Linda Lopez, editor & webmaster, MCAINY News Archive

The New York Chapter of the Media Communications Association is no more. After several difficult years, the New York board of directors in 2008 voted to disband it.

As the chapter’s final president, I have felt a personal responsibility to preserve the artifacts of our time as New York’s preeminent organization for visual communications professionals, and for the past two years, I have done just that, in files and boxes around my office.

All the while, however, I contemplated creating this site, an album of sorts for those who were a part of the wonderful activities we all shared, and an interesting record for the surprisingly large number of first-time visitors who land on mcainy.org every day.

What I have done is to reconstruct on this site the stories that were originally published on the old Web site and in FOCUS on New York Media, the chapter newsletter, from 2002 to 2006. As a content developer and the former chapter’s communications chair, I feel greatly relieved to finally have all of our documents in one secure and searchable location.

As for our beloved New York chapter, I am happy to say that many of its former members are still friends and colleagues, working together on projects, sharing referrals, and getting together now and then for a cold one and a few laughs. The chapter may be closed but our crowd never stops networking.

Enjoy your visit to the new MCAINY Archive. I welcome your comments!

If you’re reading this post on the home page, click on the post title (above) or on the comment link (below) to be sent to the post page, where you can leave a comment.

Linda Lopez

MCA-I NY was pleased to welcome its members and guests, a few colleagues from the North Jersey chapter, lots of volunteers from the April film festival, and assorted friends from the past and future to an end-of-season membership meeting/wrap party last month.

East of Eighth, our latest Cheslea gem, was this year’s location and it was great; good music, good food, good friends — what more do you need? We had a blast, introduced the new board, thanked our wonderful volunteers, had a silly raffle, networked like crazy, and even got a little business done.

We have lots of photos, but because we wanted to get this issue to you without another delay, we didn’t have time to load them into the Photo Gallery (I’m telling you, folks, we need help!). So you can view them here (see two links below) and download whatever you want. Eventually we’ll get them into the gallery with captions.

Now take a look at your gorgeous selves!
This online photo album will be live until August 23, 2006.
http://www.sendpix.com/albums/06072415/yb0dxqj3av/
http://www.sendpix.com/albums/06072416/a1m9m3vi0o/

Thanks to everyone who came out to help us usher in the summer and celebrate another terrific season gone by!

By Linda Lopez

Every summer, after the rush of MCA-I NY events, editorial deadlines, and other responsibilities are behind us, the New York board of directors gathers for … well, I want to say a retreat, but, unlike last year when we grilled burgers and enjoyed the sun in former president Sager’s back yard, this year we met in a studio in midtown Manhattan, passed around a bag of chips, and dove into a very full agenda.

So it wasn’t pretty, but we got a lot done, and I think you will see the results in the coming months. The July meeting is a tradition, and whether the setting is idyllic or merely functional, the routine is the same.

It begins with a review of the past season and plans for the upcoming one, committee and event production assignments, a bylaws and procedures review, the scheduling of meetings, and anything else that needs attention. I must confess, this year was my favorite in a long while because we have four new members on the board, which means new energy and fresh ideas.

In another month or so, we will have our first planning meeting for the 2007 Stories from the Field film festival, and in September we will throw our annual kick-off party and plunge into the new season of events.

Now for the pitch. Every thing we do from September to June requires human resources — volunteers. We are a member-focused and member-run organization; your input and participation helps us, your board leaders, to give you maximum value for your membership dollars.

Perhaps the most important benefit of volunteering on a committee is that it offers you a unique opportunity to get good at something, or let the world know that you already are good at something. One is free training and the other is free advertising — either way, you can’t lose.

If you have ever entertained joining an MCA-I NY committee, take a look at what we have on the menu:

DEVELOPMENT
Identifies potential funding sources, plans revenue targets and development strategies, creates sponsorship programs, applies for grants, and seeks new revenue streams for the Chapter; submits a yearly activity report for inclusion in the Chapter’s annual report. Members represent the Chapter as account executives to sponsors and other funders.

