On behalf of the PRSA-SF board, I want to thank YOU – our members, future members, local students, partners, sponsors, and the whole PR community here in the Bay Area – for such a fun, memorable, and impactful 2018. As I reflect upon the year, I’m reminded of so many highlights, including:

 

• Trying new things. In the Spring, we enjoyed partnering with the Oakland A’s for a sports PR and journalism panel and night at the ballgame, the first event of its kind in years. We also held a Personality Types program on leveraging your uniqueness for workplace success and effective PR, encouraged folks to get mic’d up and share their stories at PianoFight, and more!

 

• Jumping on timely topics and hot industries. From examining the latest trends in banking, cannabis, artificial intelligence and enterprise tech, to exploring the role of ethics in politics and emerging trends in communications, our programs covered the spectrum. I’d like to thank our friends at PRSA Silicon Valley, AMA San Francisco, and all of our PR agency partners for teaming up with us on many of these events, and for helping us continue to provide such rich, valuable programming to the Bay Area’s PR community.

 

• Continuing our Chapter’s commitment to Diversity & Inclusion. In celebration of Women’s History Month, we launched PRSA-SF’s inaugural PR Woman of the Year, recognizing Kim Bardakian for the positive impact her D&I efforts have made in the community. During LGBT Pride Month, we held a “Meet the Media” event at the SF LGBT Center for a panel discussion on LGBT issues and how they’re being covered by journalists. Also, this fall, we teamed up with ColorComm for an event that explored the unique challenges that women, people of color, those with disabilities, and more, encounter when making the next big jump in their career.

 

• Giving back to the community. Earlier this year, we held a fundraiser for Larkin Street Youth Services – raising more than $1,000 from ticket sales, a fun raffle, and tips on drinks served by our board as guest bartenders. More recently, at our holiday party, we held a silent auction to benefit the Tenderloin After-School Program; we also collected toys for the San Francisco Firefighters Toy Program and were blown away by everyone’s incredible generosity!

 

• Teaming up with local universities and PRSSA Chapters. Throughout the year, we enjoyed teaming up with Golden Gate University, Cal State East Bay, and Sonoma State on a variety of initiatives, including workplace tours.

 

• Congratulating 2 new APRs. At our holiday party, we were so very proud and excited to congratulate Curie Sevilla and Tyler Gamble on earning their Accreditation in Public Relations!

 

• Getting your feedback. Thanks to everyone who responded to our Chapter Satisfaction Survey. Your feedback – via the survey and on an ongoing basis – is incredibly helpful and helps us better serve our Chapter in the future.

 

• Launching our beautiful new Chapter website!

 

Of course, all of the above and more wouldn’t have happened without the incredible passion, dedication, and creativity of our board. Many, many thanks to all of you – our extraordinary directors and committee members – for volunteering your time and serving our Chapter! It’s been a true privilege working with you all, and accomplishing so many great things together in 2018.

 

It has been an honor serving all of you as your 2018 Chapter President – a wonderful experience I’ll forever remember. I’m grateful to Annie Moore, PRSA-SF’s 2017 President, for entrusting me with this leadership role, and I couldn’t be more proud to pass the presidential baton to John McCartney. John and the 2019 board have fantastic ideas for next year – sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest events, initiatives, promotions, resources, and more.

 

Many, many thanks again! 

John

 

John Philip Vernon

2018 PRSA-SF President