East Central District Conference | Sept. 12-13, 2025
Decision making can seem perilous in uncertain times, but as you may have heard, fortune favors the bold. Leave No Doubt about creating your best work and being your best self at the Sept. 12-13 PRSA East Central District Conference 2025.
This year ECD boldly takes on a new name, a new location, and a broader audience with the same goal of inspiring PR leadership and success.
Our conference was founded as the “QuickStart Leadership Conference” for new chapter leaders. Our new name, the PRSA East Central District Conference reflects a broader conference welcoming all ECD PRSA and PRSSA chapter leaders and members.
This year we move a few miles north from our traditional site in Columbus to the city of Dublin and the spacious International Center for Creativity.
The ECDC 2025 theme is borrowed from the success of the Ohio State University Buckeyes whose “Leave No Doubt” mantra accompanied them in their march to the college football championship.
Our agenda reflects the three pillars of our annual conference.
At ECDC 2025 we will…
LEAVE NO DOUBT… about the message you create. We will explore best practices for creating and executing impactful communications
LEAVE NO DOUBT… about the path you take. We will seek a deeper understanding and embracement of industry trends and the rapidly expanding frontier of AI.
LEAVE NO DOUBT… about the promises you make. We will deeply examine the priorities of self-care and ethical action to be the best versions of ourselves.
Schedule
Friday, September 12
10 a.m. – 3 p.m. ECD board meeting | ECD Board members only
International Center for Creativity
4675 Lakehurst Ct. Suite 150
Dublin, OH 43016.
5 – 8 p.m. Mixer and PRSSA welcome event, recognition of Platinum, Prominent, and Diamond Award winners.
Dublin COhatch
25 North St
Dublin, OH 43017
Sponsored by PRSA Central Ohio chapter.
Saturday, September 13
7:30 – 8:00 a.m. Registration/Arrival & Continental Breakfast Open
8:00 – 8:15 a.m. Welcome and Introductions – Mark Pompilio Chair-Elect PRSA ECD
8:15 – 8:30 a.m. PRSA East Central District Overview – Mark Weinstein ECD Chair
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. The State of PRSA National: Recruiting and Retention in Membership – Matthew Marcial, PRSA CEO.
9:30 – 10:15 a.m. Membership Update – Ray Day, APR, PRSA Chair
10:15 – 11:15 a.m. The New Rules of Thought Leadership: Matching Your Organizational Intelligence to User Intent in the Age of AI – Peter Evans/ExpertFile Co-Founder & CEO.
11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m. Evolving at the Speed of Culture: Understanding How Trends Work (and How They Affect Our Industry – Anna Pompilio, Marks Strategy Director
12 – 1 pm Lunch (Networking Time with Fellow Attendees)
1 – 1:45 p.m. AI for Communicators – Where are We Today and Where are We Heading – Corinne Jorgenson, Director of Proposals, Parallax Advanced Research.
1:45 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. – Breaking Through the Noise: Rethinking Media Strategy in a Fragmented, AI-Driven World – Lauren Parker, CEO & Co-Owner Slide Nine Agency
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Lead Without Limits: Tackling Perfectionism, Imposter Syndrome & Burnout – Katie Neal – Katie Neal Coaching + Consulting
3:30 – 3:45 p.m. Conference Summary: 5 Big Things – Mark Pompilio
3:45 – 4:00 p.m. – Closing Remarks – Mark Weinstein
4:00 p.m. Conference Adjourns
Location & Pricing
Conference Location: International Center for Creativity ▪ 4675 Lakehurst Ct. Suite 150, Dublin, OH
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express Columbus-Dublin ▪ 5500 Tuttle Crossing Blvd. ▪ Dublin, OH
The hotel is offering a special group rate of $149 (Two Queen Beds). The room must be reserved before Aug. 11. Book online or call 614-793-5500.
Pricing: (*Early Bird/Regular)
- Member — $50/$70
- Nonmember — $70/$90
- PRSSA Student — $20/$30
- Nonmember Student — $30/$40
*Early bird ends August 1
We will learn from, interact with, and collaborate on creative tasks with the following ECDC speakers:
Matthew Marcial, PRSA CEO
PRSA East Central DistrictThe State of PRSA National
Matt Marcial will make his first visit to the ECD Conference since assuming the role of PRSA Chief Executive Officer in March 2025. He will deliver a “State of the Society” report on his vision for PRSA and the current progress toward his goals, including PRSA’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. It’s a chance to get to know our CEO and share our aspirations for how PRSA can better serve its members.
