At the beginning of my year as president, I set a goal of reaching out to every new member of our Association to welcome them to our FPRA family. Part of my message is that they are part of something larger than just their home chapter. With 15 chapters across the state, our members have access to the best of the best in our public relations profession.
Then a few months ago, a member emailed to see if we had a list of all the programs being held that month across the state. They were traveling and wanted to see if any chapters were holding programs around the dates they were passing through. Unfortunately, the answer in this case was no, but I did ask some of our executive committee members to make this list happen.
Within two weeks a list was published in our monthly newsletter with programs being held around the state. Now you can easily find out how to join Dick Pope/Polk County for a tutorial on podcasts, or visit the Space Coast to learn how to create compelling content with your smart phone. You could even make a trip up to the panhandle and visit with the Pensacola Chapter as they explore social media ethics. These are just a few of the great programs being held across our state this month.
All in all, it is our goal as leaders of this Association to ensure you get value out of your FPRA membership. Everyone I speak with references great programming and networking as the primary reasons they get involved in FPRA. I encourage you to take that to the next level and pay a visit to your neighboring chapters. You never know who you might meet or what you might learn.
As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your president.
Ryan Gerds, APR, CPRC
President
Florida Public Relations Association
