It’s been just three months since we last “spoke,” but in that span our chapter has achieved more accomplishments and generated more activity than most chapters see in a year (or more)! But for us, it’s just more of the same, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the tremendous team of volunteers we have in place throughout the organization. Here’s just a sampling:

For the second-straight year we were honored with an award from PRSA National for being the “medium-sized” chapter with the greatest membership improvement — a 21.9 percent vault over our year-ago mark. In addition to the formal recognition, we’ve been awarded $250 toward future programs… and asked to share our secrets with other chapters.

We kicked off the year with three strong programs, starting with a speech from Grant Loomis, newly elected County Executive Chris Collins’s press advisor, who shared with us many media and other PR tactics he used along the campaign trail in 2007. We followed that with our first-ever media “speed dating” event in March, at which 11 regional reporters/media reps shared tips on how to break through the clutter and get their attention with stories that matter to them. The program received rave reviews from both our attendees and media members alike, and is very likely to become an annual event. In April, we offered concurrent sessions dedicated to the “importance of the visual,” with print media photographers and video production professionals sharing valuable tricks of theirs trades designed to improve our overall quality, process and success.  All totaled, our programming attendance is up nearly 25 percent over the comparable period last year, an encouraging sign that we’re hitting the mark in terms of topics and logistics.

We also held our first-ever (and first annual) “Career Launch” program in April, designed to help college students and young professionals prepare for their transition into the working world. The nearly full-day session, conducted in partnership with the Ad Club of Buffalo, featured PR and advertising professionals, media representatives, and other experts offering valuable lessons and advice to the more than 30 aspiring practitioners in attendance. This is just one more example of our clear, unwavering commitment to supporting our local PRSSA chapters. My thanks go out to Beth Donovan, APR, Virginia McAuliffe and their team for pulling together an event so impressive that one guest speaker from the media told me afterwards that he believed “every professional organization in town should do something like this for their upcoming graduates.”

And we welcomed our newest yearlong sponsor, St. Bonaventure University’s Graduate Studies program. I thank them for their support and encourage you to visit them online for more information.

As exciting as all of this was, perhaps the greatest excitement was found in the planning of what’s to come. And I’ll encourage you to immediately circle two dates on your calendar that will feature events you absolutely won’t want to miss!

I’ll start with the second of the two — because it’s a first for us.  On Thursday, Sept. 11, the Buffalo/Niagara chapter will proudly serve as the host city of the PRSA Northeast District’s Annual Conference for the first time. And as you might expect from our chapter, we’re pulling out all the stops. Our talented and highly connected planning committee has already confirmed a remarkable slate of speakers, representing such well-known companies as NBC News, Hill & Knowlton, Delta Airlines, Labatt Breweries, Fisher-Price, Goodyear Tire, Cornell and Syracuse universities, National Fuel Gas Co. and many more. We’ll also hear from PRSA National’s chair-elect Mike Cherenson, EVP of Success Communications Group in Parsippany, N. J. Three keynote sessions as well as five break-out tracks are all confirmed for the full-day event, so there’s sure to be something for everyone. And to cap off the day, we’re including a happy hour/networking session at the end, so be sure to leave yourself some free time that evening. If you’re interested in staying overnight, the Adam’s Mark Hotel (the conference site) is offering attendees a courtesy rate of $109/night ($119 for a king). Just call 1-800-444-adam, and mention PRSA to secure this great price ($70 off the standard rate), which is good from Wednesday through Friday that week. Registration details for this fun-filled and knowledge-packed day will be available in the coming weeks, so keep an eye on your inbox.

But before that, there’s the little matter of our biggest night out of the year! Join us on Thursday, June 19, at a NEW location — the beautiful Buffalo Launch Club on Grand Island — for our 19th annual Excalibur Awards. We received a nearly 7 percent increase in submitted entries over last year (from a net increase of three organizations), and although the judging phase is just getting underway; it’s shaping up to be a very nice event. In addition to honoring the best work performed throughout our eight-county chapter in 2007, we’ll also honor three individuals: our 2008 Outstanding Practitioner, Dr. Deborah A. Silverman, APR, assistant professor of communication at Buffalo State College; Outstanding Executive, Dr. John B. Simpson, president of the University at Buffalo; and — a new honor we will unveil this year — the first annual PRSA Buffalo/Niagara Service Award, whose inaugural recipient is Stanton H. Hudson, Jr., APR, PRSA Fellow, and the chief development and communications officer for the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library.

So as you can see, we’ve just scratched the surface here in 2008. As always, if you have programming ideas, would like to volunteer on a committee, or just want to chat, I welcome you to contact me at 673-3323.  Along with the rest of our board of directors, I’m always happy to help you find ways to maximize the value of your membership in our chapter.

