PRSA College of Fellows

PRSA Welcomes 17 New Members into Its College of Fellows in 2022

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NEW YORK, July 13, 2022 – PRSA, the nation’s leading professional organization serving the communications community, announced today the election of 17 new members into the College of Fellows, comprised of more than 700 leading professionals and educators, each of whom has left a significant footprint on the public relations profession.

“I thank these members for their generous contributions to the communications profession,” said Dr. Felicia Blow, APR, 2022 PRSA Chair. “The process is rigorous for College of Fellows applicants, and I commend each of them for their superior efforts in attaining this achievement. I extend a hearty congratulations to the Class of 2022 for their inspiring service, leadership and commitment to our industry and their fellow communicators.”

The 2022 inductees are:

Ellen Averill, APR, Fellow PRSA, Vice President Communications & Strategy, Tulsa Zoo Management, Inc.; Tulsa, Oklahoma
Sandra R. Brodnicki, APR, Fellow PRSA, Partner, The S & G Group; Arlington, Texas
Jeremy C. Burton, APR, Fellow PRSA, Vice President for Connection, The Voice of the Martyrs; Bartlesville, Oklahoma
Clark P. Dumont, M.S., APR, Fellow PRSA, Principal & Counselor, Dumont Communications; Las Vegas, Nevada
Jamie D. Floer, APR, Fellow PRSA, Communications Manager, Toho Water Authority; Kissimmee, Florida
Kelly C. Gaggin, PhD, APR, Fellow PRSA, Assistant Teaching Professor, Syracuse University; Fayetteville, New York
Lauren Green-Caldwell, APR, Fellow PRSA, Vice President Communications, CCMO, National Jewish Health; Denver, Colorado
J. Elyse Hammett, APR, Fellow PRSA, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta; Atlanta, Georgia
Wendy Shill Kurtz, APR, Fellow PRSA, Founder and President, Elizabeth Charles & Associates, LLC; Winter Garden, Florida
Kena L. Lewis, APR, Fellow PRSA, Senior Director, Public Affairs & Media Relations, Orlando Health; Orlando, Florida
Debra Peterson, APR, Fellow PRSA, President, Comm365; Overland Park, Kansas
Sally Ridenour, APR, Fellow PRSA, Chief Content Strategist, Oregon Department of Transportation; Salem, Oregon
Tracy Schario, APR, Fellow PRSA, Senior Manager and Department Head, External Communications, MITRE; White Stone, Virginia
Bey-Ling Sha, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, Dean, College of Communications, California State University, Fullerton; Fullerton, California
Pamela Thompson, MBA, APR, Fellow PRSA, Manager of Internal Communications, AllianceRx Walgreens Prime; Wylie, Texas
Laura Moore Van Hoosier, APR, Fellow PRSA, Assistant Vice President, Public Relations & Communications, Cook Children’s Health Care System in Fort Worth, Texas; Grapevine, Texas
Rebecca M. Villarreal, APR, Fellow PRSA, Executive Director of Communications, New Braunfels Independent School District; New Braunfels, Texas
The College of Fellows Class of 2022 will be honored during a virtual celebration on Sunday, November 6, and Inducted at the College of Fellows Induction Celebration at the Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center on Saturday, November 12.

Members of the College of Fellows serve in PRSA Chapter, District, Professional Interest Sections and National leadership positions. To qualify for admittance, the communications professional must be a current PRSA member, have at least 20 years of PR and communications experience, hold the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) credential and have demonstrated superior professional performance in the practice/teaching of public relations.

About PRSA
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) empowers its members to succeed at every stage of their careers through a wide breadth of professional development, networking and leadership opportunities. Guided by its Code of Ethics, PRSA is collectively represented by 110 Chapters and 14 Professional Interest Sections, as well as on nearly 375 college and university campuses in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Argentina, Colombia and Peru through its student organization, the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). PRSA’s signature events include the Anvil Awards and ICON, the premier annual gathering for communications professionals and students. For more information, visit www.prsa.org.

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Media Contact:
Rod Granger
(212) 460-0307
rod.granger@prsa.org

PRSA College of Fellows

PRSA College of Fellows

Media Landscape Amid COVID-19, Courtesy Of Kim Brown, APR

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“As a former broadcast news producer, I never thought I’d see the day when interviews were primarily conducted virtually. I remember standing in the production booth at CBS 11, patching in Skype interviews after the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. The quality was poor, but it was breaking news. The kind where quality doesn’t really matter. We were on the air and needed the latest information. This was the exception to our ‘the viewers care about quality, so avoid Skype interviews’ rule.

Seven years later, here we are, in the middle of breaking news once again. This time, it’s a global pandemic and nearly everyone has been sent home. Who could have imagined a time when Chris Cuomo would be hosting his primetime show on CNN from his basement? It’s the same for local media too. Anchors, reporters, even producers and editors are all working from home. The thought of this makes my former producer brain spin. And I want to know, will their shift to online news reporting last? In certain aspects, I hope it does.

