2000-01 PRSSA Annual Report

Letter from the National President

Dear fellow members,

This has truly been a monumental year for PRSSA. The Society now has a membership of more than 6,500 students at 225 colleges and universities nationwide. Our newest chapters include Mississippi State University, Villanova University, Portland State University, George Mason University and Hampton University, with more potential chapters on the horizon.

We have definitely accomplished great things in a short time. To start, delegates at the 2000 National Assembly in Houston elected one of, if not the most diverse, National Committees in our Society’s history. I had the honor of becoming the Society’s first African-American National President and the pleasure of working with a wonderful committee, comprised of students of Russian, Colombian, Hawaiian, African-American and European decent. This motivated committee was also lead by seasoned advisors, who are successful public relations educators and practitioners. This group would set the tone for a year that will go down as one of the Society’s most successful.

Probably our greatest accomplishment was hosting the largest National Conference in PRSSA history. Held in Chicago last October, the 2000 PRSSA National Conference gave over 1,300 students the opportunity to learn from and network with some of the industry’s most respected practitioners. Members also had the opportunity to participate in Agency Tours for the first time ever at a National Conference. Prior to the start of the conference, 10 of Chicago’s top public relations agencies hosted over 250 PRSSA members, showing them what it’s like to work in an agency environment. After four days of chapter and professional development sessions on such topics as fundraising, crisis communications, high-tech public relations and making the transition from college to the work force, conference attendees went back to their campuses motivated and armed with innovative ideas to further develop their chapters.

Building off of the momentum from the National Conference, PRSSA then went onto host the largest National Assembly in Society history. Ninety chapters sent a total of 161 representatives to New Orleans in March to elect the members of the 2001-2002 PRSSA National Committee. One of the special things about the National Assembly is its focus on shaping the Society’s future leaders. Through the Officer Roundtable Discussions and Leadership Training Sessions, attendees were given the opportunity to see what goes into running the Society. And I don’t think anyone will complain about the Assembly’s location, because after a full day of business, everyone went out and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the French Quarter.

This year we have also laid the groundwork for the future of the Society in many ways. Final arrangements are being made to secure Canada’s Seneca College as the Society’s first international affiliate chapter, giving PRSSA a stronger presence in the international arena of public relations. In an effort to provide students with ideas on how to best prepare for the fast-growing field of public relations, PRSSA is now offering A Student’s Guide to Public Relations. This 40-page booklet, created by the Florida International University Chapter, takes information compiled in A Port of Entry: The 1999 Report of the Commission on Public Relations Education and adapts it into a quick reference for students who are thinking of or are currently studying public relations. To increase PRSSA’s visibility among public relations practitioners, PR Tactics, the monthly newspaper of PRSA, will now feature a monthly column focusing on various aspects of PRSSA. Establishing this monthly column will give the Society the opportunity to showcase our accomplishments to our future employers and colleagues. And the list goes on and on.

We also saw a changing of the guard at National Headquarters. After 20 years of dedicated service to PRSSA, Elaine Averick retired as Director of Education. During those 20 years, Elaine touched many lives both directly and indirectly and will be remembered most for her love of the students. In honor of her years of unselfish service, the Elaine Averick Outstanding National Committee Member Award was established. This award will be given annually to the National Committee member who goes above and beyond the call of duty to better serve the members of the Society, which is exactly what Elaine did for 20 years. Stepping in to carry the flame is Jeneen C. Garcia. With sound leadership and 10 years of PRSA experience, Jeneen has picked up where Elaine left off and is poised to lead the Society onto greater heights.

As I said before, 2000-2001 has been a monumental year. Your National Committee has worked tirelessly to provide you with all of the tools you’ll need to help make you a stronger public relations practitioner. Through scholarships and awards, Regional Activities, a Web site that will soon feature live on-line chat capabilities and so much more, we have tried our best to make everything you’ll need as a member “All Within Your Reach.” Please continue to take advantage of these resources because they are there solely for you, the members. It has been a pleasure to serve you as president and I thank each of you for your continued support throughout the year.

Warmest regards,

Cedric L. Bess
National President 2000-2001

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