PRSA — Advancing the Profession and the Professional

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the nation’s largest community of public relations and communications professionals. We provide training, set standards of excellence and uphold principles of ethics for the global public relations profession. As a leading voice in the PR industry, we also advocate for greater understanding and adoption of public relations services.

PRSA’s 21,000 members represent nearly every practice area and professional and academic setting in the public relations field. In addition, more than 10,000 college students are members of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

If you want to make contacts, be recognized for your work, enhance your professional skills, stay on top of emerging trends and otherwise accelerate your PR career, PRSA is the organization for you.

2016 Chapter Leadership

The following slate of officers was elected to leader the Yankee Chapter of PRSA at the chapter’s annual meeting on November 5.

2016 Yankee PRSA Officers

President – Liz LaRose, APR, Crotched Mountain Foundation
President-elect – Tom Bebbington , Diocese of Manchester
Past President – Erin Holt, CCA For Social Good
Secretary – Stefanie Phillips, Louis Karno & Company
Treasurer – Andrew Morse, Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association
Assistant Treasurer – Seth Wheeler, New Hampshire Electric Cooperative
Director – Mark Elliott, APR, Sprint, (term expires 12/31/16)
Director – AnnMarie French, New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute (term expires 12/31/16)
Director – Jon Boroshok, Southern New Hampshire University (term expires 12/31/17)
Director – Grace Lessner, New Hampshire Public Television (term expires 12/31/17)
Director – Mary Ellen Hettinger,Breathe New Hampshire (term expires 12/31/17)
Director – Amanda Flitter, New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority (term expires 12/31/17)
Director – Heather Atwell, APR, Antioch University New England (term expires 12/31/17)

Seeking Nominations/Applications for Yankee Chapter Summit Award

Summit Award: “Excellence in Community Engagement”

Application Information

About the Award

The Yankee Chapter PRSA Summit Award recognizes excellence in a specific area of focus, which varies year-to-year, based on trends, behaviors, and new technologies in the public relations field. Prior awards have included:

“Special Event Excellence”                                        2013 – Families in Transition, Manchester, NH

“Employees as Ambassadors”                                  2012 – Dyn – Manchester, NH

“PR Miracles – PR in Times of Challenge”             2011 – The NHHEAF Network Organizations, Concord, NH

“Excellence in Social Media”                                      2010 – Kelliher Samets Volk, Burlington, VT

2016 Summit Award Focus: Community Engagement

The 2016 Summit Award recognizes excellence in achieving strategic public relations objectives through a community engagement strategy. The results of an organization’s community engagement strategy may have informed policy decisions, improved the targeting of services, built community ownership, or involved those who might not normally be included, resulting in increased community spirit and empowerment of individuals. The award winner (individual, team, or business) will be recognized for effectively planning and executing a community engagement strategy to support specific public relations goals.

Within the application, please demonstrate how your community engagement strategy:

  • Involved and engaged a broad range of people and sectors,
  • Created movement and/or change related to specific public relations goals; and
  • Focused on collaboration and inclusion.

Award Criteria

Entries will be judged on the following factors:

  • Situation analysis (context and key stakeholders)
  • Strategic organizational objectives
  • Goals and benchmarks for success
  • Execution
  • Results

Eligibility

  • PRSA Yankee Chapter members; or
  • Public relations businesses, organizations or individuals with a primary address within the Yankee Chapter PRSA region (Maine, New Hampshire or Vermont)
  • The winner (individual, team, or in the case of an organization, its CEO, or functional organizational head) must agree to be present at the award presentation

Application Fee

  • New! For 2016, Yankee PRSA is waiving the application fee.

How to Submit Entries

Entries may be submitted in a variety of ways, as long as the entry includes the award criteria previously described. Electronic presentations, videos, documents, binders etc., are all welcome. Choose the format that best displays and explains your work. Entries can include links to existing work, content or articles that support your entry. The award will be presented at the Yankee Chapter PRSA Spring Awards event in late Spring 2016. Updates will be provided on the Yankee PRSA website at www.yankeeprsa.org.

Submit entry electronically to: info@yankeeprsa.org or mail it to:

Yankee PRSA Summit Award, 53 Regional Dr., Suite 1, Concord, NH 03301

All entries must include

  • Name & Title
  • Organization Name & Mailing Address
  • Phone & Email

Submissions must be postmarked by January 8, 2016

Questions? Email: info@yankeeprsa.org

Join PRSA this and get a free Yankee Chapter Membership

Receive a Free PRSA Chapter Membership

Get the best of both for one price.  New members receive a free one-year local Chapter membership when they join PRSA National before October 5 and use promotion code CHAPT15. PRSA National will cover the cost of your first-year Chapter dues! Be a part of a community you can count on at any level of your career.

Go to PRSA membership page.

Bradley Scholarship Awarded to Kathryn Schmeltzer

Kathryn Schmelzer, a senior at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and a resident of Concord, N.H., has been awarded the fifth-annual James H. Bradley Memorial Scholarship by the Yankee Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

“The James H. Bradley Memorial Scholarship was established to honor James (Jim) Bradley, a founding member of the Yankee Chapter who passed away in 2010,” said Yankee Chapter President Erin Hathaway. “The Chapter is proud to recognize Jim’s contributions to the profession of public relations by helping future professionals achieve their goals.”

