Greetings, Space Coast FPRA! As we transition in season from hot, to mildly hot, we already have some excellent opportunities lined up for you. First, I’d like to recap the start of our 2019-2020 year so far. In August we welcomed a new board of directors, and I had the pleasure of leading our annual board retreat at Kennedy Space Center. It felt like we could have spent all day brainstorming and discussing ideas for the year ahead, but we managed to limit ourselves to a productive half day work shop…and of course, a few space shuttle shots. Welcome to our newest board members Rachel Horst, Cheryl Mall, Heather McFarland and Sara Shell!
In this newsletter you will see a recap of September’s event, our Annual PR Professional & Communicator of the Year Awards, which we coupled with our Annual Board Installation. Held at the Crowne Plaza Oceanfront in Indian Harbour Beach, it was a fun evening with great representation across local industries such as aerospace, health care, education, local government, media, the non-profit sector and more.
A highlight of the evening was honoring current member and Founder of our chapter, Dick Baumbach, by officially renaming our PR Professional of the Year Award the ‘Dick Baumbach PR Professional of the Year Award.’ This was a surprise for Dick, and the look on his face when we presented him with the award brought tears to my eyes. Thank you, Dick, for pursuing an idea 34 years ago – you have impacted hundreds of PR professionals since then.
Fall, or mildly hot season, means…MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL TIME! Did you see the email and social posts about our New Member Scholarship opportunity? If you or someone you know would like to become a first-time member of our chapter, this is the opportunity! Complete the survey here by OCTOBER 7 for a chance to win a free annual membership.
State membership renewals are officially due October 31. BUT – you will want to make sure you renew by October 16. That evening is our Annual Head Shot Member Mixer, held this year at Crush XI in Downtown Melbourne. Those who JOIN or RENEW membership by the event receive a free professional headshot by the talented Dayna Healey, a girl who knows how to work them angles. Free to attend, we hope to see you there!
Be sure to like us on Facebook, and in real life, so you can stay up-to-date with the latest events and opportunities. I am proud to say you have a board of 13 strong directors who work hard to execute excellence in every post, email, event and opportunity we offer to our membership. We are looking forward to providing professional development events, scholarships and creating more relationships in the year ahead.
-Sara Almond