PRSA Chicago - 2023 President's Welcome

Dear PRSA Chicago Members,

Thank you for being a PRSA Chicago member, and it is a great honor to be your 2023 PRSA Chicago President. When I started my career 25 years ago, I had no idea how much the PR and the communications industry would change over time, especially during the last few years. The PRSA community has been a touchstone for me throughout my career, and I hope it will be for you as well. Our PRSA Chicago community of practice allows us to connect with, and learn from, fellow communicators. Our strength comes from the diversity of backgrounds, voices, and experiences that—when joined together—create unparalleled expertise and experiences that will help our organizations and clients navigate the changes yet to come.

As PRSA celebrated 75 years last year, it’s worth noting that PRSA Chicago has served the Chicagoland community for nearly as long. We are one of the oldest chapters in the country, and one of the largest. With a long legacy, we have a big responsibility to our members. Our membership is our biggest strength—with practitioners from public corporations, private companies and organizations, public relations and marketing agencies, associations, government and nonprofits—including seasoned executives, mid-level executives and fresh talent. We want PRSA Chicago to continue to be the home for PR pros and communicators throughout their careers.

As Chapter President, my focus will be to continue to partner with the board to create value for PRSA Chicago members and our community including relevant programming that will help you navigate business and communication challenges, recognizing leadership and great work, and offering networking that will create new connections. These efforts will continue to build on the transformations that occurred under the leadership of our Immediate Past-President Natasha Vuppuluri and the 2022 PRSA Chicago Board. A big thank you to this group and Chapter volunteers for creating a wonderful foundation on which to build on in 2023. 

The 2023 Board of Directors is committed to serving you. I’m incredibly grateful for the time and talent of our Board (see Board bios, and news release). As a working Board, we’ll be focused on developing and executing the programming, partnerships and content that will be of value to you. Areas of focus include:

MEMBER SUPPORT

Our Board will continue to understand the needs of our members of today…and tomorrow. Many of you took our member survey in Q4 2022 (thank you!). We’re already using that data to inform our programming and operations in 2023 to sustainably plan for our future. 

• The Membership and Mentorship Committee is hyper-focused on your member experience to meet the needs of our evolving membership. We’d love to hear any other ideas or needs—please email the committee at [email protected]. 
• We continue to focus on inclusion and representation of the different perspectives and voices from our industry, and are honored to support the PRSA Chicago Michelle Flowers Diversity Fellowship Program to attract, recruit and retain people of color to the practice of public relations and communications. Applications are now open, and we hope you’ll share this opportunity with freshmen, sophomore, juniors and non-graduating seniors who currently attend a four-year accredited university in the state of Illinois. Please share with your networks–the deadline to apply is January 31, 2023. Learn more.

EDUCATION AND LEARNING

Under Natasha’s leadership last year, the Board experimented with various event and activity formats, including bringing back in-person networking events. We plan to continue this evolution, and are working on re-introducing in-person panels/programs while continuing with virtual webinars and panels. We’re looking at broad programming, and also targeted topics for specific sectors, and topics relevant for professionals at all different levels:

• The Programming Committee is working on framing out a programming calendar for 2023. See updates on upcoming programs and events here.
• The Chapter’s first event of the year on February 9th is a terrific panel discussion: “From Non-Traditional Hire to Transformational Contributor.” There will also be bites, drinks, networking and shopping opportunities from a diverse business marketplace. Register now (early bird pricing through Jan. 23)!
• If you’re interested in hosting a PRSA Chicago event at your agency or organization, or have ideas on the topics you want to learn more about in 2023, please email me at [email protected].
• We’re also grateful for our current partners and sponsors: Celebrity Focus, Current Global, DePaul University, Edelman, News Exposure, The Grossman Group and Zeno Group. For any organizations that are interested in sponsoring our chapter or events, email  [email protected].  

ENGAGEMENT AND NETWORKING

The Programming committee is looking at a variety of networking opportunities—including other formats and times that will allow more of our members to attend and participate–as many of us are back in office, or navigating hybrid work. 

• We’re also continuing to refine the Skyline Awards and Summer Celebration to recognize the best work coming out of our chapter and honoring professionals in our community. More to come in early 2023 on Skyline entry timelines and event date. 
• Our Young Professional Network is building out programming that will connect with our next generation of professionals including local PRSSA chapters
• The Senior Leaders Chairs are also planning events, including Chi-alogues, the Annual Distinguished Leader of the Year Reception, and other networking activities–more details to come.

Cheers to 2023!

Thank you for your ongoing support of PRSA Chicago. Despite the economic headwinds and uncertainty of what this year will bring, I’m optimistic about the future of PR and communications. I know that all of you are uniquely positioned to help your organizations navigate and communicate the changes ahead, and look forward to supporting you all.

Thank you, and wishing you all a terrific start to 2023!

Best,
Naomi Adams, MBA
2023 PRSA Chicago Chapter President 
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