Communicating to change behaviors is breakfast topic on July 17

Public relations pioneer Edward Bernays was infamous for his campaign in the late 1920s to increase cigarette smoking among women. A different organization, Truth Initiative, is dedicated to making tobacco use a thing of the past while using communications to affect behavioral change.

The organization's managing director of communications, Sarah Shank, will make a breakfast presentation on how they do this from 8 to 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 17, in the Cosgrove Lounge. The event, sponsored by the National Press Club Communicator Team, is free to members.

Registration is required. Please make reservations by the close of business on Monday.

Shank has been with Truth Initiative since 2009, when she came on board to support the consumer launch of BecomeAnEX.org a free quit-smoking program. Since then, Shank has collaborated across departments and with external partners and sponsors to develop and execute communications outreach strategies.

Her media strategy delivered more than $100 million in earned media to the organization each year. In 2018, Shank accepted the Gold Stevie award for Communications Professional of the Year from the American Business Awards.

Before joining Truth Initiative, Shank worked at Ogilvy Public Relations, where she led communications and social media outreach for association and consumer clients. Shank is an American University graduate and earned a master’s degree in integrated marketing communications from West Virginia University.

The Communicator Team hosts monthly continental breakfasts sessions for journalists and communicators that are free to Club members. A member may bring a guest and add that person during registration. At the breakfast, guests will need to pay $10. The fee may be refundable if the guest becomes a Club member.