Speakers

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Tribal Member and Commissioner of Natural Resources

Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe 

Kelly is a tribal member and has been working for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe for 23 years and has been appointed as the Commissioner of Natural Resources for a second 4-year term.

As Commissioner, Kelly oversees a department of 40 staff who have a wide range of duties including environmental and resource protection, cultural preservation, tribal enrollment, and programs to enhance tribal participation in harvesting under treaties. Kelly's role as a Commissioner is to protect the sacred gifts including clean water, and the environment that the Creator has provided to his people.

Kelly has also been appointed to 3 boards in the energy and natural resources realm including Governor Walz’s Advisory Council on Climate Change, Attorney General Keith Ellison’s Future of Minnesota Water Task Force, and the Critical Materials Recovery Task Force.

Owner

BETTISON  

Stacy Bettison, owner of BETTISON, brings over 20 years of legal and communications experience in a wide range of industries and business. Stacy has honed an expert blend of legal and business acumen developed over her years as an attorney and communications strategist.  Adept at identifying risk and opportunity, Stacy serves as a highly valued business and communications advisor offering smart, insightful and practicable strategies and solutions. At BETTISON, a high-stakes public relations firm, Stacy’s practice has included crisis and litigation communications, corporate and business communications and media relations. Stacy has led and managed all aspects of communications strategy development and planning. Stacy has served as a spokesperson for many clients, fielded media inquiries, conducted interviews, negotiated interview terms, and gained favorable media coverage for her clients on stories involving high-stakes business and litigation matters.

Manager, External Communications and Public Relations 

Children’s Minnesota  

Dina Elrashidy is the manager for external communications and public relations at Children’s Minnesota, overseeing enterprise-wide media strategy, driving strategic communications initiatives and managing PR crisis response with clarity and compassion. Previously, she held communications roles with the Embassy of Sweden in Cairo and the United Nations, where she advanced a trade and cultural promotion portfolio, media relations and high profile events. Dina brings a global perspective and a deep belief in the power of storytelling. She holds a Master of Political Science (International Relations emphasis) from the American University in Cairo and undergraduate degrees in Business (Marketing) and English Literature from the University of Minnesota.

Reporter

KARE 11 News (NBC) 

Kent joined KARE 11 (NBC affiliate) in August of 2016. He is a Minnesota native who spent more than a decade reporting across the country for KSFY in Sioux Falls, WXIN in Indianapolis and KDVR in Denver. His award-winning career includes multiple Emmys and a regional Edward R. Murrow award for feature reporting. He is a member of National Academy of Arts and Sciences. Kent graduated from the University of Minnesota where he was a sports writer and Audio/Visual Editor for the Minnesota Daily student newspaper. He loves inspiring people and telling their stories. And he takes pride in informing and explaining issues, no matter how complex, in ways that help people understand and engage with their communities.

Senior Director of Organizational Communications 

Children's Minnesota  

Nick LaFave is senior director of organizational communications for Children's Minnesota, one of the largest freestanding pediatric hospitals in the country. He oversees the system's external, internal, and executive communications. He is also in charge of the hospital's thought leadership, positioning Children's Minnesota as a national expert and advocate for pediatric care. Before going into health care communication, Nick spent 20 years in broadcast journalism, during which time he won several Emmy awards for his work. He's a proud graduate of both Northern Michigan University (B.S. In Journalism) and Grand Valley State University (M.S. Communication).

Owner/Principal, Omodt & Associates Critical Communications

Adjunct Professor, University of St. Thomas  

 For more than 35 years, Paul Omodt, APR, Fellow PRSA has provided crisis communication and issues management expertise to clients whose success depends on telling their story when communication is critical. He is known for handling some of the Midwest’s most pressing critical issues, from the unrest following the murder of George Floyd to recent federal immigration actions in the Twin Cities. For more than a decade, Paul has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas in both the undergraduate and graduate schools, and he has published peer-reviewed academic research on crisis communication and effective telehealth techniques. Paul has served on several local and national committees, including chairing PRSA’s Advocacy Committee, and has spoken at ICON several times and taught pre-ICON sessions.

Chief Client Officer

Beehive Strategic Communication  

Ayme Zemke is chief client officer for Beehive Strategic Communication and a certified crisis communication leader. She leads the agency's client experience approach and delivery using her strengths in relationship-building and collaboration to drive meaningful business results. She also leads a full client portfolio and serves on the agency’s executive leadership team.

