Last fall, the voting members of the Association approved a change to NSPRA’s Bylaws and policy that now allows the NSPRA Executive Board to affirm candidates by acclamation in the event of an uncontested race.
Because no offices are contested this year and there are no Bylaws revisions requiring a vote of the membership, we will not be holding an election this fall. At the Annual Meeting on Sunday, July 10, 2011 in San Antonio, the Executive Board affirmed the following approved candidates by acclamation as officers-elect of the Board. They will officially take office on October 1, 2011.
The candidates were asked by the Executive Board Search Committee to answer the following questions about their desire to serve on the NSPRA Executive Board.
Candidate for President-elect:
Joe Krumm, APR
Career and Professional Background: Joe Krumm, APR, is the director of community and government relations for the North Clackamas School District, the fifth largest in Oregon. With an award-winning staff, the department provides direct strategic advice to the Superintendent, and all facets of research and communications for district initiatives. The department oversees one and two-way communications, community partnerships, family support, social services, outreach and engagement with diverse communities, interpretation, translation, volunteerism, grant support, and lobbying, Joe came to the district in 1990 after serving as editor and co-publisher with The Clackamas County Review. He has also worked as a news reporter, a professional drummer, a bus driver, a soccer coach and referee, and custodian. Joe served as NSPRA Northwest Region Vice President from 2000-2003.
How can school PR professionals best advance our role as communication leaders, demonstrate communication accountability, and build understanding of communication as a core management function?
In this time of increased accountability for public schools, the PR professional must contribute directly to the bottom line of the district. We know what it takes for kids to be successful in schools. They need mentors. They need to feel safe. They need great teachers. They need health services and to not go hungry. They need quality learning environments. They need a supportive community. As professionals, if we can demonstrate positive movement in any or all of these areas, we are contributing to the bottom line.
What do you consider to be the major communication challenges facing districts/education organizations today and what qualifications, skills and expertise do you offer as an Executive Board member to help NSPRA support members in addressing these issues?
The greatest challenge schools face is determining how to meet the diverse needs of our students and help each student feel engaged in school. As professionals, we must communicate effectively with all of our diverse audiences and create partnerships, relationships, and systems that support the work of our schools. In my district, our leadership has realized that quality social support and communication to diverse audiences are all part of an effective communication program. I can bring the experience in these areas as a leader working with an innovative, self-starting staff to help NSPRA and its members.
I have learned from trial and error what it takes to enlist and empower a wide range of community partners to take ownership of challenges facing the district. I can contribute that wisdom to the NSPRA body of knowledge. In my district, community involvement in our schools means fewer children go hungry, children are healthier, more children have mentors, the buildings are safer and more modern, and we have quality personal communications with diverse audiences. This results in improved attendance and student achievement.
What do you hope to contribute to our profession as an NSPRA Executive Board member and Association leader?
I hope to show that at the heart of a great school district is the heart and soul of a great PR professional.
As a leader, I want to continue NSPRA’s work to develop effective professionals who contribute to the bottom line. We must demonstrate character and judgment and make decisions based on sound research. This work doesn’t have to kill us, but it can, unless NSPRA can continue to provide our members wisdom, support, refreshment, and vision. The challenge for NSPRA is the same as for each of its members. I hope to help it develop effective, supportive connections so members can’t live without it. I know I can’t.
Candidate for Vice President of Diversity Engagement:
Stan Alleyne
Career and Professional Background: After spending my entire professional career in North Carolina, my family and I relocated to Minneapolis in 2008 where I serve as the Executive Director of Communications for the Minneapolis Public Schools. My school public relations career began in 2001 when I started working as the public relations officer for the Wayne County Schools in Goldsboro, N.C. After three years in Wayne County, I was hired as the Director of Communications for Buncombe County Schools in Asheville, N.C. Before entering the public relations profession, I was a reporter for nine years at a daily newspaper in Goldsboro where I covered public education, county politics, crime, court and public health. I have a journalism degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
How can school PR professionals best advance our role as communication leaders, demonstrate communication accountability, and build understanding of communication as a core management function?
