Join AMALV with special guests from PRSA for an inside look at the nitty gritty of using public relations for your brand. Come equipped with all of your questions for our Q&A segment!

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Takeaways:

• Learn how public relations compliments but is ultimately different than advertising
• Learn how to create and follow a story
• Learn about the benefits of public relations
• Learn about countering bad public relations

Speaker Bios

Ruth Furman

Ruth Furman, principal of ImageWords Communications, is a communications consultant and master connector.

Her greatest joy is helping companies shine brighter by amplifying their stories and connecting them to opportunities.

Through her three decades of experience, she watched clients become friends and friends become clients. She learned that results and relationships fuel her, and challenges quench her. Ruth has become a go-to resource for journalists seeking experts. She is energized by being the biggest cheerleader and strongest advocate for her clients, past and present.

Based in Las Vegas, Ruth has the curiosity of a journalist, the enthusiasm of a publicist and the strategic mind of a marketing consultant.

Dan McFadden

Dan McFadden is Accredited in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). He serves as director of Strategic Communications at Sunrise Hospital & Medical Center and Sunrise Children’s Hospital in Las Vegas, Nev., where he leads internal and external communications strategy and marketing. With over 30 years of experience in communications and marketing, McFadden is a dedicated and driven senior transformational leader.

McFadden is a past president of PRSA, Arkansas chapter, and his been recognized with numerous awards for service to his chapter, which includes the chapter’s 2010 Crystal Award honoree “for making significant and continuous contributions to the public relations profession.” A true APR evangelist / cheerleader, McFadden has led accreditation for two PRSA chapters (Arkansas and Las Vegas Valley), Southwest District of PRSA, and served on the PRSA National Accreditation Marketing committee. During his APR leadership in Arkansas, he led the chapter’s accreditation committee responsible for developing the successful APR Ready to Roll program, still going strong in Arkansas for eight years and now taking Las Vegas Valley by storm. McFadden has mentored dozens of APR candidates across the country.

McFadden has led innovative, results-driven, award-winning communications teams in healthcare for nearly 20 years including serving as director of Marketing, Communications and Branding at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and leadership positions at St. Vincent Health System and Arkansas Department of Health, all based in Little Rock, Ark. His career includes leadership in television broadcasting (NBC, FOX, and CBS affiliates) and PR agency service. He is a FEMA-trained crisis communicator and self-proclaimed ‘techno geek’ for his innovation in communications and emerging technologies.

Sarah Thornton

Sarah’s firm specializes in in communications for commercial and residential real estate firms, professional services companies, nonprofit organizations and locals gaming companies. Sarah has worked in Las Vegas public relations for nearly 30 years and has worked with real estate and professional service firms for most of her career.

Sarah is an active member of the community and currently serves as a board member for Family to Family Connection, High Rollers Adaptive Sports Foundation and Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Las Vegas chapter. She spent two years on the Board of Directors for Kenzi’s Causes, a children’s nonprofit in Denver. She has also served on the board of directors for the PRSA Colorado chapter and the International Association of Business Communicators’ (IABC) Las Vegas and Colorado chapters. She regularly volunteers with the Clark County Bar Association’s Community Service committee and Cure 4 The Kids Foundation.

Sarah was named Public Relations Principal of the Year at the Electronic Media Awards in 2011, and the 2018 Volunteer of the Year by the Clark County Bar Association. Most recently, Sarah was named Senior PR Practitioner of the Year in 2020 by PRSA Las Vegas.

Sarah received her bachelor’s degree in communication studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and in 2019 was honored as UNLV’s Alumna of the Year for the Greenspun School of Communications. Sarah was awarded Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from PRSA, a distinction held by only 15 percent of public relations professionals within the society’s global membership.