Dear Members,
Summer is the time of transition for many and it has been no different for CPRS Calgary as the Board welcomes new members, committees restructure and we reset our strategic direction for the Society based on your input from the annual Member Survey, the AGM and your participation and feedback from our various events and activities over the last twelve months.
As part of the transition, this is my first formal communique as President, having assumed the role March 31. Congratulations to Melanie and Matt! On behalf of CPRS Calgary, I wish to extend our sincerest thank you to Melanie for her leadership when Melanie Simmons had to step away early for perhaps the best reason ever, preparing to welcome son Connor, who arrived on May 23.
Over this past year, the Board has focused on better understanding our membership with a goal to enhancing the membership experience, increasing member engagement and demonstrating real value for our members. A strategic review identified a need to change the way we approach all activities, especially networking, professional development and member communications. We also saw an opportunity to build the reputation and public profile of CPRS Calgary and demonstrate leadership in Alberta and Canadian public relations by leveraging the exceptionally high quality of our membership with potential research projects, strategic engagement with media and other external stakeholders, maximizing our upcoming 60th Anniversary and the 2019 National Conference in Edmonton.
It has been a busy time. Here are some key areas emerging as strategic priorities.
MEMBER SURVEY – WHAT YOU TOLD US
Carried out in May right off the back of the National Member Survey, our local membership made it very clear:
- Professional Development needs to more reflective of our membership demographic locally, servicing all levels of experience more strategically, including the extremely high percentage we have of APRs and senior practitioners compared to other Societies in Canada
- Networking is very important, including holding ‘less formal’ events
- Provide a broader mix of PD, including some at zero cost when possible
We took this as a priority for the Board as we built our activities and areas of focus for the coming year. We will need to do a bit of a deeper dive to better understand exactly what certain things like ‘networking’ means to each part of our membership demographic, so please continue to provide feedback throughout the year.
Regarding surveys, we have engaged with National to streamline the survey process by combining the national and local surveys in future to remove some of the confusion, especially where these two surveys were so close together and contained similar core questions.
There is also a new pulse survey feature built into the recently updated CPRS national website, so look for regular short surveys from both national and from our local Society throughout the year.
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING & WORLD CAFÉ
On June 14th we had an excellent turnout for the AGM to review the past business year for the Society, which ended with a surplus budget position. With members of all levels of experience in attendance, our diverse room provided a strong 360 view as we moved from the formal AGM protocols into our first ever World Café discussion. Members provided insight and feedback based on the CPRS Strategic Framework of Community, Collaboration, Careers and Conscience. Check out the blog from CPRS Calgary Secretary Lisa Rushka on our website.
ENHANCED PLANNING CALENDAR FOR MEMBERS
The Board met in early June to hold a strategy session where we threw everything on the table that the local Society is doing, what National is doing and what else is influencing or impacting our membership in the coming 18 months. Among the items that developed out of that exercise was the development of a clear calendar of events for our members, capturing not only PD and other big ticket items, but every deadline and related items we felt members should be aware of. For example this September alone has:
- CPRS Calgary Board meeting on September 17
- Our annual September Soiree on September 18
- CPRS College of Fellows applications due September 18
- PRK Exam application deadline due September 19
- PRK Exam on September 26
- Call for APR applications
- CPRS Calgary Mentorship program begins
The full calendar of events can be found on our website.
I encourage you to check it out, start pencilling in the key dates and also see where you might be able to volunteer an hour or two with the Society to help us out with your skills and expertise. On that note…
NEW VOLUNTEER PORTFOLIO
In our strategic review, we felt more attention was needed regarding the coordination of volunteers for each portfolio, as well as the Society as a whole. Danielle Alfaro has graciously taken that role and is already developing a volunteer strategy that will balance the needs of our Society and the availability of our members to help out.
What is important to know is that we are fully aware of the time restrictions that work, family and other important things in your life will have on your ability to participate, so we are asking our members to see if there is just one thing you could support us with during the year. It could be something as simple as helping set up the September Soiree event site, or helping plan an activity related to our 60th Anniversary this year. Please look at the calendar and if you can find a few minutes or a few hours, please reach out to Danielle and have a chat.
