CPRS - VI
ANNUAL
REPORT
2009-2010
CPRS-VI Annual Report
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Table of Contents
President’s Message
p3
Accreditation
p5
Communication
p6
Education
p7
Events and Professional Development
p8
Membership
p9
Sponsorship
p 10
Treasurer’s Report
p 12
CPRS National Conference 2012
p 13
The Bigger Picture
p 14
CPRS-VI 2009-2010 Board of Directors
p 15
CPRS-VI Annual Report
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President’s Message
Ange Frymire, APR MBA
CPRS-VI has grown exponentially since 1992, when it was founded by two of CPRS-VI’s
senior practitioners: Sharlene Smith, APR FCPRS and Joan Yates, APR.
How has the 2009-10 board helped to shape and evolve your member organization?
A number of accomplishments were achieved, including:
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An increase in sponsorships to over $18,500, which includes a generous cash
donation of $4,000 from Royal Roads University, which will be applied to the
2010-11 financial statements.
A substantial increase to more than 90 members. March boasted the highest
enrollment at 92.
Creation of the inaugural Presidential Summit and establishment of the
President’s Council. Approximately 10 CPRS-VI past presidents and current
executive members assembled in November 2009 to discuss opportunities and
challenges facing the Island chapter.
Creation of the Community Engagement Strategy, which resulted in an upisland Communications Experts’ Panel on April 15, 2010 at Vancouver Island
University, who opted in as a first-time sponsor. There were 19 people in
attendance, which resulted in two new memberships.
Increased frequency of our newsletter, which is now published 10 times/year.
Development of a social media strategy that has helped spike event
attendance and generate further awareness of CPRS-VI.
A successful second annual Beyond the Hype conference, led by former CPRSVI president Barbara Carver, whose vision and commitment created a high
level ProD event for members, and brought CPRS-VI a net profit of over $4,700.
Development of a professional Sponsorship Package, which gives us – literally –
“more bang for our buck.”
Synchronizing our local membership vocabulary to match the rest of the
country by changing the “Affiliate” membership category to “Associate”.
An increase in volunteer support to assist chairs in completing their objectives,
including a professional from up-island to assist with up-island news. The
president’s column in the newsletter and newsletter ads brought forward
excellent response from potential volunteers.
Well-attended, and several sold-out Pro D events this year.
Revamping the monthly board meetings to break-out sessions every other
month. This allowed directors to work in teams of two or three for more effective
planning and visioning. The meetings evolved to production planning, strategic
planning and long-term envisioning.
A high ranking at the annual Strategic Planning session of the Volunteer
Summary, which National Vice President & Treasurer Anita Wasiuta, APR shared
with the National Executive. In Anita’s words, “The sense of belonging to the PR
Community ranked very high…[and demonstrated] the need to give back to
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the association and the PR industry.” This is a tribute to the outgoing past
president, Marion Grau, whose tremendous work in Volunteer Recruitment
helped shaped this notable accomplishment.
Appointing of the National Conference’s co-chairs: Lisa Bergen, APR and Kim
Van Bruggen, APR, who are working diligently with National’s Monica Simmie on
the 2012 conference to be held in our fair city.
There was also a need to streamline some portfolios, due to financial, social and timeline considerations. As a result, the following portfolios were dismantled:
Awards. The Provincial Leadership Communications Award was an excellent
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vehicle to work directly with the Northern Lights and Vancouver branches.
However, administration of the awards required significant leg work. When the
Awards Chair, Tracey Roath, resigned due to a death in the family which sent her
back to Winnipeg, the board voted on November 26, 2009 to discontinue it until
other opportunities arise.
Student Liaison. The resignation of Ben Archer again revealed that students are so
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immersed in studies that there is little time to spend on developing successful
student activities on an ongoing basis. As a result, these events will return to the
Events portfolio.
A special thank-you is most deserving to Mark Turcotte from Duncan, who worked
tirelessly for almost seven months with the president to plan and shape the up-island
event. Recognition should also be showered upon Courtney Clarke, who designed the
intriguing Christmas mixer poster and e-vite. More thanks are given to digital artist Mike
Routliffe, owner of Thornapple Productions, who designed the colourful up-island eposter.