This committee is seeking a chair, as well as members who have some expertise in or willingness to learn about development. If nonprofit or arts management, cause-related marketing, sales, or fundraising figures into your future, this is where you can pick up some experience.

COMMUNICATIONS - Linda Lopez, chair
Produces the Chapter’s informational, marketing and public relations communications; develops Chapter news stories; plans and coordinates media placement and events; briefs and provides talking points for board members who meet the press. Manages the editorial content of the Chapter’s news outlets: the online newsletter, FOCUS on New York Media; the print publication, Spotlight; and the Web site, www.mcainy.org. Maintains the Chapter’s news archive.

The communications committee has all kinds of interesting subcommittees and assignments. If you know or have an interest in public relations, marketing, journalism, the Web, or photography, we have a place for you.

MEMBERSHIP – Michael Huss, chair
Identifies opportunities for member recruitment; screens membership for potential committee and board service; researches and designs member benefits and incentives; produces the annual membership event; manages and maintains the online member database.

Our new membership chair and his fellow board members are eager to build membership and identify new benefits for you. If you are outgoing and energetic, this may be the perfect vehicle, and there’s no better way to network with your fellow members.

PROGRAMMING – Corinna Sager, chair
Researches, plans, and produces the season’s industry and social events. Recruits producers, hosts, and speakers for events; acts as liaison between producers and speakers; secures locations; works with Development Committee to solicit sponsors; works with Membership and Communications Committees to generate interest and build attendance.

Producers, come produce! Every event we give needs a production team –producer, location scout, publicist, talent wrangler, AD, DP — you know the drill. And if you are looking for experience in these areas, our new chair is the person you want showing you the ropes.

STUDENTS & INTERNS – Lloyd Nilsen, chair
Works with colleges, universities, youth organizations, and the Chapter’s Membership Committee to recruit student members. Arranges internship opportunities with MCAI-NY member firms. Provides news and other content relevant to students and interns for the Chapter’s Web site and publications. Works with the communications committee to develop materials of interest to students and interns. Works with the Programming Committee to include students and interns in the Chapter’s events.

We’re really excited about this new committee because we know what enormous potential it has, both for our organization and for the young people it will help to succeed in our industry. If you share our dream, sign on.

FILM FESTIVAL – Linda Lopez, Corinna Sager, producers
Produces Stories from the Field, the annual MCA-I NY / United Nations film festival.

The Festival committee has built a wonderful team over the past two years but we still need people in all areas of production, marketing, sponsorship — and to help with lead-up events, the first of which will take place in October. Love film? Care about the world? Looking for your next big thrill? Join us!

So there you have it. If you would like to give any of these activities a whirl — or if you would just like to know more — contact me or a committee chair today!

* * *

By Corinna Sager

Farewell? Not a chance! MCA-I NY has become my home in the communications industry. After four years of being president, I’m delighted to say that the chapter is moving forward with renewed energy and commitment and wonderful people in leadership positions, headed by your new president, Linda Lopez, and president elect, Lloyd Nilsen.

Obviously four years is a very long time to lead an organization, especially a media organization in the aftermath and fallout of 9/11, so it is with pride that I look at our chapter now and the changes we have implemented, the people we have attracted, the connections we have made and continue to make, and the high standards we have set.

This is evident in the fact that three leaders of our chapter received national recognition from our international MCA-I office this spring at NAB and ProTrack. Linda Lopez was honored with the Shining Star Award, I myself received the MCA-I Board of Directors Award, and our chapter’s previous past president and international past president, Emma Justice, received MCA-I’s highest honor for outstanding national leadership, the Chuck Webb Award (named after the founder of our organization). That is an incredible achievement by one chapter and shows the dedication of your leaders.

