In the last few years, Planned Parenthood, a 70 year old organization that provides health services to millions of women and families, has moved proactively to embrace the web and social media, with striking results. Its YouTube channel has gotten a lot more active, with dozens of videos featuring members in action. Its Twitter account does much more than broadcast press releases. Posts on its Facebook page regularly earn thousands of likes. And the organization has shown that it understands that in the new media environment, you have to be your own media, make your media sharable by your supporters, and not just rely on mainstream media to get your message out.

We'll discuss the changes at Planned Parenthood with Heather Holdridge, the organization's digital director, who comes to the organization after years in online strategy at places like CTSG, Care2 and Fenton Communications, and with Deanna Zandt, a social media expert whose independent project, Planned Parenthood Save Me, a tumblr blog, became a vital hub for online solidarity during the recent controversy over the Komen Foundation.

Heather joined Planned Parenthood Federation of America in August 2011 as Director of Digital Strategy after two years as VP of Digital at Fenton Communications, where she led the DC office’s digital practice. Heather worked to develop and execute social media strategies and multimedia projects across a diverse client base.

Prior to Fenton, Heather served for four years as the director of political advocacy for Care2. She worked to connect Care2’s millions of members to non-profits doing political work and advocacy campaigns. She led the effort to develop Care2’s Election2008 Channel.

Heather was also a partner and online organizing director for the Carol/Trevelyan Strategy Group (CTSG), instrumental in developing and growing CTSG’s Creative Multimedia department, including serving as executive producer and co-writer for several Pollie-award winning campaigns.