Ayme has more than 25 years of strategic communication experience and has used that expertise to help many organizations solve complex business challenges and nurture positive organizational cultures. She has been recognized by PR News as a Top PR Professional and PR Team Leader and is an accredited member of the Public Relations of America.

Vice President of Social Media Strategy

Curious Plot

Christina Milanowski leads the social media strategy team at Curious Plot, a Minneapolis-based marketing agency serving food, agriculture and animal care brands.  While starting in PR, she has evolved into a career focused on social media, now pioneering cutting-edge strategies for dozens of clients including AUTUMNCRISP Grapes and Purina Animal Nutrition. Christina holds a Masters of Business Communications from St. Thomas, bachelor’s degrees from the University of Minnesota, and is Social Media Strategist certified. One day long, long ago, she also won the Young Professionals Award from Minnesota PRSA. She has also worked for Maccabee agency, Regis Corporation and Life Time.

Founder

Third Sphere, LLC   

Dr. Ramon Pastrano is a transformational leadership strategist, speaker, and founder of Third Sphere LLC, specializing in organizational culture, inclusive leadership, and human systems transformation. Drawing on global research and his 4-I Model—Identity, Integration, Intrinsic Motivation, and Influence—he helps leaders build psychologically safe, high-performing teams rooted in trust, purpose, and accountability. With expertise spanning neuroscience, socio-cultural anthropology, and leadership development, Dr. Pastrano equips organizations to navigate complexity, bridge difference, and lead lasting change. A trusted advisor to executives, boards, and nonprofits, he is known for combining deep insight, practical tools, and a servant-hearted approach that inspires meaningful transformation.

CEO & Founder

MRPP & Associates Communications  

Marsha R. Pitts-Phillips, APR, is the CEO and founder of MRPP & Associates Communications and an Industry Inclusion Fellow at the University of Minnesota's Hubbard School of Journalism and serves on the school’s Director’s Advisory Council. She is the first Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the PRSA Minnesota chapter and has received several awards for her leadership. Pitts-Phillips is involved with the National Association of Black Journalists Media-Related Task Force, NABJ-MN, and the National Black Public Relations Society. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® and volunteers on boards in the Twin Cities and is ordained clergy at her church.

Public Information and Community Engagement Officer

Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas’ Public Works Department  

Dave Reno is a Public Information and Community Engagement Officer who helps public-sector teams build internal alignment and public trust during change. He leads communications and outreach for the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas’ Public Works Department, supporting accreditation, rebranding, and service transformation across multiple divisions and enterprise services. His approach to public communication is recognized nationally as a model practice, grounded in plain-language messaging, repeatable communication systems, and measurable outcomes. Dave partners with technical staff and executive leaders to translate complex systems into clear, actionable information for residents, stakeholders, and media. Outside of work, he’s a photographer.

Senior Director

North America Media Practice Lead, APCO

Iris Shaffer, senior director in APCO’s Chicago office and North America Media Practice Lead, brings three decades of corporate/crisis communications and media relations expertise. She develops/directs successful integrated communications campaigns and manages complicated challenges for clients. Her Midwest clients have included a tire company, a US Olympic Committee governing body, a medical device company, two of the nation’s largest associations, and a large hospital system. She leads a team of 60+ media relations strategists/practitioners. Previously, Iris led corporate communications for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Vice President, Director of Marketing & Communications

BankIn Minnesota  

Karina Wiatros is Vice President, Director of Marketing & Communications at BankIn Minnesota, where she leads marketing, public relations, brand storytelling, and advocacy communications for the state’s independent community banks. She holds a Master of Business Communication and brings more than 15 years of experience spanning agencies, nonprofits, for-profits, and consulting – primarily within B2B and service-based environments. Known for her strategic yet hands-on approach, Karina specializes in trust-driven communication strategies that prioritize connection, credibility, and long-term influence. Her work focuses on engaging stakeholders, translating diverse voices into cohesive narratives, and measuring progress through both immediate engagement and long-term trends.

Principal

Wolf Olson Communications  

Candee Wolf, MA, APR, Fellow PRSA, is the founder of Wolf Olson Communications, where she helps organizations strengthen their reputation, engage audiences and achieve business goals through strategic integrated communications. With more than 20 years of experience, primarily in health care, she provides senior-level counsel across internal and external communications, branding, digital strategy and change communications. She holds a master’s degree in communications, a bachelor’s in psychology, and is an accredited public relations professional and PRSA College of Fellows inductee.