Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan Communications, wrote an excellent article yesterday on the Ragan website off of her interview with Steve Cody, founder and CEO of PR and marketing firm Peppercomm. She credits him with building a team culture, steeped in tactical communications that especially helps in these precarious times.   "At his daily '12@12' meetings (12-minute meetings at high noon), employees are encouraged to share humorous or lighthearted updates to help lift the team's collective spirits," she writes. Thus when Cody reaches out now to his employees, it's genuine. "When you're 23- or 24-years-old, [a crisis like this can be] a rude awakening. I encourage them to get together [online], share TV shows, hobbies, book recommendations. Some of them are stuck in 800-square-foot apartments. They know they can raise their hands and ask for help."   As we all work hard to find revenue drivers now and ideas that resonate with our audience, Schwartz's intervie ...

Linda Thomas Brooks, former CEO of the Magazine Publishers Association, has joined Connectiv as interim Managing Director. Brooks will oversee day-to-day activities, help develop the strategic plan, and assist the association in identifying potential acquisition targets for growth.