The irony is that I never wanted to get much involved in MCA-I. I was like most of you, a member who attended an occasional meeting, networked and always admired those who got more involved, who donated their time and effort. I always thought, “Geez, I can’t believe people do all that for FREE for us members.” Well, little did I know that I’d be president for four years and would do more than I ever imagined for free. Little did I also know that I’d learn so much and meet such wonderful, talented, and dedicated people.

I became a reluctant president in the summer of 2002 (only because no one wanted the job; so I said, “Ok, I’ll do it for a year”). It was a very bad year for MCA-I. Our industry was still reeling from the impact of 9/11 on business, marketing, advertising, sales, training — you name it. Many of our members who had worked in corporate communications departments were laid off, as were so many others, and freelancers had a hard time finding work. The question was, why would people still want to spend money and belong to an association such as ours? The ovious answer was: only if it was relevant to their lives and their needs, if they could see a benefit.

It then became clear to me, what this role means. It means you must get involved, lead, find solutions, learn new things; and it opened doors to opportunities I had never considered before.

Working together with my board and specifically my wonderful communications chair, Linda Lopez, who was by my side the entire four years, we set out to change things. We developed a new Web site to reflect our new identity (check it out — it now includes job search, industry news, events, and equipment listings). We created an online newsletter, FOCUS on New York Media, which you are reading right now, to share our and our members’ knowledge in the NY communications field. We offered members press release space in the newsletter. We developed new relationships with other organizations such as The New York Television Academy, the Foundation Center, and the DVDA. We held joint meetings to broaden our networking opportunities. And we reached out to the film community and indeed the world, by producing documentary film festivals: first the MCA-I Film Festival (2003) and the Underdog Film Festival (2004), both of which showcased Oscar-nominated documentary shorts; and more recently, Stories from the Field, the United Nations Documentary Film Festival (2005 and 2006), in association with the United Nations Department of Public Information.

Stories from the Field has made us a player. It attracted many new members and many corporate supporters. For two years now we — members and non-member volunteers — have produced an international film festival, and companies and people in the industry are reaching out to us. As the Festival continues to grow, people sense opportunities; they want to work with us, plan with us, get their product shown, get involved with us. This year, people attended not only from right here in NYC, but from as far away as Hollywood and London. Just google the Festival and you’ll see our worldwide reach for yourself.

These achievements only happen when many dedicated people come together — and I must first and foremost thank my board, which has been extremely supportive these past several years, particularly Dave Driscoll, our former treasurer; Gale Grant, our former production chair and co-producer of Stories from the Field; Donna Coney Island, our secretary for twelve years (we need a new one, so anyone willing to join a great team, email us); Carol Nadell, our special events chair; and finally — with a huge thank you — our communication chair and new president, Linda Lopez.

Many times during these years I wondered why I did it. Why I was willing to spend so much of my time. And for what exactly? The answer is clear to me now: Leadership is a challenge. When you don’t like something you can’t just complain to a board member or the president. As a board member or the president you have to DO something about it. And that’s the beauty of it — you CAN do something about it. You CAN make a difference!

MCA-I is an international organization, and the New York Chapter is one of the largest and most active ones. It has been my pleasure to serve as your president and lead the path for renewal. I only hope that many of you will also consider getting more involved in the developments of this chapter. Remember it is YOUR chapter. And if you have ideas, want to see changes, lead chapter development, then YOU must do it. We have several new board members now. Each one will bring his or her personal expertise to the job, and further enrich the chapter. It’s a thrill to see this development and I wish your new president, Linda Lopez, and her board all the best success in the upcoming year.

As for me, I will be rocking the Programs chair! Look out for a better-than-ever season of events — and make 2006-2007 your year to get in the mix!

Corinna Sager
Immediate Past President
Programs Chair

Where would we be without them? It’s hard to believe, when you see what a successful production Stories from the Field has been for the past two years, that it is done entirely by volunteers — from the producers to the camera people to the last minute gang that nips and tucks until the goodnight. Here are three special people who helped to make year two the one to beat.

