About ten accredited members of the Tri-State district of the PR Society met by teleconference this a.m. and decided to form a “virtual community” of APRs that would meet in the future.
The meeting was conducted by Tri-State chair Douglas Fenichel
conducted by Tri-State chair Douglas Fenichel of K. Hovnanian Homes, Edison, N.J.
Douglas Fenichel, chair of the Tri-State District
of PR Society |
He probed participants for what APR means to them and mostly found that practitioners took the APR test for their own personal satisfaction and to set themselves apart from other PR practitioners.
There are a lot of people claiming to be PR practitioners who are really “five levels down” from what an APR is, said one participant in the call.
James Lukaszewski said his view of APR is that
it stands for “personal responsibility” and
that all the hubbub about APR raised by a handful of members
in the Society is irrelevant to the needs of the individual
practioner from their own perspectives."
APRs have taken that “further step and that makes them leaders,” said Fenichel. He said APRs mostly lack a common meeting ground. The chapter near Syracuse has a lunch once a year for APRs, he noted.
APR Seen as 'Credential'
Lukaszewski said APR is an important credential in an industry
where credentials matter. He noted he is in four associations
and is accredited or certified in all of them. "Credentials
are the most common reason people join professional societies,"
he said.
James Lukaszewski
|
Lukaszewski said he speaks to chapters and districts throughout
the U.S. and often holds special APR-only meetings on the
days that he speaks.
Fenichel spoke of the need to retain APRs by keeping them involved in PRS affairs.
He said PRS/Philadelphia recently lost a highly valued member who got “tired of media panels” and other activities the chapter offered, telling leaders he found nothing in the chapter that “challenged” or “engaged” him any more.
But in general, he said, PRS/Philadelphia has many APR members and has a
formal program for creating more.
One participant said that it's much easier for APRs to get an article
placed in the Tactics monthly of the Society and that there
are "a lot" of APRs and Fellows in the quarterly
Strategist.
Kathy Lewton |
Kathy Lewton, 2001 national president, said PRS h.q. should
add former officers and directors and other past leaders
to its “leadership e-mail list.” Past leaders
are an untapped resource, she said.
Grace Zimmerman of Westchester said she got her APR when she was new to the profession and it was a “big deal.” She wanted to use it as “a calling card” and to “differentiate herself from other practitioners…I was very proud when I got it.”
Currently, she doesn’t see what incentive there is to be an APR and is not sure of what advantages it provides or whether it would motivate her to become active at the chapter or national levels.
She noted she already does “lots of volunteer work” and proposed that APRs have more than just a special lunch but perhaps a “mini-convention” at the national conference.
Both Fenichel and Anita Saunders of Middletown, Conn., agreed with her. |