PRSA MIAMI - YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM: OFFICERS, DIRECTORS AND
COMMITTEES
Leadership job descriptions vary among chapters based on chapter size and market needs.
Following are useful descriptions of leadership positions as well as committee priorities for our
chapter.
Board of Directors -- The general duties and responsibilities are to:
1. Lead the chapter by anticipating and assessing market and member needs and developing
services and programs to meet these needs.
2. Establish chapter objectives and formulate chapter policy to meet these objectives.
3. Ensure that the business and affairs of the chapter are conducted in accordance with chapter
and national bylaws and in the best interest of the members.
4. Perform specific responsibilities that the president and board may assign.
5. Recruit and help retain members.
President – The chief executive of your chapter. The duties are to:
1. Preside at all board and membership meetings.
2. Appoint all committees with approval of the board; instruct chairs and evaluate progress
periodically.
3. Coordinate functions of all officers and committees; direct overall chapter operations.
4. Work with other board members in establishing chapter goals and objectives.
5. Recommend and direct the execution of policies and programs in the interest of the chapter
and with board approval.
6. Co-sign with the secretary all written contracts and obligations of the chapter, with
approval of the chapter board.
7. Co-sign with the treasurer or designated signatory all checks drawn on the chapter treasury
with all IRS requirements met.
8. Represent the chapter as a member of the PRSA district board of directors with the
Assembly delegate(s).
9. Complete and submit credentials forms for Assembly delegates(s) and select an alternate
when the delegate is unable to attend an Assembly meeting.
10. Ensure that the chapter meets the minimum standards for chapters.
President-Elect – General duties of the president-elect are to:
1. Perform all duties of the president if the president is absent or unable to perform those
duties for any reason.
2. Assist the president in coordinating and directing committee activities and chapter
operations and perform such duties as may be delegated by the president.
3. Recommend goals, objectives, plans and programs to the president.
4. Advise the president on matters of policy and procedure.
5. Attend meetings of the PRSA district board of directors and represent the chapter as
alternate member of the district board in the absence of the chapter president.
6. Ensure that minimum standards for chapters are being met.
Treasurer – The principal responsibilities of the treasurer is specified in your bylaws. The
treasurer should:
1. Work with the chapter president in preparing the annual budget.
2. Collect chapter dues and disburse funds with proper approval.
3. Make regular financial reports to the board.
4. Provide proper safekeeping for all funds and keep accurate financial records.
5. Comply with IRS regulations for filing IRS Form 990.
6. Cooperate with PRSA Headquarters by supplying chapter dues information.
Secretary – The secretary's responsibilities are to maintain records of the board,
committees and membership meetings. The secretary should:
1. Take minutes during board meetings and the annual meeting; forward copies to
Headquarters and the district chair.
2. Maintain copies of all other chapter documents such as bylaws, meeting programs and
evaluations, strategic plans, etc. for future use.
3. Keep the board and committee chairs informed of upcoming meetings by notifying them
within the specified time frame.
Assembly Delegate – Your chapter is entitled to one delegate to the National Assembly for
every hundred members or part thereof. For example, if a chapter has 100 chapter members it
will have one delegate, and if it has 101 chapter members it will have two delegates. The
Assembly, the Society's governing body, meets once a year. You will receive all materials sent to
Assembly delegates. It is your responsibility to complete the Assembly Credentials Form, and to
select an alternate delegate if your chapter's elected delegate cannot attend the Assembly. The
alternate must be a member who is Accredited and in good standing. It is recommended that
chapters advise their delegates on issues before the Assembly, but not to send their delegates
locked into an instructed vote. Discussion at the Assembly may present pertinent information
that may affect your chapter's point of view. It is suggested that you make the delegate(s) regular
or ex officio members of your board and urge them to attend all board meetings.
Chapters may present resolutions to the Assembly at the time of the meeting. Bylaws
amendments, however, must be presented before the Assembly in accordance with Article XVI,
National Bylaws. Any resolution which, if passed, carries a financial obligation to the Society,
must be accompanied by a cost/benefit analysis, a proposed budget and, if feasible, a suggestion
on how the project could be funded. For provisions governing the election and functions of
Assembly delegates, refer to Article III of the PRSA Bylaws. Summarized, these provisions
include the following:
1. Each chapter elects one delegate for every 100 members or part thereof.
2. Each delegate must be elected by the chapter membership for a three-year term.
3. Election must take place before December 1st in the year immediately preceding the
commencement date of the delegate's term of office.
4. Only an Accredited member who has served at least one year as a chapter board member is
eligible to serve as a delegate.
5. No delegate may serve more than one consecutive term.
6. Each chapter delegate to the Assembly is automatically a member of the district board of
directors.
7. The chapter president must file the Assembly Credential Form with Headquarters. If the
delegate is not attending the Assembly, he/she must forward the Assembly information
package to the alternate.
8. The Assembly Delegate position is a national PRSA post, and selection and performance
of delegates as described in the national bylaws must be followed. The credentials chair of
the Assembly may prevent the seating of any delegate not conforming to these specifications.
CHAPTER COMMITTEES
In addition to your fellow board members, another group of leaders will be integral to achieving
your chapter's goals for the year: committees. They will be doing the work to ensure that the
goals are met, and recognizing their good work is central to their motivation and future
leadership development. A major priority should be to get every chapter member interested and
involved in a chapter activity by working on a committee.