SALLYDIANA THEODORE

Being invited into the U.N Headquarters is a surreal experience, especially since my first encounter was outside and across the street where I saw top leaders from all around the world engulfed in an army of security. I was in awe of being in such close proximity to so much power; the drama doesn’t always run that high, after all it was the 2005 World Summit. It was only my second day in New York since I came to attend a 3 Days of Prayer and Fasting at the Dag Hammarskjold Plaza.

Little did I know what the next few months would bring. I came upon the festival by chance while looking for film work online. Although I did not have a documentary to submit I was intrigued. I did feel a bit out of my element at the first meeting, after all I did not own a company, have valuable social, business, or press contacts, and was seriously lacking in professional affiliations. However I did have a genuine passion for the film festival and was willing to do whatever I could to make it a success. I suppose it showed because I felt very welcomed and appreciated.

This is the reason that I became interested in working in film. It is a powerful tool in educating and entertaining people about the injustices around the world. I was already aware of the MDGs with my experience with the ONE campaign and writing letters to Congress. International filmmakers, especially ones from Third World countries had a chance to get their powerful, eye-opening messages and images across.

Film CAN change the world and the UNDFF is doing just that.

My mom was elated when I told her that I was on a panel of judges that screened the festival entries. She herself had addressed the UN in 2005 with a speech regarding the AIDS situation in the Caribbean (MDG # 6).

My days of making speeches may be a long way off but in the meantime I’ll do what I can. The world is getting smaller (yet more populated) and the wealth gap is widening. People, especially young people, are becoming more aware of their social responsibilities to the world around them.

I relish the day when one of the film entries will win an Academy Award for best film in the documentary category.

Sallydiana Theodore is a freelance writer/producer.

DAVIDS GRENDZE

I had spent several years as an administrator at a university production facility, and before that, much of my career had been involved with corporate/industrial video. I was artistically frustrated, and had a growing need to have a greater social consciousness in my own work. I wanted to say to my kids “I made this small contribution to the betterment of the world we live in” rather than “ I helped train sales reps on how to more effectively sell cooking fat to restaurants”! The UN became an iconic symbol of my evolving professional desires.

Because of NAB, I missed the MCA-I tour of the UN in 2004. So when, almost a year later, the NY chapter put out a call for volunteers for a UN film festival, I jumped at the chance to become involved. I had been inactive in the MCA-I for several years, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to get re-involved, and to learn more about the UN and the media product coming from it.

It was not without considerable trepidation that I volunteered. My administrative and organizational skills were (and still are!) not my strongest points. The passion that the original instigators had for this project was so infectious, however, that any self doubt was quickly erased. And so in 120 days, we put together a film festival of outstanding quality.

The most obvious points that came out of my two-year involvement with the festival, are:

1) How putting on this festival reinforces the core missions of the MCA-I – networking and education. While talking to fellow professionals is all well and good, working with them in a high pressure situation is a much better way to assess their skills, talents and qualities. let me tell you, we’ve got some very talented people in our chapter! I learned more about event production, PR, and fundraising in two years than I ever had (and in some case had ever wanted to learn!) Plus, the information available from the panel discussions was invaluable, both from a production and a social consciousness stand point.

2) Despite the narcissistic nature of our business (you need credits to get ahead!), this very dedicated group of individuals was willing to subjugate their respective egos in order to produce a great product. When every other person involved with the project is a producer, ego clashes could have been a major issue, but never were.

3) Terrific leadership makes for terrific product. Hats off to Corrina, Linda, Gail, Isabel, and all the other dedicated people involved with this project. I’ll be there for year 3 as well, and look forward to an even better festival.

Davids Grendze is a freelance videographer/field producer with over 20 years experience.

MARILYN PETROKUBI

One day in April 2005, I came to the first annual U.N. Film Festival to watch. I wanted to see what filmmakers were doing for the U.N. I intended to find out what subjects were of international importance, and I hoped to learn how I could become one of those filmmakers myself. It was a rainy afternoon and a pleasant way to spend a few hours.

The end result: I learned a lot about Liberia.

