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Boyd A Vander Houwen
Principal and Founder
What I love about helping our audiences tell great stories:I love the constant set of new challenges in an industry that is changing virtually every day. We now have blogs, podcasts, and social networking and there is an ongoing evolution of our media from a “relatively” small group of outlets to an endless list of places to tell your story. To help our clients succeed we have to know their stories, spot opportunities and challenges, and continually encourage them to try new things.
What I do:I help our clients drill down to understand what makes them unique and then help them determine their most important audiences—clients, prospects, referral sources, employees, and the community. Then I help the VHPR team find creative and innovative ways to tell the story. Here are our three core principles:
- Truth--The stories we build must be true, and we always operate with the highest level of integrity. We look for clients who do the same.
- Creativity--To get noticed you need a compelling story that resonates with your audience. Whether you are trying to reach busy, stressed employees or prospects, clients or community leaders already bombarded with far more information than they can process, you have to have a story that drives them to action.
- Frequency--Building brand awareness takes time, and you must be willing to stick with it. It requires a sharp focus and patience. We have proven time and again that this approach pays off.
My career experience:I have spent over 30 years in communication, the last 22 at VHPR. Our clients are the best and make every day fun. (Well, almost every day.)
What I do when I’m not “communicating”:
My wife Loma and I love to cycle, visit our little place on Hood Canal, and travel the Northwest with friends. In the fall, we enjoy Husky games and look forward to an Apple Cup victory! I also bought a new Seven bicycle and am like a little kid with a new toy.
Favorite Social Media website
www.roadcycling.com
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Heather Reynolds
Account Manager
What I do at VHPR:I work on all agency accounts, which includes developing quality media pitches for our clients and working to establish relationships with national and regional reporters. I maintain client files and consistently update our website with all agency and client news. I have enjoyed taking on the responsibility of agency photographer, and strive to learn more each day to be able to take quality photos for our clients and to post them on our website.
What I love about public relations:I love the creativity and constant learning opportunities that come with this profession. I have enjoyed diving headfirst into new accounts as well as digging deep to keep long-standing accounts fresh and energized. Each day is different with different challenges and different rewards. Working with regional and national media gives me exposure to every type of personality imaginable.
My career experience:I earned my BA in public relations/journalism with a minor in Spanish from Western Washington University. Before joining VHPR in 2005, I interned at Paradigm Communications Group, the publisher of Alaska Airlines, Midwest Airlines and Horizon Air magazines, where I gained valuable insight into journalism, and the unique connection journalists have with public relations professionals.
Outside the office:
In the summer, you can find me scuba diving at Edmonds Underwater Park, reading a book under the sun at Greenlake, window shopping in downtown Seattle, or cheering the Mariners at Safeco Field. In the colder months, I try my best to hibernate and wait around for summer! (Boyd says that if I had my way, the office would be 80 degrees year-round!) I enjoy attending the theater, going to the gym, and traveling as much as possible.
Favorite Social Media website:
www.iggyplanet.com
Favorite Author:
Stephen King
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Stuart Perkins
Account Coordinator
What I do at VHPR:
I assist our team in a variety of ways including creating and editing press releases and fact sheets, pitching stories, and coordinating interview requests from local and national media outlets. My strong interest in technology, emerging social networks and the future of public relations has allowed me to be effective at recognizing emerging trends in social media and using social media tools such as LinkedIn.
Experience:
Before joining VHPR in 2007 I earned a B.A. in public relations with a minor in studio art from Central Washington University. While at Central I completed an internship at Publicis Dialog where I assisted the commodities public relations team.
Outside the office:
I enjoy anything that gets me in touch with nature, including kayaking in the Puget Sound and hiking in the Olympic National Forest. Lately I've also found myself falling in love with Seattle and I spend a lot of time enjoying everything it has to offer, especially Pioneer Square's First Thursday Art Walks. I love to travel and spent over 70 days traversing Europe last summer.
Favorite author:
A tough choice, but I've been enthralled with everything Eric Schlosser writes since reading Fast Food Nation in 2002.
Favorite social media sites:
I'm a news and blog/aggregator junkie, so BoingBoing.net, Wired.com and Neatorama.com are all daily reads for me. I also spend a lot of time on LinkedIn and enjoy reading their developer's blog so I know what to expect in the future.
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