NEW EVENTS PORTFOLIO
In response to an enhanced PD portfolio headed up by Tracie Kenyon, we decided to split out Events and are pleased that Michelle Crossland (newly minted APR!) has rejoined the Board to take on that role. With our 60th Anniversary approaching on October 16th, we are planning a year-long celebration. Michelle will also coordinate all other non-PD member activities – and is open to suggestions – so if you feel there is a networking or Esprit de Corps opportunity for CPRS Calgary members, please reach out to Michelle with your ideas and thoughts (ski day, golf day, Trivia Night, bike ride, hike, pub night, photo essay challenge…whatever you think our members may want to be a part of).
2019 NATIONAL CONFERENCE IN EDMONTON
We believe the National Conference next June will be a tremendous opportunity to showcase CPRS Calgary members, so we and encourage you to consider presenting at a workshop, join a panel or other activity. Currently the call for Keynote Speakers is open.
Danielle Alfaro has agreed to do double duty on the Board this year by taking on the Liaison role on our behalf with the conference organizing committee, so expect regular updates on themes, deadlines and other key information.
NEW BOARD STRUCTURE & PRIORITIES
- President – Tom Ormsby: Overall governance, advocacy and brand strategy for CPRS Calgary.
- Past President – Shawn Davis: An additional year in this role to accommodate Melanie Simmons time away. Assist in governance, oversight of By-Laws and Regulations.
- Secretary – Lisa Ruska: Document and records management, organization of Annual General Meeting.
- Treasurer – Josh Smith: Management of all financial matters, management of third-party vendors.
- Professional Development – Tracie Kenyon: PD strategy for all levels and experience of membership, analysis of emerging PR trends and issues.
- Events – Michelle Crossland (new role): Strategy for all non-PD events, coordination of 60th Anniversary, coordinate CPRS Calgary strategy for 2019 National Conference presence and initiatives.
- Membership – Chris Forrest: Recruitment strategy for new members, outreach to current members regarding CPRS benefits and services, management of member surveys, strategy for National Membership Month in March.
- Communications – Christine Behr-Roberts: Identification of key publics, communications strategy for membership and for external audiences, website maintenance, management of image library, development of CPRS Calgary Speakers Bureau.
- Accreditation – Kim Jones: Identify and engage potential APR candidates, strategy for member APR maintenance, recognition program for APRs.
- Volunteers – Danielle Alfaro (new role): Identify and development volunteers inside and outside of CPRS Calgary, liaise with all portfolios to provide volunteers for short-term and long-term activities, oversee recruiting and performance management of volunteers.
- Special Counsel – Nancy Arab (new role): Provide the Board guidance on application of By-Laws and Regulations, history and context of CPRS Calgary.
TO BE FILLED:
- Student: Role returning to a student (non-voting position). Candidates currently identified, role should be filled by September.
- President-Elect: Role returning to stabilize succession planning. Focus will be on annual review and revision of 5-year strategy. Board to review potential candidates in September.
- Sponsorship: Critical role to identify potential revenue streams and in-kind support. Members are encouraged to consider offering for this position.
CPRS Calgary has a core membership of ~170 full-time members, of which nearly one-third are APRs while another 50+ are students. With such a wealth of experience, high percentage of APRs and other engaged members at all levels, we believe there are a number of members capable of filling these two key Board positions. If you have an interest of any questions, please reach out to me or any member of the Board, as we would be happy to provide more information.
As we approach our suite of activities and 60th anniversary, our request is that you continue to tell us what is important to you to ensure you get full value for your membership. Please reach out early and often, provide your suggestions and don’t shy away from the details. We have to continue to understand the evolving priorities for each area of our membership, and we cannot accomplish that without your involvement.
Please visit our website often, please reach out to the Board and myself at any time.
We look forward to a big year ahead and to seeing you throughout the year, starting with our September Soiree.
Sincerely,
Tom Ormsby, APR
