Contact: Muffy Lavens
248-909-2793
media@cwcfpra.com
| SARASOTA, FL – June 20, 2025 – On June 18, the Central West Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) hosted “Your Brand Starts with Your Team: Bridging People & Brand Strategy,” a professional development event for public relations and communications practitioners. This session featured Kelly Carlstein, Vice President of Brand Strategy at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, who delved into the often-overlooked connection between human resources and brand strategy. To a crowd of 30 professionals, the event highlighted the essential role teams play in shaping and sustaining a company’s brand. Insights included how to empower teams with tools, knowledge and experiences that connect them to the organization’s mission, vision and values to drive success and deepen brand impact. Additionally, attendees explored how employee strategies — such as onboarding, employee engagement, culture development and buy-in — are integral to communicating and embodying a company’s brand. Hunter Carpenter, CWC-FPRA president, shares, “Employer branding is a function that typically falls under the HR umbrella, yet how your reputation – and critically, your culture – is known and understood within your community is a measure of PR. Kelly’s presentation reinforced how important it is that organizations break down these silos and have more collaborative conversations about uplifting their most valued ambassador – their employees.” The event took place on Wednesday, June 18, at the Gulf Coast Community Foundation (601 South Tamiami Trail, Venice, FL 34285). Future events will be posted at cwcfpra.com CWC-FPRA’s annual programs are sponsored by Caldwell Trust Company, Joe Curley, APR, CPRC, Sir Speedy Sarasota, and Visit Sarasota County. Photo caption: CWC-FPRA Members with guest speaker Kelly Carlstein L-R: Andrea Knies, APR; Kelly Carlstein; Laura Ansel, APR, CPRC |
About the Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association
The Central West Coast chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) is a network of public relations, marketing and communications professionals from Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties who come together for professional development and to build a network of peers. As an active part of the oldest statewide public relations organization in our country, CWC-FPRA takes pride in being the largest chapter in the state and in having an almost 60-year history of presenting stimulating programs and advancing the professional growth of its members. The Florida Public Relations Association is dedicated to developing public relations practitioners who, through ethical and standardized practices, enhance the public relations profession in Florida. For more about CWC-FPRA, visit cwcfpra.com.