For Immediate Release
Contact:
Nancy Skidmore - nskidmore@earthlink.net
Beth Marmarelli - bethmar@umich.edu
New Officers Elected to Lead PRSA Detroit
(DETROIT, December 10, 2014) - Public relations professionals from across the region recently
welcomed new leaders for PRSA Detroit, the 400-member professional organization.
Elected officers to the board of directors for a one-year term, which begins January 1, 2015,
include president, Debra Lacey-Ortisi, APR, Johnson Controls; president-elect, Don Tanner,
Tanner Friedman; treasurer Tim Wieland, APR, Airfoil; secretary, Tom O’Connell,
BusinessWire and immediate past president, Dan Artman, APR.
“I look forward to serving as PRSA Detroit President during 2015,” said Lacey-Ortisi.
“Educating today’s students is especially important to me and where I plan to focus my attention
during the term. The public relations students at the area universities that are affiliated with the
chapter are tomorrow’s professional and leaders and I am excited to work with them.”
The group also welcomed Gayle Joseph, Edelman and Andrea Pecoraro, Identity to its 16-person
board, for three-year board terms. They join existing members board members Karah Davenport,
Stratacomm; Maribeth Farkas, Caponigro Public Relations; Beth Marmarelli, University of
Michigan-Dearborn; Jasmin Nadalizadeh, Stratacomm; Elizabeth Robbins-Sabourin, Franco
Public Relations; Anne Santori, APR; Stephanie Scheer, Creative Breakthroughs, Inc.; Megan
Soule, APR, Airfoil and Katy Teer, Plex Systems, Inc.
At the annual meeting on Thursday, November 20, 2014 the chapter inducted Ruth Cain
(presented posthumously) and Matthew W. Seeger, Ph.D., to the PRSA Detroit Hall of Fame, the
chapter's highest honor. The award reflects significant contribution to the profession, to the
chapter and the community.
 Ruth Cain was a Detroit native and Detroit Public Schools graduate who fell in love with
journalism. During her storied career, Cain was a writer for the Associated Press, Detroit
Free Press, Business Week, among others, she also served in media relations at Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Michigan for 22 years. Cain was married to Charles C. Cain III for
41 years with six of their seven children working in communications.
 Matthew W. Seeger is dean of the College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
and a professor of communication at Wayne State University. The college serves over
2,500 students majoring in 16 undergraduate and 11 graduate programs through its four
departments. His work on crisis, risk and communication has appeared in over 100
journal articles, book chapters and conference proceedings.
The Robert Hefty Distinguished Service Award was awarded to Shelly Najor, Ph.D., for her
outstanding service to the chapter. The Award is named in memory of longtime PRSA-Detroit
board member and Bulletin editor, Robert Hefty.
 Shelly Najor is director of the undergraduate public relations program at Wayne State
University (WSU). She has taught in the department of communication for over 15 years
and also serves as faculty advisor to public relations majors and to the award winning
WSU Chapter of Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).
In addition to honoring these esteemed colleagues, the chapter awarded the PRSA Detroit
Education Fund Scholarships to Andrea Mellendorf, Eastern Michigan University and Catia
Sabak, Wayne State University. The scholarships, named in honor of the late Donald P.
Durocher, APR, Fellow PRSA, was established in 1992 and supports students in their pursuit of
public relations education and professional development.
About PRSA Detroit
The Detroit Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America was established in 1947 and is
one of six founding Chapters of PRSA, the world's largest organization for public relations
professionals with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA Detroit is one of the
largest chapters of PRSA with approximately 400 members -- from students to seasoned
professionals, who represent business and industry, agencies, solo practitioners, associations,
nonprofit organizations and government entities. The chapter is committed to education and
diversity, and serves as a gateway to public relations professionals by providing educational and
career opportunities for its members -- including conferences, professional development
sessions, a consistently strong accreditation (APR) preparation program, extensive new
professionals' development and other supportive activities. Visit www.prsadetroit.org, follow
PRSA Detroit on Twitter (@PRSADetroit) and Facebook (PRSA Detroit Chapter), or e-mail
nskidmore@earthlink.net for more information.
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