A different kind of community

"It's a community working together to continually learn what's new in media and marketing and to help," President Michelle Hillaert said.

Elizabeth Cecconi is vice president, Edgar Diaz is communications coordinator, and Joel Wolfgang and Rob Rohena recently joined the board. "To start off, Social Marketing Club is going to meet once a month," Hillaert said. "We're going to try to keep everything focused on education," bringing experts to talk about topics that members have identified. The launch, sponsored by the South Bend Regional Airport, Pinnacle, Villa Macri and Memorial Hospital & Health System, included a videophone session with Kristie Wells, who founded Social Media Club Inc. with her husband, Chris Heuer, in San Francisco four years ago. The group (socialmediaclub.org) has grown to more than 200 cities around the world and is expanding into smaller population areas.