In 2018 President's Message

Wow, time has certainly flown by and it’s hard to believe this is my last column as your state president. It has been an honor to serve you over the last 12 months. The hard work of FPRA’s executive committee and state board has set this Association up for years of success.

If you couldn’t attend conference earlier this month, I want to share some of our accomplishments from the year.

More members earned their credentials than in any previous year, with FPRA adding 17 new APRs and 13 new CPRCs to our ranks. Congratulations to all the members who invested in their careers and earned these qualifications, as well as to Ginger Broslat, APR, CPRC, who has done an amazing job as our vice president of accreditation/certification.

Conference also marked two major milestones for LeadershipFPRA. We celebrated the graduation of Class II and welcomed Class III with an engaging orientation. It’s amazing to see how far this program has come in just a couple years and I can’t wait to see where it’s heading.

I’m also proud to report that FPRA is in good financial standing. Not only have we increased our reserves, but we’ve also distributed nearly $40,000 in rebate checks to our chapters so that they can provide you with professional development programming, accreditation and certification support, Image Awards competitions and more.

Finally, I want to address the long-term direction of our Association. So many public relations practitioners around the state rely on FPRA for professional development, networking and leadership opportunities. To ensure that we’re around for the long run, the state board recently approved an 83-page report on the Association’s financial sustainability. Over the coming years, we’ll work to enact the plans outlined in this report so that FPRA can continue fulfilling its mission of enhancing the public relations profession in Florida. I’d be remiss not to thank Wendy Crites-Wacker, APR, CPRC, who served as the dedicated chair of our sustainability task force.

I couldn’t be more excited to pass the gavel to Gordon Paulus, APR, CPRC, as our next state president. I’ve known Gordon for almost a decade and his leadership style is exactly what this Association needs. This will be evident when he introduces his theme to everyone next month in his first column.

Again, thank you. Thank you for entrusting me in leading this Association. Thank you for believing in FPRA and making this 80th anniversary year something that we will never forget. As a member driven organization, you hold the keys to our future. I encourage you to take them and begin your FPRA journey into leadership if you haven’t already.

All the best,

 

Ryan Gerds, APR, CPRC

President

Florida Public Relations Association

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