SPRF Highlights for January 2010

SPRF Highlights for January 2010:

Accreditation Dues
Increasing the number of Accredited members in our organization could mean a big cost savings for the organization. SPRF’s annual Accreditation dues are based on the percentage of Accredited members in our organization. Currently 8 percent of SPRF members are Accredited, and our dues are $2 per member plus $500. Organizations with at least 15 percent Accredited members pay only $1/member. Accreditation also raises the profile of our organization and our profession. If you are a mid- or senior-level professional and you are not Accredited, please consider it. For more information about Accreditation, contact your local chapter’s Accreditation chair.

PR Hall of Fame
The SPRF Board has appointed an ad hoc committee to consider creating a PR Hall of Fame. The library at Mississippi State University has agreed to provide space to house the awards. The Hall of Fame Committee will explore this idea further and make its recommendations to the board this spring.

SPRF Industry Subgroups
SPRF is considering expanding membership services to include industry subgroups. This would allow professionals to select one or more industries of particular interest to them, such as health care, manufacturing, education, or public utility. Subgroups would provide information and a forum for discussion on issues and trends specific to these areas of PR practice. Look for further developments on this in 2010.

SPRF Student Memberships
In 2009, the SPRF board approved offering student memberships. As full members of SPRF, students will receive all the benefits extended to active members of the organization, including their listing in the membership directory. The board also created a new board position, vice president of students, to work with state organizations and chapters to promote student membership, involvement and communication. Joy Carter, APR, has been elected to serve in this position. A Student Committee is being organized to help guide student planning and activities. If interested in serving on this team, please contact Joy Carter, APR, at or (205) 325-4735.

Social Media with Robert French

As promised to our members, the notes and observations from Robert French’s great presentation are available here. His analysis includes great information on social media monitoring, blogging, Twitter and much more.