From the President: Membership Survey Available Online
Jeff Paterson, APR
Survey Says
Our first major membership survey since 1999 is complete. Your feedback will be helpful as we adapt to changing needs in the profession. Some of you asked us to publish the survey results. It’s your organization, and you pay the dues, so we’re happy to oblige. Read the full survey results.
I want to thank all 60 PRSA members who participated in the survey. Congratulations to my friend, Tricia Degan, of Niagara Hospice, who won the drawing for free chapter dues. (The fact that she’s my friend had nothing to do with her winning the drawing, of course!)
Committees Make it Happen
Our committees are on overdrive right now. Thanks to all committee chairs and members for everything you do to make PRSA Buffalo Niagara what it is.
I recently took a look at the makeup of our committees, and I was surprised to find that less than one-third of our members are active in committee work. Then our member survey revealed that some of you have never been invited to join a committee, while others have never been told what the committees are and what they do. So our board members have been inviting dozens of members to become more involved in chapter activities.
If you have already accepted the invitation to join a committee, we welcome you. If you’re still thinking about it, let me encourage you to take the plunge. You’ll make great contacts and have fun doing it.
Enjoy the spring, and I will look forward to seeing you at the Excalibur Awards dinner on June 22.
Scholarship Committee Update
Eileen Herbert & Diane Zwirecki, APR
Members: Eileen Herbert, Diane Zwirecki, APR, Susan Siwiec, APR, Rachel George-Leidenfrost
The Scholarship Committee would like to welcome our newest member, Rachel George-Leidenfrost, from M&T Bank, to the group.
We are reviewing applications for the 2006 May C. Randazzo Scholarships. The group will meet on Thursday, April 20, to choose the winners.
As in the past, our chapter has held a silent auction at the Excalibur Awards dinner. Proceeds support the Randazzo Scholarship Fund for college juniors and seniors planning a career in public relations.
Because the auction is our primary source of funding, we are asking for your help in donating auction items. Last year, items donated included tickets to the BPO, golf packages, gift certificates, college sweatshirts and gear, gift baskets and many other great items. To donate an item or make a cash donation to the fund, contact Eileen Herbert or Diane Zwirecki . Thanks in advance for your continued support.
Excalibur Awards: Deadlines are Here!
You have one more opportunity to turn in your Excalibur Award entry! Each year, the Buffalo/Niagara Chapter’s awards program honors the best and brightest that the area’s public relations field has to offer. Don’t miss out on your chance to be recognized.
Final deadline
This Monday, April 24, at 5 p.m. - $65/entry for members, $80/entry for non-members
All entries should be sent to Kathryn Good at Guildcraft (100 Fire Tower Drive, Tonawanda, NY 14150).
Special Honors Deadline
Don’t forget to send in your Special Honors nominations for the coveted Outstanding Executive, Rising Star and Outstanding Practitioner awards. The deadline is Monday, April 24, and there is no charge to nominate. Nominations should be sent to Jeff Paterson at HANCI. Download a nomination form.
Join Us for the Big Night
The 17th Annual Excalibur Awards Dinner will be held June 22 at Shanghai Red’s on Buffalo’s scenic waterfront. Invitations will be mailed in early May. We hope to see you there. For more information, please contact Kathryn Good,or visit the Excalibur section of the Web site.
P.R. Among Top Professions
CNNMoney.com recently published a survey conducted by MONEY Magazine and Salary.com, which says public relations as a profession ranks 20th among the top 50 professions. Check it out!
Fredonia PRSSA Chapter of Receives Charter
The SUNY Fredonia PRSSA was officially welcomed into the Buffalo/Niagara chapter this spring. Members of the board of directors congratulated the hard work of the student members and advisors at the chartering ceremony on April 11. Ann Carden, APR, who teaches the public relations curriculum at Fredonia, shared her excitement that the four-year effort had finally become a reality. Jeff Paterson, APR, served as the keynote speaker.
The chartering ceremony also provided an opportunity for the students to learn more about the professional chapter’s initiative to reach out to the colleges. SUNY Fredonia joins the University at Buffalo, Canisius College and Buffalo State College as chartered PRSSA chapters in Western New York. St. Bonaventure University has a public relations club that will also benefit from the professional chapter’s outreach efforts.
Member News
Lisa Eikenburg, APR, assistant director for editorial services for SUNY Fredonia, has been named to the board as Director-at-Large, joining Dick Shaner and Deb Park in that role. Eikenburg is replacing Suzanne Wilcox English, who relocated out of the area in March. Lisa is also the professional advisor to the Fredonia chapter of PRSSA, which is the newest student chapter in our.
Do you have a new job or have you recently been promoted? Did you get married or have a baby? If so, the PRSA Buffalo Niagara Chapter would love to hear about it. You are invited to e-mail your submission to Barb Byers,and it will be printed in the Member News section of the next e-newsletter.
Accreditation Update
Julie Marranca, chair of the Accreditation Committee, reported that five PRSA Buffalo Niagara members are taking the APR study class led by Ron Smith, APR, and one individual has recently taken the Readiness Review. Passing the Readiness Review is required prior to sitting for the multiple choice Universal Accreditation exam.
If you are considering becoming accredited, National also offers an online study course for the APR exam. The multimedia course offers candidates the opportunity to review the knowledge, skills and abilities covered in the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations. Course content is broken down into 10 modules narrated by Accredited public relations professionals. Participants learn through self-study, group discussions, assignments and Web conferences with other participants. Candidates can complete the course at their own pace and tap technical and subject matter assistance as needed. The Online Study Course is one of the most valuable tools available to candidates sitting for the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations. Read more about the APR Online Study Course.
For questions about Accreditation, please contact Julie Marranca, APR, at 856-2932, Ext. 239.
