

MARCH MEETING: Tues., March 30, 2010
“Topeka AWC Headliner Awards” 

We didn't have our regular March meeting due to the Topeka AWC Headliner Awards Banquet.  For complete information and photos from the Headliner Awards Luncheon, click here. 

FEBRUARY MEETING: Tues., February 16, 2010
“Effective Business Networking Skills” 

Have you ever felt anxious at an after hours or wine and cheese event?  Are you unsure about how to approach your fellow business people or the best way to introduce yourself?  Carlos Gomez, president and CEO of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City, came and taught us some great networking skills.  How to remember who you met, how to approach someone, how many people you should meet at an event, and who is the most important person to meet, were all issues that Carlos talked about.  (And he didn't leave without everyone in the room getting his business card.)  This event helped us all feel a little more comfortable networking with each other and taught us skills to use at other networking opportunities.

JANUARY MEETING: Tues., January 19, 2010
“How to Ask for a Raise” 

Diana Ramirez, owner of Express Employment Services, talked to our group about marketing yourself and how to ask for a raise.  She answered questions about how to ask for a raise in these tough economic times and how to present the idea to your supervisor.  We learned some great tips about communicating with our supervisors regarding compensation for the work we do.

DECEMBER MEETING: Tues., December 15, 2009
“Holiday Party, Networking, and AWC Centennial Video” 

As 2009 came to a close, we wrapped up the year with our annual holiday networking event. As a special treat, we were able to view the Association of Women in Communication's Centennial video. We had a chance to learn about the foundation this truly remarkable organization was built on, how it has evolved in 100 years, and where it can take us in the next 100!

NOVEMBER MEETING: Tues., November 17, 2009
“Enhancing Your Toolbox with Social Media”

For this relevant topic, we had a panel of speakers that included: Jim Ogle, WIBW-TV; Josh Mabry, WIBW-TV; Alissa Sheley, Jones Huyett Partners; and Karl Fundenberger, Mixed Media. The panel answered questions submitted by attendees before the meeting and questions submitted during the meeting. They discussed questions about Facebook, Twitter, and Linked-in regarding various topics including: what types of information to post on each social media, how to use each for your business or personal use, why people use social media, how to promote events using Facebook, the difference between a fam page and a group, and more!

OCTOBER MEETING: Tues., October 20, 2009
“Women in Entrepreneurships: Options Available for Those Wishing to Start Their Own Business”

Cyndi Hermocillo-Legg of the Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce spoke to our group and gave us lots of resources to look through regarding starting your own business. Cyndi is currently the Director of Entrepreneurial and DBE Development for The Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce/ GO Topeka. She comes following years of experience working with TRIO and GEAR UP Federal Programs at Kansas State University and Wichita State University. She also owned and operated a Sears Authorized Dealer Store in Southwest Kansas. Her past experience as a owner and operator of a small business, Regional Coordinator, Project Coordinator, and Educational Specialist has allowed her to gain diverse experience in educational advisement, small business, corporate, university, unified public schools, and government sectors on a variety of initiatives. She continues to demonstrate a true commitment of servicing her community.

SEPTEMBER MEETING: Tues., September 15, 2009
“Cover Letter Review Session and Membership Drive Kickoff”

The helpful staff at Premier Executive Recruiting offered tips and suggestions to help us stand out from the crowd in front of potential employers with our cover letter. This special after hours event was also the kickoff of our 2009 Membership Drive. If new members join between Sept. 15 and Dec. 4, the $50 application fee is waived. In addition, the national AWC reduced new member dues to $100 in honor of the 100th anniversary of the association. This great event helped members and guests with job hunting tips and tricks. 

AUGUST MEETING: Tues., August 18, 2009
“Creative Marketing for Free”

Andrea Koker, from MB Piland Advertising, shared some great tactics and strategies involving guerilla marketing for small businesses and organizations. She focused on developing your attitude, allies and assets for successfully marketing for free and how she has used these tactics locally with great results. Andrea Koker was a small business owner in Topeka for several years before shifting to a career helping other small businesses with creative marketing. She joined the team at MB Piland, Fat Free Advertising in 2007, bringing with her tremendous enthusiasm to make budget dollars stretch by developing innovative solutions for businesses and organizations. In 2009, she became a founding board member for Chords and Oil, a non-profit arts collective with a progressive vision for Topeka.

JULY MEETING: Tues., July 21, 2009
“The Future of Newspapers”

Jeff Davis, from the Topeka Capital-Journal, explained how the Topeka Capital-Journal created a Newspaper Next team in order to develop ideas about the future for the newspaper in Topeka. He gave us an overview of the Newspaper Next model, how they are using it to develop new information channels, and how Newspaper Next relates to the Topeka market. He also showed us some examples of projects they have completed, and some of their ideas for the future. Jeff explained the underlying strategy of the new projects is to help transform The Capital-Journal from a daily newspaper to a local information connection utility, which is called topeka.net.