President's Word: A New Year, Beyond Words

As we embark on another FPRA year we welcome a new slate of board members and leadership chairs to the Southwest Florida Chapter of FPRA and strive to go Beyond Words.

We are living in a time where the economic challenges are changing business landscapes and organizations are doing more with less. The communications frontier is in a state of flux as the culture, strategies, and tactics of public relations begin to change on the rise of the social media wave. With the continued diversification of tools and technologies, some argue that “specialists’’ are fading. All the while, we must stay on the cutting edge of emerging trends while staying true to the traditions and core principles that make public relations what it's all about: relationships, planning and strategy, ethics and beyond.

In 2011-2012, SWFL FPRA will go Beyond Words to continue to build strong community ties; create more opportunities for member engagement; and offer a diverse array of programming rooted in public relations core principals and emerging trends.

I’d like to thank each of these volunteers for making a commitment to FPRA; it is their talent and dedication that will make 2011-12 a successful year for our chapter. A big thanks also goes out to Immediate Past President, Pam Nulman, APR, CPRC and her 2010-2011 board for all of their hard work. We have big shoes to fill, but I know this year’s board is up to the challenge!

Our complete list of board members and leadership chairs can be found below. Please feel free to contact any of us with questions about the chapter or how you can get more from your membership.

Our chapter will always welcome ideas for luncheon program topics and speakers. If you have a topic in mind or know of a dynamic speaker, please don’t hesitate to offer your ideas to myself or our programs chair, Merrilu Bennet.

The full Fall Calendar of events is now posted and ready for you to register! I hope you will join us on October 11 for our first luncheon program of 2011.

It is an honor to serve as your President for 2011-2012. I look forward to seeing you at our luncheons and social events and hearing your ideas on making FPRA an important part of your professional development.