The Ocala Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association takes great pride in its long history of stimulating programs and the professional growth of its members. A primary focus of FPRA is to provide members with effective tools for professional development in order to achieve its goals of keeping members up-to-date on industry trends and help them advance their careers in the fields of public relations, marketing, and communications. FPRA offers monthly professional development programs, seminars, annual Image Awards competition and more.
FPRA exists to enhance the professional development of public relations practitioners. Opportunities include:
FPRA Ocala Monthly Chapter Meetings & Professional Development:
Third Friday of each month (unless noted)
College of Central Florida
Ewers Century Center
3001 S.W. College Road
Ocala, FL 34474
Networking: 11:30 am
Program: Noon-1 p.m.
COMMference
The 1-day event is the Ocala chapter’s annual professional development conference, which brings state and national experts on public relations programs, planning and implementation. This event is typically hosted in the spring each year.
FPRA State Association Annual Conference
Another professional development highlight for FPRA members comes with the annual conference each August. The largest and most anticipated FPRA event of the year, Annual Conference includes four days packed with informative speakers, breakout sessions and networking opportunities.
The event also includes FPRA’s annual Golden Image Awards Banquet, a highlight of the year for PR professionals across the state of Florida.
ACES
Ocala FPRA’s Advanced Career Enhancement Sessions (ACES) is a time for peer-to-peer dialogue usually consisting of discussing current event case studies. Members explore pros and cons of how situations are/were handled and offer insight as to what better strategies could have been employed and what difference it could make in the outcome. Ocala Chapter ACES members have also conducted seminars for non-profit groups as part of the chapter’s community service.
LeadershipFPRA
LeadershipFPRA provides our members with the tools they need to become stronger leaders in their organizations, their communities and FPRA. The program is formal, consisting of an orientation and five full-day sessions. Regardless of how new you are to the business or how long you may have practiced, this program will help you hone leadership skills good for a lifetime. Click here to learn more.
LeadershipFPRA Scholarships: Each year, Ocala FPRA offers scholarships for a selected member who is accepted into the program.
Credentials
FPRA members are encouraged to earn their accreditation and certification to recognize their advancement in the profession. Chapters host local study sessions and members can participate in regional or state study sessions as well.
Member Resources
FPRA members have access to a wide variety of resources for professional development, including webinars provided by the state association on topics of interest to its members and non-members through a series of webinars. State association board members and senior-level members also submit White Papers on topics of interest for effective PR management.