Message from NSPRA NW Regional Vice President

NSPRA NW Regional Vice President and WSPRA member Curtis Campbell recently attended the NSPRA Board Meeting. Read his board report to WSPRA members and learn about all the things happening on the national level that impact our region, including an update on bringing the NSPRA seminar to Seattle. 

Curtis Campbell Greetings WSPRA friends!

I hope the first few months of the school year have gone well and that you’re able to enjoy some well-deserved time away from the office over the upcoming holidays and winter break. I also hope to see many of you at the WSPRA/OSPRA Storytelling Summit on February 13-14 in Vancouver, WA. In the meantime, I wanted to share some notes from our recent NSPRA Board Meeting. I hope you’ll find it useful in knowing more about the work the NSPRA Board and staff are undertaking to support school communicators across the country.

If you’re not an NSPRA member and would like to learn more about the benefits of being one, learn more HERE or feel free to connect with me anytime.

Seminar: The NSPRA Executive Board reviewed and discussed the feedback from the NSPRA 2019 National Seminar attendees and is considering changes in the following areas as a result of attendee feedback:

  • Closing Banquet
  • Gold Medallion Recognition
  • Gold Mine/New-to-Seminar Sessions
  • Seattle: NSPRA staff is continuing its research into the feasibility of a future Seminar in Seattle and has identified possible hotels that could accommodate an NSPRA Seminar. The Executive Director commended the WSPRA Board for the memo it submitted at this year’s seminar outlining the ways it can support making a future Seminar in Seattle a successful endeavor. More to come…

The NSPRA 2020 National Seminar will take place July 12-15 at St. Louis Union Station Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. The information has been posted on the Seminar page of the NSPRA website, and staff will continue to update it as new information is available.

Audit Report: NSPRA’s finances are very strong; in fact, the 2019 fiscal year was the best in the organization’s history. The auditor gave praise to NSPRA staff for their fiscal responsibility. The NSPRA Audit Committee affirmed the auditor’s report.

Policies: The Board reviewed approved changes to several NSPRA policies, and authorized chapters Kansas School Public Relations Association (KanSPRA), Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (INSPRA), Michigan School Public Relations Association (MSPRA) and Oregon School Public Relations Association (OSPRA) to move forward with revisions to chapter policies proposed by chapter leaders.

Scholarships: Applications will be accepted online this year. There will be a common application with questions that are required for all scholarships. Some scholarships will have additional questions or requirements. A new #K12PRChat scholarship will be offered this year. Applications will be open by the end of the calendar year.

Awards: Awards are moving to online submission process. More information will be shared when

Board Positions: The Board discussed the at-large VP position set to conclude in 2020 and decided to maintain it as VP at-large of Communication Technology and Innovation. At the conclusion of the term for current VP Cathy Kedjidjian, APR, in 2020, the position will be open for appointment by the NSPRA Executive Board. Members who are interested in being considered for this position should contact their regional vice president or other NSPRA Board member or Executive Director Rich Bagin, APR.

Operational Highlights:

Executive Director: The Board conducted a performance review of Executive Director Rich Bagin, APR. The Board commended Rich for his leadership, as well as the NSPRA staff, for their hard work in making the previous year the most successful ever, both financially and in Seminar attendance.  

Issues to Watch: The Board discussed several national issues that will impact school PR over the next months and how to provide support to members. Issues include:

  • 2020 Census
  • Student Privacy
  • Divisive Political Conversations: NSPRA is looking to provide resources for members to help lead strategic conversations in their districts to avoid public relations challenges.
  • Vaping: NSPRA is working to develop a package for members with tools to use to communicate with and educate students and parents on vaping.
  • Wellness of School PR Professionals: NSPRA is considering ways to support the mental health and well-being of members.

That is all from me for this meeting, but I will look forward to updating you after our March board meeting.

Curtis Campbell

Northwest Regional Vice President
National School Public Relations Association
@CurtisfromWA
curtis.campbell@shorelineschools.org
206.393.4412