A look at Minnesota PRSA in 2012

Now that 2012 is underway, I would like to provide a snapshot of what the Minnesota chapter of Public Relations Society of America (Minnesota PRSA) has in store. As president of the chapter, I see numerous ways that we will advance the profession and the professional this year.

First, I'll start with students -- the future leaders of the public relations profession. Our chapter supports 11 Minnesota-affiliated Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapters. I have as a goal for 2012 that a member of our board of directors will visit each of those PRSSA chapters during the year. We need to bridge the gap between PRSSA chapters and Minnesota PRSA; PRSSA graduates receive an excellent discount after graduation as a PRSA Associate Member.

Speaking of younger professionals, at the Classics banquet on March 29, the inaugural recipient of the Young Professional Award will be named. With this award, Minnesota PRSA recognizes the passion of the next generation of leaders and awards a young professional with three to seven years of post-undergrad experience.

The first event on the chapter's programming calendar is coming up at the end of the month:  Minnesota PRSA Pro-Am Day. Pro-Am Day (short for Professional-Amateur Day) is an annual mentoring event matching Twin Cities public relations professionals with PRSSA students in an effort to provide a day of job shadowing and networking for participating students to learn more about the public relations industry. The day wraps up with a fun speed networking event that connects students and professionals on a rapid basis.

If you have been thinking about earning Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), this April offers an excellent opportunity right here in Minneapolis with the APR Boot Camp! The APR Boot Camp is a four-day intensive course for candidates to prepare and advance though the Readiness Review™ and take the computer-based Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) or Accreditation in Public Relations + Military Communication (APR+M). This course is designed to provide a setting that will meet the needs of busy professionals whose schedules don’t permit extensive preparation time.

Minnesota PRSA programming in 2012 is designed to be compelling, providing excellent opportunities for professionals to develop their skills while having fun networking. Stay tuned to our website and social networks for more events to be announced.


In terms of an online presence, we are in the process of developing a more robust website. It is expected to be done in the first part of the year.


I hope to see you at Minnesota PRSA events this year. Here's to an exciting 2012!