| July 22, 2011 | ||
| 8:00 am | to | 4:00 pm |
The Public Relations Association of Mississippi will host a one-day workshop to help APR candidates prepare for the computer-based exam July 22 in Jackson, Miss. The workshop is also appropriate for any PR professional who wishes to learn more about the practice of public relations. More information can be accessed here.
The Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM) has scheduled a one-day workshop to help members interested in attaining their Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), as well as any PR professional who wishes to learn more about public relations basics.
The session will be held from 8am through 4pm, Friday, July 22, 2011 at the Capital Club in Jackson, Miss.
“This workshop is evidence of PRAM’s strong commitment to the APR credential. We’ve provided coaching and support for candidates for years, but this event is our first attempt as a state organization to help them prepare for the computer-based exam,” said Kurt Brautigam, APR, PRAM’s vice president of Accreditation. “The workshop will incorporate a thorough review of the Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) related to the APR computer-based exam.
“However, for those members not currently in the accreditation process, the workshop will also be an excellent professional development opportunity, and perhaps it will create more interest for some who are thinking about pursuing their accreditation.”
Seats to take the APR computer-based exam are available for July 23 at the Prometric Test Center in Jackson at 9 a.m. APR candidates attending the workshop who plan to take the exam must have completed their Readiness Reviews and received notice of their eligibility by June 30. Seats for the exam are limited and will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.
“Our instructor, Julie B. Fix, APR, is an outstanding public relations professional with a wide range of experience,” Brautigam noted. “She teaches at the Valenti School of Communication at the University of Houston and also has her own consulting firm. She has conducted numerous accreditation workshops and other professional training, so we could not have a better leader for our first attempt at this kind of event.”
Cost for the workshop is $100 for members of PRAM and SPRF. Registration forms are due by July 11 for those who intend to take the July 23 exam. All other registrations must be received by July 18. Online registration and payment is available on PRAM’s newly redesigned website, http://pramonline.org.
The Capital Club is located on the 19th Floor of the Capital Towers Building, 125 South Congress Street (corner of Pearl and Congress), in downtown Jackson. There are several hotels within walking distance of the location. Lunch is included in the registration fee.
For more information, please feel free to contact Kurt Brautigam, APR, at 601.261.2348 or kbrautigam@smepa.coop.
2011 Chapter of Distinction Awards
WHO – All 20 Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) local chapters
o PRCA – Birmingham, East Alabama, Mobile, Montgomery, North Alabama and West Alabama
o PRAM – Central, Golden Triangle, Gulf Coast, Mississippi Beach, Meridian, Northeast, Oxford/Ole Miss, Pine Belt, River City, Starkville/Mississippi State
o PRAL – Alexandria, Baton Rouge and Acadiana
o ECPRO
WHAT – Annual Chapter of Distinction Awards; Work completed between January 1 and December 31, 2010 is eligible.
WHEN –Deadline to participate is Saturday, July 30. Website will open to receive entries beginning Wednesday, June 1.
WHERE – Register online at www.sprf.org. Awards will be presented at the SPRF Annual Conference Oct. 2-4 in Point Clear, Ala.
WHY – To promote continuous improvement in our chapters’ function, outreach, and benefits to members and communities, SPRF honors the chapter that excels in several specific professional categories by awarding the Jamie Palmer Chapter of Distinction Award. In addition, the SPRF will recognize excellence in leadership needed to obtain that award by recognizing the chapter’s leader as President of the Year. This competition allows chapters to use best practices in public relations planning by setting objectives in each area, developing a clear strategy and underlying tactics to achieve those objectives, and measuring success by objective.
HOW – SPRF’s Chapter of Distinction competition will allow chapters to compete in and win awards in eight achievement categories. Each chapter may choose to compete in any or all of the following.
o Public relations education
o Communication (promoting public relations externally and internally)
o Projects
o Chapter management
o Membership
o Programs
o Accreditation
o Public service
Judging criteria is based on the four-step formal PR process : Situation analysis, Goals/Objectives, Execution (strategies, tactics, methods), and Evaluation(measurement)] as well as supporting material (collateral). First-, second- and third-place winners in each category will receive an award and be awarded based on place. SPRF will then recognize the most outstanding chapter for overall initiatives aimed at furthering the profession of public relations. This award will be determined by total category points awarded. Therefore, the more categories a chapter enters, the more opportunities that chapter will have to score points toward winning Chapter of Distinction. The President of the Chapter of Distinction during the contest period will be awarded the President of the Year award.
SPRF is accepting nominations for the 2011 class to be inducted into the Southern Public Relations Hall of Fame. The deadline is May 30 and a nomination form can be downloaded here.
