Speakers

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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 the 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).

Chief Growth Officer

Hiebing 

Dana Arnold is Chief Growth Officer at Hiebing, an independent, full-service agency in Madison, Wisc. and Austin, Texas, known for bold thinking, rigorous strategy and measurable impact. Dana leads growth across new business, brand strategy and innovation, partnering with nationally recognized brands such as Culver’s, Schneider, Chuck-It!, Sartori Cheese, Blain’s Farm & Fleet and more, driving relevance and results. A storyteller at heart, Dana translates cultural signals, media behaviors and expectations into actionable guidance for communicators. With a career spent connecting insight to execution, Dana helps brands move faster, grow smarter and build durable relationships in a constantly shifting marketplace that demand modern leadership and accountability.

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

Uncharted Strategy   

With over 20 years of experience across executive leadership and entrepreneurship, Megan Effertz has built and advised businesses across multiple industries, specializing in strategic transformation, communication and execution. She has held roles spanning sales, marketing, HR, risk and technology, giving her a systems-level view of how organizations actually work (and where they quietly break). Today, she runs a consulting firm, Uncharted Strategy, helping companies get unstuck by turning big ideas into practical, actionable plans teams can rally around. She is also the author of Maddie + Max and an adjunct professor at the University of St. Thomas.

Founder & President

ShanitaSpeaks, LLC  

Shanita Baraka Akintonde, MBA, M.Ed., APR candidate, is an award-winning communications strategist, author and national thought leader. She is Founder and President of ShanitaSpeaks, LLC, specializing in strategic communication and professional development, and serves as Board Chair of The Metropolitan in Chicago. A longtime PRSA leader, she is a past National Chair of the DEI Committee and active mentor. A Forbes contributor, podcast host with McGraw Hill and author of The Front Porch Leader, she is also involved in NABJ, Alpha Kappa Alpha and AMA. She is a sought-after keynote speaker focused on strategy, storytelling and purpose-driven leadership.

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 Minnesota PRSA 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.

Managing Director

McSweeney Public Relations, LLC  

Patrick McSweeney, APR, Fellow PRSA, is a public relations strategist and former journalist who advises leaders on crisis response, messaging and media relations for complex issues. He has represented government agencies, Fortune 500 companies and nonprofit organizations and is a longtime advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. He has held multiple PRSA leadership roles, including chairing the Midwest District and co‑chairing the national DE&I Committee. He has taught at Marquette University and the University of North Florida and mentors emerging PR professionals.

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.