This year I came to the second annual U.N. Film Festival to volunteer. I became involved in the production-end of things as a judge on a reviewing panel, but soon found myself finding ways to contribute to the PR aspects of the festival. As my involvement grew, I began to think about sponsorships I might be able to secure from clients of mine and publicized my participation in the festival in one of my company’s monthly newsletters.

Then during the weekend of the festival itself, I had the opportunity to be one of the producers for the documentary about film festival for MCA-I. This meant I was able to spend two days watching award-winning films and interviewing many filmmakers about how their films were made and the extreme circumstances in which they often found themselves.

In short, my participation this year got me thinking about the festival and for the festival. I was vested in making it a success, and that made all the difference. By giving as a volunteer, I got much more in return.

What did I get?

1. I made many new friends among the other volunteers from MCA-I, the U.N., and the New School.

2. I am now on a first-name basis with esteemed filmmakers like Ric Esther Bienstock, Brooke Goldstein, and Isaac Solotaroff.

3. I’ve become acquainted with many international issues like: the global sex trade, teenage suicide bombers, and blindness in Tibet, just to name a few.

4. I was involved in a 6-camera shoot with some of New York’s finest freelancers to produce what will become a video calling-card for next year’s festival.

5. I met the press who covered the festival proceedings, including very cordial producers from TV channel WNYC, who produced a “short” on the festival for broadcast.

6. And last, but not least, two months later, I can honestly say that my experiences at the festival have brought me several steps closer to writing and producing the kinds of documentaries I had come to watch in the first place.

So I achieved my goals of last year by being a volunteer this year. Will I do it again next year? You bet. I can’t think of a better way to spend two days in April.

Marilyn Petrokubi is the president of TimeSteps Productions, Inc., and a freelance writer/producer. www.timesteps.com

* * *

By Linda Lopez

Some of MCA-I NY’s film festival supporters have careers that routinely bring them up close and personal with issues most of us only see on film or read in the news. Maria Emilia Compte, MD, MPH&TM, the vice-president for programs at Intermed International, talked with me about her work on behalf of communities in the developing world.

FOCUS: Dr. Compte, I know you work closely with the populations we have learned so much about through the film festival. Would you tell us about what you do?

DR. COMPTE: Linda, let me first say that it is a privilege to be with you and with FOCUS on New York Media’s readers. Very specially, allow me to congratulate you and the MCAI-NY team for taking the initiative to organize the Stories from the Field Film Festival for a second year now.

It is a cliché but also a reality that today we inhabit a much more globalized, interconnected planet than was the case only 30 or 40 years ago. The tragedies of far away peoples greet our days with each morning newspaper, or accompany our dinner table from the TV screens. Disease, suffering and injustices have been with humankind since time immemorial, it’s just that, thanks to the incredibly efficient communication networks we have today, people everywhere are becoming more aware of them. This is a good thing, depressing as some of this news may be. But when a mom in Omaha buys her 9 year-old son a soccer ball, it is good that she learns that there are good chances that that ball was stitched together by another 9 or 11 year old boy in India or Honduras, a child who is likely malnourished, not attending school, and who will never have the time, or the money, to kick around a ball like the one he produced for the equivalent of 75 cents a day.

It is this increasing public awareness, made possible through concerned media professionals like those in MCAI-NY, that is invaluable for people like me and my colleagues in the frontlines of fighting disease, poverty, and ignorance. Humans are relational beings, and the more people in economically-advanced societies feel that there is some kind of connection, at a personal level, with what other people do, or how other people live their lives, it arouses their interest and motivates them to take some action to alleviate the situation.

F: It’s true. Even we are learning just how powerful films can be in communicating with and about our world; they’re like campfires for the modern age. What is your role in this particular story?

Dr. C: Well, I wear many hats but the core of my duties as vice president for program management at Intermed International is simply to give people living in some of the poorest regions of the planet a chance for advancing their own health and education, and lifting themselves out of abject poverty.

