The following PRSSA minutes were taken at the meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2006 in the reading room of Stauffer-Flint. The topic was non-profit public relations organizations. For our guest speaker, we brought in Peggy Wallert and her assistant Erin Roberts from Cottonwood, Inc. here in Lawrence. Peggy Wallert has been the Director of Community Relations/Development since 1999. Wallert is the chief spokesperson for the agency and works closely with the media and members of the community, as well as deals with crisis communication situations. Wallert also oversees all fundraising events and directs the Cottonwood Foundation. She is from Salina, KS and received her Master's in Special Education from KU in 2001. Erin Roberts is a recent KU School of Journalism graduate and serves as Peggy's assistant.
Peggy and Erin discussed the purpose of Cottonwood, Inc. and described the various assistance and services they provide to individuals with physical disabilities in the surrounding Douglas and Jefferson counties. She also explained the purpose of the Cottonwood Foundation and the two big fundraisers that Cottonwood holds annually.
It was a very informational meeting and we are so thankful that both Peggy and Erin took the time out of their busy schedules to speak to our organization! Our next PRSSA meeting will be on Monday, Oct. 30th. The location will be announced at a later date. Hope to see you there!
