Hoosier PRSA Blog

Nice Overview of Changes to PRSA Bylaws

I'm sure more details will be shared from PRSA in the future, but for anyone interested in an overview of some of the changes, this blog post on PRSAY by Mike Cherenson does a better job than I could do.

If I see a more detailed report, I'll post it to our blog as well. Now, the PRSA staff, lawyer and parliamentarian (who were AMAZING, BTW) will be cleaning up the language and creating templates for local chapters. As promised to you before, we'll be evaluating that template for our own Chapter's adoption consideration. If there are any volunteers who'd like to lead that effort for us, I'd love to have your assistance.

Kind regards,

Jamaison Schuler, APR

The Bylaws Have Passed!

After considering a number of amendments, 264 of 284 delegates voted to approve the revised Bylaws. There's much too much detail to go into here, and I'm sure PRSA will be formally communicating on the outcomes very soon.

We thought you'd might like to see your delegates in action (or posing, anyway) just to bring some of San Diego to you back in Indiana.

(2009 Assembly Delegates, L to R: Sonja Popp-Stahly, APR, Jamaison Schuler, APR, "Pritch" Pritchard, APR, and Myra Cocca, APR)

And in this shot, we're joined by (new faces, L to R) Catherine Huggins, APR, National PRSA Board Member from the East Central District, Terri Johnson, APR, Hoosier Chapter member and Educators Academy Section chair, and Michelle Lantz, APR, East Central District chair.

The Hoosier Chapter is one of the largest in the East Central district, and we are enjoying our great relationship with our district and national representatives. Michelle Lantz recently facilitated a half-day strategic planning workshop for our Hoosier Chapter board, a member benefit offered by the East Central District.

There was quite a bit of interesting (and often humorous) debate broadcast via Twitter today. If you want an inside look at some of the amendments proposed and how the votes fell, be sure to search the hash tag "#prsa09."

TTFN!

Jamaison Schuler, APR

Live from the 2009 PRSA International Conference in San Diego

As I type this, you should all be sleeping. So should I, for that matter. But it's only 10:15 p.m. on the west coast, and I'm trying to shed my home time zone. Besides, I'm gonna be here a while.

Five days in fact, and it all kicks off tomorrow with the promisingly pivotal Delegate Assembly, where your four Hoosier Chapter representatives (Bob "Pritch Pritchard, Myra Cocca, Sonja Popp-Stahly and myself -- all APR), will be joining 314 other delegates to debate as least 18 amendments to an already overhauled proposed set of bylaws. You can read more about bylaws revisions peppered throughout the national PRSA blog.

The conference officially starts Sunday and runs through Tuesday, so I'd encourage you to follow the action through Twitter by searching the hash tag #prsa09. I'll also try to post updates to the blog if I can (wireless isn't the issue here for me, it's actually power -- I have the world's worst laptop battery).

I think I can safely speak for the others when I say that we delegates appreciate the chance to represent the strong Hoosier Chapter PRSA. 

Respectfully submitted,

Jamaison Schuler, APR

PS -- there are MANY other Hoosiers here this week: students, educators, corporate, nonprofit, agency... I'm thrilled that we're all going to bring key learnings back to Indiana.

Who's Heading to San Diego Next Week?

--UPDATE--

We just got a list from PRSA National with the "Hoosiers" who are registered for the conference -- 20 of us in total! So why isn't anyone raising their hand here? My guess is low readership of the blog... that's a bummer and we'll work to change that. I won't "out" those who may want to remain secret, but I was pleased to see some statewide representation, including professionals from Terre Haute, Muncie, Munster, Bloomington and Bristol. See you in San Diego!

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Are you heading to the PRSA International Conference next week in San Diego? Better yet, are you PRESENTING there? I'll be there as a third-year delegate for our chapter, and I'd love to know what other Hoosiers (professionals, students or faculty) will be there. Post a comment here and let us know!

October Luncheon and Hoosier PRSA Annual Meeting

Join us for our October 14 luncheon, featuring prominent community member and chairman/CEO of locally based Emmis Communications, Jeff Smulyan, a national expert in media trends. Is all traditional media dead? Join us for a lively discussion on new media vs. old media.

Register here: http://prsa.eventbrite.com

Attendees will also vote on the 2010 slate of officers as part of the chapter's annual meeting.

Monthly luncheons for Hoosier PRSA take place on the second Wednesday of each month. Registration and networking begins at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch and announcements at noon. Presentations begin by 12:30 p.m. Please join us!

Announcing (Earlier) Annual Meeting and 2010 Slate of Officers

The Hoosier Chapter of PRSA bylaws state that the annual meeting is to occur in November. However, in order to distance the business of the annual meeting from the already-busy Half Day with a Pro luncheon and to allow the new board to have more transition time before the holidays, the 2009 Annual Meeting will be held on Oct. 14, 2009, during the regularly scheduled luncheon at the Hilton.

At the annual meeting, the members will be asked to vote on the following slate of officers for 2010.

