Online Portfolio

Amanda Daubner
Email: [email protected]

Table of Contents

I. Resume II. Business Letter III. Letterhead IV. News Releases V. Personality Profile VI. Advertising Project VII. Speech VIII. Executive Summaries IX. Social Media

AMANDA DAUBNER
3455 Country Walk, Dr. Port Orange, FL 32129 Home: (850) 776-7471 Email: [email protected] Online Portfolio: http://www.scribd.com/amanda_daubner
EDUCATION Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations December 2011 University of West Florida Pensacola, FL Major: Public Relations Overall GPA: 3.89 Daytona State College Achievements: RELATED COURSE WORK Deans List at Daytona State College Fall 2006, Spring 2009 Deans List at University of West Florida Fall 2009, Spring 2010 Presidents List at University of West Florida Fall, 2010 Minor: Child Welfare 2006-2009

Writing for Public Relations Integrated Communication Management Integrated Communication Research Public Relations Issues and Trends Media Relations

COMPUTER SKILLS Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet research, and social media: Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr. EXPERIENCE Junior camp counselor/volunteer Summer 2008 South Daytona, FL Helping to oversee and organize activities and games for elementary school aged children. Child caretaker/volunteer Spring 2008 Redirecting Childrens Behavior of Daytona Beach Planning and overseeing age-appropriate activities for previously homeless children. Marketing/Public Relations Intern May-August 2011 Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northwest Florida Created and maintained an Excel media contact list. Communicated with local, state, and regional businesses to gain support for the organization. Aided in the planning and execution of the organizations events.

October 7, 2009

Mr. I.M. Smart 123 School Street Gulf Coast, FL 33333

Gulf Coast County School District

Dr. U. R. Smarter State Commissioner of Education 456 Capital Rd. Tallahassee, FL 44444 Dear Dr. Smarter, The Gulf Coast County School District has decided to participate in the National School Lunch Program. As a district we feel that our schools, and more importantly the students we teach, will greatly benefit from the program. The schools within the Gulf Coast County District pride themselves on offering the best possible education to every one of our students, and as a district we believe a healthy diet is essential in helping to further a childs education. Thank you for your time, commissioner.

Sincerely,

Mr. I.M. Smarter, Superintendent of Gulf Coast County

Local Contact: Amanda Daubner, (850) 776-7471, [email protected] National Contact: Florida Public Relations Association 40 Sarasota Center Blvd., Suite 107 Sarasota, FL 34240 Oct. 5, 2009 FPRA Scholarship Winner Announced 30 Seconds If you were a college student in these difficult economic times what would you do if you were awarded five hundred dollars? Well, Amanda Daubner (D-AH-bner) of The University of West Florida is going to get the chance to decide. Daubner will receive the Lt. Col. John W. Dillin FPRA Scholarship worth five hundred dollars today. The scholarship is one of three five hundred dollar scholarships being awarded by the FPRA. The Florida Public Relations Association was founded in 1938 by John W. Dillin, and today serves both professionals and students. Through the equal opportunity association students members, like Daubner, are given as much of a chance to succeed as the professionals.

News Release

Contact: Amanda Daubner, Student Telephone: (850) 776-7471 Email: [email protected] Oct. 5, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FPRA Scholarship Winner Announced PENSACOLA, Fla.- Amanda Daubner of The University of West Florida will receive The Lt. Col. John W. Dillin FPRA Scholarship on Oct. 5, 2009. The scholarship is one of three $500 scholarships awarded by the Pensacola Chapter of FPRA. Daubner, a junior at the university said, Its a great honor to win the scholarship, and it will certainly help with my studies. Dillin - the scholarships namesake - founded the Florida Public Relations Association in 1938. As a result, future public relations practitioners like Daubner have the opportunity to further their studies, and become better professionals. -30-

News Release Contact: Amanda Daubner Telephone: (850) 776-7471 Email: [email protected] Nov. 18, 2009 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Emerald Coast Schools Support Honor Flight Pensacola, Fla.- The Emerald Coast School District aids World War II veterans trip to Washington, D.C. on Dec. 7, 2009. Through a series of fundraisers which began in August, Emerald Coast schools have raised more than $ 5,000 in support of six local veterans. In support of the schools efforts district superintendent Dr. I.M. Smart said, Our students have done an amazing job with these fund-raisers. We are proud to be a part of this effort to honor our veterans. The funds will allow all six veterans to join a total of 80 vets from all across the state on an Honor Flight to our Nations Capital. Since May of 2005 the Honor Flight program which is the creation of retired Air Force captain Earl Morse has been flying World War II veterans to Washington, D.C. to view their memorial at absolutely no cost to them.