At SNHU, Schmelzer is pursuing a major in communication and a minor in public relations. Prior to attending SNHU, Schmelzer was a graduate of NHTI, where she was the 2013 commencement speaker and received an award for outstanding professionalism. At SNHU, Schmelzer was one of a team of students to volunteer for environmental nonprofit Blue Ocean Society, creating the organization’s first social media marketing plan. Schmelzer is working as the social media and marketing intern at United Way of Greater Nashua this summer. Schmelzer was recently inducted into Alpha Chi, a national honor society recognizing the top 10 percent of her institution’s students, and she is a member of the SNHU Women’s Advocacy Group. Schmelzer has been recognized by university faculty for her strong work ethic and focus on academics. She is the daughter of Raymond Schmelzer Sr. and Barbara Schmelzer of Concord.

Northeast District Conference Call for Volunteers

The 2016 Northeast District Conference will be held in Boston and we’re looking for Yankee Chapter members interested in lending their time and expertise to make this an exceptional event. Opportunities include generating sponsorships, programming, communications and publicity, or even just volunteering for the conference itself to help with registration, staffing break-out rooms, and more.

If you’d like to volunteer or learn more, contact Jane Law.

April is National Volunteer Month

April Is National Volunteer Month

It’s National Volunteer Month, which makes this the perfect time to identify new volunteer opportunities! Have you considered volunteering for a Yankee Chapter committee? We are looking for new members for our communications, annual meeting, and professional development committees. If you’d like to volunteer or learn more, contact Chapter President Erin Hathaway.

Ten Reasons to Volunteer >>

James Bradley

2015 Bradley Scholarship – Apply Now

Undergraduate students, who will achieve “sophomore,” “junior,” or “senior” grade level by fall 2015, or graduate students at an accredited, degree-granting college or university in Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont who have a declared major in a public relations-related field are encouraged to apply for the James H. Bradley Memorial Scholarship sponsored by the Yankee Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Entries will be judged by a committee of public relations professionals. Winners will be announced in May 2015. The honoree will receive a $500 scholarship to be used toward tuition and fees in support of the winner’s educational pursuits.

Eligibility

Candidates must be undergraduates, who will achieve “sophomore,” “junior,” or “senior” grade level by fall 2015, or graduate students in a public relations-related program at an accredited, degree-granting college or university in Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont. There are no state residency requirements. While Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) members are encouraged to apply, membership in PRSSA is not required.

An official nomination form must be:

  • Completed by the candidate as directed, signed by the candidate, and then signed by a faculty member or PRSSA Adviser.
  • The entire application must be mailed or emailed to Yankee Chapter PRSA, and must arrive (not simply be postmarked) by the application deadline. Copies may be front and back.

The completed form must be accompanied by:

  •  A letter of recommendation from a faculty member or PRSSA Adviser.

The application materials:

  • Must be typed.
  • May not contain any information or documents other than those specified above.
  • Should be carefully reviewed for typos, spelling and grammatical errors. Applications with excessive errors will be automatically disqualified.

The application deadline is May 1, 2015.

Send all application materials to:

James H. Bradley Memorial Scholarship Committee
The Yankee Chapter PRSA
53 Regional Dr., Suite 1
Concord, NH 03301

Or, info@yankeeprsa.org

 Applications will be judged using the following criteria:

  • Academic achievement in public relations and overall studies
  • Demonstrated leadership
  • Practical experience, e.g., internships, other work/service
  • Commitment to public relations, particularly as expressed in the candidate’s statement
  • Writing skills as demonstrated throughout the application
  • Letter of recommendation

 Questions: For questions or comments, please contact Donna Eason at djeason@comcast.net.

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION HERE

New Officers Elected at Annual Meeting

The 2015  slate of officers was presented to membership and approved unanimously at the Yankee Chapter annual meeting on November 20 at Red River Theatre in Concord.

Yankee Chapter officers for 2015 are:

President – Erin Hathaway, CCA for Social Good

 President-elect – Liz LaRose, APR, Crotched Mountain Foundation

 Past President – Rosemarie Rung, APR

Secretary – Mary Ellen Hettinger, APR, Girls Scouts of the Green & White Mountains

 Treasurer – Tom Bebbington Diocese of Manchester

 Assistant Treasurer – Andrew Morse, Concord Regional Visiting Nurse Association

 Director – Mark Elliott, Sprint 

Director – AnnMarie French, New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute

Director – Justin LaBerge APR, Dirigo Engagement Strategies, LLC

Director – Grace Lessner, New Hampshire Public Television

Director – Stefanie Phillips, Louis Karno & Company

Director – Natalie Rudzinskyj, Strata Marketing Group, LLC

Director – Seth Wheeler, New Hampshire Electric Cooperative

Patrick Jackson Award to NH Entrepreneur, Jason Alexander

2014 Patrick Jackson Award recipient Jason Alexander (right) with Tom Bebbington and Yankee Chapter president Rosemarie Rung.

2014 Patrick Jackson Award recipient Jason Alexander (right) with Tom Bebbington and Yankee Chapter president Rosemarie Rung.

The Yankee Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America presented the 2014 Patrick Jackson Award to Jason Alexander at its annual meeting on November 20 at Red River Theatres in Concord, NH.

“The growth and success of BANK W Holdings and its portfolio companies is attributed to Jason’s ability to create a strong personal brand through tireless networking and selfless community engagement,” Tara Payne, PRSA Awards Chair said. “Jason exemplifies all the qualities of an outstanding communicator.”

Jason Alexander founded Alexander Technology Group in 2007 with the mission to help companies find highly trained and qualified IT professionals. Alexander has worked for the last seven years to build a strong relationship between corporations and the IT work force.

In addition to assisting professionals in networking and corporations in the hiring process, Jason Alexander has also served as director, advisor, or trustee on several New Hampshire boards and coalitions such as NHTI, Granite State College, and Pinkerton Academy.

Alexander has committed his career to helping individuals improve themselves as professionals and assisting companies in hiring the best qualified IT professionals.

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