President: Jamaison Schuler, APR
President-elect: Becky Moore, APR
Past President: Jennifer Mahoney, APR
Director, Operations & Research: Cindy Dashnaw
Director, Communications*: Chuck Gose
Advocacy Officer**: Kay Millar, APR
Director, Member Services: Andrea Farmer 
Director, Professional Development: Jeremy Ecenbarger
Director, Membership: Amy Kraft
Director, Finance: Ryan Puckett
Ethics Officer: Bobbi Simmons, APR
Assembly Delegates: Rick Nelson; APR; Myra Cocca, APR; Sonja Popp-Stahly, APR; Chris Bias, APR
Assembly Delegate - Alternate (Non-voting): Bob Schultz, APR

*Formerly known as Director of Internal Communications
**Formerly known as Director of External Communications

The nomination committee convened on Aug. 31 to choose this slate of officers. While the number of voting board members remains the same, the evolution of our chapter has prompted a small adjustment to the titles associated with the communications area of the board. After the national PRSA bylaws have been adopted and our chapter has received proposed template bylaw language for local chapter adoption (estimated timing is early Q2 2010), we will amend our bylaws as appropriate and bring those proposals forward for the membership's vote.

According to the chapter bylaws, additional nominations shall be accepted from the members at the annual meeting provided such nominees have been consulted and agree to serve if elected. In that circumstance, balloting shall be by secret ballot. Please notify a member of the nomination committee in advance if a write-in nomination is planned so that proper accommodations can be made.

If you have any questions or comments about the slate of officers or the election process, please contact Jennifer Mahoney at president@hoosierprsa.org or Jamaison Schuler at presidentelect@hoosierprsa.org .

Respectfully submitted by the 2009 Nomination Committee: Jennifer Mahoney, APR; Jamaison Schuler, APR; Dan Millar, APR, ABC; Ryan Puckett; Kristen Fuhs Wells

If great PR falls alone in the forest, does it make a sound?

When was the last time you were rewarded? And we’re not talking about a slap on the back or a company-wide thumbs-up e-mail, we mean, really rewarded, for a job well done?

It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?

WE thought so.

That’s why now, more than ever, you need recognition from your peers for a stellar project or campaign. We know you exceeded goals, out-performed your competitors and reached new audiences. But do your
potential clients, employees and consumers know that? Does your boss?

Help us, help you. Apply for a Hoosier Chapter PRSA Pinnacle Award,and you might just get the recognition you deserve. The deadline is April 22, and only $75 for PRSA and IABC members. Find out more at www.hoosierprsa.org.

New Pros Unite - Is your contact info up-to-date?

Are you new to the field of public relations? Have you recently graduated from college and are looking to network? Are you seeking further professional development opportunities in the field of public relations? Well, the Hoosier PRSA New Professionals group is for you!

The New Pros committee is planning many fun, social activities for this summer and beyond. New Pros events welcome PRSA members, nonmembers and students.

If you are a New Pro and want to be in the know, please submit your contact information to Kallie Bonnell at newpros@hoosierprsa.org. You can also learn more about these opportunities by clicking on the new pros link on the chapter Web site. 

Tweet, Tweet ... a little birdie told me Hoosier PRSA was on Twitter

Start following the Hoosier Chapter of PRSA now: twitter.com/hoosierprsa. 'Nuff said - only got 140 characters you know.

February Luncheon: Measuring Your Multicultural Initiatives in 2009

The election of the country's first minority president has reignited lively discussions about race and culture in mainstream media as well as in everyday life.

The magnitude of this historical victory makes the sheer mention of President Obama's name create a higher level of responsible communication practices for PR and other marcom professionals around the world. While multiculturalism certainly is not a new topic, how we discuss and address minorities and diversity issues on behalf of our organizations and clients has significantly changed.

According to U.S. Census Bureau projections, minorities - now roughly one-third of the population - are expected to become the majority by 2042, and are projected to be 54 percent majority in 2050. Is your organization poised for the obvious shift in communication practices? As a communications leader in your business, how will you know if you are "meeting the mark" in your messages to growing minority audiences? Now is the time to reassess your minority communications program.

Please join us on Wednesday, Feb. 11 as PRSA's 2009 Multicultural Public Relations and Marketing Strategies Tour comes to Indiana. This engaging program features Manny Ruiz, president of Hispanic PR Wire, a PR Newswire company.

Ruiz, co-chair of PRSA's national diversity committee, will offer insights, tactics and tools for the execution and measurement of successful multicultural public relations programs with a concentration on media relations. Discussion topics will include:

• Common mistakes marketers make in targeted multicultural or integrated campaigns,
• Similarities and differences in media preferences among the different ethnic groups,
• Key ingredients of an effective multicultural marketing program.

Change has come, indeed. Be the on leading edge for your organization. Hope to see you on Feb. 11.

***NOTE: There is free parking at our new luncheon venue, the Hilton Indianapolis. You will be provided a voucher upon registration at the event.

Date: Wednesday, February 11, 2009
NEW Location: Hilton Indianapolis, 120 W Market St (

map/directions)
Time: Registration and networking -- 11:30 a.m., lunch -- 12 p.m., program -- 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Cost: Members, $25; Guest, $40; Student, $18; Teleconferencing, $15

Register now!

Thank you to February's luncheon sponsor:

Ball State University Master's in Public Relations Program