Committees

Take Maximum Advantage of Your PRSA NCC Membership by Getting Involved

Committees are the backbone of our chapter. Through each committee, our members improve their skills and practice of communications while developing new and exciting chapter programs, exchanging ideas and discussing topical issues with colleagues.

No experience? No problem! Committees are a great opportunity to try something new. Many of our committees offer virtual volunteer opportunities, so even if you live far from downtown D.C. or have a hectic work schedule, you can participate on your own schedule.

♦ Accreditation and Continuing Education/APR ♦

♦ Awards and Recognition ♦ Career Support ♦

♦ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ♦ Marketing and Communications ♦

♦ Partnerships ♦ Pro Bono ♦

♦ Programming and Events ♦ Sponsorships ♦

♦ Ethics Officer ♦ Financial Review Committee ♦

♦ Management ♦ Mid-Atlantic District Representative ♦

♦ Nominating ♦

Accreditation and Continuing Education/APR

The Accreditation and Continuing Education Committee guides Washington, D.C., area communication professionals through the process of attaining the prestigious Accredited in Public Relations (APR) credential. The profession’s only post-graduate certification, the APR demonstrates competency and a strong commitment to the profession. The committee organizes APR, overview courses, prepares materials and matches mentors throughout the year to help prepare candidates. Learn more about the APR and APR+M.

Contacts: Kelly Frushour, APR+M and Barbara Burfeind, APR+M, Fellow PRSA

Awards and Recognition

The National Capital Excellence in Communication Awards Committee is responsible for organizing one of PRSA NCC’s signature events, the annual Awards Gala. This event recognizes and rewards outstanding achievement in external communications and public relations in the Greater Washington area, and encourages continued excellence in the field.

Committee members support all planning for the event including: determining the categories for awards; coordinating the awards submissions and judging processes; identifying potential gala speakers; selecting the gala theme; and managing all logistical details such as entertainment, photography and budgets. This is a great opportunity to plan one of the chapter’s largest events and be part of recognizing excellence and best practices in the communications profession.

Contact: Elizabeth Theil Mather

National Capital Public Relations Hall of Fame

The National Capital Public Relations Hall of Fame inductees include a diverse group of communicators from the national capital area, from agency heads, White House and Capitol Hill press secretaries, Pentagon spokespeople, business leaders, government officials, international experts, social activists, labor leaders, professors and educators.

The Hall of Fame Committee is responsible for securing nominations, managing the nominee review and selection process, promoting the inductees and coordinating the celebration and presentation of the award each year. This is an opportunity to work directly with some of the most accomplished communications professionals in the D.C. area, and the profession at-large.

Contact: Maria Rodriguez

Career Support

Mentoring

The Mentorship Committee is a resource to encourage and create successful mentor-mentee relationships within PRSA NCC membership. Through these mentor matches, participants can gain insights, guidance and perspectives to advance their careers and navigate the waters of work life. The Mentoring relationship is not a senior/junior level type relationship but one that is focused on improving skills one may need, e.g., wanting to transition to the nonprofit sector, learning how to build a personal brand, etc. Mentors and mentees set the terms for the method of communications and frequency of meetings.

Contacts: Sultana F. Ali, APR and Kristin Gregory

University Relations

The University Relations Committee connects PRSA NCC’s network of professionals to local communication students interested in furthering their applied knowledge of the field. Primarily supporting the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapters in the Washington, D.C. area, committee members serve as a resource to help students reach their professional aspirations, build their personal brands and launch their careers in public relations.

Contact: Laura Ambrosio

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee identifies and supports the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion needs of PRSA NCC in the areas of race, ethnicity, gender, gender expression and identity, sexual orientation, age, ability and other diversity dimensions. Committee members serve as ambassadors within the chapter, ensuring that DEI is embedded into the chapter’s culture, communications, programming and operations. Committee members also serve as thought partners to the PRSA NCC board and Management Committee to recommend DEI strategies that advance our profession and our chapter.

Contacts: Diti Bhasin and Joseph Dawson

Marketing and Communications

The Marketing and Communications committee is the strategic communications and information dissemination arm of PRSA NCC. By using traditional and digital media and communications tools, committee members keep members apprised of chapter events, news and opportunities. Committee members also help ensure that members are maximizing their investment and encourage them to meet and network with fellow colleagues to build relationships within the Chapter’s diverse membership base.

This committee is an opportunity to counsel PRSA NCC on best practices, connect with members and/or build or enhance skills that you might not otherwise have the time or opportunity to learn on the job.

