I joined the Fort Worth chapter of the Public Relations Society of America in 1998, and it is one of the best professional decisions I have ever made. I have Holly Ellman, a past chapter president who is now with TCU, to thank for that. Holly recruited me to join PRSA and invited me to serve in my first role as chair of the Healthcare Special Interest Group. It was also through GFW PRSA that I met Kelli Horst, a former TCU communications leader, who encouraged me to earn my APR and pursue my master’s degree. I owe both of those achievements to her. I should also credit Carolyn Bobo, APR, Fellow PRSA, and Susan Schoolfield, APR, who both worked at Cook Children’s at the time. I admired them from afar and watching them carry those credentials made me want to earn them for myself. It was Carolyn who later encouraged me to pursue my application for the PRSA College of Fellows, one of the highest honors the society offers. And it was through PRSA that I connected with Andra Bennett House, APR, where we discovered we were both from Mount Vernon, Texas. Two more colleagues I count among my most beloved are Dr. Julie O’Neil, APR, and Dr. Amiso George, APR, Fellow PRSA, both of whom I met through TCU and PRSA. I would also be remiss not to mention past president Carol Murray, APR, and fellow Fellows Gigi Westerman and Sandra Brodnicki, whose professional relationships with me deepened through PRSA and our shared work on the Blue Zones Project. And then there is Malinda Mason Miller, incoming president of the Dallas chapter, whose connection to me goes back more than 20 years, and we are still going strong through PRSA. Over the years I have also had the privilege of recruiting a dozen or so young professionals and rising stars to the chapter, some of whom have gone on to serve as current and past presidents and selfless volunteers. You know who you are. The names truly are in the hundreds, and it is impossible to name everyone. This is just a small sampling of the connections you can make by being a part of this wonderful organization.
In the nearly three decades since joining, I have volunteered in just about every role the chapter offers. I have served as president twice, including one term during COVID-19, which turned out to be one of the most challenging and rewarding leadership experiences of my career. Every role I have held, from committee work to board service, has offered something valuable: leadership growth, mentorship, the chance to give back to the profession, meaningful connections with peers, and the opportunity to sharpen my craft through planning programs, special events, anniversary celebrations and moments of recognition for those who have shaped our chapter over the years, including those we have lost, like Dr. Doug Newsom.
PRSA also has a way of putting the right people in your path at exactly the right time. It was through the chapter that I met Richie Escovedo, who educated all of us on social media when none of us knew what it was. Richie and I worked together to bring national social media expert Geoff Livingston to Fort Worth to teach our members about this emerging trend in the mid-2000s. Ashley Freer, president of Balcom Agency and a fellow PRSA member, is another connection that flourished through the chapter and grew into meaningful collaboration with various healthcare partners over the years. That kind of forward-looking programming and relationship building is exactly what makes chapter involvement so valuable.
Chapter service also opened doors to regional and national involvement. I have served as chair of the PRSA Southwest District and in various roles at the national level, including the nominating committee and accreditation work. Each layer of service deepened my understanding of the profession and expanded my network in ways that continue to pay dividends today.
For the past 20 years, I have taught communications courses at TCU. Every time I have the opportunity to address students, I make a point to talk about joining the PRSSA chapter on campus. The reason is simple: chapter membership gives students a connection to working professionals before they ever enter the full-time workforce. That head start matters.
I currently hold dual membership in both the Dallas and Fort Worth chapters of PRSA, and both offer strong programming and professional development opportunities throughout the year. If you are looking for a way to meet people working in public relations and communications, learn from practitioners across specialties and experience levels, and stay current in a field that never stops evolving, attending a chapter event is a good place to start.
You can learn more about the Dallas and Fort Worth chapters in the links below.
Dallas: https://prsadallas.org/
Fort Worth: https://fortworthprsa.org/