We are a small, independent non-governmental organization that has been around for 45-plus years now. In my case I’ve been involved in direct medical and public health initiatives in developing countries for the past 22 years, mostly in Latin America. I have worked with marginalized urban and periurban populations in Argentina, and with rural and indigenous people in Honduras and Nicaragua, and most recently in Laos and Thailand.

F: What are some of the projects you have worked on in Latin America.

Dr. C: For the last 17 years we have had different projects with Miskito and Mayagna Indian communities living on the banks of the Coco River, on the Nicaragua-Honduras border. This is one of the most remote and disenfranchised regions in Central America, which is to say a lot. People typically live in wooden huts arranged in small clusters along the Coco or a few other rivers; there are only a couple of basic health facilities in the main town, which is hours to days away from most settlements. So people just make do with whatever “healthcare” is locally available, typically “sukias” (witchdoctors) or “curanderos” (herbalists). No wonder infant, child, and maternal mortality are among the highest in Central America.

Our current program there is based on interventions that help mothers take better care of their own health and that of their children and families, since they can’t really rely on the government or any other institution to provide services on a regular basis. We are working with the local people in the villages training their traditional healers, especially midwives and health promoters, as well as the mothers and caregivers themselves.

F: And you say that recently you have been working in Southeast Asia. Please tell us more about those projects.

Dr. C: Historically most of Intermed’s projects have been in Asia, and there we are currently working in Laos, Burma and Thailand. In Laos and to a lesser extent in Burma we have blindness prevention and vision restoration projects. Asia has the highest number of cases of avoidable blindness in the world, mostly due to cataracts, and now there are new simplified surgical techniques that allow doctors to replace the diseased natural lens with an intraocular plastic one in 12 minutes without the need for sutures.

A few months ago I had the chance to join a field cataract campaign invited by our partner in Laos, Dr. Vithoune Vissonavong, the director of the Eye Institute. We traveled up and down the length of Xayabouri Province, and in five days four eye surgeons were able to restore the sight of nearly 400 people. It was an amazing accomplishment.

In northern Thailand we have a partnership with a very experienced Lao-Thai social worker who runs a microenterprise which trains village women in handicraft production so that they can support themselves and their families, working from their homes, producing beautiful textiles and other products for the tourism industry. Considering how serious the problem of prostitution and “sex-tourism” is in Thailand, and the related scourges of human trafficking, indentured sex labor, and HIV/AIDS, projects like this give poor young Thai and Lao women a safe, dignified option to lift themselves out of poverty.

F: Speaking of the sex tourism in Thailand, does AIDS pose a significant challenge among the rural populations you work with, or is it largely confined to the cities?

Dr. C: It really depends on the individual country. Typically an HIV epidemic begins in cities and later spreads to the countryside, so as a rule, the more “mature” the epidemic is in a country, the more likely is that rural populations are affected. This depends both on the extent of the urban epidemic and also on how much interaction there is between urban and rural populations.

In India for instance you can easily track the spread of the epidemic over rural areas literally by looking at the road map. This is because the virus circulates mostly between truck drivers and prostitutes. The trucker typically gets infected in a major city and in his subsequent trips spreads the infection to prostitutes along his route, as well as to his wife or girlfriend back home.

Specifically, in the case of Thailand, they had a very serious situation in the 1990s centered mostly on the sex industry. They have been able to control it to a reasonable extent, but the epidemic is far from over, and there are signs that prevention efforts are waning, mainly due to a drop in condom use among high risk groups.

The most tragic fact in rural areas everywhere is that, because of the inadequate or absent health services, in most cases we don’t even know what the HIV situation is until people begin to die. Prevention is of utmost importance in controlling the spread of AIDS. In rural Nicaragua, where there have still been only a handful of cases, we just finished a training workshop on HIV/AIDS for village health care providers; we also started to offer counseling and testing to people that might be at risk.

F: Most of your projects seem to be focused in rural areas. How do the rural populations compare generally with urban ones in those countries, in terms of being underserved?

