With a unanimous vote from an enthusiastic crowd and optimism toward the year ahead, Dick Shaner accepted the role of president at the Buffalo-Niagara PRSA Chapter’s reorganization meeting held Wednesday, Nov. 20 at The Little White House in Williamsville.

Shaner, senior vice president with Travers Collins and Co., took over for Linus Ormsby, APR, Niagara University director of public relations. Ormsby's tenure saw the chapter grow to record membership.

Over the next year, Shaner said he plans to work toward four goals:

• Encourage more member participation
• Provide programming that meets the needs of members
• Work with Ormsby and the PRSA board on strategic planning
• Continue to serve cheesebread at the Excalibur Awards

The last item on the list brought a round of laughter that only those fortunate enough to enjoy the cheesebread at the Excalibur Awards could understand.

The program for the meeting featured Michael Emprick of the American Red Cross Greater Buffalo Chapter.

Emprick's talk covered two topics:

One is that of Operation TroopCare, an American Red Cross effort based in Buffalo by which the Red Cross collects personal care items for distribution to United States troops stationed abroad.

Emprick also told about his experience through the PRSA "Power of Two" program in which he worked for four weeks last November and December at Pier 94 in Manhattan, bringing the story of people who needed help to the media.

The "Power of Two" is a program through which public relations practitioners assist the Red Cross with whatever time they have to spare, be it two hours or two days locally or two weeks at a disaster site assisting Red Cross staff. The program provides training ahead of time and great experience.

Emprick stressed that the sort of hands-on crisis training the program provides is impossible to duplicate in a classroom and invaluable as a career builder.

Don Goralski and Nancy Fredrickson are leading the local effort. You can contact them using the membership directory on this Web site for more information.

Joining Shaner on the slate of new officers are:

Immediate Past President - Linus Ormsby Jr., APR
President Elect - Karen Karaszewski, APR
Secretary - John Della Contrada
Treasurer - Jeff Paterson
Director-at-Large - Debra Park
Director-at-Large - Barbara Byers, APR
Director-at-Large - Tom Lucia
Assembly Delegate - Stanton Hudson Jr., APR
Assembly Delegate - Nancy Fredrickson, APR

Committee Chairs:
Accreditation - Julie Marranca, APR
Excalibur Awards - Tom Lucia
Membership - Barbara Byers, APR
Program - Karen Karaszewski, APR
E-Communication - Debra Park
Nominations - Linus Ormsby Jr., APR
Publicity - Linus Ormsby Jr., APR
May Randazzo Scholarship Fund - Nancy A. Fredrickson, APR
Northeast District - Donald Goralski, APR

First Program of 2003 Set For January 8 at Albright-Knox Art Gallery

His work is timeless. Its time in Buffalo isn't.

PRSA gives you one last chance to catch the nationally acclaimed exhibit, Modigliani & The Artists of Montparnasse, in its final week at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, on Wednesday evening, January 8, 2003.

Learn how the Albright-Knox communications team planned and promoted this wildly popular exhibit, which also features work by Modigliani’s contemporaries, including Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse.

Find out more about the ongoing effort to enhance the gallery’s worldwide reputation that resulted in Thomas Hoving, art historian and former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, to exclaim "the Albright-Knox Art Gallery should be on everyone's list to see, for it's an overwhelming art experience. Small, intimate, and seductive, the museum has one of the most thumping modern and contemporary collections in the world."

Presenters at the January 8 program will include:

Susan Scholterer, director of marketing, Albright-Knox Art Gallery Bob Carr, APR, president, Carr Marketing Communications David Buck, creative director, Crowley Webb & Associates

Mark your calendars now, and stay tuned for more program details including timing, pricing, dinner choices and information on how to RSVP for this event.

From the Outgoing President
by Linus Ormsby, APR

Last month, a group comprised of current board members and past presidents met to begin preparing a strategic plan for the Buffalo/Niagara Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The group will reconvene December 11 for a full morning of discussions, guided in its deliberations by Dr. Judith Willard, assistant to the president for planning at Niagara University.

The process is designed to provide a fundamental re-evaluation of the chapter—something that hasn’t been done in several years. We began by looking at the mission and values of the chapter and we will continue by creating a vision statement to answer the question "Where is the chapter going?" We will also work on strategies to get the chapter where it needs to go. All this is designed to make the chapter more effective in delivering to its members what they want from their participation in PRSA.

If I can speak for the group, we all walked away from the first session excited about the process and eager to do what we can to shape the chapter's direction for the immediate future.

The strategic planning initiative evolved from a suggestion made several months ago by Jeff Paterson, chapter treasurer. Jeff suggested the chapter find a way to tap into the experience and expertise of its past leadership. Dick Shaner, president elect, volunteered to recruit past presidents of the organization and the strategic planning process was adopted as a means through which to channel collective talents.

Interestingly, at least half a dozen former presidents have stepped forward to offer their services. I say "interestingly" because in a few short weeks I will be numbered among the past presidents of the chapter. Like my predecessors, I am sure, I am looking forward to the role.

