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The Independent Practitioners Alliance (IPA) Section is made up of more than 300 small business owners and freelance public relations and communication practitioners.

About

About Us

 

Our Independent Practitioners Alliance (IPA) is the Professional Interest Section of PRSA focused on specialists.

In one form or another, “Indies” serve as “ringers” for distinct niche services, like a particular skill set or an industry focus. Our expertise tends to prove unwieldy for agencies or organizations to keep on staff, but critical to find when that need arises. We often join projects as subcontractors or bring others along with custom-assembled teams.

Indies collaborate on refining our mastery of managing a consulting practice and running the business. Senior practitioners and new entrepreneurs trade valuable insights on everything from business strategy to client management. Further, the art of the consulting relationship – the diplomacy, the quality of our discovery process, the effectiveness of (social) contracting, and negotiation/renegotiation as relationships unfold – is a skill set not limited to Indies. Professionals at every level need increasing proficiency for these kinds of interpersonal exchanges to grow.

PRSA’s strategic plan states our mission is, “To make communications professionals smarter, better prepared and more connected through all stages of their career.” IPA Section steps up to this mission every week, bringing Indies together.

If you are going solo, don’t go it alone. Join us in IPA.


Section Member Resources on MyPRSA


How IPA Membership Helps Indie Practitioners

UPCOMING PROGRAMMING FOR INDEPENDENT PRACTIONERS ALLIANCE


How Do I Join?

If you are already a PRSA member and looking to join this Section, please call the Member Services department at (212) 460-1400 or email: membership@prsa.org.

Not a PRSA member?
Learn about the benefits and how to join PRSA here.

From the Chair

From the Chair

headshot of Mila Fairfax

 

Our Independent Practitioners Alliance (IPA) is the Professional Interest Section of PRSA focused on specialists.

In one form or another, “Indies” serve as “ringers” for distinct niche services, like a particular skill set or an industry focus. Our expertise tends to prove unwieldy for agencies or organizations to keep on staff, but critical to find when that need arises. We often join projects as subcontractors or bring others along with custom-assembled teams.

Indies collaborate on refining our mastery of managing a consulting practice and running the business. Senior practitioners and new entrepreneurs trade valuable insights on everything from business strategy to client management. Further, the art of the consulting relationship – the diplomacy, the quality of our discovery process, the effectiveness of (social) contracting, and negotiation/renegotiation as relationships unfold – is a skill set not limited to Indies. Professionals at every level need increasing proficiency for these kinds of interpersonal exchanges to grow.

PRSA’s strategic plan states our mission is, “To make communications professionals smarter, better prepared and more connected through all stages of their career.” IPA Section steps up to this mission every week, bringing Indies together.

If you are going solo, don’t go it alone. Join us in IPA.

Mila Fairfax
IPA Section Chair

Executive Committee

Independent Practitioners Alliance Executive Committee

Chair

Leris Bernard
Chief Executive Officer, LERIS Media
Washington, DC

Chair Elect

Mike Crisp
Consultant, Crisp Public Relations
Marion, NC

Immediate Past Chair/NewBiz Cohort Chair

Mila Fairfax
Principal, Fairfax Image
Walnut Creek, CA

Secretary

Gina Blume, APR
President, Out of the Box Public Relations
Fleming Island, FL

Membership Chair

Carla Brown Lucas
President, Brown Lucas Consulting
Tallahassee, FL

Programming Chair

Wendy Kurtz, APR, Fellow PRSA
President, Elizabeth Charles & Associates, LLC
Orlando, FL

Sponsorship

Gina Milani
President, Milani Marketing & PR & PRToolFinder.com
Angels Camp, CA

Member at Large/Undersecretary

Monique Fontenot
Owner, MSB PR Strategies LLC
Stafford, VA

Member at Large (Membership)

Bart Graham, Sr.
Media Center Volunteer Team Leader
Largo, FL

Inter-Section Relations

Philip Tate, APR, Fellow PRSA
President, Philip Tate Strategic Communications, LLC
Matthews, NC

Member at Large (Inter-Section Relations)

Eva Keiser, APR, Fellow PRSA
Principal, The Plural I
Minneapolis, MN

Member at Large (Sponsorship Subcommittee)

Ric Bachrach
Chief Executive Officer, Celebrity Focus, Inc.
Deerfield, IL

Student/New Professionals

Barbara Burfeind, APR, Fellow PRSA
Independent, US Navy retired
Fairfax, VA

Member at Large (Ethics)

Krista Terrell, APR
Owner, Krista Faye Public Relations
Charlotte, NC

Member at Large

Carol Higgins Taylor, APR
Owner, Bryant Street Public Relations, LLC
Bangor, ME

Member at Large (Communications)

Kimberly Willis Green
Public Relations, KW Green Consulting, LLC
Stockbridge, GA

Member Emeritus

J.W. Arnold, APR, Fellow PRSA
Principal, PRDC Public Relations
Fort Lauderdale, FL