Committee members can lead or support in any of the following areas:

Blog or Website Content Writing or Editing
Communications Data and Engagement
Digital Communications and Strategy
Membership Marketing
Newsletter
Social Media
Website Management

Contact: Leah Dergachev

Partnerships

The PRSA NCC Partnerships Committee is focused on developing and sustaining mutually beneficial strategic alliances with organizations who share a similar commitment to collaboration, education and professional growth. The goal of the committee is to both increase awareness of the Chapter in the community and provide our members additional benefits, with an emphasis on diversity, equity and inclusion and innovative educational programming.

Contact: Jordan Team

Pro Bono

The Pro Bono Committee supports a select nonprofit organization that is chosen by the Chapter through a rigorous and competitive application process. Committee members support the organization with its strategic communications, either as an adjunct to an existing team or infrastructure, for a two-year engagement (note: committee members can engage in however many years of the engagement they wish).

The chapter’s current client, Mary’s Center, is a community center that provides health care and social services to people of all ages, incomes and backgrounds in the D.C area. To date, the Committee has provided Mary’s Center with services including, media training, crisis management, coaching, social media analysis and access to media monitoring and analytic tools.

Contacts: Joellen Leavelle and Jasmine Jones

Programming and Events

Professional Development

The Professional Development Committee develops and hosts NCC’s educational events, workshops and seminars designed for communicators with all levels of experience. Events and workshops cover a broad range of topics including, dealing with changes in traditional media; how to use emerging media tools and applying them in marketing and communications strategies; managerial training and more. Committee members take the lead on organizing at least one event per year. This means planning of programming, securing speakers and supporting promotion of the event.

Contacts: Anne Duffy, Bill Furmanski and Robert Krueger

Association/Nonprofit

The Association/Nonprofit committee supports communication professionals at nonprofits, associations and other tax-exempt organizations. Committee members plan and execute events throughout the year that examine communications issues affecting the association or nonprofit sectors as well as connecting communications practitioners in these organizations and sharing best practices.

Contacts: Laura Gross; Diana Olson; Christie Phillips, APR; Alysa Reich and Scott Ward

Sponsorships

The Sponsorships Committee recruits and builds relationships with partners that invest financial and other resources to reach and support the communications profession in the D.C. area. These resources are important for the chapter’s financial stability and ability to provide member value. Committee members work with industry influencers to cultivate relationships with potential sponsors and ensure that the organizations and individuals supporting PRSA NCC receive as much benefit as possible from their support.

This committee is a great opportunity to meet decision-makers at top organizations, grow your creative strategic thinking and advance your skill sets in partnership development and relationship management.

Contact: Myles Goldman

The following chapter roles and committees are not volunteer led. They are managed by former Presidents or current Board members with the intent of ensuring board governance, fiduciary responsibility, ethical behavior and general business ethics to foster the highest level of professional standards within PRSA and the profession at large.

Ethics Officer

The Ethics Officer works to promote high ethical behavior among chapter members primarily through ethics education. The Ethics Officer is not expected to be the Chapter authority on ethics; the PRSA Board of Ethics and Professional Standards serves in that role for all chapters. The Ethics Officer concentrates on delivering quality ethics programming to chapter members.

Contact: Brigitte Johnson

Financial Review Committee

The Financial Review Committee (FRC), chaired by the Treasurer and consisting of at least three members of the Executive Committee and/or the Board, named by the President and approved by the Board, manages the chapter’s financial assets and the monthly accounting of the Chapter’s income and expenses. In addition, the FRC completes midyear and annual assessments of all accounts of the chapter. A written report of the annual assessment is submitted to the board no later than sixty (60) days after the end of the fiscal year and no later than March 1. The chapter membership is notified of the availability of the committee’s report and copies are provided, on request, to any member.

Contact: Meredith Williams

Management

The Management Committee is responsible for providing expert counsel to the Executive Committee on the strategies and management of PRSA NCC. The Management Committee is comprised of Board members not on the Executive Committee, along with Chairs and Co-Chairs of the chapter’s committees. The Management Committee provides status reports to the Board of Directors and is responsible for implementing the chapter’s strategic plan. This group meets regularly during the year to provide input and guidance on programs and initiatives.

Contact: Robert Krueger

Mid-Atlantic District Representative

The Public Relations Society of America’s Mid-Atlantic District is one of 10 PRSA Districts and includes nine chapters in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, eastern/central Pennsylvania and Virginia. Each year, the President-Elect serves as the PRSA NCC representative for the Mid-Atlantic District. In this role, the representative explores issues and trends impacting the district while serving as an advocate for the chapter.