Invest in Yourself!!

Hello FPRA Treasure Coast!

Bryan Beaty, President-Elect, Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC, Immediate Past President and I attended the State Board meeting in Palm Coast on Saturday and I’m please to announce that State President Lanette Hart, APR, CPRC, had us highlight this blog as a “Best Practice” at the Chapter level.

Hurry! There is still time to renew your FPRA membership! The Treasure Coast Chapter is one of nine Chapters in the State reach the 50% mark (50.47% to be exact) for membership renewal. If you haven’t renewed yet, you can expect to receive phone calls from us to find out why! Just a reminder, the membership renewal period officially ended on October 31. If you have not renewed your membership by the end of November, you will not receive member services. On December 31, 2008, your name will officially be removed from the rolls and you will incur a $25 late fee to reinstate your membership. According to the 2008 FPRA Benchmark survey, the No. 1 reason people join FPRA is YOU! Existing members are the main reason others join, so when renewing your membership, consider inviting a friend!

If you need another incentive to renew now, the State is launching a promotion called “Invest in Yourself.” Invest in Yourself is designed to encourage our current members to renew before they are purged from the rosters on December 31st! There is no better time to “Invest in Yourself” than during a tough economy. And now FPRA is going to reward you for renewing your FPRA membership and Investing in Yourself! By renewing now, you will be eligible to win Travelocity dollars, FPRA “bucks” and Visa “cash.”

**REMINDER** The regularly scheduled November program is Tuesday, November 18th. Be sure NOT to show up at my office tomorrow, as we will NOT be here! I’m very pleased and excited to announce that we have an outstanding speaker for the November 18th meeting. Within the theme of “How Did Public Relations Play a Role in the Elections?,” our speaker, Alexis Walkenstein, Director of Communications for the Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach, will focus her presentation on Issues Advocacy and how the efforts of the Diocese and the Catholic Church ~ in order to not lose their 501c3 status ~ can not promote any candidate in any election. Therefore, they must use only public relations strategies to promote their stance on any issue. This year, the Diocese faced issues including pro-life, same sex marriage, stem cell research and death penalty questions. Alexis will share with us her strategies and tactics on collaboration and partnerships with state, federal and local agencies to get the word out to voters. This is a story you do not want to miss! The meeting begins at 11:30 a.m. at the South Florida Water Management District’s Martin/St. Lucie Service Center located at 780 SE Indian Street in Stuart. And, if you need yet another reason to attend, Dragonfly Café will cater our meeting this month and in January! Deadline to RSVP online is this Friday, November 14. Make your reservations online now at http://www.fpratreasurecoast.com/ or call Programs Chairman Cara Perry at (772) 873-3339 or e-mail her at ccarlton@fau.edu. Remember, the price for the monthly program is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.

At the State Board meeting, we heard a couple of great presentations from the Executive Committee members. Vice President of Accreditation and Certification Jeff Nall, APR, CPRC, gave us information on a “kinder, gentler” CPRC exam and process. If you are considering sitting for your CPRC this year, please let me know and I’ll get you all the information you need to know. Also, Vice President of Golden Image Rachel Smith, APR, CPRC, provided us an update on the Image Awards noting that both the Local and Golden Image Awards have moved into the 21st Century! Some of the categories have been updated, changed and created to reflect the new media that we use to communicate our messages including blogs, podcasts and e-newsletters. Once I receive the information from the State, I’ll be sure to pass it along to you so you can start preparing those award winning applications!

Member Notes:

Congratulations to Adrienne Moore, APR, CPRC, on her recent opportunity to interview Caroline Kennedy at the Get Out The Vote Rally in Port St. Lucie on behalf of WQCS 88.9 FM.

Congratulations to Stacy Ranieri, The Firefly Group, on her recent spotlight in the Treasure Coast Moms Newsletter. Stacy was featured as the very first “Momspiration!” http://www.treasurecoastmoms.com/blogs/2679

Congratulations to Kherri Anderson, Martin County Supervisor of Elections, on the successful election in Martin County last week. Kherri and her co-workers won a Golden Image Award both this year and last.

Congratulations to Fort Pierce Police Department Public Information Officer Audria Moore on her appointment to the Governor’s Commission on Disabilities.

Congratulations to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Stuart Cardiology and Helping People Succeed for their recent selection as Best Places to Work in both St. Lucie and Martin Counties! FPRA members Mark Weinberg, Lauren Anderson and Dale Kostakos are employees of these organizations.

Thank you and have a wonderful week!
Linette