We are very fortunate to begin this year on the highest of notes as a chapter, with tremendous momentum in virtually every area:

* We currently have 182 members — not only a chapter record, but a stunning 20 percent increase from a year ago. This far outpaces the national growth rate of 1.6 percent and places us 37th out of 109 chapters nationwide — on par with places like Las Vegas and Tampa in terms of size, even though our populations (and certainly, our economies) have decidedly different trend lines.

* We enjoyed our most successful Excalibur Awards ever in June, with more than 190 attendees and a considerable up-tick in entries submitted by our members.

* Our 2007 programming series included some of our most interesting topics, and we closed out the year with more than 50 attendees at each of our final two events.

* We’re as fiscally sound as we’ve ever been, led by our six, yearlong sponsors.

* And we have outstanding leadership at the committee and board levels, with well-qualified over-achievers everywhere you look.

So with all of this as a backdrop, the role of your new president is clear: don’t screw it up!

And rest assured, that’s the plan — but that doesn’t mean we’ll become complacent either. Here are just a handful of things your board plans on bringing you during 2008:

* Web site enhancements, including an online event management tool that will allow us to accept credit cards, while making better use of our administrative assistant’s time to involve her in more strategic ways.

* More high-quality programs, beginning with our kickoff event in February, which will feature new county executive Chris Collins’s communications director Grant Loomis. We’ll follow that up in March with a new concept: a media “speed dating” event, at which members will have numerous meet-and-greet sessions with several media professionals representing a variety of formats. We also hope to bring in at least one national-level speaker in 2008 as we continue to raise our chapter’s profile outside of Western New York.

* More sponsors! We’ve had a formal sponsorship committee for three years now and have generated over $17,000 in income during that span. This not only diversifies our revenue and gives us a much-needed cushion for a rainy day, but it allows us to give you such wonderful perks as our free annual membership party, the free Bisons game we enjoyed in July, and the now free teleseminars in 2008, thanks to RollCall Business Conferencing, our featured sponsor for those calls. My goal when we set up this committee in 2005 was to have it eventually become our primary revenue stream. We’re not there yet, but we’re close — and I’d much rather see our funding come from sources other than our members’ pockets.

* Excalibur upgrades! Just because we had a record turnout in 2007 doesn’t mean we can’t make it even better. Our committee is already considering new ideas for all phases of the event.

* On the PRSSA front, 2008 will feature our first-ever career workshop, an event we’re putting on during the spring 2008.

* More social events, designed to provide a low-key atmosphere for sharing ideas, broadening your personal network, and simply having some fun.

As you can see, while 2007 was a resounding success, our board enters 2008 knowing there is even more that we can offer our chapter. We are as dedicated as ever to providing you with the best return on investment any $40 chapter dues have ever seen. And with your support — be it volunteering on a committee, submitting an Excalibur Award entry, or simply attending events — you can keep this chapter among the most active and worthwhile in the nation. The more involved you become, the more you’ll get out of this experience. Your career will benefit from it, and you’ll have a lot of fun while you’re at it.

Speaking of careers, mine is taking a bit of a turn as well. After a wonderful 13-year run with Travers Collins & Company, I am happy to announce that I’ve been named the new director of public relations at SUNY Fredonia. It’s a very exciting opportunity, and one that I’m already enjoying after having been there only two weeks. Despite the added distance I’ll now have from our chapter’s “epicenter,” please know that my door is always open to any of you for any reason. You can reach me at 673-3323 or michael.barone@fredonia.edu. I look forward to hearing from — and better yet, seeing — all of you in 2008!

PRSA Begins New Strategic Plan at 2007 National Assembly
By John C. Senall, Assembly Delegate

The December 2007 issue of Tactics recently ran an article about the PRSA National Assembly, held October 20 in Philadelphia, and listed some outcomes of the day's proceedings. If you haven't yet read it, I encourage you to take a look.  That issue of Tactics should also soon be available on the national site.

In a nutshell, the assembly is the annual stakeholder meeting at which issues facing PRSA are examined and discussed. It's held annually on the day before the international conference, and each chapter from across the country (and each international chapter) is represented by a proportionate number of delegates for their membership level. We presently have two slots, and Deborah Silverman, Ph.D., APR and I served as your elected representatives this past October in Philly.

Because the assembly was created to help members "shape the vision for PRSA’s future," one of the most important add-ons this year was an interactive roundtable and full Assembly discussion of recommendations for PRSA’s new three-year strategic plan and business plan.  You may download a PDF of the strategic planning process for anyone interested. Once fully drafted this spring, and voted on with any changes at the 2008 conference, the document will lay out six goal areas and steps to achieve and measure them.

The national strategic planning categories include:

• Learning—Delivering exceptional, relevant lifelong learning
opportunities.

• Community—Creating welcoming, diverse, global communities where
members engage, connect and build relationships.

• Thought Leadership/Knowledge Sharing—Advancing strategic and
tactical capabilities by serving as the leading source of ideas, techniques, best practices and innovative research.

• Recognizing Capabilities & Accomplishments—Honoring the
capabilities and accomplishments of members through credentialing, awards and leadership development.

• Advocacy & Ethics—Enhancing awareness of the vital role of public
relations and its contribution to open, honest and respectful communications.

• Organizational Excellence—Enabling PRSA to be a best in class
member service organization where members and staff collaborate for success.

Some of our specific recommendations included creating greater value for each individual membership and improving the customer service experience for all members. Many of our delegate peers from other parts of the country shared similar thoughts, and by the end of the day a comprehensive list was generated for each topic area.

Such ideas as improved targeting of professional development opportunities for professionals at different stages of their careers, providing at least one free professional development opportunity with each annual membership, increasing mentoring (and exploring reverse mentoring by PRSSA members in social media), and improving the user-friendliness of the national Web site were just a few of the brainstorm outcomes.

Presently, the national board is combining the recommendations from the Assembly delegates with existing recommendations from each national PRSA subcommittee.  Read the subcommittee’s 2007 year-end reports now.

As newly elected assembly delegate Jeff Paterson, APR and I receive further news about the draft plan this spring, we look forward to sharing more details so your voice can be heard at the national level. Until then, please feel free to drop either of us a line at john.senall@roswellpark.org or paterson@hanci.com with any questions or ideas about the new roadmap being created for PRSA’s future.

Member News
Alicia J. Becker was named communications coordinator at the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation. She was a marketing assistant at Roswell Park. Alicia is a 2004 graduate of St. Bonaventure University, and she earned her Master of Arts degree in integrated marketing communications from St. Bonaventure University in 2006. She has been a member of the PRSA Buffalo/Niagara chapter since 2005.

 
Jennifer Hickok joined the Roswell Park Alliance Foundation as director of special events. She was special events manager for the Western New York chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation since 1998. She earned her B.A. in communications from Buffalo State College in 1998. She is an active member of the PRSA Buffalo/Niagara chapter, the Buffalo Niagara Event Professionals and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 
John Senall was named director of development communications at Roswell Park Cancer Institute. He previously served since 2003 as manager of marketing communications. He held prior positions with Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers, Inc. and Sinclair Broadcasting Group. A UB graduate, Senall serves on the board of the PRSA Buffalo/Niagara chapter as an assembly delegate. He is a former secretary of the PRSA Buffalo/Niagara board and co-chaired the membership committee.

Two Awarded Accredited Status
Patricia Burgio and Rosemary Collins have achieved accreditation from PRSA. Burgio is community relations coordinate and Web site manager at Lancaster Central School District. Collins is manager of public relations and community marketing for the Center for Hospice and Palliative Care.