Increasing the number of PR professionals who work at the cabinet-level can only help our profession in the long run. We must have PR professionals around the table when important decisions are being made. Becoming strategic advisors increases our value to the superintendent as well as the leadership team. It is vital for PR professionals to set annual goals and plan strategies that are aligned with the plans of the superintendent. Having specific goals increases accountability and clarity in our overall work.
What do you consider to be the major communication challenges facing districts/education organizations today and what qualifications, skills and expertise do you offer as an Executive Board member to help NSPRA support members in addressing these issues?
Effectively communicating and engaging non-English speaking families who live in poverty continues to be a major challenge for school communications professionals. As we venture more and more into the social media age, the information gap continues to widen, meaning some families have access to information while others do not. Annual budget cuts only exacerbate the problem. I hope that the lessons I continue to learn from working in a large urban school district will be an asset to NSPRA. I lead efforts on a daily basis that are designed to include and engage all stakeholders regardless of their beliefs or skin color. About 90 different languages are spoken in the Minneapolis Public Schools. Every district-wide communication goes out in four primary languages — English, Somali, Hmong and Spanish. Meeting the needs of our diverse stakeholders is a constant focus of the district.
What do you hope to contribute to our profession as an NSPRA Executive Board member and Association leader?
I feel strongly that serving in a leadership role is the best way for me to give back to NSPRA. I listened and learned on a regular basis from national and state leaders and it is my duty to mentor and serve others. As VP for Diversity Engagement, I feel that I can effectively lead efforts to ensure NSPRA aspires to be an even more inclusive association. I would also work to support and provide training opportunities for NSPRA members who struggle or have a desire to improve their outreach to minority students and families.
Candidate for North Central Region Vice President:
Brett Clark
Career and Professional Background: Brett Clark currently serves as Executive Director of Communications and Strategic Planning at Glenview (Ill.) School District 34. He has more than 16 years experience in public relations, 13 of which are in school public relations. Brett has served as president of the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (INSPRA). He also has served on several Communication Accountability Program (CAP) committees for NSPRA.
How can school PR professionals best advance our role as communication leaders, demonstrate communication accountability, and build understanding of communication as a core management function?
I believe the best way to advance the role of the public relations professional is to deliver high quality professional development through a wide-range of outlets, including the annual NSPRA Seminar. I believe one of the subgroups to provide special attention toward are those new to school public relations. This is especially important, as it will help ensure newcomers succeed and will assist in keeping quality individuals in our field.
In the area of communication accountability and continuing to raise communication as a core management function, I believe we should continue to expand the work of the Communication Accountability Program (CAP). Valuable work has been done in this area and the key is to continue to widen the audience for the resources created and collected. This information, and new research, should continue to be placed in front of superintendents and boards of education at every opportunity. They are the decision-makers in our field, and if we continue to place evidence of the value of our work in front of them, I feel that the communication function will continue to rise up the charts as a necessity rather than a luxury in education.
What do you consider to be the major communication challenges facing districts/education organizations today and what qualifications, skills and expertise do you offer as an Executive Board member to help NSPRA support members in addressing these issues?
I would suggest that one of the top communication challenges facing education today continues to be getting our key messages out to constituents in a clear, concise and consistent manner. While incredibly difficult under ideal circumstances, I believe accomplishing this has become immensely difficult with the quick pace of information sharing and the expanding number of information sources available to the public. If not monitored and managed, misinformation and rumors can quickly chip away at the reputation of a district or educational organization. When you add into the mix the role we have to explain complex issues such as local, state and federal mandates, budgets and test scores, the core function of our role is becoming exponentially more difficult to accomplish.
I wish I could say I have the answers on how to solve these and the other incredible challenges we face as professionals. What I hope is that my years of experience, my willingness to collaborate, my ability to listen and my eagerness to learn from others will help me to assist NSPRA in addressing these challenges. I offer that my most important role on the Executive Board will be as a servant leader devoted to helping the organization address challenges and support the membership.
What do you hope to contribute to our profession as an NSPRA Executive Board member and Association leader?
