PRestige September 2016
Conference Wrap Up

Mark your calendars now!
PResident's Perspective
Ladies and gentlemen, we are off and running! This chapter year’s theme, “Developing the Leader in EVERY Member,” goes hand in hand with the state theme — “#myFPRA.” Sometimes I think we forget everything being a member of FPRA provides. Whether FPRA is producing quality professional development or helping a member walk through the credentialing process, everyone can find the benefit in membership.
As we start our new chapter year, I hope you are ready to roll up your sleeves and get to work. We have a large task of reaching out to potential FPRA members and showing them all the wonderful benefits of membership. I know Barbara Carbaugh is making that process fun with some competition for all of us. And don’t forget to renew your membership in September. Just go to www.fpra.org and click on the “Members” tab.
Our September 16 professional development meeting featuring Suzanne Grant, APR, Duke Energy Florida, is one you don’t want to miss. She will walk us through how Duke uses Twitter to connect to the community. She will also share some Duke Energy Tweets and explain local content planning strategies.
I encourage you to bring someone new to the September meeting so you can show and share with them just how FPRA is developing the leader in them!
Money Matters
In the next few weeks, you will be receiving prepaid invoices for monthly meetings. Should you choose to prepay for your professional development sessions for the whole year, you will only be charged $18 per meeting. What a savings! These invoices are available to any and all interested in receiving them. We will have them available for you soon. Please contact Allison Campbell, APR, CPRC if you have questions.
Professional Development Luncheon - September 16
Member Profile
Michelle Zimmerman, Marketing Director and Public Information Officer at Munroe Regional Medical Center has been with Munroe for 22 years.
Get to Know the APR and Become a Leader in the Field
Within today’s dynamic public relations and communications environment, hiring someone with an Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) demonstrates personal drive, professional acumen, a commitment to ethics, and dedication to lifelong learning.
The APR integrates timeless communications principles with contemporary strategies and tactics, meaning candidates with this certification are always in step with the public relations industry and attuned to trends. You can trust the APR is an accurate representation of an individual’s present expertise and a true test of their potential to lead the field.
Preparing for the APR is an exercise in success, as the process provides an assessment of your proficiency and accurately calibrates your craft, contacts, and career goals. You will bring years of professional experience, industry knowledge, and best practices to your business.
It takes a professional—someone with exceptional experience, broad expertise, and strong dedication and values—to thrive in the public relations industry. The APR certifies that you’re among the best.
If you’re considering APR, studies sessions and practice rounds start soon. Please email Kevin.Christian@marion.k12.fl.us to sign up for the APR steps. I am happy to share my experience with the process. It IS a process, not something you earn overnight. But once you finish the process, it is an amazing accomplishment and wonderful milestone in your public relations career.
You won’t be alone in the process. Each year, hundreds of PR professionals strive for their APR credential. Currently, about 20 percent of PR professionals worldwide hold the APR credential. Fortunately, FPRA Ocala leads the way with the most accredited and credentialed members of any FPRA chapter! After all, we are the CHAPTER OF THE YEAR!!!
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