All the best,
Mike Barone

Run, Programming Committee, Run!
It’s safe to say that the remainder of the year’s programming is like a box of chocolates – so much so that sometimes even the committee doesn’t know what we’ll come up with next!  Here are a few highlights of the rest of 2008 (lawyer voice: “highlights of the rest of 2008 subject to change…”)

May 21 Program: Reputation Management in the Eye of the Storm.  Panelists Julie Coppola Cox (National Fuel), Robin Wolfgang (Time Warner Cable) and Stefan Mychaljiw (Buffalo Public Schools) will share what it takes to survive an aggressive media assault.

June 6:  FYI…Working with a Printer.  A no-frills (free to attend), informal chat with the pre-press professionals at Gateway Printing t clear the air about the mysteries of the printing industry.  Learn how to better prepare your files, the real cost of four-color printing, and cutting-edge technologies that can save you and your organization time and money.

July 23: PRSA Night at the Bisons.  Join your colleagues for a great night out in downtown Buffalo.  Each chapter member is entitled to two free tickets (additional ducats are just $5 each) and an evening of great food, fun and friends.

July 30-Aug. 20: Sunrise Seminars.  One of the chapter’s signature events, the Sunrise Seminars consist of four unique programs in consecutive weeks.  The venue will once again be Daemen College, the topics being worked on at this point include: Organizing an Editorial Board, Media Buying 101, Freelance Writers: Gateway to the National Media.  For more stay tuned…

We are also in the process of organizing more national teleseminars and even a few summer Happy Hours.  Check out the chapter website for more information.

From National
FREE Resume Posting: PRSA Launches Updated JobCenter
Using our JobCenter is now easier and more functional than ever. PRSA recently launched the updated and redesigned JobCenter, which is now a fully featured site that offers more information and easy-to-use functionalities for job seekers and employers. Posting a resume is now FREE. We also added an anonymous resume posting option for job seekers. Employers now have the benefit of pre-screen filters, bulk posting and a user-friendly candidate management system. Moreover, PRSA has developed a new heavily discounted pricing structure for members. To post a job or resume, visit the JobCenter.
 
Posting a resume on JobCenter gives members access to a public relations and communications targeted community of more than 32,000 members, including more than 9,900 students, as well as a database of 45,000 communication professionals from across the country.

In addition to enhancing the JobCenter design and functionality, PRSA also has engaged TopRank Online Marketing to provide search engine optimization and promotion services to extend the visibility of JobCenter listings on Web sites, such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft Live. TopRank works with some of the largest companies on the Web, and we look forward to using their expertise to help JobCenter users get even more value from their listings through improved search engine rankings.

PRSA to Conduct Major Membership Survey
PRSA is embarking on a major membership research initiative to measure and evaluate member satisfaction, and to examine members’ perceptions of the services and products we currently offer.  This research will help us identify the needs of professionals by career stage, organization type and professional specialty. As a result, we will look to create and deliver membership benefits that meet the needs of a vibrant and diverse group of professionals.

Historically, the Society has surveyed members every three years. The last survey was conducted in 2005. Later this spring, a random sample of PRSA members will receive a survey via e-mail.
Following a formal Request for Proposal process, a joint venture of Ketchum Communications and Echo Research succeeded in earning the project contract. Ketchum brings many years of expertise in organizational branding, knowledge of the public relations profession and experience with professional associations. Echo contributes the critical element of research excellence.

PRSSA Selects 2008-2009 National Committee
The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) recently elected the 2008-2009 National Committee at the PRSSA 2008 National Assembly, March 13-16, in San Diego, CA.
Delegates from 99 Chapters around the country were in attendance to vote on nominated candidates. The election process required each candidate to submit a National Assembly Candidate Nomination Form, present a speech in front of the Assembly and participate in a 15 minute question and answer session.
 -- National President: Brandi Boatner (Hawaii Pacific University)
 -- Immediate Past President: Melissa M. Csuhran (Ohio Northern University)
 -- Vice President of Advocacy: Courtney Olson (University of North Dakota)
 -- Vice President of Chapter Development: Tiffany Riggs (University of Memphis)
 -- Vice President of Internships and Job Services: Cecilia Marie Hughes (Eastern Connecticut   University)
 -- Vice President of Member Services: Rebecca Timms (Rowan University)
 -- Vice President of Professional Development: Tyler Page (Brigham Young University)
 -- Vice President of Regional Activities: Jena Johnson (Central Michigan University)
 -- FORUM Editor-in-Chief: Cindy Washburn (Brigham Young University)

The vice president of public relations position is currently open and will be filled shortly via an election process by the 2007-2008 National Committee.

The PRSSA National Committee guides the Society in its growth and development. Each member has the responsibility of managing the business and affairs of PRSSA, while most importantly, serving as a resource for individual Chapters and members with special projects and/or problems.