About NSPRA
Become a Member
Many members of the National School Public Relations Association have supported their association colleagues through volunteer service on a standing committee or special committee.
Committee chairs, members and charges are listed below. Each committee has specific responsibilities, and some have rules about who may serve on the committee based on NSPRA Policy. Time commitments for committee members vary, but all members are asked to be actively engaged in the work of their particular group.
Association members with questions for a committee should contact the committee's chair first, or if one is not listed, the committee's board liasion.
The slate of committee membership for a new school year is typically approved by the NSPRA Executive Board during its meeting before the National Seminar in July or during its virtual meeting in September. Those interested in committee service are encouraged to express interest in volunteer service on a committee via the Call4All survey by June 1 for service opportunities in the following school year.
Standing Committee
Charge: To encourage all association members to invest in their professional development by becoming accredited, thereby strengthening NSPRA and the public relations profession, as detailed in NSPRA Policy 225.11.
Typical tasks to fulfill this charge include:
Reporting: Committee chair will provide progress reports to NSPRA staff liaison for each scheduled NSPRA Executive Board meeting.
The committee consists of accredited members of the association. Members are appointed by the president for two-year terms of office. The president annually designates a chairperson.
Board Liaison to Committee: Jake Potter, APR, South Central Region Vice President
NSPRA Staff Liaisons to Committee: Melissa McConnell, Manager of Professional Development and Member Engagement, Mellissa Braham, APR, Associate Director
Co-Chairs of Committee:
UAB Voting Representatives:
Regional Representatives:
Charge: To review outside auditor's report and make a report to the Executive Board.
Deadline: Board liaison to provide a report to the Executive Board during the November meeting and to the membership at the NSPRA National Seminar in July.
The committee consists of at least three members, composed of Executive Board members and at least one NSPRA member at large.
NSPRA staff liaison: Kevin Lynch, Director of Finance and Operations
Board members: Lori Perlow, Northeast Region Vice President - Chair; Terri McHugh, North Central Region Vice President
At-large member: Lana Snodgrass, South Central Region member
Special Committee
Task Force Goal: To help ensure that NSPRA is an inclusive association that embraces the diversity of our members, and we empower them to champion equity and anti-racism in the communities they serve, as outlined in NSPRA Policy 110.
Tasks:
Past tasks to fulfill this goal included:
Reporting: Board team leader will provide progress reports to NSPRA staff liaison for NSPRA Executive Board meetings in November, April and July.
The president appoints special committee members, and members serve for one year unless otherwise authorized by the Executive Board.
Board Team Leader: Janine Thorn, Vice President for Diversity Engagement
NSPRA Staff Liaison to Task Force: Melissa McConnell, Manager of Professional Development and Member Services
Members by Region:
The Engagement Taskforce will support the Vice President at Large for Engagement with their efforts on the following for one year:
NSPRA Staff Liaison to Committee: Barbara Hunter, APR, Executive Director
Chair: Julia Burgos, APR, Vice President at Large for Engagement
Charge:
Deadline: Slate of candidates submitted to NSPRA office no later than May 1, 2025.
The committee is comprised of seven association members representing each of the seven association regions and at least one association member who is from a historically underrepresented group. Each member's term of office expires in the same year as the applicable regional vice president. The president-elect appoints one member to serve as chair.
Board Liaison to Committee: Erica Chandler, APR, NSPRA President-Elect 2024-25
NSPRA Staff Liaison to Committee: Mellissa Braham, APR, Associate Director
Chair of Committee: Melissa Robinette, melissa.robinette@spart5.net 864-949-7940 (NSPRA Southeast Region)
Members:
Chair: Erica Chandler, APR, NSPRA President-Elect 2024-25
NSPRA Staff Liaison to Committee: Kevin Lynch, Director of Finance and Operations
The committee is composed of a minimum of three Executive Board members, elected by the board, and the president-elect, who serves as chair.
Board Chair: Trent Allen, APR, NSPRA Immediate Past President
NSPRA Staff Liaison to Committee: Barbara M. Hunter, APR, Executive Director
The committee will be chaired by the Immediate Past President and composed of three Executive Board members, as appointed by the President. The appointment of new Policy Committee members will be approved by the NSPRA Executive Board at its September meeting.
Project Goal: To ensure that NSPRA's Rubrics of Practice and Suggested Measures benchmarking publication continues to identify best-in-class practices and performance measures in all previously identified critical function areas. Scope of Project: Review the first six critical function areas of the Rubrics of Practice and Suggested Measures (developed between 2012 and 2020) through the lens of today's best practices and performance measures as well as in light of the newest critical function area on equitable, diverse and inclusive communications (released in 2023).
Project Tasks: Identify any necessary updates to the existing program components, example strategies and tactics, resources, evaluation measures and glossary terms that will provide school communication professionals with the guidelines and tools they need today to determine the effectiveness of their communication programs.
Deadline: Complete the publication review and submit suggested updates to NSPRA staff by March 2025. Reporting: Board team leader will provide progress reports to NSPRA staff liaison for each scheduled NSPRA Executive Board meeting.
Board Team Leader: Jennifer Dericco, APR, Southwest Region Vice President
NSPRA Staff Liaison to Project Team: Mellissa Braham, APR, Associate Director
Project Manager: Kim Smithgall, pagegarden@gmail.com (518) 312-3527 (NSPRA Northeast Region)
The Special Committee on Region Realignment will undertake a comprehensive review of NSPRA’s current regional structure and make recommendations if changes seem warranted. This review will include research of the pros and cons of a region realignment as well as input and engagement of potentially impacted chapter members. The research methods are flexible and might include a survey, focus groups, interviews, etc. The committee will update the board regularly if needed and deliver its report and recommendations to the board at its July 2025 meeting with a board vote in September 2025 on any proposed changes.
Chair: Lesley Bruinton, APR, Past President
Members, Executive Board
Members by NSPRA region (one representative from each region):
Members are typically appointed by the president only if there is a contested election or bylaws vote. The committee is composed of not fewer than three persons.