Please search for those public relations professionals who are legends in our field and have contributed to the advancement of our profession within your communities, states and neighboring states. Nominees do not have to be current members of SPRF, but a membership application would need to accompany their nomination form. Any waiting period for approval of membership will be waived.
Induction into the Hall of Fame is intended to identify past leaders in our industry whose memory should be honored and promote the profession about the extraordinary achievements, accomplishments and contributions of the inductees as well as SPRF and its members and member organizations. Criteria for selection includes 25 years professional experience by candidates who:
* have brought honor to the profession of public relations (Inductees may also be recognized for some strong contribution to their company, organization, city, state or region.);
* may be living or deceased;
* may have shown leadership at the local, state and regional levels of SPRF and member organizations and chapters; and/or
* may have demonstrated professional practice and behavior that are characteristic and consistent with the SPRF Code of Ethics.
For more information, visit the Hall of Fame page on the SPRF website.
Let’s get to the point about this year’s Lantern Awards. Point Clear, Ala., that is! The Marriott Grand Hotel in Point Clear is the site of this year’s Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) conference and Lantern Awards program. Enter your work in the Lantern Awards program and join us in Point Clear this fall! You’ve done the work and it’s time for you to get the recognition.
The 2011 Lantern Award program is now open for entry submissions! Visit http://www.sprflanterns.org to enter your outstanding work and hopefully be recognized, with professionals from around SPRF’s four-state region.
Your entries for the SPRF Lanterns must have appeared (published, printed, presented, etc.) between May 1, 2010, and April 30, 2011.
Lantern award entries are $55 per entry or $50 per entry if you are submitting three or more. Pay using PayPal or by check.
All entries must be submitted online by visiting www.sprflanterns.org. The deadline for entries is July 1 (binders must be received on or before this date in Kiln, Miss.)
Don’t forget to register for the conference by visiting www.sprf.org. For more information, please email lanterns@sprf.org or ronbarnes@coastepa.com.
Is your company looking for a win-win business opportunity? Then, Get to the Point and consider becoming a sponsor and/or exhibitor at SPRF’s 2011 Annual Conference.
Participating as a sponsor or exhibitor during the conference gives you the perfect opportunity to network and share your company’s products and services with public relations professionals from across this four state region. Additionally, it will provide exposure to all conference participants, increase brand visibility, help build your client base and be seen across multiple communication modes. If you’re already planning to attend the conference, a sponsorship package that includes registration helps promote your company while offering you full access to sessions, special activities and colleagues. What a win-win business opportunity!
Sound great? Thought so! Then, Get to the Point! Mark your calendar now and join us. The conference is scheduled for October 2 – 4, 2011, themed Get to the Point, and will be held at the Marriott Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Ala.
Click here for on becoming a Sponsor and/or Exhibitor. If you have additional questions, please contact association assistant Kim Collins, APR at kim@collinspr.com.
The Universal Accreditation Board (UAB) is giving away an iPad 2 and sponsoring a month-long series of activities to commemorate Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) Month in April. Events will communicate the value and benefits of the APR certification for public relations professionals and employers, while increasing awareness of the APR Program among the business community.
The highlight is a “Show the World Your APR contest,” which challenges each currently accredited professional to join the APR “sales team” and prominently display the credential as part of their contact information.
Individuals who send an email with “APR” as part of their electronic signature box to apr.ipad.giveaway@prsa.org will automatically be entered in a random drawing to win an iPad 2 ($499 value) and a year’s worth of data service ($300 value), which were donated to the UAB by The Frause Group, Inc., in Seattle. Individuals who attach a digital scan to their email that shows APR on their business card will be entered in the drawing a second time (complete contest rules).
“Let’s face it: the responsibility for promoting the value and benefits of APR starts with each one of us,” says John Forde, APR, Fellow PRSA, one of SPRF’s two representatives to the UAB. The Mississippi State communications professor was also selected to serve as co-chair of the UAB this year. “If you aren’t willing to take the simple step of putting APR on your business card or in your electronic signature block, you can’t expect SPRF or the UAB to make it meaningful to the profession for you.”
Along those lines, all APR-certified professionals also are being asked to use PRSA’s Invite-a-Peer tool during the month of April, to encourage other professionals to pursue their APR certification. The month-long series of activities also features free and paid webinars introducing public relations professionals to the APR program; they include:
• A free online prep webinar at 3 p.m. EDT April 12, which will provide valuable test-prep tips and study materials for those considering sitting for the APR exam.
• “Accelerate Your Career in Public Relations,” a free APR-focused webinar at 3 p.m. EDT April 28. Communications strategist Jenny Schade will lead a panel discussion with Bob Hastings, APR+M, senior vice president of communications at Bell Helicopter, and Mary Henige, director of social media and digital communications at General Motors, on how public relations professionals can advance their career in the midst of a transitional economy.