-30Personality Profile: Michael Dufresne You are 18, youve just graduated high school, where do you go from there? To most teenagers fresh out of high school the logical answer is to either attend a four year college or university, but for Michael Dufresne the answer to that question was a bit different. After taking college classes during his final two years of high school he earned his associate degree as well as his high school diploma and felt he deserved two years of freedom in return. Or as he simply says, I just wasnt ready for college. So with the support of his family he decided he would travel for two years instead. Dufresnes original plan was to backpack through Europe, but after some additional research he realized his budget would only afford him about eight weeks of travel and not two years. So, after some additional budgeting and researching he decided on a program that would allow him to split his time between Australia and New Zealand. Also, without language as a barrier hed be able to work more freely. So, at the age of 18 and with some semblance of a plan in mind, his family saw him off at the Orlando International Airport with a one-way ticket to Sydney, Australia in hand. Over the next two years he would report back to his family from the corners of dark Internet cafes with stories about the people he was meeting and the odd jobs he was working. One odd job was odd in more ways than one, said Dufresne, I worked for New Zealands Department of Forestry and had to kill possums with a hammer. Apparently though New Zealand has no predatory animals they are overrun with possums cute, furry, squirrel-like possums. I didnt like the job much, Dufresne quickly amended after seeing my horror at his description.

Following his return to the United States Dufresne decided to return to college and enrolled as a psychology major at the University of Central Florida. Now at 22- years-old and weeks away from his December graduation, Dufresne has more travel plans. After realizing his goal of backpacking through Europe last summer, he has set his sights on China and its neighboring countries. Im fascinated by Asian culture and the job market looks the most promising, Dufresne explained. With his girlfriend coming along for the trip their plan is to enter Chinas job market as English teachers. My goal is to become fluent in Mandarin, Dufresne added. When asked if he anticipates any differences or similarities between his experiences in Australia and his upcoming experiences in China Dufresne nodded. I think my experiences will be the same in that Ill have to acclimate to a foreign culture. But the Asian culture seems like the polar opposite of most western cultures and thats where the differences will come in. With time for just one final answer Dufresne chose to elaborate on the question about his favorite place. I wondered if maybe China could possibly become that place, to that he just shrugged. Its not the place, he explained, Its the people Ill remember, the people and the things weve done together.

Research What I did: Talked to my roommate, visited the UWF Counseling and Wellness Services website to read about alcohol awareness, took their online e-CHUG alcohol awareness test, visited the college drinking prevention website, and read a study done in 1991 about college drinking. What I learned: I learned that not as many UWF students drink/drink to excess as I would have thought. However, for those that do drink, and those that do drink to excess, I dont believe theyre as aware of some of the serious consequences as they should be. Or, if they are aware, like most people they still believe theyre rather untouchable. They know that consequences exist; they just dont believe they could be affected by them. Also, although the study I read was done nineteen years ago, it still seems relevant based on the information I read about college drinking prevention today. Theres a gap in time between the study and the website, but the consequences they both listed are the same, and many of the behaviors exhibited by students are the same. What it means: Although UWF doesnt seem to have as many students that drink to excess as other schools in the country the consequences are the same, and students need to be more aware of them or take them more seriously than they seem to do now. Sources: UWF Counseling and Wellness Services: http://www.uwf.edu/cws/wellness/alcohol/index.cfm College drinking prevention.gov: http://www.collegedrinkingprevention.gov/StatsSummaries/snapshot.aspx UWF e-CHUG: https://interwork.sdsu.edu/echug2/?id=UWF&hfs=true College drinking games and observed consequences (1991 study): http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_storage_01/0000019b/80/23/d7/5b. pdf Drinking games prove deadly to college kids (msnbc 2008): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25572774/

