Communications Symposium
2025 PRSA Charlotte Communications Symposium
April 22, 2025
We're proud to announce the return of the PRSA Charlotte Annual Symposium, a half-day conference dedicated to exploring the cutting edge of public relations. Scheduled for the morning of April 22, this event promises to immerse attendees in the current trends and challenges within the PR industry. Our agenda is carefully crafted to cover a range of pivotal topics, including artificial intelligence, issues management, and integrated communications, among others.
When: Tuesday, April 22
Registration 7:45 - 8:15 a.m.
Keynote: 8:20 a.m.
Where: UNC Charlotte Dubois Center
Sponsors
We are excited to announce Lauren Solomon, who serves as the National Sales Director of Stanley 1913, as our keynote speaker for the upcoming PRSA Charlotte Annual Symposium.
During her keynote address, Power of Perspective, Solomon will take you through her career journey, sharing the key moments that led to her success with Stanley 1913. She will highlight how embracing diverse perspectives can transform organizations, drive innovation and create new opportunities. You'll hear why advocating for yourself and your ideas is not just about personal growth--it's a critical factor for business success. Through real-world examples, you will learn how unique viewpoints and confident self-advocacy can lead to meaningful impact, inspiring you to bring your own voice and perspective into any professional setting.
Breakouts
- The Certain Uncertainty of DEI Communications - The discourse surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) has increasingly become subject to intense scrutiny, legal challenges, and public debate. As a result, professional communicators and senior executives face significant fear and uncertainty regarding appropriate strategies for addressing DEI with internal and external constituents. In this session, Dr. Lindsey will examine the pivotal role that communication practitioners play in shaping and articulating an organization's DEI stance. She will provide strategic insights and practical approaches to ensure that organizations and their leaders mitigate the risks associated with silence, communicate authentic commitments, and counteract potential misconceptions surrounding their DEI initiatives.
Dr. Karen Lindsey is a scholar, author, speaker, and public relations consultant, currently serving as a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Strategic Communications at Elon University in North Carolina. As founder of Lindsey Consulting Group, she continues to provide strategic counsel to corporate executives, university presidents, and leadership teams on alignment of internal and external communications, crisis communication preparedness, and the advancement of inclusive leadership and communication practices. A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Dr. Lindsey holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Communication from the University of Wisconsin, a Master of Science degree in Corporate Communication, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Azusa Pacific University. With a distinguished career spanning 25 years, Dr. Lindsey taught strategic communications at Texas Christian University and has held executive and senior-level positions in corporate communications, media relations, and marketing. Prior to entering academia, she served as a Vice President in the Dallas, Texas office of Edelman Public Relations. Her professional trajectory includes roles at the Chicago Tribune, U.S. Bank, Northwestern Mutual, and Wisconsin Gas (now W.E. Energies). In addition, she has provided leadership communication consulting for the U.S. Army and the U.S. Department of Defense, completing assignments in Washington, D.C., and Germany.
Dr. Lindsey's scholarship is centered on Black women in leadership and inclusive strategic communications. She is the co-author of DEI in Strategic Communications, an academic textbook published in 2024. The book has quickly become a foundational text in marketing, public relations, and strategic communication curricula. As a leadership teaching fellow and committed member of PRSA, NABJ, and AEJMC, she served as an instructor for PRSA Charlotte Chapter's APR Bootcamp in 2024. Her forthcoming book, which examines the leadership experiences of Black women in public relations, is slated for publication in 2026.
Her academic and professional endeavors are guided by the conviction that effective leadership and inclusive communication are predicated upon active listening, embodying core values, authenticity, and establishing trust.
- Amplify Your Brand: Creating, Pitching & Maximizing Your Podcast Strategy - Podcasting is a powerful storytelling tool but are you using it strategically? Join Philip Tate, APR, Fellow PRSA and Robbie Shaw of EVRYBDY Studios at the PRSA Charlotte Communications Symposium for an interactive session on how PR pros can create compelling podcasts, successfully pitch themselves or their clients to other shows, and avoid misleading podcast placement services. Learn how podcasts fit into your integrated marketing communications mix and walk away with actionable insights to amplify your brand's voice.
Philip Tate, APR, Fellow PRSA, is a strategic communicator with 35+ years of experience in PR, marketing, and brand building. As president of Philip Tate Strategic Communications, he has helped organizations craft compelling narratives and achieve business objectives through integrated marketing strategies. Philip brings unique insights into how PR pros can leverage podcasting as a powerful storytelling and credibility-building tool, having authored his first blog post on podcasting 12 years ago. Today, podcasts serve as the soundtrack in his office and he has successfully pitched clients to podcasts and witnessed the evolution of podcasting since starting his communications consultancy in 2020.
- 5D PR: Your Ultimate Blueprint for AI-Powered Communications & Brand Leadership - PR is evolving at breakneck speed--are you keeping up? AI is shaking up the media landscape, audience expectations are shifting, and traditional PR tactics aren't enough anymore. To thrive, you need more than just tools--you need a strategy that fuses innovation with authenticity to create real impact. Join Barbara Rozgonyi, a digital pioneer, PR disruptor, and Top 100 Speaker to Watch in 2025, for an engaging, hands-on session that will show you how to reimagine PR in the age of AI--without losing the power of human connection. In this interactive session, you'll explore:
- How AI can enhance (not replace) your PR strategy and storytelling
- Why mastering messaging is your superpower in an AI-driven world
- The key to crisis readiness--so you stay ahead, not just react
- Ways to measure PR's impact with clear, actionable data
- How to amplify your Distinctive Voice to cut through digital noise
- From Boring to Targeted: Transform Your Pitches - Need a fresh way to look at the same ol' pitches? Having a hard time identifying what to pitch in this media climate? The PR "grind" often depresses the very creativity we need to see the connections between our work and successful placements. This interactive brainstorming session uses a visual concept called "branching" to overlay trends, seasonality and news hooks relevant to your industry. You'll walk away with a new process you can use for any media strategy... and tips on creating compelling email subject lines, too. Bring a notebook, pen and a charged phone.
