One Step Ahead

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PRSA-Silicon Valley Presents: Sports and Image - It's More Than Just Winning
5/21/2004 11:00:00 AM


SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 21, 2004 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- When: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 Registration begins @ 6:00 p.m., Program and dinner from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

What: A PRSA-Silicon Valley program dinner. Learn how PR plays a major role in managing the images of professional sports teams and athletes from the PR sports experts at the San Francisco 49ers, San Jose SaberCats, and San Jose Sports Authority in charge of U.S. Olympic Trials for San Jose.

Where: Santa Clara Hilton, 4949 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, California, 95054

Who:


Jason Jenkins, Assistant Director of PR for the San Francisco 49ers

Jason Jenkins is in his third season with the San Francisco 49ers as Assistant Public Relations Director. His duties include serving as the primary contact for game releases and game notes, coordinating media requests for players and coaches and as a contributing writer for all 49er publications. Prior to the 49ers, Jenkins was the associate athletics director at Texas Southern University from 1999-02. At TSU, he was responsible for the development and implementation of marketing and promotional activities for the athletics department. Jenkins also served as the sports information director. Jenkins was the athletic sales and promotions manager at Lehigh University in 1998. At Lehigh, he developed and executed a sales plan for season tickets and was the primary coordinator for execution of special athletics promotions. In 1997, Jenkins was the sports communications assistant at Lehigh. He served as the primary contact for women's basketball and the department's Olympic sports. He earned a bachelor's degree in broadcast journalism from Texas Tech University in 1997. At Texas Tech, Jenkins was a member of the football team for three seasons and was one of the founders of the Texas Tech Association of Black Journalists. He also is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. He attended Willowridge High School (Sugarland, TX), where he participated in football and track. Jenkins resides in San Jose.

Phil Simon, Director of Media Relations for the San Jose SaberCats

The longest consecutively tenured media relations director in the AFL, Phil Simon enters his sixth season with the SaberCats in 2004. Simon joined the team after nearly three years as director of information for the Big Sky Conference in Ogden, Utah and one year as a public relations assistant at the West Coast Conference office. A graduate of San Jose State University with a degree in Public Relations, Simon began his sports publicity career in the Spartans' sports information office where he served as the SID for the school's baseball team in 1995. He has also worked as a game-night media relations assistant for the NHL's San Jose Sharks and IHL's San Francisco Spiders. During the summer of 1995, Simon was the official statistician for the Murphy Cup Champion San Jose Rhinos of Roller Hockey International and also worked in the media relations department of the Oakland Skates of RHI. Simon continues to work in the San Jose area assisting with the San Jose State football program and the Silicon Valley Football Classic bowl game. A member of the Arena Football League's PR Advisory Council, Simon also works with the San Jose Sports Authority on the REACH Youth Scholarship Selection Committee. Originally from Santa Barbara, Calif., Simon resides in San Jose.

Marlene Bjornsrud, Event Director for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in San Jose and former manager of San Jose CyberRays U.S. Women's Soccer Team

Marlene Bjornsrud is the U.S. Olympic Team Trials Event Director for the San Jose Sports Authority. She has been an athletic administrator for more than 20 years, holding positions of managerial responsibility in both professional and collegiate sports. Previously she was general manager of the San Jose CyberRays, one of eight teams in the Women's United Soccer Association / WUSA, the world's only women's professional soccer league, which ceased operations after three seasons in 2003. Bjornsrud was responsible for assembling the CyberRays staff and overseeing all business affairs including venue selection, marketing and broadcasting negotiations. The CyberRays responded by winning the inaugural WUSA championship in 2001. In 2003 she testified before a Congressional hearing in support of Title IX, the federal law establishing equal athletic opportunities to girls and women in scholastic and collegiate sports. Bjornsrud came to the WUSA after three years as assistant director of athletics at Santa Clara University, where she was in charge of soccer, baseball, softball, crew, tennis and golf. She also supervised the department's marketing and media relations offices. Bjornsrud resides in San Jose.

COST: $32 PRSA-SV Chapter Members, $40 Nonmembers, $25 PRSSA Students. $45 after 5:00 p.m. Tuesday 4/27 or at the door. Register online today at: http://www.acteva.com/evax/act_display.cfm?eventid=65796 . NOTE: All reservations must be prepaid by credit card by 5 p.m., Monday, May 24. Checks must be postmarked by Friday, May 21.

Registration Contact: Annamaria Alpar at 408-568-1059, [e-mail].


About PRSA: The mission of the Silicon Valley Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is to bring together public relations professionals for the purpose of education, professional enhancement and networking. The Silicon Valley Chapter of PRSA represents many of the best and brightest communications minds in the world's center of innovation and technology.

SOURCE Public Relations Society of America - Silicon Valley Chapter

media, Roberta Silverstein, [phone], or
[e-mail], for PRSA-SV


http://www.acteva.com/evax/act_display.cfm?eventid=65796