– more –
• A “Getting Ready for the APR Readiness Review seminar,” available on-demand, which will provide valuable tips on how to prepare for the APR exam.
“We all agree with the argument that some of the best experience is gained on-the-job, but you need to look at accreditation in the larger context,” says Michael Tullier, APR, chair of the Accreditation Marketing Committee and director of external relations at Auburn University. “Traditional media and bloggers are calling out our industry and its professionals and mocking bad pitches and shoddy business practices. Practitioners are providing bloggers with free products without ever disclosing the exchange of value when editorial coverage results. How can you argue that the workplace couldn’t use some help educating its employees?
“How can you also argue against APR,” he asks, “when research shows it can help increase your organizational status and pay grade?”
For more information or to register for any of the APR Month webinars, please visit www.praccreditation.org.
About Accreditation in Public Relations
Accreditation in Public Relations is a voluntary mark of distinction for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice, and who are selected based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective and sound professional judgment. More than a simple test of knowledge, it’s a community of professionals who are dedicated to mentoring, sharing and building the industry’s knowledge base. The public relations organizations that are members of the UAB and are part of the APR Program include the Agricultural Relations Council, Florida Public Relations Association, Maine Public Relations Council, National School Public Relations Association, Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Religion Communicators Council, Southern Public Relations Federation, Texas Public Relations Association and Asociación de Relacionistas Profesionales de Puerto Rico (Puerto Rico Public Relations Association).
About the Universal Accreditation Board
The Universal Accreditation Board (UAB) oversees the Accreditation in Public Relations Program and provides a balanced blend of backgrounds in a number of public relations specialties. This group of senior-level, Accredited members meet several times a year. Responsibilities of the Universal Accreditation Board include the following:
• Develops and implements policy for the program;
• Develops and maintains the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations;
• Reviews appeal cases; and
• Grants Accreditation.
Ginger Guttner, public relations coordinator with the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, recently earned the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) designation. She is a member of the Baton Rouge chapter of the Public Relations Association of Louisiana.
“Earning the APR reflects mastery of the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to succeed in our increasingly complex profession,” said John Forde, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, 2011 co-chair of the Universal Accreditation Board. “Practitioners who achieve the designation are demonstrating their commitment not only to our profession, but also to a strong code of ethics and to the betterment of their organizations and clients.”
“We are so proud to include Ginger as one of our members,” said Glen Duncan, APR, 2011 SPRF president. “This achievement signifies her dedication to the public relations profession, her focus on professional development and commitment to communicating effectively.”
Guttner received her bachelor’s degree in English and master’s degree in Mass Communication from LSU. An internship at the Foundation for Historical Louisiana led to a permanent position as the association’s tour and event coordinator from 1997 through 2000.
She then worked as an association coordinator for Posthlethwaite & Netterville, where she coordinated membership, conferences, and newsletters for statewide associations, including the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association and the Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association. In 2004, she joined LSU as the public relations coordinator for the School of Veterinary Medicine, where her duties include overseeing the school’s publications and website and handling media relations.
For more information on becoming accreditation, visit http://sprf.org/accreditation/ or http://praccreditation.org.
| March 17, 2011 11:00 am | to | March 18, 2011 1:00 pm |
Go Beyond Luck at 2011 PRAM Conference March 17-18
You just got lucky! The 2011 PRAM State Conference will be March 17 and 18 at the beautiful and fun Beau Rivage Casino Resort Spa in Biloxi. We will take you beyond luck with this year’s theme – Beyond Luck: Taking the Chance out of PR. Hotel rooms are a steal at $89 a night. More information and online registration will be available at http://PRAMonline.org soon.
Speakers include Greg Bensel, VP/communications for the New Orleans Saints, and Mark Dvorak, APR, senior VP at GolinHarris in Atlanta. Topics include reputation management, PR measurement and evaluation (from a CEO’s perspective), crisis communications and social media trends. A special, off-site session includes a visit to the new Ohr-O’Keefe Museum of Art, designed by noted architect Frank Gehry.
So, when can you register and how much is it? Early registration will be $125, and online registration will be available soon. Click PRAM 2011 Sponsorship Packet for information on sponsorships and exhibit opportunities.
For conference questions, please email 2011 VP/Programs Meagan Coughlin at mcoughlin@cpi-group.com.
Pinelake is seeking a Director of Communications. This position is responsible for Pinelake’s external and internal communications and marketing strategies with the primary directive of reaching our communities and the Pinelake Church family. This position will lead the Communications Team in order to provide creative counsel, direction and support for all Pinelake ministries, events and initiatives.
Partial list of responsibilities:
Professional Qualifications:
Please submit resumes as follows:
Email to: resumes@pinelake.org
or mail to:
Pinelake Church
Attention: Human Resources
6071 Highway 25
Brandon, MS 39047