The presidency required much more time and effort than I envisioned. That is not a complaint. It is simply a statement of fact. But working within the constraints we all face in seeking to balance the demands of family, work and the many extracurricular activities in which public relations practitioners are involved, we were able to do some good things. The credit for our successes belongs to others whom I would like to cite in this quasi-farewell address. All members of the board, they are, alphabetically:

Barb Byers, who did a wonderful job directing our membership efforts; Beth Donovan, our extremely competent, reliable and efficient secretary;
Brian LaValley, our immediate past president who drafted our next slate of officers;
Debra Park, a new board member who took on the responsibility of Web communications;
Dick Shaner, president-elect, who is always willing to lend his considerable talent and support to efforts to advance the chapter;
Jeff Paterson, our treasurer, who found a way to make accounting humorous in putting the chapter on a more firm financial footing;
Mary Kenny, a past president and delegate who did much to improve our programming before leaving for a new adventure in Spain;
Nancy Fredrickson, also a delegate and past president who was a most gracious host for board meetings and who worked to improve our scholarship program;
and Tom Lucia, another new board member who has done an excellent job as chair of the Excalibur Awards committee.

I am grateful to all the board members and committee chairs for their support and especially want to thank Brenda Schwamborn, our chapter administrator, for all she does to keep the chapter running smoothly and efficiently. I look forward to joining the other past presidents of the chapter in helping to contribute to its future growth and development.

From the Incoming President
by Dick Shaner, APR

It appears the chapter’s 2002-2003 election results are final. There have been no demands for a recount, nor am I aware of any claims of voter intimidation. As such, the reality of what I have gotten myself into is suddenly beginning to sink in.

It didn’t help when I first read a draft of Linus Ormsby’s final letter from the president that appears in this newsletter. In it, Linus admits that the past year has been more work than he ever expected. Oh sure Linus, now you tell me!

Speaking of Linus, I want to congratulate and thank him for his outstanding leadership.

(Of course, I also want to remind Linus that he remains in office until the end of the year and that there is no such thing as a lame-duck session in this organization.)

As president-elect last year and president this year, Linus has been instrumental in our chapter’s continued growth and ongoing success. Over the past two years, we have seen our membership hit an all-time high, we have established a chapter Web site, and introduced a new electronic newsletter. Our financial situation has greatly improved, the Excalibur Awards program remains stronger than ever, and we are taking steps to provide more consistent programming. Linus is also helping us embark on a new strategic-planning process to guide our future.

When I think of Linus, I am reminded of Teddy Roosevelt’s admonishment to "Walk softly, but carry a big stick." For Linus, I think the more accurate statement is to "Speak softly, but carry a big stick." I have been impressed by his ability to encourage discussion and varying points of view on a variety of topics. Linus seems to know exactly when to wrap things up, call for a vote and cut to the chase on important matters that have come before the board of directors.

Linus benefited greatly from the groundwork that had been laid by Julie Coppola Cox, Brian LaValley and other presidents who came before him, just as I will benefit from all of his efforts this past year. We all owe Linus a debt of gratitude for his hard work, time and effort on our behalf.

I am not prepared to unveil my state of the union address at this time. As incoming president, however, I have four preliminary goals for the coming year:

1. I want to encourage a significantly greater number of our members to become more active contributors to the chapter through our committee structure;

2. I hope to provide value-added programs and services that meet the varying needs of our members in terms of their interests and professional development;

3. I plan to work with Linus, the board and our new executive steering committee to continue the strategic planning process we recently began; and

4. I want to ensure that we continue to serve cheese bread at next year’s Excalibur Awards dinner.

I congratulate the other members of the chapter’s board of directors on their election. I look forward to working with all of them and all of you, in the year ahead.

PRSA National Assembly Meeting Highlights
by Nancy Fredrickson, APR

PRSA is in the best financial position in its history. Many will recall that just two years ago the Society was in serious financial trouble with significant accounting problems and practices.

The San Francisco conference, held November 16-17, 2003, had a record number of attendees. More importantly, the society has a record number of members, currently 19,700 with a goal of 20,000 by the end of the year.

A record number of professional development programs were presented during 2002. This is a 20 percent increase over 2001. This is one of the key areas of importance to members, as well as quality and frequency of programs. Another member priority is the value tangible products including Tactics and the Strategist.

PRSA’s updated strategic plan focuses on three areas: advancing the profession; unifying the profession globally; and strengthening the society. Branding for the profession will include better communication regarding successes, benefits and changes. National will put advocacy, building a respected voice in the industry, forefront during 2003. In 2002, successes included inclusion on timely issues on the front page of USA Today, articles in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and other large and small city publications.

The new corporate identity was unveiled along with a new brand statement: "Advancing the profession and the professional." Check it out on the PRSA Web site.

Health care insurance and other benefits are being offered at group rates to PRSA members. These will vary state to state due to national legal regulations. Arrangements have been made for low-cost office supplies, especially important to smaller agencies and solo practitioners. Discounted teleconferencing rates also are available.

A new section for solo practitioner is nearly ready for launch. Stay tuned for details.

The Web site increasingly is becoming the communication tool of choice, especially for younger practitioners. Those who use it love it. The PRSA research and information available is growing in leaps and bounds. If you haven’t used it lately, give it another look. You’ll likely be surprised and pleased.

Universal accreditation was discussed at some length. The exam still is meant as a personal commitment to professional excellence. See Ann Carden’s report on the new exam in the committee reports.

The only issue of major controversy at the assembly was allowing non-APRs to represent chapters at the national assembly meeting. After much discussion, this was referred back to the board for further consideration. It was felt that not enough research was done on why some chapters failed to send representatives, i.e., was it that there were no APRs available, transportation/hotel cost issues, etc.