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Campus hosting networking event for new chapter of PRSA

Western Carolina University will host a  “meet and greet” to support the formation of a new chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for Western North Carolina.

The informational and networking event will be held Tuesday, April 23, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in Room 204 of WCU’s Health and Human Sciences Building.

Janet Oppenheimer

With more than 30,000 members, PRSA is the nation’s largest professional organization serving the communications industry. “Currently, communications professionals in Western North Carolina have to travel to Charlotte or the Tri-Cities area in Tennessee to attend PRSA meetings. There is both the need and the desire for a PRSA chapter headquartered in WNC,” said Janet Oppenheimer, who is spearheading the new chapter formation.

Kevin Storr, chair of the Southeast District of PRSA and director of communications and adjunct professor at the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Health Professions, will provide information about the benefits of PRSA membership.

Event attendees will have the opportunity to provide feedback on programming ideas for monthly WNC PRSA chapter professional development events, as well as network with other local public relations and allied communication professionals. PRSA serves a wide variety of professionals, including those working in social media, digital content and integrated marketing communications.

The last in a series of WNC PRSA “meet and greet” events held across WNC this spring, the event is being organized by students in a public relations campaigns class taught by Betty Farmer, professor of communication and public relations at WCU and member of PRSA. Over the course of the semester, the students have conducted research on other PRSA chapters, developed a list of public relations and communications professionals in WNC, and organized and promoted the WCU “meet and greet.”

The event is free and open to any communications professional interested in learning more about PRSA. Because refreshments will be served, reservations are requested.

For more information, contact Farmer at bfarmer@wcu.edu or 828-227-3804.

By Hannah Patton

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