ABOUT US

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the nation’s largest professional organization serving the communications community with a mission to “make communications professionals smarter, better prepared and more connected through all stages of their career.” The Pikes Peak Chapter of PRSA represents communities in southern Colorado, including El Paso, Fremont, Teller and Pueblo Counties.

Our Mission Statement: To build an organization that increases the professionalism of public relations practitioners in the Pikes Peak Region existing in accordance with the bylaws of the Pikes Peak Chapter of PRSA.

PRSA offers its members innovative lifelong learning opportunities and professional development, celebrates innovation and excellence within the industry, upholds principles of ethics, and acts as one of the industry’s leading voices. Additional career-enhancing initiatives and programming include: webinars; APR certification; awards ; thought leadership; members-only online communities and resource library; publications, and conferences.

Our growing network includes nonprofit, education, military, government, travel, agencies & corporate at local, state and national levels. Our members/non-members span the roles from traditional public relations and communications to marketing, advertising and business development.

MEET THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

CODE OF ETHICS

The Pikes Peak Chapter of PRSA was founded in 1994 and met for the first time on June 23 with 52 PR Professionals at the Antler's Doubletree Hotel.

Inaugural 1994 Chapter Board (Chartered Nov. 12, 1994)

President: Deedee Legrand, Heisley/LeGrand Advertising
President-Elect: Karen Mutka, Heisley/LeGrand Advertising
Vice-President: Mary Vanier, The Broadmoor
Secretary: Courtney Williams, The Colorado Springs School
Treasurer: Kristin Bricker, Colorado Springs C&VB (Convention and Visitor Bureau)
Assembly Delegate: Nancy Downs, APR (3-year term) Pikes Peak Library District
Directors at Large: Rita Burns (3-year term) Memorial Hospital
Bob Condrun, U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC)
Joe Purka (2-year term) U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA)
Fred Sindt (1-year term) Haggart & Sindt

Inaugural Committees Members

Chris Beardsley, Accreditation, C/S Osteopathic Foundation
Karol McGuire, Eligibility, Concept Communications
Rebecca Hurley, Awards, Century Communications,
Julia Martin, Membership
Stephanie Ann Trovas, Program, Center for Creative Leadership
John Leavitt, Professional Development, City of Colorado Springs
Kim Bayne, Publications, Wolf Bayne Marketing
Mike McDermott, Publicity, Praco, Ltd.
Kristin Bricker, Student Liaison, Colorado Springs Convention and Vistor Bureau

PRSA Pikes Peak Chapter Past Presidents:

DeeDee LeGrand – 1994
Julia Martin, APR – 1995
Fred Sindt – 1996
Mary Vanier, APR – 1997
Barry Grossman, APR – 1998
John Leavitt, APR – 1999
Melissa Lyby, APR – 2000
Mary Ann Strombitski, APR – 2001
Fred Morgan, APR, Fellow PRSA – 2002
Lynne Bliss – 2003
Don Miles, APR+M, Fellow PRSA – 2004
Elaine Naleski – 2005
Ken Hunter, APR
Katie Carrol, APR – 2006
Katie Carrol, APR– 2007
Jennifer Lange – 2008
Cynthia Doty – 2009
Larry Lincoln – 2010
Joe Swaty, APR – 2011
Keri Funkhauser – 2012
Dana Chippindale – 2013
Chelsy Offutt – 2014
Kevin Porter – 2015
Stacy Swanson – 2016
Johnpaul 'JP' Arnold, APR – 2017
Christy McGee, APR – 2018
Andrew Montgomery, APR – 2019
Allison Cortez – 2020
Andrea Sinclair – 2021
Elyse Jones - 2022

Bylaws of the Pikes Peak Chapter
Public Relations Society of America, Inc.
Colorado Springs, Colorado
January 2002
Last Revised May 2012
Updated December 4, 2014

ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this nonprofit professional organization shall be the Pikes Peak Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Inc.

ARTICLE II – OBJECTIVES
In accordance with the objectives of PRSA, the objectives of this Chapter shall be to unify, strengthen and advance the profession of public relations in the Pikes Peak region. This will be accomplished by:

Improving the professional development of members
Maintaining the highest standards of ethical conduct
Improving opportunities for networking among practitioners
Promoting a better understanding of the role of PR in the community
Recognizing the professional accomplishments of practitioners