Dr. C: That is where the need is greatest because health care delivery to impoverished, dispersed rural populations is usually very challenging and few organizations are willing to tackle it on a serious, on-going basis. People live far away from each other, scattered in difficult-to-access areas, so the ratio of expenditures per beneficiary is very high. It’s not what a cost-benefit analyst would consider “an efficient project” by any means. Plus there are no tsunamis or other “charismatic” disasters hitting the news and helping raise significant funds to support projects like these, so a lot of agencies shy away from them.

Still, these are the people that quietly struggle for a life, quietly ail, and quietly die in two-thirds of our world today. Which takes me back to the importance of initiatives like the Stories from the Field Film Festival that show the public the “quiet” side of life – and death – in distant places, and what is being done to effect positive change.

F: One challenge we in the developed world face – including those of us who are working to see the Millennium Development Goals become a reality – is how to keep caring people engaged. In the face of so much need, it’s easy to slip into emotional burnout; how do you keep your own commitment alive after so many years?

Dr. C: Yes, these are certainly two challenges that we face. Regarding maintaining the public’s interest, one way, as I mentioned before, is to show how the increasing interconnection between the developed and the developing worlds can affect us in some of the most unexpected ways.

A few years ago the bride, the groom, and dozens of guests at a wedding reception in Pennsylvania became sick with gastrointestinal disease. The culprit was found to be a rare parasite called cyclospora, which contaminated raspberries used in the wedding cake. The raspberries had been imported from Guatemala, where they had been handpicked by Indian peasants working in very unhygienic conditions, without even basic latrines or hand-washing facilities. This is just one example of how improving conditions for people living in places that are seemingly so remote can have a direct impact on our own health.

As for what I myself do about job burnout, well, I have learned, over the years, if not to avoid it altogether, at least to manage it. It has been a process, but for me the key has been learning to be humble in my expectations. Lasting change in the developing world typically happens slowly and incrementally and must involve the local people from the start. One should always bear in mind that at the most we are only catalysts, facilitators for change, but it is the local people who actually have the right and responsibility of improving their own lives.

Allow me to finish with a personal story. When I first went to work in the Coco River region, Juana Castellon, one of my four nurses’ aids – my full staff at that little wooden hospital – had a 9-year-old daughter named Alma Iris. We supported both mother and daughter with their studies and training for several years. Juana followed up on her nursing career and she is currently the Chief Nurse in our project. Alma Iris went to medical school and last year became the first female Miskito physician. Today she is back serving the people of the Coco River villages where she grew up. I can tell you, Linda, that, if for nothing else, just Dr. Alma Iris has been well worth these 20 years of my commitment.

* * *

Welcome Aboard!

Lisa Robertson
American Express

Jean Calleja
Cowen and Company, LLC

Sol Comerchero
Senior Account Manager, Pro-Video
Anton/Bauer

Kent McKamy
Partner
Fields & McKamy International
Narrator of audio books, documentaries, industrials. Have narrated “The Biography of Benjamin Franklin” and “Poor Richard’s Almanack”, as well as two books on management techniques. Demo CD available.

Jesse Walker
Editor/Producer
JWalk Productions, Inc.
JWalk Productions is Jesse Walker, an editor and producer with over twenty years experience editing, directing, and producing videos for corporations, fund raising videos, commercials, and broadcast entertainment programs. JWalk can provide full production services or Jesse Walker will be your editor from the JWalk studio in the Chelsea section of Manhattan. Check out work samples at http://jwalkproductions.com.

By Connie Terwilliger

Have you noticed? MCA-I is re-energized. You can see it with each passing month – on both a local and an International level. You are seeing new discounts, better and more relevant communications and now a brand new Website that promises you more visibility with potential clients and more networking opportunities. Please familiarize yourself with some of the exciting features of this truly robust Website.

Logging On. Much of the site is password protected and you will need to log on to have access to the member’s only sections.