As a media relations specialist at Cook Children’s Medical Center, I see the doors of possibility opening amid the current news landscape. Things move more quickly now. Instead of juggling multiple schedules, arranging locations for filming, coordinating with the expert, department leaders, parking and security to ensure everyone is in the loop, now interviews can be done with the click of a Zoom link. It literally takes an hours-long process down to minutes. And it’s not just saving everyone time, it’s opening up opportunities for interviews that may have never occurred.

One example of how this new process has worked to our advantage is our recent stories about child abuse. About a week after stay-at-home orders went into effect in North Texas, Cook Children’s began seeing an uptick in cases of severe physical abuse. Seven children were admitted to the hospital in one week and two of those children died. We knew we had to do something, so we sounded the alarm and started speaking out. This strategy isn’t new to us, but what is different is the number of interviews we were able to line up for Cook Children’s child abuse pediatrician, Jamye Coffman, M.D. Normally, we would be limited in how many shoots we could schedule because of the valuable time it takes up. (And if anyone’s time is important, it’s Dr. Coffman’s.) But thanks to Zoom and similar platforms, we were lining up interviews back to back. Since mid-March, Dr. Coffman has been featured in nearly two dozen unique articles, from local outlets to the New York Times, regarding child abuse and the COVID-19 stay-at-home orders. I have to believe this level of coverage would not have been possible without the media’s newfound comfort with virtual interviews. Yes, some of these stories were done with old-fashion phoners, but many weren’t. And if not for all of these interviews, I’m not sure this issue would be receiving the attention it deserves. After the initial stories came out, other children’s hospitals started reporting similar trends nationwide. Now, child abuse amid quarantine is something people across the country are talking about. I think virtual interviews are partly to thank.” –Kim Brown, 

Senior Media Relations and Communications Specialist at Cook Children’s

May Program Presentation: How Public Relations Practitioners Can Help Organizations Adapt to COVID-19

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Click here for our latest virtual program from this month’s presenter – Julie O’Neil: PRSA COVID 19 Presentation O’Neil.

 

 

COVID-19 Update

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#FWPRSA: Due to the latest COVID-19 developments, the following changes have been made to the chapter’s upcoming events:

• March 19: GFW PRSA Health Care Special Interest Group meeting – postponed

• March 26: PR After Dark Happy Hour – postponed

• April 1: PRSA April luncheon – will be turned into a virtual event. Watch for details.

• May 6: PRSA May Luncheon – will be turned into a virtual event. Watch for details.

We are thinking of you & your teams and feel that keeping this group of PR professionals in contact will be beneficial as we all navigate this unprecedented time.

Safehaven honors one of GFW PRSA’s very own with Legacy of Women Award

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Legacy is not leaving something for people. It’s leaving something in people. —Peter Strople

Gigi Westerman, APR, Fellow PRSA, has been recognized with the prestigious 2019 SafeHaven Legacy of
Women Award. Westerman, a long-time member of GFW PRSA, was honored in October, along with
nine others community leaders and advocates during the 27 th annual Legacy of Women awards
ceremony. SafeHaven’s mission is to end domestic violence through safety, support, prevention and
social change as the largest and most comprehensive domestic violence service provider in Tarrant
County.
The event “expands awareness of the astonishing one in three Tarrant County women who will
experience domestic violence in their lifetime, while honoring women who are leaders and advocates in
our region,” said Kathryn Jacob, president and CEO of Safehaven. “Legacy of Women exemplifies the
word ‘community’ with an unwavering support and continuous rise for change.”
Westerman is co-founder of The S & G Group, an Arlington-based strategic planning and
communications firm that offers integrated communications, market research and analysis, branding,
media relations, crisis communications, issue management, and media training services to clients in the
government, nonprofit and business sectors. Westerman launched the firm in 2015 with long-time
business partner Sandra Brodnicki, APR.
Westerman’s commitment in Tarrant County is all encompassing, according to Michelle Clark, APR,
Associate Vice Chancellor, Advancement Strategy and Administration at Texas Christian University and
Director, Greater Fort Worth PRSA. “Gigi demonstrates that throughout all aspects of her life – while
working on behalf of clients, volunteering for nonprofit organizations, being a committed friend, and
making a difference as a leader and mentor,” Clark said. “She is insightful and unfailingly generous of her
expertise, and uses her time and talents to help make our community and profession better.”
Westerman has been an active member of PRSA since 2002, serving in local and national capacities.
After earning her accreditation in 2010, she dedicated herself to helping others obtain their APRs,
through individual mentorship and local and national accreditation efforts. After being inducted into the
PRSA College of Fellows, she was asked to lead the College of Fellows mentoring efforts and helped
develop a national plan to enhance mentorship within the organization. She has also served as a GFW
PRSA board member and assembly delegate since 2012, bringing local issues to the national stage.

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