- Marketing & PR Are Besties: Building Stronger Partnerships for Better Campaign - In today's fast-paced media landscape, PR and marketing can no longer operate in silos--true success comes when these two disciplines work as best friends, not distant cousins. This session will explore how PR professionals can foster stronger relationships with their marketing counterparts to build fully integrated campaigns that amplify impact. When PR and marketing are in sync, everyone wins. PR professionals will want to attend this session because the lines between PR and marketing are blurrier than ever, and success depends on collaboration. This session will provide actionable strategies to break down silos, align messaging, and create integrated campaigns that drive real results. Attendees will gain insights into how PR can work hand-in-hand with marketing to amplify their efforts, secure bigger wins, and prove their value in a rapidly evolving landscape. This session will equip you with the tools to turn marketing into your strongest ally.
- Crisis: Beyond Corporate Communications - This panel discussion will be led by Charlotte's deepest and most experienced crisis experts. During this discussion we'll cover how to ensure you are prepared before a crisis ever occurs. Understand what processes and leadership must be in place in order to effectively fight a crisis. Learn how to ensure your leadership agrees upon your key risks and how to build the systems you need to lead and respond. We'll also discuss how to assess and audit your current state of readiness.
Chris Ahearn is a results-driven communications professional with more than 30 years' experience in corporate communications and reputation management. Chris has led communications, public affairs and philanthropy for FORTUNE® 50 retailer Lowe's Companies, Inc., Food Lion, Inc., as well as wholesale distribution and healthcare organizations. Chris's strategic communication counsel to senior executives and boards of directors has helped launch and deliver on opportunities ranging from merger integrations and shareholder communication to culture-shifting, transformational change initiatives. Most recently, Chris served as CEO of Our Towns Habitat for Humanity. Chris has been front and center on issues from product recalls to corporate reorganizations, including executive leadership changes and reductions in force. Her battle-tested experience goes far beyond counsel. She has stood on the front lines of both crisis and opportunitymanaging a 24/7 news cycle for Food Lion on the steps of a Federal courthouse and representing the company on a 90-minute Nightline broadcast opposite renowned journalist Diane Sawyer. Chris co-chaired Lowe's Crisis Response Team and routinely served as a national spokesperson for the company. Chris began her career as a news reporter and anchor. She earned a bachelor's degree in Broadcasting from the University of Florida and an M.B.A. from Oklahoma City University. Chris has been recognized as a University of Florida Alumna of Distinction and as a Women in Business Achievement Award winner. She serves the community as a member of the Women's Impact Fund, North Mecklenburg Rotary Club, Davidson College Presbyterian Church and is on the Board of Advisors of the Davidson Community Foundation.
- Bringing Sports & Entertainment to Life in Large Venues - Effective communications for large venue events are vital to success. Hear from communications experts at Tepper Sports and the Charlotte Sports Foundation as they discuss the unique opportunities to reach a wide audience and manage complex operations.
Sarah Clark is a strategic communications leader with a proven track record of driving high-impact campaigns across sports, entertainment, healthcare, and the nonprofit sector. She specializes in building strong media and industry relationships, crafting compelling messaging, managing crisis communications, and executing strategies that engage key audiences and stakeholders.
In 2023, Sarah joined Tepper Sports & Entertainment (TSE)--home to the NFL's Carolina Panthers, MLS' Charlotte FC, and Bank of America Stadium--as Senior Director of Corporate Communications. In her role, Sarah leads internal and external communications including executive visibility initiatives, community impact storytelling, business communications, media and speaker training, and employee communications. Most recently, she contributed to the successful $800 million Bank of America Stadium renovation project, a public-private partnership between the City of Charlotte and TSE.
Before joining TSE, Sarah spent 20 years in the nonprofit sector with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The NASCAR Foundation and the Alzheimer's Association. At St. Jude, she led communications for the $200 million Inspiration4 fundraising campaign, which was part of the historic first all-civilian mission to orbit. Sarah also drove the organization's overarching social media strategy and oversaw communications for the $100 million Thanks and Giving campaign featuring more than 70 corporate partners and a star-studded lineup of celebrities. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Arts from Queens University of Charlotte, where she served as a three-year captain on the basketball team, and a Master of Arts from Wake Forest University. Originally from Berea, KY, she now lives in Charlotte with her husband, Ellick, and their son, Samuel.
Woody Wilder is the Director of Communication for Charlotte FC and oversees the soccer and business communication strategy across all Club properties including First Team, MLS NEXT Pro and Academy. He has a decade of sports industry experience working across various media, communications, and public relations roles at industry leaders like the National Football League, City Football Group and Tepper Sports & Entertainment.
Miller Yoho is the Director of Communications and Marketing at the Charlotte Sports Foundation where his role ranges from media relations to brand management. His most notable work has been for the organization's major events including the Duke's Mayo Bowl, Jumpman Invitational presented by Novant Health, Ally Tipoff and other high caliber sporting events that drive economic impact for Charlotte. Miller has also served in roles at Luquire, Littlefield Co, Queens University of Charlotte and owned his own social media content business.
