It’s PRIME TIME!

Please register for the 2013 PRIME Awards ceremony being held Thursday, April 25 at The Temple for Performing Arts. Join Central Iowa PRSA as we celebrate the year’s best PR and corporate communications work at the 2013 PRIME Awards! Cocktails and hors d’ oeuvres will be served starting at 6 p.m. and the awards presentation will begin at 7 p.m. Register online by April 12, 2013.  For more information, contact Kelley Crosbie or Jamie Thomassen.

We’d also like to take this time to thank Drake University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication and CMA for serving as sponsors of the awards ceremony.  As part of Drake’s sponsorship, two students will be given the opportunity to attend a monthly luncheon with a professor in an effort to increase membership in the university’s PRSSA Chapter.  CMA also is planning to provide a dessert item during the awards ceremony.  Sponsorship packages for the PRIME Awards are still available.  Please contact Melany Stonewall or Lisa Lacher for more information.     

Spring APR Prep Course Wraps Up

The 2013 Spring Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) prep course wrapped up on March 23.  A big thank you to all the chapter members who gave up time on Saturday mornings to help lead class discussions. Thank you as well to Drake University for letting us use a classroom in Meredith Hall.

Best of luck to the class members as they continue on their paths to successfully achieving their APRs.   Around 30 percent of Central Iowa PRSA chapter members are APRs, putting Central Iowa PRSA in the top 5 percent of chapters nationwide.  

Please let Jane Keairns, APR or Darin Leach, APR know if you are interested in learning more about the APR process, or if you’d like to participate in the next 10-week prep course.  A date for the next prep course has not been established.

Volunteers Needed
Looking for an opportunity to become an active member of the Des Moines community? Central Iowa Shelter & Services (CISS) is looking for five new volunteers to join the community outreach committee. Click here to learn how you can help.

Participate in What’s Next D.C.

PRSA members are invited to attend “What’s Next DC,” a communications conference in Washington, D.C. on May 6 and 7.  There will be over 60 speakers, including the CMO of Subway and Director of Social Innovation from the White House, discussing high-level communication strategies.  Interested Central Iowa PRSA members will receive a 20 percent discount on their registration fees when using the promotional code: PRSACI. To learn more, click here.

Upcoming FREE Webinars

As a benefit, members now have free access to live and on-demand webinars through PRSA.  Some webinars coming up in April are:

• April 9 – World Class Communication
• April 16 - Friendraising
• April 18 – Going Beyond the Press Kit
• April 30 – Measurement Skills

Click here to find more training opportunities of interest.

Happy Anniversary!

In each issue of this newsletter, we recognize Central Iowa PRSA Chapter members who are celebrating milestone PRSA anniversaries that month.  A special congratulations goes to the following individuals who will celebrate an anniversary this month:

• Kevin Stittsworth – 15 years
• Alejandro Hernandez, Jr. – 20 years
• Steven L. Miller – 20 years

A Warm Welcome to PRSA’s Newest Members

In an effort to welcome new members to PRSA, each month, we highlight individuals who have recently joined the Central Iowa PRSA Chapter.  We are pleased to welcome the following professionals to our chapter:

• Jennie Dove-Deerr – Living History Farms
• Nathan L. Huss – Two Rivers Marketing
• Keely Pearson – Two Rivers Marketing

Current members are encouraged to introduce themselves to new members at future luncheons or events and make them feel welcome.    

Connect with Us!

Stay up-to-date on all things PRSA by connecting with us on Twitter and Facebook!  Members also can join our LinkedIn Group.