PRSA-NY Chapter Board Toolkit
Big Apple Awards (President-elect)
I.
Committee Roles & Responsibilities
A. General Board Responsibilities
All executive committee members and director/delegates are members of the PRSA-NY board of
directors. Members of the board are expected to prepare for and participate in monthly board
meetings and submit monthly reports as appropriate. Executive committee (EC) members are
expected to do the same for monthly executive committee meetings. Unexcused absences for three
consecutive meetings may lead to removal by the board.
Board members are expected to:
 Be familiar with the mission, purposes, goals, policies, services, strengths and needs of the
chapter;
 Demonstrate high standards of professional and personal conduct;
 Maintain confidentiality of board / executive committee business;
 Work collaboratively with each other and staff;
 Serve as chapter ambassadors to members and prospects;
 Understand, follow and sign the chapter’s conflict of interest policy and avoid the appearance
of conflicts of interest;
 Read and understand chapter financial statements and help the board to fulfill its fiduciary
responsibilities; and
 Sign the board member responsibilities document.
Director/delegates serve two-year terms. Executive committee members serve one-year terms
except for the treasurer who serves a two-year term.
B. Board Roles (elected)
1. President-elect
The president-elect serves as an officer on the EC and reports to the president. He/she is vested
with all responsibilities of the president and shall generally assist the president as part of his/her
preparation to succeed to the presidency. In the absence of the president, the president-elect
shall preside over all meetings and assume the responsibilities of the president. In concert with
the president and other chapter executive officers, the president-elect is ultimately responsible for
the strategic direction of the chapter and as such, is responsible for ensuring that the entire board
of directors is in alignment with PRSA and PRSA-NY strategic imperatives, is actively
developing/implementing an ongoing strategic plan for the chapter and that all functional areas
are regularly and effectively communicating with each other to foster a well-oiled team.
The president-elect is also responsible for the management and oversight of specific chapter
committees and activities related to ethics, accreditation, diversity, strategic planning (appointed
every five years), community outreach, PRSA liaising and the Big Apple awards program, as well
as other activities as requested by the president.
Key goals and objectives
 Conduct all chapter activities in the absence of the chapter president as necessary;
 Responsible for the chapter’s strategic planning committee review process (appointed
every five years);
 Management and oversight of ethics, accreditation, diversity, strategic planning,
community outreach and PRSA liaison activity as well as the Big Apple awards program.
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PRSA-NY 2016 Chapter Board Toolkit – Big Apple Awards (President-elect)
The latter function is a critical role and requires active collaboration with the specific
director/delegates on the chapter board to ensure all are tracking towards program goals.
2. Big Apple Awards, Senior Director
The senior director of the Big Apple Awards reports to the president-elect and is responsible for
managing the annual Big Apple awards call for entries, judging and gala. The senior director of
Big Apple will support the management of all components of the program and should have prior
event planning experience.
Key goals and objectives
 Review and define award categories to drive entries;
 Promote and manage the call for entries process;
 Recruit and solicit judges and manage the judging process;
 Appoint a three-person committee to manage call for nominations for, review of, and,
ultimately, selection of the chapter’s individual awards (with exception being the
President’s Award, which is ultimately selected by the chapter president);
 Design and presentation of program and gala celebration including logistics, theme and
graphics;
 Develop and manage the event budget;
 Identify and assign committee chairs to oversee the various aspects of the program;
 Coordinate with marketing to ensure strategic promotion of entries, gala, winners and
sponsors;
 Coordinate with treasurer to ensure sponsorship activities are aligned with program goals,
budget and timing; and
 Mentor director of Big Apple and transfer knowledge to prepare that individual for their
year as senior director of Big Apple.
C. Committee Members (assigned as needed)
The president-elect and senior director should assign at least one committee member to each
role/functional area for execution of the chapter’s objectives. Committee members will report to the
senior director, Big Apple Awards. The senior director and president-elect should remain responsible
for the overall vision, mission and thought leadership of the chapter’s strategic efforts and the Big
Apple Awards program.
Suggested committee roles are:
 Big Apple Committee (reports to the senior director, Big Apple Awards)
o Judging
o Marketing/Finalist Communications (liaises directly with Marketing Committee)
o Individual Awards
o Gala, Logistics
o Gala, Show Production
o Gala, Decor
 Other committees/roles to report directly to the president-elect
o Ethics
o Accreditation
o Diversity
o Strategic Planning
o Community Outreach
o PRSA Liaison
II.
Next Steps
A. Build Your Committee
 Recruit committee members
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PRSA-NY 2016 Chapter Board Toolkit – Big Apple Awards (President-elect)


Seek out volunteer leaders with previous relevant experience in your area of responsibility
Consult with the Vice President, Membership for assistance recruiting volunteers
B. Set Goals and Assign Responsibilities
 Schedule 2-3 planning committee meetings/calls to assign responsibilities and discuss goals
and objectives
 Complete the “2016 Planning Objectives Form” in preparation for, and to present at, the
January board meeting
 When discussing responsibilities and goals, it is recommended that committees consult with
other board members and VPs with functional responsibilities that impact your area, e.g.
finance and marketing
III.
Resources
A. Board/Committee General
 2016 Board Contact List
 2016 Organizational Chart
 2016 Planning Objectives Form
 PRSA-NY Strategic Plan
 Board Report Sample (Google Doc)
 Administrative Support Overview and Contact List
B. Big Apple Awards Resources
 2016 Draft Big Apple Budget
 Big Apple Eblast Samples
o Weekly
o Solos
 List of Categories
 Timeline
 Committee List
 Graphics
 Final Program
 Sponsorship Offerings
 Print Materials
C. PRSA National Resource Center
Questions regarding required support or appropriate use of resources should be directed to the Chapter
President or Executive Director.
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