MINNEAPOLIS (January 25, 2019) – The Minnesota chapter of PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) placed newly-elected and returning members of the Executive Committee and Board of Directors in the roles they will fill throughout 2019. The transition took place during the Board's first meeting of the year on Jan. 9 in Minneapolis.
President Gregory J. Zimprich, APR, Fellow PRSA, who serves as Director of Finance Communications at Medtronic, takes the reins of the more than 300-member Minnesota PRSA chapter comprised of corporate, agency, independent, non-profit and government public relations practitioners from Minnesota, the Dakotas and western Wisconsin. The Minnesota Chapter also serves as the advisory organization for the nine PRSSA student organizations within the region, including those locally at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, the University of St. Thomas, and University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, among others.
At its 2018 annual meeting in December, Minnesota Chapter members unanimously passed several bylaw amendments including one that created the nation's first full-voting, Board-level Diversity and Inclusion Officer position to serve as part of the chapter's Executive Committee. Marsha Pitts-Phillips, a long-time advocate for diversity throughout her distinguished career in communications, was unanimously elected to fill this new role at the group's January Board meeting.
While other chapters have previously created Diversity and Inclusion committees, Minnesota PRSA is the first to incorporate a full-voting, Board-level position into its Executive Committee. Pitts-Phillips said she plans to draw from past professional experiences in the Twin Cities community – as a working broadcast journalist, non-profit public relations leader and individual communications consultant – to develop relevant programs, initiatives and partnerships aimed at greater inclusion and understanding among chapter members and those in the local community of practice.
Through its programs and services, Minnesota PRSA promotes engagement among its members at every stage of their careers with the knowledge, resources and connections to achieve professional excellence. It also focuses on driving ethical and strategic outcomes while advocating for the profession.