Matt Marcial arrived at PRSA by a career path that diverges from traditional PR. He has over 15 years of leadership experience in driving growth and innovation for trade and professional membership associations. He has successfully grown key business areas including sales and marketing and provided strategic consulting to associations and nonprofits.
He served as Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of College Auxiliary Services and held executive roles with The Institute of Internal Auditors, Meeting Professionals International (MPI), NAFA Fleet Management Association and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.
Ray Day, PRSA National Chair
PRSA East Central DistrictPRSA Recruiting & Retention in Membership
ECDC 2025 offers the unique opportunity to meet in person both PRSA’s CEO Matt Marcial and National Chair Ray Day. Driving new membership, retention, and engagement are central to Ray’s mission. He will provide a progress report on his goals for helping chapters and members and will answer our questions and concerns.
Ray Day is Vice Chair of Stagwell, where his focus is on communications, public relations, corporate affairs, reputation and directly serving as senior communications counsel for major clients around the world. Before joining Stagwell in 2020, Day was IBM’s Chief Communications Officer and served 28 years with Ford where he was Group Vice President of Communications and head of Ford’s European Public Affairs, living in both Germany and the UK. Ray’s roots are in the East Central District. He is a Wayne State University graduate who served as a reporter and editor in the Detroit area before joining Ford.
Peter Evans/ExpertFile Co-Founder & CEO
PRSA East Central DistrictThe New Rules of Thought Leadership: Matching Your Organizational Intelligence to User Intent in the Age of AI
Depending on who you ask, it’s the best of times and the worst of times for communications professionals. We are uniquely positioned as storytellers to help our organizations engage audiences in building brand reputation through thought leadership. However, new advancements in AI and shifting audience behaviors are profoundly transforming everything from content production to media distribution and search behavior. And we’re just getting started. Join Peter Evans, Co-Founder and CEO of ExpertFile, as he outlines the new skills required to lead in the era of algorithmic discovery and intent-based search. As AI platforms reshape how people access expert knowledge, PR and communications professionals face a critical question: Are your experts, executives, and thought leadership assets aligned with how your audience thinks, searches, and decides?
In this session, We’ll learn about the A-C-T Formula™, a neuroscience-based model that helps organizations engineer content to maximize Attention, Curiosity, and Trust while avoiding cognitive “triggers” that can negatively impact your thought leadership programs.
Peter Evans is the Co-Founder and CEO of ExpertFile.com – the content platform and online expert network used extensively by global news outlets to find credible expert sources on over 50,000 topics. As a serial entrepreneur, accomplished strategy consultant and pitch coach, he has advised over 300 startups and helped them raise over $500M in early-stage capital, later leading to multiple acquisitions by companies including Google, Intel, SnapChat, H&R Block, and FLIR/Teledyne. His upcoming book “Show Your Smarts” focuses on how organizations, from startups to large institutions, can leverage thought leadership at scale. His approach focuses on empowering communications pros who are uniquely positioned to help their organizations build market reach, relationships, reputation, and revenue. Over the years he has helped a diverse set of clients including DoubleClick/Google, Cleveland Clinic, Telus, Carnegie Mellon University and Glaxo while earning multiple CODiE, IABC, and SIIA Awards. His work has been featured in HBR Online, PR Week, Inc. Magazine, Journalism UK and Huffington Post. Peter has also been a recent contributor to the Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs program, advising CEO’s in its startup accelerator program. He holds an MBA from Queen’s University and attended the Strategy & Innovation Executive Program at the MIT Sloan School of Management.
Anna Pompilio
PRSA East Central DistrictEvolving at the Speed of Culture: Understanding How Trends Work (and How They Affect Our Industry)
Marks is a next-gen creative platform, working at the collision of people, commerce, creativity, and technology, delivering content at the speed of culture for the world’s biggest brands. In the Creative Studio Marks crafts disruptive brand narratives and immersive brand worlds to build cultural resonance. Using trends methodology, Anna will double click on hot button topics of today and how PR plays a role.
Anna Pompilio is a Strategy Director with 10 years of experience in brand-building, trend forecasting, and cultural strategy. Anna blends her expertise in traditional brand strategy and an always-evolving pulse on culture to deliver relevant and meaningful strategy for a number of global clients. Anna partners with teams at a global scale, working for brands like LEGO, Proctor & Gamble, Anheuser-Busch, Target, LMVH, and more. In addition to her client work, Anna is a contributor to publications across the industry and outside it. You can find her featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, AdAge, Business Insider, the Washington Post, and more. Her weekly publication Midwesthetic on culture, trends, and Internet-behavior has a readership of over 2K.
