PRSA Announces 2021 Officer and Board of Directors Nominees

CommPRO Editorial Staff

PRSA, the nation’s leading professional organization serving the communications community, announced the officer and director nominees for its 2021 Board of Directors. Delegates of the membership will vote on the nominees and any petitioning candidates at the annual PRSA Leadership Assembly scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 5.  “In an incredibly challenging year, a remarkable group of candidates generously stepped up to express their interest in leading PRSA and serving its members,” said Anthony D’Angelo, APR, Fellow PRSA, 2020 Nominating Committee Chair. “We are honored to announce the nominees for the 2021 Board of Directors, all of them outstanding professionals dedicated to ensuring that the organization continues to progress on its strategic plan and to deliver increasing value to all sectors of the communications community in a way that’s welcoming and inclusive.”  The nominees for 2021 officer positions are: Chair-elect, Felicia Blow, APR, associate vice president for development & campaign director, Hampton University; Treasurer, Michelle Egan, APR, Fellow PRSA, chief communications officer, Alyeska Pipeline Service Company; Secretary, Joseph Abreu, APR, communications & emergency management director, Clerk of the Circuit Court, St. Lucie County.  Current Chair-elect, Michelle Olson, APR, Managing Director/Partner, Lambert & Co., was confirmed as the 2021 PRSA Chair at the PRSA Leadership Assembly in 2019. PRSA Chair T. Garland Stansell, APR, chief communications officer, Children’s of Alabama, will serve as Immediate Past Chair in 2021.  Blow is a longtime PRSA member and has served the organization in multiple capacities, including as current Co-chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee. She also served as Chair of the D&I Strategic Planning Committee, playing a lead role in the development of the 2020-2022 plan. Blow also was Senior Counsel on the 2018 and 2019 Boards and a Director representing the Mid-Atlantic District from 2013-2014.

The PRSA Nominating Committee also announced the nominees for the open director positions for the 2021 Board. They are: 

• East Central District: Jennifer Day, MS, APR, Great Lakes regional coordinator, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – U.S. Department of Commerce 
• Mid-Atlantic District: Jeff Wilson, APR, vice president of agency marketing and promotion, Padilla 
• Northeast District: Jane N. Law, APR, internal human resource communications manager, New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority 
• Tri-State District: James Shackelford, APR, president and chief executive officer, SomaComm Inc. 
• Western District: Dr. Kaye Sweetser, APR+M, Fellow PRSA, professor of public relations, San Diego State University 
• Director At-Large: Ray Day, vice chair, The Stagwell Group 

Candidates by Petition Article VIII, Section 5 of the PRSA Bylaws provides: Nominations may also be made by petition by at least 10 Leadership Assembly delegates and filed with the Secretary of the Society at PRSA Headquarters at least 30 days prior to the annual meeting of the Leadership Assembly. All petitions must be submitted by Thursday, Nov. 5, 2020 for consideration. Immediately upon receipt of any such nominations, the Secretary shall send a notice of such nominations to all members.   Following Assembly elections, successful candidates will join these incumbent members on the 2021 Board: 

• Midwest District: Jacqueline Clark, APR, Fellow PRSA, regional manager government relations & public affairs, LafargeHolcim NA 
• North Pacific District: Scott Trotter, APR, senior director of communications, Utah Valley University 
• Southeast District: Denise Hill, Ph.D., APR, assistant professor of strategic communications, School of Communications, Elon University 
• Southwest District: Heide Harrell, APR, director of marketing and business development, Rose Law Firm 
• Sunshine District: Angela Walters Eveillard, APR, strategic communications officer, Hillsborough Community College 
• Director At-Large: Jorge Francisco D’Garay, president & CEO, MXUS Public Relations