Alcohol Awareness Creative Brief: Problem to be solved: 64% of UWF students (age 18-24) who drink alcohol report avoiding drinking games. 36% of UWF students (age 18-24) who drink alcohol report participating in drinking games. UWF students who reported participating in drinking games were more than twice as likely to report the following negative consequences: -Physically injuring themselves: forgetting where they were. -Forgetting what they did: having unprotected sex. Who are we talking to? Primary target: The primary target of this advertisement, are the 36% of UWF students (age 18-24) who drink alcohol and report participating in drinking games. This group of students needs to be shown the reality of drinking excessively/ the consequences of participating in drinking games without feeling as though theyre being preached to. They need to see that they are understood and thus become more receptive to advice concerning their habits. Secondary target: The 64% of UWF students (age 18-24) who drink alcohol but report avoiding drinking games. This group of students needs to be shown positive reinforcement (also without being preached to) for avoiding drinking games. Also, if shown the consequences of drinking games it is the hope that theyll see that the consequences dont result just from playing these games, but drinking in general, and theyll take the consequences more seriously as well. What we expect the advertising to accomplish: The advertising is expected to promote awareness of drinking games/drinking to UWF students in a way that makes the consequences of drinking more realistic. The advertisement is thus intended to be more thought provoking than just providing them with statistics seems to be. Key Idea: The consequences of drinking/drinking games arent just something your parental figures/ adults are preaching, theyre real, and if your peers have experienced them so can you.

Why should they believe this? The advertisement is created by a student who lives, studies, socializes, and goes to class with the effected students. Thus they will be better able to relate to the advertisement than they would a set of statistics. Brand Personality: Enthusiastic about promoting awareness, concerned for those involved, realistic with the presentation. Execution Considerations: Remain realistic and true with your target audience, they are less likely to pay attention to/believe your message if you dont continually consider who they are, and where theyre coming from. Do not preach to them, but help relate to them, and allow them to relate to you. Production Notes: Visual: Will include at least two young people, and one person will be shown spinning an alcohol bottle (or having spun it) to symbolize an adult version of the classic Spin the Bottle game. The alcohol bottle will symbolize inebriation, and where it lands will show the consequence of drinking/playing drinking games. Images: Spin the bottle, F, Ultrasound, Nerd and UWF logo photos copied from Google. Font: Impact (sizes 26, 12)

Suddenly, spinning the bottle has a new set of consequences.

Dont play games with your life.

Good evening, everyone. Tonight Id like to speak to you about my experience interviewing Tom Smith, the Media Liaison and Public Relations specialist of the Hydrocephalus Association in San Francisco, California. To begin Id like to first explain a bit about Hydrocephalus and my experience with the condition, as well as discuss what the Hydrocephalus Association does, and what Mr. Smith and I discussed. Hydrocephalus is a condition that affects roughly every one out of five hundred babies born each year, but the on-set of the condition is not restricted to infancy, or even childhood. Hydrocephalus is a term that derives from Latin and literally translates to Water on the brain. In everyones brain and in everyones spinal cord there is a certain way and a certain amount of Cerebral Spinal Fluid or CSF that is supposed to circulate. CSF serves not only as a cushion to the brain and spinal cord, but it also transmits debris or obstructions away from the brain. However, in an infant, child, or adult who has Hydrocephalus their CSF fluid either does not circulate with enough pressure, or is in some way blocked in either the ventricles of the brain, or surrounding capillaries. There is no cure for Hydrocephalus, and the most commonly used treatment for the condition a shunt is a type of technology that was designed in 1952, and has not changed much since. There are doctors however that are doing their best to not only come up with alternative forms of treatment, but a cure as well, my neurosurgeon being one of them.