Corinne Jorgenson, MS, MA, CF APMP
PRSA East Central DistrictAI for Communicators – Where are We Today and Where are We Heading – Corinne Jorgenson, Parallax Advanced Research Director of Proposals
Corinne has practical advice on current AI tools, from writing tools like Claude AI, to generational changes in ChatGPT, to research tools like Perplexity. Corinne reminds us AI has already integrated our everyday lives – from AI search engines, on social media, even spell check – you are using AI. She will discuss the future collaboration with humans, particularly for com pros and newsrooms. She will examine why humans don’t perceive AI as having an ethical agency. How we see layers of ethical protection built in and hope to see ethical problems resolve themselves. Answers to explore include transparency when using AI and well-planned ethical AI policies.
Corrine Jorgenson is a cognitive scientist whose research interests include human cognition, human-machine teaming, and how perceptions of ethics and trust influence the use and adoption of artificial intelligence. She formerly served as Redpoint Engineering & Consulting CEO and at Dragonfly Editorial. Outside of work, she likes rock climbing, food, traveling, and stories.
Katie Neal, ACC
PRSA East Central DistrictLead Without Limits: Tackling Perfectionism, Imposter Syndrome & Burnout – Katie Neal – Katie Neal Coaching + Consulting
This convo can help PR pros at all levels recognize and address the hidden barriers that hold them back. From overcoming the grip of perfectionism to silencing self-doubt and managing burnout, participants will gain actionable tools to lead with intention authenticity, no matter the challenges they face.
Katie Neal, ACC, is an award-winning communications executive and a certified leadership coach. As the principal of Katie Neal Consulting & Coaching, she helps high-achievers lead with intention and advance their careers. While she specializes in coaching women and professionals in communications, marketing, and media, her clients span industries and identities. Katie’s 20-year track record in strategic communications includes serving as Vice President of Communications and Marketing at TimelyCare, an independent communications consultant, and Assistant Vice President of News & Communications at Wake Forest University. A former broadcast journalist, she also worked at PR agencies in Sacramento, Calif., San Francisco, Singapore, and Winston-Salem, N.C. Katie earned her B.A. in communication from Wake Forest University and her certificate in Leadership Coaching for Organizational Performance at American University. She holds an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credential and is an active member of the ICF Ohio Valley Chapter. Katie currently serves as president of the PRSA Thoroughbred Chapter in Lexington, Ky., where she lives with her family.
Lauren Parker
PRSA East Central DistrictBreaking Through the Noise: Rethinking Media Strategy in a Fragmented, AI-Driven World – Lauren Parker, CEO & Co-Owner Slide Nine Agency
The media landscape isn’t just changing, it’s splintering. Traditional newsrooms are shrinking. Audiences are fragmented across platforms. AI is accelerating content creation at unprecedented speed. And influencers have evolved into full-fledged content creators with their own ecosystems. For communicators, the challenge isn’t just “getting coverage” anymore; it’s understanding where and how to show up so brands can truly be heard. In this session, Lauren Parker will explore how these shifts are reshaping the work of PR professionals and marketing communicators. Drawing on real-world client examples, she’ll share how her agency is helping organizations reframe their approach — from earned media to owned and hybrid models — and navigate sensitive topics like DEI and global trade communications with nuance. Attendees will walk away with:
- A clear understanding of today’s media ecosystem—including the rise of creator-led platforms and AI-generated content.
- Practical strategies to help organizations cut through noise and build credibility in a world of shrinking attention spans.
- Frameworks for assessing when to engage with influencers, journalists, or direct-to-audience channels.
This session challenges PR pros to think beyond traditional playbooks and equips them with tools to lead their organizations through a rapidly evolving media landscape — where the rules are still being written.
Lauren Parker is an expert in strategic communications planning, earned media, executive thought leadership, crisis management and brand building. In her role, she guides the agency’s business strategy and growth while personally leading key client relationships, drawing on more than 15 years of experience, including significant tenures at top mid-sized agencies in New York City. In her career, she’s counseled B2B and B2C brands including BMW, Steelcase, Oppenheimer, Farm Credit Mid-America and many more. Lauren’s contributions to the industry have been recognized through accolades including Columbus Business First’s 40 Under 40 and PR News’ 15 PR Professionals to Watch.