As I stated when I submitted my name to the Executive Board Search Committee for consideration, my service to the membership would continue my journey to “pay it forward.” Many have assisted me during my time in the organization — I will never be able to repay them. However, my goal is to have the time I spend on the Board peppered with examples of working collaboratively with the other NSPRA board members to make decisions based upon what is best for the membership as a whole.
I also believe strongly in fiscal responsibility, and I believe that was reflected during my time as president of INSPRA. As a board member in a professional organization, I believe it is my duty to ensure decisions on how to use the financial resources are made in a way that builds trust. It is an important role that must be taken seriously.
Finally, I would hope to assist NSPRA continue its path toward becoming an organization where membership is a necessity for school public relations practitioners and superintendents (both with and without public relations professionals). I believe that helping expand the membership in these difficult financial times is an important goal for NSPRA.
Candidate for South Central Region Vice Presidents:
Julie Zwahr
Career and Professional Background: Julie Zwahr, director of communications and partnerships for the Little Elm (Texas) ISD, has served large, fast-growth school districts and small, one-high school districts as a school public relations professional in rural, suburban and urban districts. She has served in a one-person office in Texas and has also managed a diverse staff of professionals and support employees in a large urban county district in the eastern United States. She understands the difference between PR practitioner and PR counselor, guiding various leadership teams through successful bond elections, budgetary difficulties, intense employee relations situations and critical emergency responses.
More importantly, Julie understands the importance of systemic, two-way daily communications as she builds relationships with the various internal and external publics associated with public schools. She has skillfully mastered the art of developing personal relationships and connections that help influence positive attitudes and support for her organization. The bottom line for her is loyalty to children and the promotion of strong communication strategies as she carries out her commitment to education. The greatest example of this was when she became the youngest PR professional to lead NSPRA’s Texas Chapter (TSPRA) back in 1995. Having already done that, she has continued for the following 14 years to give back to both TSPRA and NSPRA by serving and chairing committees, presenting at state and national conferences, mentoring colleagues and representing her home-state chapters in Texas and North Carolina.
How can school PR professionals best advance our role as communication leaders, demonstrate communication accountability, and build understanding of communication as a core management function?
Two years ago, our district produced a video based on a popular segment from ABC’s “Good Morning America” that asked our administrators to select three words as their personal mission statement for the year. What were my three words? Help leaders lead. It is important for our members to know they can find support in the form of a professional organization that values research, analysis, communications and evaluation to remain on our journey to meet the individual needs of each student. Our success, and the advancement of our profession, is largely based on the relationships we build with our leaders and one another.
What do you consider to be the major communication challenges facing districts/education organizations today and what qualifications, skills and expertise do you offer as an Executive Board member to help NSPRA support members in addressing these issues?
With rapid change and evolution of communications methods in our lives and schools, no other time proves more critical than the present to build on NSPRA’s past and current leadership. Due to federal funding, the economy and political rhetoric — education seems to be on the proverbial ropes. Now more than ever our publics need to feel supported by schools, and have confidence that student success is still our top priority. My perspective as a parent whose student is currently in the midst of the mandated, standardized testing process will bring a unique focus to the board table. For many years I have publicized student accountability standards, and met with countless organizations to discuss their importance. Never has my focus been keener, than the present on academics, rigor and the systems of measure.
What do you hope to contribute to our profession as an NSPRA Executive Board member and Association leader?
I truly believe NSPRA is now poised in the very seminal, prominent position of “trust builder” for our country’s educational future. While all communications professionals are now being asked to change and adapt to new communications strategies, advocating for quality education for all students and reaching-out even deeper into our communities and build confidence, NSPRA has managed to stay in front and lead the way for us and I hope to perpetuate that success.
While local budgets dwindle, our professional organization has remained relevant and ready to support each member. Even during its own financial uncertainties, NSPRA has been able to rely on the time and talents of the core membership to keep the momentum going and the membership moving forward. Because I am passionate about this profession, energized to take on more responsibility, and sincerely wanting to give “back” to my profession, I ask that you help me to help leaders lead…and for “our” NSPRA to truly be “the” leader in public education.
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