This year’s board has shown tremendous support and commitment to furthering the
cause of CPRS-VI. The directors proved to be high-level, analytical thinkers, doers and
visionaries who functioned as an effective team.
Leading CPRS-VI has given me wonderful opportunities to liaise with these men and
women. I am grateful for the wise and sage words of Marion Grau, APR. The incoming
president, Dave Traynor, who has been serving on the VI board and executive for the
past three years, will exercise his excellence in leadership and vision further to continue
to provide the membership with features, values and outstanding member service.
I will continue to support CPRS-VI from my new home in Vancouver and as the soon-tobe-wed Ange Frymire Fleming, APR MBA. My role as past president will include liaising
with the new sponsorship chair and evolving the Community Engagement Strategy to
encompass all of Vancouver Island.
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Accreditation
Karla Sandwith, APR
Please join us in congratulating our newest APR!
Graham Currie, APR, Leader, Corporate Affairs for the BC Oil and Gas Commission
Graham successfully completed the three-part Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS)
national Accreditation exam process. He joins 16 other public relations professionals from
across Canada who successfully completed the requirements for becoming accredited
members of CPRS in 2009. There are now 20 CPRS-VI members, or 30 percent of our VI
membership, who have achieved this prestigious designation!
To become accredited and earn the Accredited Public Relations (APR) designation, a
candidate must engage in specialized studies, pass rigorous written and oral examinations,
and submit a detailed work sample. To even qualify to take the CPRS accreditation
examination, a candidate must have earned a solid reputation of integrity and high ethical
standards while completing a minimum of five years of full-time employment in the field of
public relations. It may sound daunting, but I believe any one of our members who have
recently achieved their accreditation and gone through the process would say it is also a
very fulfilling and rewarding experience. Just ask!
I’d like to thank Vanessa Greebe, APR, our lead mentor who so expertly guides new APR
candidates through the process of application, work sample submission and exam
preparation. The next cohort of APR candidates will benefit tremendously from Vanessa’s
leadership and expertise. For anyone interested in learning more about accreditation please
e-mail [email protected].
I’d also like to recognize our full local contingent of accredited members, whose so richly
contribute to the continued knowledge, integrity and professionalism in public relations:
Lisa Baergen, APR
Deirdre Campbell, APR
Graham Currie, APR
Ange Frymire, APR
Dianne George, APR
Marion Grau, APR
Vanessa Greebe, APR
Melinda Jolley, APR
Veronica Kempkes, APR
Maggie Kerr-Southin, APR
Barbara Mekelburg, APR, FCPRS
Susan Postma, APR
Robyn Quinn, APR
Karla Sandwith, APR
Sharlene Smith, APR, FCPRS
Kim Van Bruggen, APR
Marylou Wakefield, APR
Anita Wasiuta, APR
Joan Yates, APR
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Communications
Sarah Milner, MBA
This year, the Communications Chair compared the cost of Communications activities
versus their perceived value by members (as outlined in the 2009 Membership Survey
results). The following goals were then set:
• Eliminate all newsletter costs around writing, editing and distribution;
• Develop a two-year social media engagement strategy;
• Increase the level of member awareness, engagement and perceived value of
CPRS-VI communication channels.
Newsletter:
• Eight e-newsletters, double last year’s distribution;
• New format: html template, free distribution, unpaid editor and contributors –
savings of $3,312;
• Seven contributors overall.
Bulletins
• 16 e-bulletins distributed to 300+ non-members and 100+ members.
Social Media
• Twitter: 90 followers, 8 following, 71 tweets;
• Facebook: 47 group members, 12 info postings, 3 discussions;
• LinkedIn group: 28 members, 7 discussions.
Website
• e-Newsletter and e-bulletin content linking through to www.cprs-vi.org;
• Regular updates to website with all event information, education bursary
information and past newsletters.