ARTICLE III – MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.  Eligibility. To be eligible for membership in the Chapter, a person must be a member in good standing of the national Society. Any person admitted to membership in the Society is eligible for membership in the Chapter.
Section 2. Admission to Membership. Admission to membership in the Society shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of the bylaws of the Society. Any person admitted to membership in the Society shall become a member of the Chapter upon payment of Chapter dues.
Section 3. Retirement Status. Any member of the Chapter who has been a member of PRSA in good standing for at least five years, and is gainfully employed for less than 50 percent of the time, is eligible for retirement status. Members on retirement status shall enjoy all the rights and privileges of Chapter membership at no cost.
Section 4. Termination of Chapter Membership. Any member, who for any reason ceases to be a member of the Society, or is dropped from the Society’s rolls for non-payment of dues, shall cease to be a member of the Chapter and shall be dropped from the Chapter rolls.
Section 5. Rights and Privileges of Membership. Subject to the bylaws of the Society, the right to serve as a professional advisor to a Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapter shall be limited to members who have five years public relations experience and/or are accredited. The Chapter accreditation chair must also be an accredited member. The right to serve as an Assembly delegate or alternate delegate will be governed by the Society’s bylaws.
Section 6. Non-discrimination. The Chapter shall, in all deliberations and procedures, subscribe to a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of race, creed, religion, disability, sex, age, color, national origin or sexual preference.

ARTICLE IV – DUES
Section 1. Amount. The amount of Chapter dues shall be fixed annually by the Chapter’s board of directors and shall be payable in accordance with Chapter fiscal policies. Members shall be billed for annual local chapter dues by PRSA at the same time as national dues each year.
Section 2. Non-payment of Dues. Any member whose chapter dues are unpaid for 90 days after the initial date of billing shall be considered not in good standing and shall not be entitled to vote, hold office or enjoy other privileges of Chapter membership.
Section 3. Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of the Chapter shall be the calendar year.

ARTICLE V – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 1. Composition. The governing body of the Chapter shall be a board of directors consisting of the president, president-elect, vice president, secretary, treasurer, immediate past president, Leadership Assembly delegate and three directors-at-large. All shall be voting members of the board. The appointed committee chairs attend meetings of the board, but are not voting members.
Section 2.  Leadership Assembly Delegate.   The Leadership Assembly delegate shall serve as the Chapter’s representative at meetings of the PRSA Leadership Assembly and shall be elected by the Chapter membership for a one-year term beginning January 1. The assembly delegate must meet the requirements set forth in the Society’s bylaws. The president shall appoint, with board approval, an alternate if the Leadership Assembly delegate is unable to attend the annual meeting.
Section 3.  Directors-at-Large. Three directors-at-large shall be elected each year for a one-year term beginning January 1. At the discretion of the president, directors-at-large may also chair major committees.
Section 4. Vacancies. In the event of death, resignation, removal or expulsion of any officer, director or Leadership Assembly delegate, the board of directors shall elect a successor who shall take office immediately and serve for the balance of the unexpired term or until the next annual election.
Section 5.  Removal. Any board member who misses more than three consecutive board meetings without an excuse acceptable to the board may be given written notice of dismissal by the Chapter president and replaced in accordance with Section 4 above. Board members may also be removed for cause by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the board members in office, provided advanced notice of intention to remove such member is set forth in the meeting agenda. The member subject to removal vote shall be entitled to appear before, and be heard, at such meeting.
Section 6.  Board Meetings. There shall be at least six meetings of the board of directors each year at such times and places as it may determine. It shall meet at the call of the president or upon call of any three members of the board of directors. Notice of each meeting of the board shall be given to each board member at least seven days in advance.
Section 7.  Quorum. A majority of the board of directors shall constitute a quorum for all meetings of the board.
Section 8.  Proxy. Board members who are unable to attend a scheduled board meeting may assign a proxy to another elected board member who will be empowered to vote on the absent member’s behalf. Each assigned proxy will be used to determine whether a quorum is present for each board meeting. The proxy must be assigned in writing (an email is sufficient) at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. The assignment must be provided to the president with a copy to each board member. The absent board member must assign a directed proxy with specific instructions to vote on an issue that is on the agenda.

ARTICLE VI – OFFICERS
Section 1.  Chapter Officers. The officers of the Chapter shall be the president, president-elect, vice president, secretary and treasurer. The officers shall be elected annually by the Chapter membership for a term of one year or until their successors are elected and installed.
Section 2.  President. The president shall preside at all meetings of the Chapter and of the board of directors. He/she shall appoint all committee chairs and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. He/she shall be authorized, along with the treasurer, to sign checks on behalf of the Chapter. Candidates for Chapter president must have served as a member of the Chapter board for at least three years.
Section 3.  President-Elect.  The president-elect, in the absence or disability of the president, shall exercise the powers and perform the duties of the president. He/she shall also assist the president with the coordination of strategic planning for the Chapter, and perform such other duties as shall be prescribed by the board of directors. The president-elect automatically becomes Chapter president the following term.
Section 4.  Vice President.  The vice president shall be responsible for programs for all regular Chapter meetings. This includes soliciting speakers for regular meetings, promoting speakers and the meetings, and making all arrangements for speakers, such as transportation, lodging, audiovisual equipment, etc. He/she is also responsible for the Chapter’s annual professional development workshop.
Section 5.  Secretary.  The secretary shall keep records of all meetings of the Chapter and the board of directors and, if directed, send copies of such minutes to Society headquarters, Western District chair and members of the Chapter board of directors.
Section 6.  Treasurer. The treasurer shall receive and deposit all chapter funds in the name of the Chapter in a bank selected and approved by the board of directors. He/she shall issue receipts and make authorized disbursements by check or debit card after proper approval by the president or board of directors. He/she shall prepare the Chapter’s budget, make financial reports to the board of directors at all scheduled board meetings and render an annual financial statement to the Chapter membership during the month of December. The treasurer shall also provide all financial records for an end-of-year audit by a committee consisting of the president, president-elect and one director-at-large.
Section 7. Compensation and Reimbursement. No elected officer of the Chapter shall be entitled to any salary or other compensation. The board of directors may reimburse elected officers and committee chairs for administrative expenses incurred in connection with the performance of their duties.

