Insights from Dale and the experts at DCC.
This month, Dale had the opportunity to attend the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce International Business & Leadership Conference!
Check out this short message from Dale describing his experiences as the conference, as well as his plans for DCC over the next year.
Do the terms “public relations,” “advocacy,” and/or “thought leadership” make you and your team nervous?
Do you worry that your organization needs to step up its communications game or miss out on opportunities? Do you face an outright threat that is grounded in part on poor communications strategy or tactics?
What does it mean to conduct “public relations,” anyway?
The answer lies in three parts: Know your target audience; develop clear and compelling content; and be persistent in building bridges to your audience.
For more information, check out the video above. For more PR PRO TIPS and all DCC news, follow Dale on LinkedIn; and subscribe to our newsletter, DCC Dispatch. Let us know what questions you need answered.
And don’t hesitate to give us a call if you need a little help with your team’s communications efforts.
For the second year in a row, DCC has been selected to appear in the O’Dwyer’s Annual Rankings issue!
This year, we are proud to be ranked #17 in Washington, DC, and #123 among firms with major U.S. operations. On the list of U.S. firms specializing in technology issues, we’ve moved up six spots from last year, from #53 to #47! We’re also among the top five “Leading Gainers” among firms in our size category.
The full rankings, which are based on 2017 net fees and employee counts, are available here.
Thanks to our all of our clients and friends who have supported DCC over the years, making this recognition possible! Onward and upward!
Coming from a conservative, fairly religious family, accepting and embracing the annual LGBTQ Pride celebration was difficult for me.
Some of the friends and family members I grew up with might have said things like, “Why would anyone be proud of that?” or “Why don’t we have Straight Pride?”
Dale and Lamar enjoyed attending “Night OUT at Nationals Park” on June 5, just one of many Pride celebrations this month in DC
Setting aside the answers to those questions for another blog, that’s exactly the kind of negative social pressure that all LGBTQ people have to deal with as youths and as adults. It’s a constant questioning of our right to exist and enjoy life on a path that’s just a little bit different.
Early in my career, I worried about how being gay would affect my career. Coming out to friends in college was relatively easy; being out in Republican politics in the 1980s and 90s, not so much. It wasn’t until I was in my 30s, working as a journalist, that I felt comfortable to be out at work, and to switch allegiances to the political party that (usually) supported my right to exist without discrimination.
Fast forward to today: I’ve been running my own PR business for almost nine years as an out-gay man, and for the most part, I don’t need to fear the effect on my business. As far as I know, it’s not an issue with any of my clients, and it’s a plus in my professional network. When I married my husband Lamar last year, we were showered with well wishes from our professional colleagues.
In recent years, I’ve stepped up my professional involvement in the LGBTQ community, and today I’m active in the Human Rights Campaign (as Table Captains co-chair for the 2018 National Dinner); Q Street (on the board of directors); and both the Capital Area Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, which certified DCC as an LGBT-owned business in 2017.
While Team DCC continues to serve clients in a variety of industry and nonprofit sectors, I’m now hoping to put our team’s collective skills and experience to work for outstanding LGBTQ-related clients, as well.
Our work for equality is far, far from over. In my adult life, Americans have made tremendous strides toward full equality and respect for diversity, both as a society and as individuals. (Including me. There have been times when I was uncomfortable working with members of our LGBTQ community who are quite different from me. I think I’ve made progress on that front, and I’m committed to doing more.)
And yet hundreds of millions of Americans – and people in the other 95 percent of the world – still face daily pressures to hide who they are and who they love, at home and at work. Advocates of religious-based discrimination ignore some of the core tenets of their faith in their relentless dedication to discrimination and hate.
For all these reasons, I am proud to work for LGBTQ equality – not just in June but all year-round – both in my personal life and in my business.
Happy Pride!
As we celebrate National 9-1-1 Education Month in April and the 50th anniversary of the 9-1-1 system all year long, we wanted to share a few snapshots of our work for NENA—The 9-1-1 Association.
The Human Rights Campaign’s annual National Dinner is always a star-studded, glamour-filled night of celebration and inspiration, and this year’s event was no different.
Let the fall festivities begin! Join Dale Curtis Communications and the Public Affairs Council’s Political Involvement Network (PIN) for their upcoming Pumpkin Spice Happy Hour!
Spice up your night on Tuesday, October 3rd from 5:30-7:30 PM in the private library space of The Darlington House near Dupont Circle! Guests will enjoy delicious cocktails, conversation and networking with your fellow public affairs professionals.
The Public Affairs Council is a nonpartisan, nonpolitical association that serves public affairs professionals all around the world. The Political Involvement Network (PIN) is a subsidiary of PAC that provides networking and idea-sharing opportunities for the council’s more politically active members.
Please join us!
What: PIM Pumpkin Spice Happy Hour
When: Tuesday, October 3rd from 5:30-7:30pm
Where: The Darlington House
1610 20th Street, NW, 3rd Floor
Washington, DC 20009
When I was an undergraduate at Harvard and active in the Harvard University Institute of Politics (IOP), I dreamed of the day when I could be a mentor to young people, just as the IOP staff, fellows, and Student Advisory Council leaders were mentors to me. Since then, I have had the opportunity to employ and mentor many young people, but this week, I had a chance to lead an actual IOP activity.
On July 20, I had the honor of hosting an after-work discussion with colleagues from the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) in collaboration with the Harvard IOP.
The Harvard IOP is a "living memorial" dedicated to President John F. Kennedy, designed to help Harvard students discover their passion for politics and public service through speakers, study groups and other opportunities. The IOP's Summer in Washington program provides social, educational and networking opportunities for students interning in D.C.
As a Harvard alumnus who participated in the Summer in Washington program in 1982, I am always delighted to have the opportunity to meet current students and help them to build their careers.
The discussion I led featured three of Washington's smartest PR professionals: the BPC’s VP of Communications, Robert Traynham; the BPC’s Content and Branding Manager, Rachael Gresson; and HRC’s Senior Vice President of Communications & Marketing, Olivia Alair Dalton. All three offered unique insights into how their communications teams operate, how their careers unfolded, and what the Washington PR game is really about.
A special thanks to our panelists for taking the time to speak to the students and to the IOP for helping to coordinate this event with DCC!
DCC is pleased to announce that we were included on the Washington Business Journal's list of Top LGBTQ-Owned Companies in the D.C. area. We are tied for #22, ranked by number of employees. Check out the complete list here (subscription required).
We are proud to announce that Dale Curtis Communications is now certified by the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) as an LGBT Business Enterprise (LGBTBE®)!
The NGLCC is the nation’s certifying body for LGBT owned and operated businesses. Co-founders Justin Nelson and Chance Mitchell wanted to showcase that LGBT people are business owners, employers, taxpayers, and corporate citizens, too. We are a vibrant, essential part of America’s small business engine.
With this certification, DCC joins a growing group of more than 800 certified LGBTBE’s across the United States, and one of only a few certified PR firms in the public affairs arena.
Although DCC has not done any paid client work in the LGBTQ space, Dale has been a proud and active supporter of groups including the Capital Area Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (CAGLCC); Human Rights Campaign; Metropolitan Community Church of Washington DC; Q Street; SMYAL; Victory Fund; and the Walk & 5K to End HIV.
Team DCC loves to put our PR skills and experience to work for great causes, and this certification will help us grow and evolve our role in the market. It's also a wonderful way to celebrate the end of Pride Month!
If you are interested in learning more about the certification process, visit the NGLCC's Get Certified page.