Earned Media
• Kloster, Darron Kloster. “On the Street” January 30, 2010, Times Colonist. pp.B8.
Denis Racine Bursary winner announced.
• Nanaimo News Bulletin, “Panel looks at PR” April 12, 2010.
APR ad
• One APR recipient to be featured;
• TC sponsorship from previous years unavailable;
• Quoted at $975 for one-time insertion in Douglas Magazine;
• In lieu of purchasing ad space, CPRS-VI board opted to distribute a news
release to business media across Vancouver Island.
Thanks to:
Sarah Milner, communications chair, editor and writer
Steve Hutchings, co-director and feature writer
Kenzie Andrews, up-island column writer
Susan Postma, email distribution
Jennifer King-Jones, website administration
Ange Frymire, contributor
Nigel Atkins, contributor
Karla Sandwith, contributor
Phil Saunders, contributor
David Alexander, contributor
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Education
David Alexander, Education Chair
Denis Racine Student Bursary
Royal Roads student Lindsay Nicole McPherson was awarded $500 for her studies
under the newly renamed Denis Racine Student Bursary.
Conference Bursary
Phil Saunders, CPRS-VI Membership Chair and Communications Officer at Royal Roads
University is the 2010 recipient of the Conference Bursary.
Library Collection
CPRS-VI presented $290 to the Greater Victoria Public Library for public relations
related library material.
Education Committee Members
Maggie Kerr-Southin, APR – Artemis PR & Design Inc., Anita Wasiuta, APR – BC Transit,
Joan Yates, APR – Camosun College, Marie Zirk, APR - Integral PR & Design
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Events and Professional Development
Sarah Head, Events Chair and
Shannon Drew-Burrows, Professional Development Chair
In 2009-10, CPRS-VI offered a variety of events that were geared as social mixers and
professional development. The challenge and goal for the first-time Chairs of the
Events and Professional Development portfolios was to plan occasions that would
appeal to students, junior, mid, and senior-level public relations professionals. Each
event that was executed strategically targeted one, if not each, of these audiences.
In April, 2009, the annual Media Crawl was attended by 10 members and 13 nonmember. In May, the AGM was attended by 25 members and 8 non-members.
In early October, the year kicked off with a social mixer, attended by 19 member, nonmembers and student members. This event served as a chance to re-connect
members after the summer as well as an opportunity for non-members to learn about
the value of CPRS membership. Members of the 2009/2010 CPRS-VI Board were also in
attendance.
The second annual conference, Beyond the Hype 2, was held in November. This fullday event (organized by a tireless volunteer committee) brought together a mix of
high-calibre speakers, including CPRS National President Terry Flynn, APR, FCPRS.
Delegates spent the day at Royal Roads University learning and sharing expertise and
insight in a dynamic forum. A committee has already been established to take over
the reigns for the 2010 annual conference.
In early December, we celebrated the holiday season by honouring the most recent
local recipients of the APR designation. Attended by 25, this festive event took place
at Milestone’s on the Inner Harbour.
Two sold-out brown bag lunches, attended by 29 participants each, took place at the
Magnolia Hotel in late January and early March 2010 and covered the hot topics of
social media and marketing communications.
The Professional Development and Events Chairs thank their committee members,
Sarah Cotton, Maryann Anderson and Courtney Clarke.
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Membership
Phil Saunders
Despite an economic downturn in 2009, CPRS Vancouver Island increased its
memberships from 52 national members in 2008/9 to 62 national members in 2010. We
also maintained our student membership at 22 for this year, exactly the same total we
had in 2009. Although we lost some associate members this past year, we also gained
some new associates. This year we have five associate members in the Victoria area.
As membership chair this year, I was asked to chair the National Recruitment and
Retention Committee. This means that I will be working closely with the National
Communications Committee at the National conference in Regina to establish a
brand identity for CPRS nationally. It has been acknowledged that CPRS needs to
reinvigorate its national presence as the only Canadian-based organization that
serves the public relations industry. We hope 2010/2011 will be our strongest year yet in
establishing our historic role in the practice of public relations and communications
management in Canada.
