ARC fall meeting.

The Agricultural Relations Council held its Fall metting September 18-20 in Chicago. The theme of the meeting was "Back to the Future," and former Founders' Award winners helped launch the meeting.

Founders Award Winners Share Lessons of Success

Since it began in 1974, the ARC Founders Award has represented the pinnacle of success for agricultural public relations professionals. So, it was a stellar line-up of former winners who helped launch the 2002ARC fall meeting. The presenters included:

1988 Founders Award winner Linda Wenck, who is now President of Morgan & Myers/The Barkin Group in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Wenck was the first female to win the Founders Award, doing so for her work on behalf of the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board and its effort to communicate to dairy farmers about the value of the state's dairy checkoff program.

1991 Founders Award winner, K. Elliott Nowels, who now serves as President of Meister Publishing in Willoughby, Ohio. Nowels won his award for the creation of the Environmental Respect Awards, which he began in 1990 during his time as publisher of Dealer Progress Magazine.

1997 Founders Award winner, Daren Williams, who is a Senior Vice President with Fleishman-Hillard in Kansas City, Missouri. Williams won his award for crisis communications efforts on behalf of what was then known as the Sandoz Company. At the time, Sandoz and the chemical they sold was being unfairly targeted by activists and media as the cause of deformed frogs found in Minnesota lakes and ponds. His efforts to challenge the junk science and respond to inaccurate media reporting helped get the company ahead of the issue and keep sales of their chemical steady.

These three former winners of the ARC Founders' award joined together to reflect on their past success, and draw lessons for the communications challenges of today.

For Williams, the lessons learned from that initial crisis are carried with him in similar situations he faces for clients yet today. "Companies are expected to foresee everything and do anything to prevent it," he says. Communicating the truth, fixing problems if they're there, and demonstrating that the company cares and is doing something about finding a solution to the issue are some of the keys to success he sees.

"I think the lessons I learned about open communication in the dairy checkoff campaign now apply to corporate America," Wenck says. She points to the need for transparency, to identify stakeholders and to provide consistent communications as keys to public relations success both then and now.

"Helping to create good news for agriculture was one of my goals in creating the Environmental Respect Awards" Nowels says. He says the effort began not only as a way to honor ag retailers for their stewardship efforts, but to also help create positive role models for others to follow.

"Aggie Talk @ Navy Pier" Reception

Ag-related professionals and producers from the ARC, National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA), Chicago Farmers Organization, the Cook County Farm Bureau, and other aggie friends got together for a "cheesborger and cheeps (no fries!!)" at the famous Billy Goat's Tavern located at the Navy Pier. Attendees enjoyed a special treat from the National Cattleman's Beef Assocation and the Soyfoods Council, and several took a ride on the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel.

ARC Foundation Silent Auction

The Silent Auction at the ARC Fall Meeting raised $1,104 for scholarships that will be given next spring to deserving college students pursuing careers in agricultural public relations.