The Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit - a co-production of Potomac Tech Wire and Capitol Communicator, two of the leading newsletters covering the area’s technology, marketing and communications communities - is set for April 20 at the state-of-the-art Gannett Headquarters in McLean, VA.

This daylong "must attend" marketing and communications event,

Martha Boudreau, president, U.S. Mid-Atlantic for Fleishman-Hillard assumes the additional responsibility of general manager of the firm’s DC office. (Before being promoted to head Fleishman Mid-Atlantic, she held the position of GM of the DC office.) The current GM, Bill Pendergast, shifts to a lead counseling role with Fleishman’s largest client, AT&T.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has launched the IAB Advertising Technology Council which, states the IAB, is “a new IAB body to coalesce the burgeoning, but fragmented, advertising technology sector toward the goal of developing technical standards and operating best practices.”  Founded in 1996, the IAB represents the interests of digital publishers, ad networks, online search providers, social media companies, and

RP3 Agency is The Nature Conservancy’s new partner for the creation of a national PSA campaign to promote its “All Hands on Earth” initiative. Bethesda-MD based RP3 was chosen following a competitive review initiated by the Conservancy in November 2011 to source and select a creative agency.

The Nature Conservancy’s “All Hands on Earth” effort aims to

The departure of Jim Asendio as news director at WAMU radio raised an interesting question about a “firewall” between the station’s news department and the station’s major donors. According to Erik Wemple in washingtonpost.com, “Asendio leveled some pretty heavy charges at his former employer, WAMU radio, as he went out the door.

Stratacomm has been selected as public relations agency of record for Nissan North America. After a competitive bid process, the agency was chosen to provide strategic counsel and a comprehensive array of communications services in support of the company’s U.S.-based initiatives. Key areas of focus include media relations, thought leadership, event and program management to help advance consumer awareness and preference for the Nissan brand across the U.S.

West Glen Communications has launched its fourth annual “Give Back” campaign, aimed at offering nonprofits a free satellite feed of their television public service announcement (PSA).  WestGlen started the “Give Back” in 2009 when it recognized the challenges faced by nonprofits, which include, for many, decreasing resources and an increasing need for donor visibility in a crowded media environment

Shashi Bellamkonda of Network Solutions is one of the 2012 honorees in the Washington Business Journal’s 5th Annual Minority Business Leader Awards. Presentation of the awards, which honor the entrepreneurial drive, creativity and success of the honorees, will take place Friday, March 16, at The Capital Hilton. Bellamkonda, joined Network Solutions in Dec. 2007 and is the organization’s “Social Media Swami”

RP3 Agency welcomes Colleen Layman and Kaleena Porter ... and Susan Davis International and  Widmeyer Communications each announce five promotions.

If you are a young communications professional, consider entering the Young Lions competition, an international event that offers the opportunity for young creative talent from the United States to gain worldwide exposure. This year, four teams – print, cyber, film and media – will be selected to represent the U.S. at the 2012 International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France, June 17 – 23, 2012.

Danny Selnick, co-chair of PRSA-NCC's Professional Development Committee, member of the Communications and Luncheon Speakers committees at the National Press Club, and Business Wire's vice president for The Public Policy and LatinoWire services, also is a magician who travels great distances to see a great magic show. In fact, he just came back from Bogota, Colombia, where he attended "Intermagic 2012."

Allison+Partners announced that Trudi Boyd has been named general manager of its D.C. office ... Prism Public Affairs announced the appointment of Kirk Monroe to the position of executive vice president ... DPR Group promoted Kristina Negas to account executive ... Columbia-based ADG Creative adds Sam Borowy as art director and Jennifer Atwood as executive administrative assistant ...and, Owings Mills/Columbia-based Bonnie Heneson Communications hired Amanda Garman as graphic designer.

Washington Women in Public Relations is partnering with DC based non-profit Rock Recovery to screen the award-winning documentary, Miss Representation. The fundraising event will be held March 1, and includes a networking reception at 6:00 p.m., followed by the screening at 7:30 p.m. at the NRECA Conference Center in Arlington.

Mark Burdett has been named president and general manager at WUSA-TV. Burdett formerly was vice president of corporate sales and development for the Baltimore Ravens and, earlier, senior director of partnerships and development for the NFL team. Burdett succeeds Allan Horlick who announced his retirement in November.

The American Beverage Association hired DC-based APCO Worldwide to provide PR support ... and the agency has acquired Strawberry Frog LLC, a small, privately owned New York-based ad agency.

