Newbie PRSA Candidate Is from APR Hotbed

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September 10, 2010

Newbie PRSA Candidate Is from APR Hotbed

By Jack O'Dwyer

Kathy Barbour, nominated as secretary of PR Society of America, joined the Society in 2001 and only became active in 2005 when she joined the Readiness Review panel of the North Florida chapter, Jacksonville, Fla.

A graduate of the University of Florida, College of Journalism and Communication, with an MBA in human resources management from the University of North Florida, she was a freelancer from 1994 to 2001 when she joined Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida as senior communications consultant and editor-in-chief, PR.

She joined Mayo Clinic as communications manager in 2007.

Chapter president Bryan Campbell on the Aug. 18 Assembly teleconference said it was “ludicrous” that the APR issue should be brought up again when it was only defeated last year by a vote of 142-111. He said this made him “very upset” and he was also concerned about the small number of people on the call. He said APRs are very committed to taking the travel time and certain expenses in being on the national board and that non-APRs have not shown that level of commitment.

Campbell is director, public and media relations, American Assn. of Clinical Endocrinologists, Jacksonville. The chapter has 102 members.

Chapter delegate Anne Dubois, who is also chair of the Universal Accreditation Board, complained on a teleconference about the revisiting of the APR issue when it had already been decided “several times earlier.” She asked why shouldn’t the Society “insist” that its board members carry the “mark of distinction” that APR is and urged the delegates to “move on.”

Kathy Lewton, 2001 president, pointed out on several calls that “decoupling” APR from the national board has only been brought up once to the Assembly since it was proposed by the Strategic Planning Committee in 1999.

PR Society and UAB codes demand that any misinformation be corrected promptly.

Another chapter delegate who has spoken against the proposal to let non-APRs on the board is counselor Bonnie Upright. North Florida is the home chapter of 2004 Society president Del Galloway, who is now VP-PR, United Way Worldwide, Alexandria, Va.

Barbour Does Not Respond
Barbour has not responded to questions and issues raised by this website and four Fellows.

It could be that she is following the strict “Media Policy” of the Society which instructs all volunteer leaders as well as rank-and-file regular and student members to report any press query involving the Society to VP-PR Arthur Yann or other PR staffers and obtain clearance before responding.

Only Yann and COO Bill Murray can give such permission, the policy says. Chair and CEO Gary McCormick may speak to the press but cannot authorize any one else to.

Some members believe that a company such as Viacom (sub req'd) could have such a policy because employees are involved but not a trade association such as the Society since staff members are “employees” of the members rather than vice versa.

The strict media policy is not linked in the “newsroom” of the Society’s website.

Barbour, who was 2008 president of the chapter, said in her position statement about “diversity” that she believes “it is important to engage sections, chapters and the membership at large, to understand what matters to our diverse membership.”

She said her leadership style “embraces diversity, and as a change agent, I support a dynamic team approach to issues facing the profession and the Society. Managing diversity is a strategic advantage. The Society faces challenges and opportunities at all levels. Leveraging a diverse membership can help the Society improve our organization—and in turn, advance the profession.”

She believes that the Society is a “member-driven organization” and she values ethics as her “moral compass.”

If the current nominees win office, the Society board will be all-white for the fourth year in a row. Only two African-Americans have served on the board in 63 years.

In her position statement about “these tough economic times,” she said “The PR industry is evolving and the economic situation has made it increasingly important for the Society to understand what motivates its membership. The board of directors must be engaged to understand what members find valuable—keeping in mind what our diverse membership perceives important.

The board must plan ahead to remain viable and anticipate the evolving profession.”

“Opposition Must Be Engaged”
Saying that “society commitment and ethical standards will be important for credibility,” Barbour added that “Advocacy and audience engagement will be critical. Opposition must be engaged. Greater audience segmentation continues as a trend. We must be financially viable.”

She called on the board to support “thought leadership, ethics and professional excellence…the Code of Ethics should continue as the standard for PR and communications professionals, and the organization must demonstrate the value of accreditation.”

We would like Barbour and the other candidates to take stands on the issues below that face the Society. Candidates have the power to bring about reforms if they choose to do so.

Issues for Candidates

--What rationale allows the APR leadership to keep secret the names of the 2010 delegates? Rank-and-file members can’t get this list and delegates don’t even have to provide their names if they don’t feel like it. Delegates must sign a form to get it. This is the world’s only secret legislature.

--How can the Society claim it follows Robert’s Rules when it violates at least five of the major rules including the one that says an “assembly” sits over the board? Anathema to RR is proxy voting but the Assembly used 56 proxies to vote in the use of proxies last year.

--What is the rationale that blocks (since 2005) members from getting the transcript of the Assembly?

--Why can't the Society audiocast the important 2010 Assembly when it would be cheap and easy to do so? Leaders have been seeking greater member involvement for years.

--Where is IRS Form 990 that shows the salaries/benefits of the six highest paid staffers? The audit was released in early April so there doesn't seem to be any excuse for delaying this important financial information, originally due May 15. Last year the Assembly delegates did not get to see it because it was released so late in the year.

--How could the Society pick Philadelphia twice for the national conference (2007 and 2013) while ignoring New York where it had its biggest conference ever in 2004?

--How can leaders justify their silence to members on the subject of a PDF of the members’ directory? This would be both cheap and easy to do and would be 100% up-to-date. Revisions could be sent periodically.

--How could chair Gary McCormick declare on July 19 that direct election of board/officers is a dead issue because of “administrative, technical and legal costs?” The 2010 "Leadership Assembly" ordered him to make a report on this. Plenty of services offer to handle direct elections at low cost.

--What justification is there for keeping secret all but seven of the 55 h.q. staff's names? How can staff turnover be tracked?

--Isn’t it inconsistent for the Society to demand that Jack O'Dwyer pay the full $1,275 registration fee to cover the 2010 national conference while allowing PR News editor Scott Van Camp free admission? The Society gives no rationale for this.

--Isn’t it undemocratic for APRs to block any mention of the Committee to Promote a Democratic PRSA in Tactics Online and to block the CPDP from using the 21,000-member e-mail list?

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