March President’s Message

Dear PRSA Richmond members,

It’s no secret that the public relations industry has a diversity problem.

If you attended our February luncheon, then you saw PRWeek’s mini-documentary “What It’s Like to be Black in PR.” The video shares the perspectives of African American PR pros and their experiences in the industry as people of color. You will notice a familiar face and voice: Taya Jarman, APR, who is a PRSA Richmond board member, is featured in the video.

I’m looking forward to building on this important conversation. PRSA Richmond is committed to ensuring the chapter is a welcoming body and relevant resource for all PR practitioners.

On March 22, PRSA Richmond’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee is hosting a free panel discussion and networking event that includes people of color sharing their experiences and talking about overall PR diversity efforts. I hope you can attend. Improving diversity in our profession is something we all need to be involved with. Please keep an eye out for an email communication with more details as they are confirmed.

Here are a few more updates as March kicks off:

It’s award season: The clock is ticking. The final deadline to submit your Virginia PR Awards entry is Monday at 11:59 p.m. There are tons of resources on the PRSA Richmond website, including helpful blog posts, the award categories with judging rubrics and more.
The PRSay blog: Have you visited the PRSay blog recently? The National PRSA editorial team is doing a great job of producing relevant and helpful content for PR pros. Make sure you bookmark the site today.
2018 PRSA International Conference call for presentations: There is so much awesome PR work coming out of our region. I know, because whenever I ask members at luncheons I hear really cool anecdotes. Why not share your smarts and tips with the wider community? Consider submitting yourself as a speaker for PRSA’s International Conference in Austin, Texas on Oct. 7-9. The deadline to apply is March 26 at 11:59 p.m.

Have a great and productive month!

Sincerely,
Cameron McPherson, APR
PRSA Richmond President