Membership Committee Update
The Membership Committee has some successes and challenges to report. First, our success stories. National decided to repeat its “Taste of PRSA” promotion, which waived the $65 initiation fee for new members who joined during February and March.
For the second year in a row, the committee held a brief informational overview session for prospective members, moving the venue from Spot Coffee in downtown Buffalo to Starbucks on Main Street in Williamsville. As they say in the real estate industry – location, location, location.
Our first event was held Feb. 9 and we attracted 13 attendees. A second event, held at the same location, brought in seven attendees. The committee was very pleased with the overall response. From March 4 to April 8 we acquired four new members and have had two members reinstated. Committee members are “courting” two more prospective members who were aware of the “Taste” promotion but not able to join at that time. We will continue to keep in touch with them and the other attendees who did not become members.
Chapter administrator Brenda Schwamborn does a superb job keeping track of potential members, the number of programs they’ve attended and when, helping us to stay in touch with them, plus a myriad of other administrative duties. Her assistance to this committee is invaluable and very much appreciated. As we approach Administrator’s Day, the Membership Committee would like to thank Brenda and commend her for a job well done.
Now, onto our challenges. Chapter President Jeff Paterson is leading the charge to recruit uninvolved chapter members to participate in committees. When the effort began, the Membership Committee was sitting pretty. In that short time, however, we’ve learned that one of our members, Jennifer Kurzdorfer, is taking what she is calling a hiatus from PRSA as she and her husband await the arrival of their first child. We are happy for Jenn and her husband but sorry to lose such a valuable member. We also have another member of the committee who has been unable to attend a committee meeting in quite a while and are suddenly feeling a bit short-handed, just as we begin planning our annual membership party.
If you’d like to join a fun committee (we like to have fun while we work), are able to attend monthly meetings, generally held from 8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. the third week of the month (day of the week can vary), please contact Kathy Kirst at 883-4400 or Jackie Ghosen 645-2833. (Best of all, there’s no need to like pina coladas or walks in the rain!)
Program Committee Update
Kandis R. Fuller, APR
The mission is to provide quality programming throughout the year that expands and enhances our member’s knowledge base of various issues related to public relations. Committee members include: Barb Byers, APR; John Fisher; Jessica Griffin; Karen Karaszewski, APR; Anastasia Malagisi; Connie Oswald Stofko; Jeff Paterson, APR; and Marni Rodman.
Upcoming events include a May 25 luncheon program on reputation management through media relations, at Hallwalls, located at 341 Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo below Ani DiFranco’s venue, The Church. More information is available on the Events page of our Web site.
August Sunrise Seminars
Just around the corner is our ever-popular Sunrise Seminars. The “New Technologies” four-week seminar series will be held at Daemen College during the four consecutive Tuesdays in August. Soon, a brief survey will be sent to all members to help us identify key areas of interest that will be presented. Your participation in the survey is greatly appreciated.
Our Program Committee is always looking for new members. If you are interested, please contact Kandis Fuller at 857-4410.
News from National
Membership promotion this May and June
The next National membership promotion, “Spring Ahead with PRSA,” invites prospects to join PRSA National for $290 and receive a free, first-year Chapter membership. Materials will be sent to Chapter membership chairs in mid-April (or to presidents if your Chapter does not have a membership chair).
Web Site Boasts New Features
PRSA’s home page has a new look with improved navigational tools, along with the debut of Tactics and The Strategist Online -- the Web-based offerings of PRSA’s two award-winning publications. This is the first phase of PRSA’s yearlong enhancement of the society's Web technologies. Links to stories in Tactics and The Strategist Online will also be included in PR Issues and Trends, the daily news monitoring service that reports on industry trends, advocacy and other issues.
Need a Job?
Career Tools is an Internet-based product to help PRSA members with their job search or to evaluate their skills. The service also offers a comprehensive collection of job search and career management resources, including links to job sites at no cost to members. Career Tools is a service of Execuplanet, a Lee Hecht Harrison company. Visit MemberNet and click “Member Benefits.”
Renew Your Dues Online 24/7
Our credit card payment service makes renewal quick and easy. Members may renew, add or change any or all of their memberships -- national, chapters, professional interest sections and/or affinity groups -- with just a few taps on their keyboards. Visit the Membership section of National's Web site and select “My Billing” and renew. Members can update their contact information at “My Profile.” Have questions or problems with MemberNet? E-mail National's help desk.
Search Underway for 2007 National Leadership
The 2006 PRSA Nominating Committee has begun its annual process of recruiting candidates for officer and director positions on the 2007 board of directors. The positions open for nomination are:
- President-Elect
- Treasurer
- Secretary
- Director, Northeast District
- Director, Sunshine District
- Director, Tri-State District
- Director, Director-at-Large
- Assembly Delegate-at-Large (3 open positions)
To be eligible for an officer or director position, an individual must be a member in good standing who is accredited and has been a voting delegate in at least one national assembly, a chapter president, a section or district chair, or a national committee or task force chair.
Candidates for the three assembly delegate-at-large positions must be accredited OR a current officer at the chapter, section or district level. Read more about the 2006 nomination process or contact Donna Jonas at (212) 460-1403. Deadline for filing candidate application material is Monday, June 12, 2006, 5:00 p.m. (in the same time zone in which the candidate resides).
New Professionals Need Mentors
The New Professionals Affinity Group is in need of professionals who are willing to serve as mentors for New Professional's members. Mentors do not have to be a member of the College of Fellows or be accredited. We are seeking enthusiastic professionals who have a desire to help individuals with three years of experience or less, grow professionally. Read more about the Mentor Program, or contact Katie Crabtree Thomas, New Pros Mentor Program chair.
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