PRSA-Detroit Elects 2011 Officers and Board, Recognizes Aspiring and Established Public Relations Leaders at Annual Meeting

DETROIT, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- New officers and board members were elected and local public relations practitioners and students were recognized at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Detroit Chapter's Annual Meeting, held on November 11 at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham.

The 2011 PRSA-Detroit officers are:

• President – Susan Ferraro, APR, Volare Public Relations
• Vice president – Jennifer Flowers, APR (re-election), Henry Ford Health System
• Treasurer – John Austerberry, APR, DTE Energy
• Secretary – Jessica Killenberg Muzik, APR (re-election), Bianchi Public Relations
• Immediate past president – Rich Donley, APR, Airfoil Public Relations

Incoming 2011 directors elected to the 16-member board are:

• Carolyn Artman, APR, HealthPlus of Michigan
• Hope Brown, APR, Lambert, Edwards & Associates
• Karah Street, Stratacomm
• Melissa Vander Laan, APR, Weber Shandwick

"I am honored to have been elected president of PRSA-Detroit, and I look forward to individually and collectively engaging our members and metro Detroit under the theme of education about public relations and its value to the community," said Ferraro, 2010 vice president of PRSA-Detroit and partner, Volare Public Relations.

Pam Young, APR, and the late Melissa Motschall, APR, received the PRSA-Detroit Hall of Fame Award.  Lisa Vallee-Smith, APR, received the Robert Hefty Distinguished Service Award.  Students Katherine L. Heck of Michigan State University and Erica C. Rogers of Wayne State University each received PRSA-Detroit Education Fund Scholarships.  Participants in the Ethics Honors Code were also recognized, and two PRSA-Detroit members received their Accreditation in Public Relations (APR).

Veteran Public Relations Professionals Honored for Service, Dedication

The Robert Hefty Distinguished Service Award, named in memory of longtime PRSA-Detroit board member and Bulletin editor, Robert Hefty, is given to honor an individual for his or her long and outstanding significant service to the PRSA-Detroit Chapter. This year's honoree, Lisa Vallee-Smith, APR, is a strong supporter of PRSA at both the local and national levels, and is past president of PRSA-Detroit.  Vallee-Smith takes an active role in the community, where she is a board member of the St. John Hospital Foundation, the University of Michigan School of Nursing, and the Contemporary Arts Collections of the Detroit Institute of Arts.  She serves her alma mater, Wayne State University, as a member of its Board of Visitors for the College of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts.

The PRSA-Detroit Hall of Fame Award is the chapter's highest honor. It reflects a candidate's significant contribution to the profession, to the PRSA-Detroit Chapter and to the community. This year's PRSA-Detroit Hall of Fame Award winners, Pam Young, APR and the late Melissa Motschall, Ph.D., APR.

Young served as public affairs coordinator with the Detroit Medical Center and Hutzel Hospital for 15 years before transitioning to her current role as Eastern Michigan University's communications director in 1997.  She is past president of PRSA-Detroit, has chaired the chapter's Senior Council since 2007, and also received the PRSA's Robert Hefty Distinguished Service Award in 2004.  Young's numerous contributions to the metro Detroit community include service on Detroit Receiving Hospital's Community Advisory Board, and on the University of Detroit Mercy's Alumni Board for Arts & Education.

Motschall came to Eastern Michigan University in 1995, and died January 20, 2010 after a long illness.  As a professor of public relations with the university, Motschall was known as an outstanding public relations teacher and professional whose students went on to prestigious careers in metro Detroit and beyond.  She received the Robert Hefty Distinguished Service Award from PRSA-Detroit in 2005, and served on PRSA-Detroit's board of directors from 2001 to 2007.  She also served as adviser to the Eleanor Wright Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at Eastern Michigan University.

Michigan College Students Awarded Scholarships

The Donald P. Durocher Memorial Scholarships were awarded to Katherine L. Heck and Erica C. Rogers. The scholarship, named in honor of the late Donald P. Durocher, APR, Fellow PRSA, was established in 1992 and supports students in their pursuit of public relations education and professional development.

Heck is majoring in communications with specialization in public relations from Michigan State University.  She has been a Michigan State University PRSSA member for the past three years, and has served on its executive board for the past two years.

Rogers is majoring in public relations at Wayne State University.  She has been a member of the university's PRSSA chapter for the past three years and currently serves as its vice president, with responsibility for professional development for the chapter.

PRSA Ethics Honors Code Program Participants Honored

Early in 2010, PRSA-Detroit launched the Ethics Honors Code Program – an educational toolkit to enable PR practitioners to further their understanding of ethical matters in the workplace.  To date, 137 participants representing solo practitioners and 21 local organizations were honored for participating in the program.

Members Receive Accreditation in Public Relations

The Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) is the Public Relations Society of America's mark of distinction for public relations professionals who demonstrate their commitment to the profession and to its ethical practice and who are selected based on broad knowledge, strategic perspective and sound professional judgment. PRSA-Detroit recognized newly accredited members Joseph McKeown, APR, of Atlantic Partners and Jamie Morris, APR, of the Clinton-Macomb Public Library.

About PRSA-Detroit

The Detroit Chapter of PRSA was established in 1947 and is one of six founding Chapters of PRSA, the world's largest organization for public relations professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA-Detroit is one of the largest Chapters of PRSA with approximately 400 members -- from students to seasoned professionals, who represent business and industry, agencies, solo practitioners, associations, nonprofit organizations and government entities. The Chapter is committed to education and diversity, and serves as a gateway to public relations professionals by providing educational and career opportunities for its members -- including conferences, professional development sessions, a consistently strong accreditation (APR) preparation program, extensive new professionals' development and other supportive activities. Visit www.prsadetroit.org, follow PRSA-Detroit on Twitter (@PRSADetroit) and Facebook (PRSA Detroit Chapter), or e-mail [email protected] for more information.

SOURCE PRSA-Detroit