Speaking of my neurosurgeon, he conveniently brings me to my next point, a description of my experience with Hydrocephalus. I was born three months premature and my early arrival is more than likely the reason for my Hydrocephalus. The condition of Hydrocephalus usually accompanies other problems like Down Syndrome, mental retardation, and other physical disabilities all of which one crude doctor guaranteed my mother Id have. She tracked that doctor down about six months later with me in tow and asked him what he had to say then. He wisely tucked tail and ran. Fortunately Ive had very few problems related to Hydrocephalus, and fewer surgeries than most. Due to the outdated technology of the shunt many patients have to have revision surgeries every two five years. Theyre minimally invasive operations, but due to the areas they involve theyre still considered pretty serious surgery. Luckily Ive only had about five surgeries over my lifetime related to Hydrocephalus, after living a span of twelve years without any complications whatsoever. I realize how fortunate I am every time I set foot in my doctors office and see a child that will be wheelchair bound for the rest of his or her life, and suddenly Im grateful for the ten page papers I have to write for my English class. Some of the people I meet either wont or never have seen the inside of a college classroom because they wont ever speak. Needless to say the condition of Hydrocephalus is a cause that I know more about than anyone should have to know, and that I hold very close to my heart. So when this assignment was given I knew immediately that I wanted to interview someone who had something to do with Hydrocephalus and non-profit organizations, which quickly led me to the Hydrocephalus Association and their very cooperative PR guy, Mr. Tom Smith. Less than a day after I contacted him through email did Mr. Smith reply that hed happily answer my interview questions.

Such a quick response enforced what Id already suspected, the association and their employees truly do care about the cause and public for which they advocate. The Hydrocephalus Association luckily receives more government funding than most Hydrocephalus related organizations, but the association still hosts nationwide fundraising and awareness events, the most recent being a walkathon in Tampa. A few of the questions I posed to Mr. Smith were whether or not hed majored in Public Relations in college, how long and why he worked for the association, and what future trends he predicted for the field of Public Relations. With his answers came a multitude of pleasing surprises on my part. I was surprised to learn Mr. Smith had majored in Journalism with a minor in Creative Writing and had spent a number of years in the corporate world before going to work for the Hydrocephalus Association where hes worked now for almost three years. I was also surprised by his reason for wanting to work for the association. He explained that not only had he become tired of the corporate world, but that hed made the decision to work for the association after his father contracted NPH or Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus a form of Hydrocephalus which affects adults, and more specifically older adults with a prior injury such as a stroke. The final question I posed to Mr. Smith was what future trends he foresees happening in the field, and unsurprisingly, or maybe surprisingly due to the frequency of how often current PR professionals seem to mention it, he mentioned the internet. He predicts that with internet technology forever growing and changing he sees the ability to even make predictions as unpredictable. In other words, you can predict all you want, but he predicts you should expect to be surprised, and I couldnt agree more.

In closing Id like to say I hope I havent bored you with too much medical jargon, or talk of my experiences, and that I hope youll take away at least a little bit of knowledge of a condition that gets very little notice, but affects many thousands if not millions of lives worldwide.

Executive Summary Public Perception of Commercial Airlines

The fastest way to travel a great distance in the shortest possible time is to fly commercially. So, with the number of people utilizing this mode of transportation, the question that arises is how the public perceives the companies that handle air travel. It was not until 1959, when American Airlines offered the first domestic jet service, that air travel truly became what it is today. The introduction of jet travel set the standard for maintenance, specialized facilities, and highly trained employees that we know today. Air travel and commercial airlines have had many defining moments; however, the moment that has had the greatest impact on the perception of commercial airlines was the terrorist attacks of 2001. Since then, the perception of commercial airlines, and the safety regulations imposed on them by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has become a heated and highly discussed issue. For the purposes of this research, the focus group participants will be recruited at our local airport. The recruited sample will consist of leisure travelers, such as families, and retirees, as well as business travelers. To ensure an appropriate and sizable sample, many possible participants who fit the description of leisure travelers, business travelers, and retirees will be approached. Also, for the sake of consistency and ensuring an accurate audience representation, the same demographic and psychographic categories used to determine focus group participants will also be used to determine potential survey participants.

Thus, the survey participants will consist of leisure travelers, business travelers, and retirees. Because of the length of the survey, it would be best administered in an airport conference room, office, or private lounge area. That way the participants would be less distracted by fellow passengers and the usual business of the airport. To compensate for their time participants will be given $25, and one participant will be chosen at random designated by a number previously given to them to receive two NAP Luxe Travel Pillows.

