PRSA NJ Elects 2010 Officers, Announces 2010 Calendar of Events

NAVESINK, N.J., Jan. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- The New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA NJ) recently wrapped up another successful year and elected its 2010 officers and committee chairs at the organization's December town hall meeting and holiday party, held December 9th at Pal's Cabin in West Orange, N.J.

Officially taking over the reigns from 2009 PRSA NJ President Joseph Cohen, APR, group vice president for MWW Group; is Ken Hunter, APR, vice president of account services for R&J Public Relations. Hunter brings 20 years of experience in public relations and journalism to his role as PRSA NJ president.

Additional PRSA NJ officers elected for 2010 are:

• President-Elect: Rich Lukis, President, Coyne PR

• Vice President: Melissa Lauer, Senior Account Supervisor, Edelman

• Treasurer: Bryan Kaus, Strategic Communications Consultant, ConocoPhilips Bayway Refinery

• Secretary: Loren Waldron, Creative Services Manager, MWW Group

• Directors-at-Large: Annamaria Lalevee, Director of Public Relations, Centenary College (3-year term); Anna Brodetsky, Account Manager, Utopia Communications (1-year term)

• Assembly Delegates: Rachel Litner, Founder & President, Rachel Litner Associates; Ann Subervi, President & CEO, Utopia Communications; Ken Hunter and Joseph Cohen (3-year terms)

A 2009 Retrospective: Milestones in Membership, Programming and Awards

Cohen, who will remain active on PRSA NJ's Board of Directors as Immediate Past President, shared his thoughts on the accomplishments of this past year at the Chapter's town hall meeting. "PRSA NJ bucked a national trend in 2009 by strengthening our budget while maintaining our membership. As the communications industry continued to evolve, PRSA NJ heightened its own relevancy by serving as a resource for continued education and a community where professionals of all ages, levels of seniority and areas of expertise could share thoughts and ideas."

Cohen added, "In addition to consistently producing well-attended events and workshops, our chapter worked in tandem with PRSA national to spearhead the first-ever Accredited in Public Relations (APR) Boot Camp."

During the town hall meeting, chapter leaders and membership also heard from PRSA National's Chair and CEO Michael Cherenson, who shared positive information from the national committee. "In addition to expanding PRSA's Job Center resource from a job board to a comprehensive online community, developing a hardship program for out-of-work PR professionals and launching a free monthly professional development tele-seminar series, PRSA National also increased its use of social media, expanded its APR and ethics programs, and launched 'The Business Case for Public Relations' campaign," shared Cherenson. He also noted that it is the success of chapters like PRSA NJ which helps the national organization analyze and benchmark other chapters.

Marking another significant milestone in 2009, PRSA NJ named its Chapter Service Award, given in conjunction with the Chapter's annual Pyramid Awards in June, in honor of the late Dave Bressen. Bressen was a former Chapter president and long-time active member who contributed countless hours and unrelenting dedication to PRSA NJ over several decades, helping to make the Chapter what it is today.

Continuing the Momentum in 2010

"We've planned a robust 2010 activities calendar to include professional development programs such as 'Building a Brand Called You,' a workshop on the diplomatic PR professional, and continuing events like the 3-on-3 basketball tournament," said Hunter. "I'm excited for the coming year and look forward to working with the new officers and committee chairs, along with the leaders and members who continue to make this Chapter an ongoing success."

Programming that is being spearheaded by PRSA NJ in 2010 will include:

• Social Media Workshops - Featuring some of the industry's top digital media experts as well as bloggers and online journalists, PRSA NJ social media workshops are geared to educate PR practitioners on the latest advances that are reshaping the communications industry.

• Commitment to the Community - Each year, PRSA NJ "adopts" a local New Jersey-based non-profit organization and provides a group of Chapter volunteers to handle communications surrounding one of its key initiatives.

• Member Networking Events - From themed dinners to meet ups for new and young PR professionals, PRSA NJ will host a series of networking functions enabling communications professionals to extend their personal networks in relaxed settings.

• Member Communications - Continuing to evolve as the Web provides additional channels to dialogue with stakeholders, PRSA NJ offers members a robust social media presence, including active and growing Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter communities - providing an up-to-the-minute forum for news, networking, job opportunities and event information - as well as its Web site www.prsanj.org and online quarterly newsletter that delivers the latest industry news, trends and advice.

About PRSA NJ

The New Jersey Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (www.prsanj.org) was founded in 1960 and represents business and industry, counseling firms, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms, and nonprofit organizations. Its parent organization, PRSA, was chartered in 1947, and is the world's largest public relations professional organization. Based in New York City, PRSA has nearly 32,000 professional and student members organized into more than 100 Chapters nationwide, 19 Professional Interest Sections and numerous Affinity Groups. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has nearly 300 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States.

SOURCE PRSA NJ