Raleigh, N.C. – February 5, 2013 – Dana Hughens, the founder and CEO of award-winning public relations and marketing communications agency, Clairemont Communications, has been selected as the conference chair for the 2013 Counselors Academy conference to be held in Austin, June 9 – 11. Counselors Academy is a professional interest section of Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)  designed to foster information and best practices sharing amongst a peer network of PR agency owners and senior managers.

“There’s no one better than Dana to chair the 2013 Counselors Academy conference,” said Martin Waxman, principal of Martin Waxman Communications and the 2012 conference chair. “As a successful entrepreneur and agency owner, she has an insider’s knowledge of the kind of content PR leaders need to take their businesses to the next level.”

The conference theme is “Get W.E.I.R.D. in Austin: Wired, Entrepreneurial, Imaginative and Results-Driven” with presentations focused on all aspects of agency management, business development, operational excellence and emerging technologies. In her role as conference chair, Hughens is leading a committee of PR agency leaders to select speakers, plan conference events and promote the conference.

“Each year I’ve attended the conference, I’ve gleaned immediately implementable information that helped me improve my business,” said Hughens “I’m excited to play a key role in delivering valuable content to the PR agency professionals who join us in Austin in June.”

Hughens, who has been a member of the Counselors Academy since 2007, was named to the executive committee of Counselors Academy last year and served as the co-chair of the 2012 conference in New Orleans, La. She was recently video interviewed about the 2013 conference content by Waxman for Inside PR.

“I worked with Dana on last year’s conference, and she is one of the smartest, most dedicated and creative people in the industry. I know she’ll use her talents to make this conference a real standout,” Waxman added.

About Clairemont Communications

Clairemont Communications devises communications strategies that utilize both traditional PR and social media to help clients achieve business objectives by influencing purchases, persuading stakeholders and influencers, and defining brands. Clarity in vision + the promise of monumental results = Clairemont Communications.

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