Effects of the Southwest-AirTran Merger Overview: On September 27, 2010 Southwest Airlines announced its planned merger with AirTran Airways. For 1.4 billion in cash and stock, Southwest hopes to acquire its low-cost competitor in an attempt to further their network. Under the terms of the merger, Southwest will also take on a portion of AirTrans debt and capitalized aircraft operating leases. So, the completed transaction will be about 3.4 billion. Terms and implications of the merger are subject to anti-trust laws, and are under review by the Department of Justice. If the Department of Justice approves the merger, Southwest will have 42,719 employees, 685 planes, the opportunity to serve 38 additional airports, more than 100 destinations and an anticipated additional revenue of 200 billion a year. The merger is expected to close in 2011, while the full integration of employees is expected to take two years. In the mean time, consumers, employees, investors, airports and the airline industry are all waiting to see what sort of impact the merger will have on them. Findings: As the terms of the Southwest-AirTran merger are revealed, speculation about the implications of the merger has come, and is still coming, from all corners. Although the merger will enlarge Southwest by their number of employees, planes, possible customers and routes, Southwest has vowed to keep the core of the company the same. If the merger is completed, AirTran will be fully integrated into how Southwest does business, meaning, Southwests policies of not charging for the first two checked bags and not having assigned or two classes of seats will stay the same. While no one has a problem with Southwests baggage policy, others still voice distaste for their seating policy. While some refer to Southwests seating policy as it being what makes Southwest, Southwest, others liken it to a cattle call. In response to this, Southwest tested assigned seating in San Diego in 2006 to no avail. However, the idea of ending the open-seating policy has once again come into question. If the merger between Southwest and AirTran comes to pass, Southwest stands to position itself as a formidable opponent for business travelers; especially against Delta Airlines in Atlanta. However, it is argued that for Southwest to adequately compete, they will have to leave their open-seating and certain aspects of their nofrills policies behind. Another point of contention is among current and potential customers and whether or not the merger could mean increased fares. While Southwest CEO Gary Kelly insists that the merger will not directly affect fares, and certain analysts agree, others remain unconvinced. Those that are unconvinced cite the overlap between Southwest and AirTrans routes especially in Baltimore and Orlando where fare increases are most likely. However, any speculation about either side of the argument is just that speculation. It has yet to be seen whether or not the possible merger will increase or decrease competition within the airline industry, and what the competition or lack thereof will do to fares.

Even though there is great speculation and points of contention, Southwest seems equipped to handle the concerns of their publics. Their CEO Gary Kelly seems insistent in his conviction that this merger will not change the core of Southwest, and so far the company seems insistent in their transparency. Recommendations: In the wake of the announcement of the Southwest-AirTran merger, Southwest wasted no time setting up a merger website titled lowerfaresfarther. On that website they continue to keep things simple; in plain English they announce Heres the deal and Heres what it means. In their no-frills approach, they continue to be approachable and transparent with their investors, customers, communities and employees. Right now, because AirTran Airways and Southwest are still separate competitors Southwest cannot give away all the information they might have at hand. But it is my suggestion, and my hope, that they continue to be transparent with their publics. Also, their facebook page currently refers all questions to their customer service line; and while it would be unrealistic to expect their personnel to answer every question posed to them, I see no reason why they could not answer certain questions via their facebook page. While I do commend Southwest CEO Gary Kelly for the time he has taken in the past to post on Southwests Nuts About Southwest blog, it is my recommendation that he take the time to post more frequently once the merger has been approved. By posting more frequently, he as the head of the company will perpetuate the companys position on customer care and company culture to current and potential customers, communities and employees. For Southwest to keep in mind that social media is best used to foster two-way communication is key. Conclusion If the merger between Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways is completed, Southwest will undoubtedly handle the expansion well. Over a nearly 40 year period they have proven to be an efficient and customer centered airline. Now is their time to not only expand their flight routes, but to also grow to better serve their customers. By entering in to this merger Southwest has stated that they have not hit a glass ceiling, and that they are prepared to evolve and not hold so tightly to their keep-it-simple approach. .