COMMITTEE DESCRIPTIONS
Committees are usually divided into two types. Standing committees are those listed in your
bylaws and are re-formed each year. Ad hoc committees or task forces are those designed to
perform specific functions on an as-needed basis. Each committee should have written job
descriptions. The following job descriptions are intended only as a guide. You may want to ask
your committees to develop their own responsibilities and ways of measuring success; their
participation in the planning stages will strengthen their commitment to success.
Accreditation: The Accreditation Committee promotes Universal Accreditation within the
chapter and encourages eligible members to take the Examination for Accreditation in Public
Relations. Minimum standards require that a chapter either sponsor the Examination itself once
every two years or encourage its eligible members to take the Examination at the most
convenient location available. The committee can work with the chapter Professional
Development Committee and other chapter committees in planning and conducting courses or
seminars to prepare candidates to take the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations..
The Accreditation Chair schedules the written and oral portions of the Examination and arranges
for proctors and oral examining teams of three Accredited members. Please have your chair
contact Headquarters early in the year if there are any questions. Last-minute requests are
difficult for everyone, and the candidates end up being penalized for delays. The Universal
Accreditation Board is responsible for overall program administration and Maintenance of
Accreditation. Credit is given for education, public service, and professional
development/organizational activity. If a member was accredited after January 1993, he or she
must maintain this Accreditation by earning points to demonstrate continued education.
Awards/Endowment/Recognition: This committee was established to handle chapter citation
programs for outstanding service to the chapter and profession. Each year, the Chapter presents
the Bill Adams PRSA Lifetime Achievement Award and the PRSA Royal Palm Award to
exceptional leaders in our community who have made significant contributions to the profession
in Miami-Dade County. These awards are presented at the chapter’s Ev Clay/PRSA Miami
Chapter Endowment Luncheon where numerous scholarships are presented to deserving
students. Established in 1985 in memory of Miami public relations pioneer Everett A. Clay, the
Ev Clay/PRSA Miami Chapter Endowment Fund is the largest and perhaps oldest scholarship
fund in the nation operated by a PRSA chapter. This past year, scholarships were awarded to
students attending Florida International University, Florida Memorial College, Miami Dade
College and the University of Miami.
Bylaws: The Bylaws Committee proposes and drafts necessary or desirable changes in chapter
bylaws. Minimum standards call for chapter bylaws to be revised at least once every three years.
The committee should remain informed of any changes in PRSA national bylaws and policies,
particularly as they relate to chapters. It should advise the chapter president when chapter Bylaw
amendments are needed and assist in properly presenting the proposed changes to the
membership. The committee is responsible for submitting all chapter bylaws changes to the
national PRSA Board of Directors for approval by forwarding them to the Chapter/District
Relationship Manager at Headquarters.
College Relations: The College Relations committee members serve as the liaisons between the
different university PRSSA advisors and the Miami Chapter. The College Relations Committee
is the voice for the PRSSA students and offers students the opportunity to get involved in PRSA
events. Through a point system, students are then awarded monies to travel to the National
Conference and if the budget allows - scholarships.
Membership: It is the job of your chapter Membership Committee to identify eligible and
qualified candidates within the chapter area, to assist them in becoming members and develop a
retention program. An organized program to find candidates should include periodic canvassing
of your members for prospects and a systematic check of organizations employing public
relations personnel. Personal calls or correspondence from friends who belong to PRSA are most
effective, as well as invitations to attend chapter programs. The chair should be familiar with the
membership and eligibility information in the national bylaws. The committee should do all it
can to see that applications are handled speedily at the chapter level in the interest of good public
relations with candidates. In addition, the committee should pay particular attention to graduating
PRSSA members and new practitioners. The Membership Chair Handbook contains information
on the following topics: eligibility guidelines, PRSA Headquarters' membership administrative
processes, reinstatements, retiring members, descriptions of reports available to membership
chairs and sample chapter membership recruitment and retention materials.
Hispanic Market: Chapter multicultural development committees have a variety of goals.
Professional Development: Professional development and networking were cited as the two
most important benefits of belonging to PRSA. PRSA's professional development program is an
ongoing effort to stimulate the continuing professional education of members. Each chapter is
required by the minimum standards to conduct at least one professional development program
annually. The committee chair should be highly motivated and imaginative with programming
ideas and aware of potential resources and speakers in your area. There are a number of elements
that must be considered for developing a successful chapter professional development program.
Some of the key elements include:
The committee's duties, in addition to scheduling speakers, panelists or other programs, include
making all advance arrangements with speakers, obtaining biographical information for
introductions and promoting and publicizing the meeting.
Publicity: This committee develops and implements a chapter public relations program that
reflects favorably on PRSA and the profession. One of the objectives should be to create a better
understanding and awareness of the profession among key publics, such as business leaders. The
committee publicizes chapter activities and member accomplishments such as honors or awards,
and, through media interviews and speaking engagements.
Public Service: The public service committee identifies the chapter, the Society and the
profession with responsible public service action, and provides volunteer public relations counsel
to selected organizations that would not otherwise have such counsel.
If you are interested in joining a committee, please contact Annabel Beyra, APR, President at
Annabel@fusioncomminc.com.