Message From the President

IS IT ‘TWENTY TEN’ OR ‘TWO THOUSAND TEN’??

While there is no doubt that 2009 was a rough year for PR budgets and various other resources, the Philadelphia Chapter of PRSA remained strong. Thanks to our 2009 board of directors, committees and of course, our dependable administrator, Chris Stewart, our chapter continued its tradition of being a valuable asset to members.

This year, I am very lucky to be surrounded by another stellar team that is working hard to raise an already high bar even higher. We’re planning to build on the traditions and success of the past … and we’re going to have a lot of fun doing it.

Here are a few things to look forward to this year:

- Monthly programming that alternates from professional development sessions such as guest speakers, media panels and workshops, to casual networking gatherings that help you build your personal circle of industry contact.

- A focus on social and new media, both in our programming and in how we deliver content. We’re looking to hold educational webinars and even podcast some of our events.

- Enhancements to the Pepperpot & Achievement Awards program. We’re planning to move the entry deadline for our popular award program up about a month to give people more time to complete acceptance videos. For those of you who were not in attendance, they were a huge hit at last year’s banquet. We’re also looking at a few additional ways to further enhance the program to make it even better.

- Another highly successful PR Institute program. The Institute has become a great asset to our chapter. For more info, please visit the Institute’s site.

- Celebrating our accredited members (and Fellows) for a second year in a row with a fall program in their honor.

This is just a taste of what’s to come. No matter what 2010 will bring, and regardless of how you refer to it, we remain unwavering in our commitment to delivering solid programming, engaging networking opportunities and support to all of our peers.

If it has been a while since you’ve been out to a program or networking event, I encourage you to join us in the near future. You won’t be disappointed.

Michael Gross
Chapter President