By Debbie Friez, BurrellesLuce

When dealing with a crisis, public relations professionals need to have a seat at the table and not let lawyers close the lines of communication. Kevin Byrne, Baltimore Ravens, made this point along with reviewing the entire issue and keeping the lines of communi Read More »

About two dozen senior-level communicators attended a CMO roundtable at RIS on Monday evening. Attendees at the event, cosponsored by AMADC and Capitol Communicator, ran the gamut from Alex Orfinger, publisher of the Washington Business Journal, to Rich Handloff, director of consumer marketing at The Washington Post; and from

Michael Waxman joined FENTON as a senior vice president ... At MSLGroup, Nancy Glick becomes interim North American director of healthcare ... Lauren Lawson-Zilai has been promoted to PR director at Goodwill Industries International ... and, Cheryl Vosburg joined MSBD as vice president.

By Sean Follin

Imagine this. You are a large airline with thousands of flights daily. One particular flight carries a rather well-known musician from Halifax to Nebraska, by way of Chicago. As he leans back in his seat, the passenger behind him comments on the mishandling of musical instruments on the tarmac below. As he stares out the window in terror, he is frozen, knowing that there is Read More »

Social media strategist Peter Corbett joined News4’s Angie Goff to talk about Social Media Week DC, which runs through Feb. 17. Corbett shared some tips for growing your facebook fans, twitter followers and presence online, specifically:

Two area communicators authored books you might find of interest: John Adams, president of John Adams Associates and founding chairman of the Worldcom Public Relations Group, published his memoirs, “In the Trenches: Adventures in Journalism and Public Affairs”; and Donna Vincent Roa, managing partner of Vincent Roa Group, published "The Ultimate To Do List When Your Loved One Dies: Before & After the Funeral,”

AAF Baltimore is holding a sales tax workshop, Thursday, Feb. 23,  to discuss a new tax that the organization states could "cripple” Maryland ad agencies. According to a release from the organization, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley has proposed a new sales and use ("sales tax") tax on "digital products."

In an announcement today to the Washington Post newsroom staff, employees were told: “Today, we are announcing that we will offer a voluntary buyout to some Newsroom employees. Our objective is a limited staff reduction that won’t affect the quality, ambition or authority of our journalism. We believe this is possible, given the changes in how we work and the great successes we have had building our digital readership lately.

Howard Opinsky joins Hill+Knowlton Strategies as general manager and executive VP of the D.C. office. He replaces Michael Kehs, who left last January. Duncan Burns has served as interim general manager for the past year, reports Kevin McCauley in O’Dwyer’s.

MDB Communications has launched the DC Lottery's  “Chances” Campaign. According to Richard Coad, Chief Creative Officer at MDB, “This campaign is about taking chances. The beauty of. And the need for. Humans take chances to move forward, to feel good, to fight boredom, to fulfill dreams.”

Cruise Lines International Association reports that Michael J. McGarry has joined the organization as senior vice president of public affairs ... Juliet Glassroth has been named senior vice president at Spectrum ... Washington Nationals media relations manager Bill Gluvna resigned to take a marketing and public relations position... and, Melissa James has been promoted to regional sales manager for Business Wire.

Brunet-García Advertising, Inc., a Jacksonville-based multicultural advertising and public relations agency, has opened a D.C. office ... New York-based DKC Public Relations, Marketing & Government Affairs announced that it has expanded its geographic footprint by adding offices in D.C., LA and Chicago ... and, DPR Group reported that Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey has selected the firm to provide strategic public relations services.

Join the DC Ad Club on March 15 to honor the best creative in Washington, DC, at the 2012 ADDY Awards Gala. The event features the gallery of finalists, pre- and post-show reception and networking, and the announcement of Gold and Silver ADDY winners. Here are the event details:

Video is becoming an increasingly significant, and profitable, part of the digital content offered by The Washington Post and other news sites, states a Post report, and you will be seeing more in 2012 and beyond.

According to the report by Patrick B. Pexton, “The Post won’t be a full-service TV station, at least not for now, but a well-equipped video-production suite already sits adjacent to the main Post newsroom, and the department is hiring more video journalists and producers in the coming weeks and months.”

The D.C. Office of Motion Picture and Television Development has named Eduardo López, producer of the award-wining Spanish-language television program "Línea Directa," as its February 2012 Filmmaker of the Month.

According to a release, López co-founded the nonprofit organization, EVS Communications, with Arturo Salcedo Martínez in 1994 as the culmination of their groundbreaking work in the D.C. Mayor‘s Office on Latino Affairs, where they created "Línea Directa."