Among the initiatives that were brought forward this year that helped increase our
memberships was a stronger presence both at Beyond the Hype II and at events held
around the year. We have leveraged the collateral provided by the national office to
promote the merits of both national and student membership. We also promoted our
national referral campaign, which provides any referring national members with a $50
credit per referral to a maximum of eight referrals that can be used for conference
registration or membership renewals.
Soon we are going to conduct another membership survey on how CPRS-VI can
continue to serve its members. Please look for this survey in the coming months and let
us know what you’d like from us and how we can increase the value of your
membership.
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Sponsorship
Ange Frymire, APR MBA
Sponsorships are often the lifeblood of a not-for-profit organization. Such relationships
strengthen both CPRS’ membership and the brand. When educational organizations
such as Royal Roads University and Vancouver Island University support not-for-profit
organizations such as CPRS-VI, they do more than help further the cause of excellence
in PR – they help cement the reputation and contributions that practitioners bring to
the industry. It’s more than sponsorship: it’s providing trust, ethics, support and
resources. These are the catalysts of change and evolution.
Growth needs like-minded organizations; CPRS-VI is so grateful for its many partners
and sponsors. A special acknowledgement is given to Royal Roads University,
Vancouver Island University, The Magnolia Hotel & Spa, Floyd’s Diner, Canada
Newswire, Sharp’s AV, Acumen Communications Group, Island Blue, Artemis PR &
Design, the Royal BC Museum, NeverBlue Media and Apogee for once again gracing
the sponsorship pages with your gift-giving.
These organizations’ generous in-kind and cash support generated the highest that
CPRS-VI has seen in its history.
The donation of Royal Roads University’s $4,000 will be reflected in the 2010-11
financial statements. The executive committee is developing a strategy to determine
the most effective management of this gift that provides best value to the
membership and that recognizes RRU prominently. The committee is exploring a
Speaker Series to bring in high-profile guests to address current issues, challenges and
successes in the industry.
Our thanks go to last year’s outgoing sponsorship chair Heather Leary, APR, who was
responsible for bringing on many of the sponsors still involved to this day. Thank you
also to the original chair in 2009/10, Shannon Abakhan (nee Kowalko, who was with
CFAX for several years). When Shannon landed her new job with Hot House Marketing,
the demands of a new manager resulted in her resigning from the board very early in
her term. The president became the Acting Sponsorship Chair.
A special note of thanks to Emma Nemtin, whose brilliant design skills birthed the new
sponsorship package. Emma’s excellent eye also designed the front cover of this
report, incorporating IMC (integrated marketing communications) to grow the CPRS-VI
brand.
Tera Wilson from Partnerships BC is another specialist who deserves noteworthy
recognition. Her eagle eye and high-level analysis contributed greatly to the package
design. It is rewarding to work with such enthusiastic and skilled women!
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The volunteers who worked on sponsorship with Beyond the Hype conference also
deserve accolades: Elsa Yan and Breanne Storey performed admirably, raising over
$15,000 in sponsorships for the 2nd annual event.
Thanks to all these volunteers and to the bread-and-butter sponsors and partners. Your
support in CPRS-VI is outstanding and greatly appreciated.
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Treasurer’s Report
Dave Traynor, Secretary/Treasurer & Incoming President
For the 2009-2010 fiscal year, CPRS-VI showed a surplus of revenues over expenses,
thanks to the successful Beyond the Hype II professional development conference in
November, along with reasonable revenues from our Society events.
(Readers should note that the numbers in this report are based on year-end figures
compiled prior to the final report from our auditor. Please see the 2009-2010 Financial
Statements for final results.)
At year-end, the Society’s budget showed a $7,179 surplus, on revenues of $29,144
and expenses of $21,965. The bulk of the surplus came from the Beyond the Hype
conference, which earned a profit of $4,729 on revenues of $18,987 and expenses of
$14,110.
As in previous years, the Society’s revenues include sponsorships, which this year
amounted to $7,400 of in-kind revenues. These were offset by expenses in the same
amount.