ARTICLE VII – TERMS OF OFFICE
The officers, directors-at-large and the Leadership Assembly delegate shall be elected by the Chapter membership for a term of one year beginning January 1. No elected member, having held an office for two successive terms, shall be eligible to succeed himself/herself in the same office. Elected board members may not serve on the board for more than six consecutive years. A one-year hiatus is required before such a person may serve on the board again.

ARTICLE VIII – NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS.
Section 1. Nominating Committee. A four-person nominating committee shall issue a call for nominations from the membership in September and present a recommended slate of officers (president-elect, vice president, secretary and treasurer), three directors-at-large and a Leadership Assembly delegate to the board during its October meeting. The nominating committee shall consist of the president, president-elect and two non-board members appointed by the president with input from the board of directors. Nominating committee members must have been Pikes Peak Chapter members for at least two years. The committee is chaired by the president-elect and must contact each person on the proposed slate to ensure that he or she is willing to serve in that capacity if elected. Following approval by the board at its October meeting, the election process may proceed.
Section 2. Elections. Ballots presenting the board-approved slate of officers and directors shall be emailed to all chapter members in good standing by October 31 with a response requested by November 15. Write-in votes will be accepted on the ballot. Ballots received after November 15 shall not be counted in the election. Ballots shall be returned to and counted by the nominating committee, and then reported to the president by November
20. At least 40 percent of the Chapter members must participate in the election for it to be valid, and a majority of the votes must be received for a candidate to win. Election results shall be announced by November 30.

ARTICLE IX – COMMITTEES.
Section 1. Standing Committees. In addition to the nominating committee, there shall be standing committees for programs, membership, accreditation, awards, public relations, chapter communications, ethics, advocacy and community outreach. The membership chair maintains the Chapter membership rolls; the chapter communications chair maintains the members-only mailing list; and the vice president/program chair maintains the monthly meeting mailing list for both members and non-members.
Committee duties are as follows:
Programs – Develops topics, obtains speakers for and makes meeting arrangements for the monthly lunch meetings and the annual professional development workshop. The Chapter vice president/program chair manages this committee.
Membership – Maintains the Chapter membership rolls, recruits new members, communicates with new members about chapter activities, pairs new and existing members for mentorship opportunities and plans membership appreciation events. The membership chair manages this committee.
Accreditation – Oversees APR (Accredited in Public Relations) candidate recruitment, training, testing and publicity. The accreditation chair manages this committee.
Awards – Develops and administers a Chapter awards program and promotes calls for entries in Southern Colorado.   The awards chair manages this committee.
Chapter Communications – Provides information of interest to Chapter members using all media formats. Serves as website content editor, maintains the email distribution list of members, coordinates the use of social media, develops content for the Chapter website and keeps the website current. The chapter communications chair manages this committee.
Ethics/Past President – Provides advice and counsel to Chapter members regarding the PRSA Code of Ethics and the ethical practice of public relations. The ethics chair manages this committee.
      Community Outreach – Manages the Chapter’s pro bono public relations support to non-profit community organizations. The community outreach chair manages this committee.
Section 2. Special Committees. Special committees may be established and appointed by the president with approval of the board of directors.
Section 3. Committee Reports. The chair of each committee shall report monthly on its activities to the board of directors. All committee activities shall be subject to approval by the board of directors.

ARTICLE X – CHAPTER MEETINGS.
Section 1. Regular Meetings. There shall be regular monthly meetings at least nine times a year at such times and places as may be designated by the board of directors.
Section 2. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Chapter may be called by the president, the board of directors or on written request by 25 percent of the Chapter members.
Section 3. Notice of Meetings. Notice of regular meeting or special meetings shall be sent to each member at least 15 days in advance.

ARTICLE XI – AMENDMENTS.
Two board members shall review chapter bylaws at least once every three years. These bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the Chapter board of directors. Amendments adopted in accordance with this provision become effective only after approval by the Society’s national board of directors.

ARTICLE XII – CHAPTER DISSOLUTION
If the Chapter is disbanded, all remaining funds in the treasury shall be transferred to the national Society and distributed as directed by the Society’s board of directors.