If your membership is active – log on using your email address (the one you last had on file with IO) and your member number. Please contact Amy at membership@mca-i.org if you can’t log on.

If your membership is expired, contact Amy to renew.

Updating your Member Record.

1. When you log on, the first page you will see is Your Personal Control Panel – with Quick Links to some of the standard features of the software – specifically updating your member record.
2. Look for Manage Your Info and check to see that your information is correct.

Find a Pro.

Each member who wants to be seen by the general public may have up to 3 free listings in Find a Pro.

1. Each listing must be different so that you have maximum key word visibility.
2. You also have the option of purchasing Premium listings for $50 per year.
3. If you had a Find a Pro listing on the old Website, you must update this listingwith a NEW Category and Sub Category. To do this…
   • Go back to the Quick Links page (Far left Menu Item on the Top Menu Bar (Home/Quick Links)
   • From there – under Quick Links and Manage Your Info – look for My Directories
   • Your Find a Pro Directory listing should be displayed.
   • Click on the Edit Pencil to update your listing – adding the Category and Sub Category from the drop down boxes.
   • And selecting the type of listing your wish to have – Regular (Free) or Premium ($50 per listing).
4. You made add additional category listings (for a total of 3 Free listings); these will be pending until reviewed. Remember to make each listing unique – search engines frown on duplicate entries.

The Web site is very rich and offers MCA-I members many ways to gain exposure, promote their businesses, find services, market products, and share information. We have only just begun to figure out all the ways we can use and benefit from this software. If you have any questions, suggestions, or want to help in the continued development and improvement of the Website, please use one of the comments boxes found on pretty much any page of the Website.

And feel free to contact me at any time. I’d love to hear from you.

Connie Terwilliger
MCA-I President 2006
connie@corporatevideo.com

It was a long week for some, arriving days before to catch the NAB conference and simultaneously preparing for the three days of ProTrack and leadership meetings. By the end of the week, there was a party hearty deficit that had to be reduced — fortunately, this group was up to the task!

The Power Within Leadership Series Presents
The Honorable William Jefferson Clinton
(42nd President of the United States of America)
Lance Armstrong, Michael Eisner, and More

Live in New York – October 6, 2006

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Dear MCA-I Member,

The Media Communications Association – International, New York Chapter is pleased to announce a special value-added member offer. In conjunction with the event organizers, Power Within, Inc., we are able to extend to you an invitation to register in advance at a preferred member rate.

The Power Within Leadership Series will feature for the first time ever, a gathering of business leaders and global ambassadors for leadership development!

• William Jefferson Clinton (42nd President of the United States of America) on Leadership
• Lance Armstrong (7 Time Tour De France Champion and Cancer Survivor) on Motivation
• Mark Burnett (Producer of “Survivor” and “Apprentice”) on Success Strategies
• Michael Eisner (CEO of Walt Disney Company, 1984-2005 ) on Management
• Jonathan Tisch (Chairman & CEO of Loews Hotels) on Marketing
• Peter Guber (Former CEO of Sony Entertainment) on Entrepreurship

Members of MCA-I and their guests are eligible to receive a member discount to participate in this extraordinary event! A block of tickets are being made available on a first come first served basis!

MCA-I Members Rate $595 – Register 9 and Receive the 10th Complimentary – Regular Rate $895 – Save $300
Ask about VIP Platinum seating (which includes a photo opportunity with President Clinton, preferred event seating and luncheon). VIP Concourse seating includes preferred seating.

Conference information:
For complete registration details, please visit

http://www.powerwithin.com/pdf/MCAI_NY-rr.pdf

To register: To secure your tickets today, call the event organizers toll free at 1 866 994-2555 and ask for Rick del Rosso at ext. 228. Be sure to let Rick know that you are a member of MCA-I.

LINDA LOPEZ
President
MCA-I NY ]]> http://mcainy.org/2010/10/the-power-within-bill-clinton-lance-armstrong-live-at-javits-center-october-6/feed/ 0