At year end, the Society had a balance of $18,366.14 in cash in its chequing account.
In addition, the Society has a $15,226.39 contingency fund.
Our endowment fund with the Victoria Foundation (started with a portion of the
Whistler Legacy revenue - $40,000) regained some of its value, following a decline the
previous year. The Education committee was able to award a student bursary, a
bursary for a member to attend the National conference and purchase reference
books for CPRS members that are held at the Victoria Library.
Membership revenues rose to $2,646 this year, compared to $1,895 the year previous.
Job postings remained a significant source of revenue at $1,600 (including accounts
receivable) although that figure was down from $2,630 the year previous. However,
given the economic conditions during the year, the actual revenues were above
budget.
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CPRS National Conference 2012
Kim Van Bruggen, APR and Lisa Baergen, APR
I know it seems like a long way away, but planning has already started for the CPRS
National Conference that will be hosted in Victoria in 2012. The co-chairs of the
conference are Victoria practitioners Kim Van Bruggen, APR and Lisa Baergen, APR.
Lisa has been hard at work leading the details when it comes to where the
conference will be held (Victoria Conference Centre) and how many rooms will be
available at what hotels (and she's negotiating great rates for all our out of town
guests at the Fairmont Empress). She is just finalizing the last few contract details and
we hope to have the contract signed in the next few weeks. Kim and Lisa have met
with the Vancouver (2010) National conference organizers to learn some lessons from
those that have gone before and are looking forward to building a team to get on
with the planning.
If you would like to be in on the "ground floor", we are currently looking for people who
are interested in volunteering their time and talents to making this conference a huge
success. There are many facets of organizing a conference that will span several days
and play host to over 300 people. Vancouver organizers started brainstorming two
years before their event and finalized their formal core group of volunteers, so the call
is going out right now for anyone interested in helping. We'll need people to look after
sponsorship, programs, special events (there's lots of hospitality at these conferences!),
promotion, logistics, volunteers, pageantry,...the list goes on!
If you are interested in working with what is sure to be a great group of people, please
contact Kim Van Bruggen at [email protected].
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The Bigger Picture
Ange Frymire, APR MBA
Much of CPRS-VI’s value lies in one critical success factor: people. There are some
names who have been integral to this society’s growth: in particular, extended thanks
are given to Anita Wasiuta, APR, a proven strategist, workshop facilitator and leader in
PR. As your National Vice President and Treasurer, Anita has coached CPRS-VI for a
number of years. This year, she facilitated the Annual Strategic Planning Session in
November. She also spent many hours discussing CPRS matters with the president and
executive. Her contribution to the industry is astounding.
Other National Board members include Danielle Cote (Ottawa president), who
participated in several conference calls with your president to discuss more effective
ways of administration, recruitment, succession planning and brainstorming.
Karen Dalton, APR also provided multiple hours of discussion, history and support. Her
staff, including Elizabeth Tang, are necessary cogs in the CPRS wheel that keep us
churning, pumping and growing.
One other set of thanks is sent to the past presidents who were able to participate in
the inaugural Presidential Summit. In alphabetical order of surnames, participants were
Nigel Atkin (1995-97), Dianne George, APR (1997-98 & 2003-06), Marion Grau, APR
(2008-09), Rena Kendall-Craden (vice president 2001-02), Robyn Quinn, APR
(1999-2001), Sharlene Smith, APR FCPRS (1992/93), Anita Wasiuta, APR (1997-99 &
2002-03) and Joan Yates, APR (1992-93).
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CPRS-VI 2009-2010 Board of Directors
Ange Frymire, APR, MBA - President and Sponsorship Chair
Marion Grau, APR - Past President
Dave Traynor - Treasurer and Incoming President
Karla Sandwith, APR - Accreditation
Sarah Milner, MBA - Communications
David Alexander, Education
Sarah Head, Events
Phil Saunders, Membership
Shannon Drew-Burrows, Professional Development
Michelle May - Secretary (ex oficio)
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Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
www.cprs-vi.org
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