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November Professional Development Meeting
November 19, 2021 @ 11:30 am - 1:00 pm
A candid look at COVID communications from the lens of those in the trenches
Friday, Nov. 19 | 11:30 a.m. Networking | noon – 1 p.m. Presentation
The Ocala Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association will hold its monthly professional development meeting in-person at the College of Central Florida, 3001 SW College Road, in Ocala on Friday, Nov. 19, from noon-1 p.m., with networking starting at 11:30 a.m. A virtual option is not available.
How do you share information with the public during a pandemic when the rules change day by day? What do you face when dealing with life-saving information in the midst of medical mysteries? How do you maintain control and provide accurate, timely information important to the masses when the world is going crazy?
Gain insight into these questions – and ask your own questions – during this panel presentation, as a trio of experts guide us through how they continue to manage the crisis.
The panelists include:
Lauren Debick, APR, is the community engagement director for Marion County Public Schools, and she served as the marketing and public relations director for a major healthcare system in Marion County.
Lauren is passionate about community involvement through her service in professional organizations and volunteering. She is currently a board member for United Way of Marion County and Girl Scouts of West Central Florida – and serves on the Marion County Litter Task Force. She also currently serves as the accreditation and professional development seminar chair for the Ocala Chapter, and she was president of the chapter in 2018.
She earned her undergraduate degree in communication arts at Gannon University in Erie, Penn., and her master’s degree in marketing and public relations from the University of Denver in 2017. Lauren is also a certified life coach and the creator and host of the Graceful Confidence podcast.
Ashley Jeffrey, senior manager of media communications for AdventHealth West Florida Division, manages strategic communications for the health system’s 11 hospitals. This includes two of the largest in the AdventHealth network, AdventHealth Ocala and the flagship hospital, AdventHealth Tampa. She managed local, state and national news for AdventHealth during the pandemic and supported internal communications needs.
Ashley previously served as communications and marketing manager for Hillsborough Community College and has more than a decade of experience as a reporter for WRDW/CBS in Augusta, Ga., and Spectrum Bay News 9 in Tampa.
She has a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism from the University of South Carolina.
Christy Jergens, APR, is the community health director for the Florida Department of Health in Marion County. She oversees the department’s dental, health education, mobile health unit and school health programs, Marion’s Overdose Data to Action grant and the department’s age-friendly public health system efforts. She previously served as public information officer and led the department’s communication efforts on the COVID-19 pandemic. Jergens has more than 15 years of public sector experience and has worked in county and state government. Throughout her career, she has sought to strategically help organizations make positive change in the community and improve the day-to-day lives of county residents.
Jergens received her Bachelor of Science in Journalism degree with a major in public relations and a minor in Spanish from Ohio University. She is currently working on completing a master’s degree in healthcare administration through the University of West Florida.
The cost to attend the in-person meeting is $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers. The reservation deadline is Monday, Nov. 15. Please RSVP below.
About the Monthly Program
The FPRA Ocala Chapter’s monthly professional development meeting that includes lunch is held on the third Friday of each month from August through April either virually or at the College of Central Florida – Ewers Century Center, 3003 SW College Road, Ocala, FL 34474. From May through July, the chapter meets on the third Thursday of each month at the same location (due to the College of Central Florida’s summer schedule).
Networking takes place from 11:30-11:55 a.m., and the one-hour program begins promptly at noon. RSVPs cannot be guaranteed without payment.
If you have already prepaid annually or quarterly for the professional development meetings, RSVP by emailing Kristina Donohue at [email protected] to reserve your seat.
To prepay online and save time when checking in at the meeting, RSVP by using your PayPal account or credit card to pay for your seat.