National Leadership Recruitment

The nominees for 2021 officer positions are: Chair-elect, Felicia Blow, APR, associate vice president for development & campaign director of Hampton University; Treasurer, Michelle Egan, APR, Fellow PRSA, chief communications officer, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company; Secretary, Joseph Abreu, APR, communications & emergency management director, Clerk of the Circuit Court, St. Lucie County.

Current Chair-elect, Michelle Olson, APR, managing director and partner, Lambert & Co., was confirmed as the 2021 PRSA Chair at the PRSA Leadership Assembly in 2020. PRSA Chair T. Garland Stansell, APR, chief communications officer, Children’s of Alabama, will serve as Immediate Past Chair in 2021.

The individuals nominated for the open director positions on the PRSA Board are:

East Central District

Jennifer Day, APR, Great Lakes regional coordinator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – U.S. Department of Commerce

Mid-Atlantic District

Jeff Wilson, APR, vice president of agency marketing and promotion, Padilla

Northeast District

Jane N. Law, APR, internal human resource communications manager, New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority

Tri-State District

James Shackelford, APR, president and chief executive officer, SomaComm Inc.

Western District

Dr. Kaye Sweetser, APR+M, Fellow PRSA, professor of public relations, San Diego State University

Director At-Large

Ray Day, vice chair, The Stagwell Group

Candidates by Petition

Article VIII, Section 5 of the PRSA Bylaws provides: Nominations may also be made by petition by at least 10 Leadership Assembly delegates and filed with the Secretary of the Society at PRSA Headquarters at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting of the Leadership Assembly, which due to the coronavirus pandemic will now take place on December 5 in a location to be finalized in the coming weeks. All petitions must be submitted by Thursday, November 5 for consideration. Immediately upon receipt of any such nominations, the Secretary shall send a notice of such nominations to all members.

Following Assembly elections, successful candidates will join these incumbent members on the 2021 Board:

Midwest District

Jacqueline Clark, APR, Fellow PRSA, regional manager government relations & public affairs, LafargeHolcim NA

North Pacific District

Scott Trotter, APR, senior director of communications, Utah Valley University

Southeast District

Denise Hill, Ph.D., APR, assistant professor of strategic communications, School of Communications, Elon University

Southwest District

Heide Harrell, APR, director of marketing and business development, Rose Law Firm

Sunshine District

Angela Walters Eveillard, APR, strategic communications officer, Hillsborough Community College

Director At-Large

Jorge Francisco D’Garay, president & CEO, MXUS Public Relations

For questions about nominations by petition or any additional information, contact Romie Ares at romie.ares@prsa.org  call (212) 460-1403.