The biggest chapters of PRSA led the vote to open the Assembly to non-accredited members, according to a tally of the Assembly voting Oct. 23 in New York released today by the Society.

Veteran members said the tally indicated what some have suspected for many years–that the smaller chapters have been exercising an inordinate influence on PRSA policies.

Voting records show PRSA's biggest chapters led the charge to open the Assembly to non-APRs. (Click for PDF of full voting record)

Only five of the 20 biggest chapters were unanimously against decoupling.

Among this group, 53 delegates voted for decoupling while only 15 voted against it. This better than three-to-one margin was greater than the slightly better than two-to-one margin by which decoupling was passed (181-83).

Los Angeles was the only chapter in the top five opposing decoupling. The other entire delegations voting against decoupling were Philadelphia, Puget Sound and Southeastern Wisconsin.

Historic First for PRSA

Release of the names of the delegates and their votes was a first for PRSA, which this year, for the first time in its history, had not even published a list of the delegates for anyone to see.

Catherine Bolton, COO, said the list was not published because the delegates told leaders they did not want to be contacted by the press.

A surprise in the voting record was that Reed Byrum, 2003 president who campaigned for decoupling all through that year, voted against it.

Byrum Explains Vote

Byrum said that as an Assembly delegate (in his role as a national director), he felt that the decoupling bylaw would pass. PRSA has a history of approving controversial proposals the second time around and the initial votes on the day of the Assembly indicated this trend would be true for decoupling, he said.

He said he voted against decoupling because the "importance of the standard created by APR got lost in the dialog" about decoupling.

"Although I still believe the Assembly must be inclusive of all leaders in this Society, I voted (against decoupling) to remind my fellow members that we must not lose sight of the many benefits accreditation brings to the Society and to the profession."

PRSA president Del Galloway said he was not opposed to release of the voting record and praised the delegates for not only allowing their votes to be recorded but voting this week to allow the record to be released before the next Assembly, when the minutes are normally made public.

Delegates were asked in an e-mail poll if they wanted the records released now rather than in October and they voted 80 in favor to 59 against for this.

The vote to record the Assembly vote "in the minutes" was 159-98.

Chapter Presidents Asked for Record

When PRSA did not release the voting record in the first weeks after the Assembly, three chapter presidents and other members called on the Society to do so.

The three chapter presidents were Jennifer Grizzle, PRSA/Georgia; Burt Wolder, PRSA/New York, and Steve Knipstein, PRSA/Chicago. Pamela Miles, president of National Capital, the largest chapter, could not be reached.

Wolder said the New York chapter board has long been on record as also favoring decoupling the national board from the APR requirement.

"Leaders should be drawn from the entire membership of a professional society," he said. He also said that PRSA must now work to make APR "even more valuable."

Twenty-eight of the non-chapter delegates such as section heads and national directors voted for decoupling while 14 did not.

Sue Bohle and Byrum were the only members of the 17-member national board voting against decoupling.

Others voting against it were Joe Epley, representing the College of Fellows; Keith Hayes, corporate section; Roy Vaughn, Counselors Academy; Sarah Yeaney, PR Student Society of America national president; Ellyn Pollack, Health Academy, and Dennis Gaschen, Western district.

Big Chapters Back Decoupling

Top 20 chapters unanimously voting for decoupling were National Capital, 12 delegates; Georgia, 9; New York, 8; Chicago, 5; Colorado, 6; Houston, 5; Boston, 2; Hoosier, 5; Maryland, 4; Cleveland, 3, and New Jersey, 3.

Unanimously against decoupling were Los Angeles, 6 delegates; Philadelphia, 5; Puget Sound, 4; Orange County, 2, and Southeastern Wisconsin, 4.

Split delegations in the top 20 were Detroit, 4-2 in favor of decoupling; Minnesota, 3-2 for decoupling; Central Ohio, 3-1 for decoupling, and Dallas, 3-1 for decoupling.