Agency Motion

Co-CEO of Current Global and Wendy E. Parks, Vice President of Public Relations, Marketing and Communications at College of DuPage (COD). Under her leadership, the Office of Marketing and Communications earned several awards including honors from the international Telly Awards, the National Council for Marketing & Public Relations and the Illinois National School Public Relations Association. We are thrilled to bestow Wendy Parks with our first-ever Women of Impact award because of her direct and lasting impact on the careers of women in Chicago,” said Kimberly Eberl, Founder and CEO of Motion. In her nearly four-year tenure at College of DuPage, Wendy has consistently demonstrated exceptional growth, impact and change and truly embodies the values consistent with the International Women’s Day mission.

While social distancing restrictions have impacted traditional fundraising efforts, they have not derailed public relations and social media which remain powerful tools for fundraising. Even if people don’t have the means to make financial contributions right now, you can still inspire them to help boost your fundraising efforts via social media and their network which may have previously been untapped territory. These may seem like obvious actions, but a little nudge from you on social media could mean the difference between a donor who was not aware of your organization or mission to one who will be a repeat donor year over year, or season over season. While these short-term strategies can help boost fundraising efforts to close out 2020, non-profits will need a longer-term strategy to combat what appears to be a challenging 2021 as well.

Interestingly, when asked about traits that are often perceived as drawbacks within the traditional white, male workplace, Latina professionals in NEW’s focus groups cited expressiveness, empathy and a desire for work-life balance, all of which have become celebrated assets in the COVID-altered work-from-home landscape. What remains to be seen as the country reopens is whether a newly enlightened C suite will embrace the unique attributes Latinas bring to the table, or revert to its old ways, forcing an emboldened Latina talent pool that already represents this country’s fastest growing sector of small-business entrepreneurs to flee corporate America even faster. Factors hindering Latinas from seeing an opportunity for authentic advancement in large corporations include: Having been raised in collectivist cultures where the good of the group trumps individual pursuits, many Latinas learned from an early age to be selfless, generous and respect authority figures. Unconscious bias and emotional intelligence training, intentional sponsorship programs and accountability measures that tie executive performance reviews to diversity and inclusion markers are among the steps study authors assert as key to creating authentic, profit-driving connections with Latina talent.

A nationwide study conducted by the Motion Agency and Martec Group shows patients are ‘insecure’ in re-engaging with U. S. healthcare providers, whether In-person or remotely. “Research shows that 95 percent of cognitive activity takes place on the nonconscious ‘fast track,’ as opposed to the slow, logical plain of conscious thought,” said Chuck Bean, Partner and Chief Marketing Officer, Martec. The study showed significant levels of consumer insecurity on both sides of the remote/virtual versus in-person delivery fence, juxtaposed against largely ambivalent feelings toward telemedicine. With COVID-19 infections predicted to rise this Fall and Winter, health systems located in hot spots will likely experience a second wave of business interruption, loss of patient visits, surgery and revenue.