Surviving…and Thriving in Crisis: Planning, Internal and External Communications, Recovery

Randi Berris is a manager in Corporate Communications at DTE Energy in Detroit, Michigan. She oversees the strategic planning and implementation of communications for electric operations and serves as the crisis communications lead for the enterprise. Berris joined DTE in 2013. Previously, she was the editorial director at a PR agency in Southeast Michigan. She is a former journalist with nearly 20 years’ experience in radio, TV and at the Associated Press, where she was the Michigan news editor for a decade. Berris is a proud graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in broadcast journalism. She has been honored with a Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Silver Anvil National Award of Excellence in crisis communications for managing DTE’s communications in the “storm of the century” in 2017, and has won five Silver Quill Awards-Heritage Region from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for her communications strategy and social media highlighting DTE’s restoration efforts in Puerto Rico as well as the company’s clean energy goals. 

R.J. King is editor of DBusiness magazine, DBusiness Daily News, Tech and Mobility News, and Detroit 500, all of which cover companies in metro Detroit and Michigan that are expanding locally, nationally, and internationally. He also is author of four books, “Detroit: Engine of America,” “Passport to the Corner Office: The Starter’s Guide to Corporate Life,” “8 Track: The First Mobile App,” and “Mystical.” Since 2011, DBusiness magazine has been honored with more than 35 Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals in the Editorial Excellence Awards from the Alliance of Area Business Publishers, including being named the top regional business magazine in the country. Prior to launching DBusiness in 2006, Mr. King was a business writer for The Detroit News for 16 years, where he wrote more than 4,000 articles covering economic development, automotive, aerospace, health care, technology, transportation, and other business sectors. 

Andrea Trapani has been a force in the Midwest’s public relations and crisis communications landscape for more than 15 years. In addition to leading the agency’s operations and strategic direction, she serves as lead strategist and communications counsel to some of the country’s most iconic brands and thriving organizations, including Hudsonville Ice Cream and Motown Museum. Her understanding of how business strategy meets communications is unparalleled. She’s worked closely with celebrities, top tier CEOs and entrepreneurs to shape their messages, guide their strategies and drive business growth. Her mix of strategic communications expertise and creative storytelling—in addition to her knowledge of what makes news in today’s modern communications landscape—has helped Identity’s 70+ clients achieve local, regional, national and international attention. Andrea’s expertise in crisis communications management has helped some of the country’s largest brands navigate sensitive and critical messaging moments. The company has offices in Bingham Farms and Chicago.

Mark Winter will serve as moderator of the panel.  He is the founder and president Bingham Farms-based Identity, one of the largest and fastest growing public relations agencies in the Midwest.  With more than 30 years of experience in media relations and crisis communications, he and his team have built more than 100 comprehensive crisis communications and recovery plans and deploy dozens of crisis response initiatives annually for individuals and companies nationwide.