2021-22 Committees, Project Teams & Task Forces

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.

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. 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. 

To express interest in volunteer service on a committee, email info@nspra.org.

Accreditation Committee
(Standing Committee)

Charge:   

  • Serve as instructors for and assist in the coordination of NSPRA’s national APR Cohort program.
  • Support and provide advice to NSPRA chapters seeking to provide accreditation preparation programs for chapter members.
  • Identify, encourage and assist in finding mentors for potential APR candidates.
  • Write two articles for NSPRA member publications on the value and process of accreditation.
  • Assist in coordinating and presenting the APR Prep Pre-Seminar Workshop as needed.
  • Assist with coordinating Panel Presentations for candidates as needed in states/regions:
    • Provide local/regional coordination of Panel Presentations for NSPRA members who are candidates for accreditation.
    • Help identify and recruit association members with APRs to serve on Panel Presentations.
    • Monitor candidates’ progress through the accreditation process and report to NSPRA on each step.
    • Serve on Panel Presentations when possible.

Reporting: Committee chair will provide progress reports to NSPRA staff liaison for each scheduled NSPRA Executive Board meeting.

Committee Membership

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: Cindy Warner, APR, Southeast Region Vice President 

NSPRA Staff Liaison: Mellissa Braham, APR, Associate Director         

Co-Chairs:

UAB Voting Representatives: 

Regional Representatives:

Audit Committee
(Standing Committee)

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.

Committee Membership

The committee consists of at least three members, comprised of Executive Board members and at least one NSPRA member at large.

Board Liaison: Joe Ferdani, APR, Southwest Region Vice President

NSPRA Staff Liaison: Tommy Jones, Senior Manager - Business/Office Services

Members:

Awards Task Force 
(Special Committee)

Task Force Goal: NSPRA Executive Board members will work with NSPRA staff in an advisory capacity to identify processes needing improvement as well as to ensure clarity of judging criteria.

Tasks:

  • Year One: Release rubrics for each of the three National School Communication Awards programs, promote opportunities for applying for awards, continue with the presentation of the Gold Medallion and share how judges are selected. 
  • Year Two: Review and refine the rubrics.

Reporting: Board members will provide progress reports to NSPRA staff liaison for each scheduled NSPRA Executive Board meeting.

Task Force Membership

The president appoints special committee members, and members serve for one year unless otherwise authorized by the Executive Board.

NSPRA Staff Liaison: Mellissa Braham, APR, Associate Director

Members:

Communication Equity and Diversity Task Force 
(Special Committee)

Task Force Goal: To promote equity and diversity in NSPRA and member communications.

Tasks:

  • Write (or recruit member writers for) minimum of three articles for NSPRA member publications.

  • For the NSPRA 2022 National Seminar:
    • Identify potential speakers on equity and diversity topics, and encourage them to submit session proposals for the Seminar.
    • Assist in hosting the Celebrating Equity Through Inclusion Mixer.
  • Recruit additional task force members representing diverse member stakeholder groups.
  • Provide representatives for outreach opportunities through NSPRA.
  • Compile best practice examples, relevant publications/articles and other materials to update, enhance and add to the Diversity Communications Toolkit.

Reporting: Board team leader will provide progress reports to NSPRA staff liaison for each scheduled NSPRA Executive Board meeting.

Task Force Membership

The president appoints special committee members, and members serve for one year unless otherwise authorized by the Executive Board.

Board Team Leader: Music Watson, APR,  Vice President for Diversity Engagement 

NSPRA Staff Liaison: Mellissa Braham, APR, Associate Director

Member Team Leader: TBA 

Members:

Communication Technology and Innovation Project Team
(Special Committee)

Project Goal: Provide support for NSPRA recruitment efforts and support NSPRA’s digital strategy, by providing publish-ready digital media content for NSPRA’s use.

Scope of Project: This member-driven effort will build resources for NSPRA to enhance the member experience and provide usable content for stakeholders. This service-leadership special project team will be broken into three teams focusing on:

  • Content Marketing
  • Editing, Packaging and Delivery
  • External leads and strategy

Reporting: Board team leader will provide progress reports to NSPRA staff liaison for each scheduled NSPRA Executive Board meeting.

Project Team Membership

The president appoints special committee members, and members serve for one year unless otherwise authorized by the Executive Board.

Board Team Leader: Joshua Sauer, APR, Vice President at Large for Communication Technology and Innovation

NSPRA Staff Liaison: Mellissa Braham, APR, Associate Director

Member:

Executive Board Search Committee
(Standing Committee)

Charge:

  • Encourage members to consider running for the Executive Board and provide information about the nomination, campaign and election process. 
  • Seek out and identify a slate of one or more candidates for each NSPRA Executive Board office that will become vacant the following year. (2022 vacancies: President-elect, Northeast Region Vice President, Mideast Region Vice President, Southwest Region Vice President)
  • Present the slate to the membership during the Annual Meeting at the NSPRA 2022 National Seminar in Chicago, Ill.

Deadline: Slate of candidates submitted to NSPRA office no later than May 1, 2022.

Committee Membership

The committee is comprised of seven association members representing each of the seven association regions and at least one association member who is a racial minority. 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: Cathy Kedjidjian, APR, NSPRA President 2022-23

NSPRA Staff Liaison: Mellissa Braham, APR, Associate Director 

Chair: Shayla Cannady, Shayla.Cannady@ocps.net 407.317.3200, ext. 2002931 (NSPRA Southeast Region)

Members:

Finance Committee
(Standing Committee)

Charge:

  • Provide a mechanism for some Executive Board members to become knowledgeable about and to oversee the association’s finances.
  • Become acquainted with association finances in enough detail to provide other Executive Board members a knowledgeable resource for making financial decisions.

Chair: Cathy Kedjidjian, APR, NSPRA President 2022-23

NSPRA Staff Liaison: Tommy Jones,  Senior Manager - Business/Office Services

Committee Membership

The committee is composed of a minimum of three Executive Board members, elected by the board, and the president-elect, who serves as chair.

Members:

  • Joe Ferdani, APR, Southwest Region Vice President
  • Tracy Jentz, APR, North Central Region Vice President
  • Rhoda Mhiripiri-Reed, Ed.D., NSPRA Vice President at Large — Superintendents of Schools

School Communication Benchmarking Project Team
(Special Committee)

Project Goal: To identify best-in-class practices and performance measures for the critical function area of equity and diversity communications to add to the Rubrics of Practice and Suggested Measures.

Scope of Project: Gather relevant data and produce rubrics that will provide school communication professionals, superintendents and school board members with the guidelines and resources they need to develop effective communication plans to promote equity and respect for diversity within a school community.

Project Tasks:

  • Determine best-in-class performance for the critical function area.
  • Identify essential program components for the critical function area.
  • Identify benchmark practices in each program component for an emerging, established or exemplary program, based on best-in-class performance.
  • Identify evaluative measures for the critical function area.

Deadline: Complete content for seventh critical function area – equity and diversity communications – by spring 2022.

Reporting: Board team leader will provide progress reports to NSPRA staff liaison for each scheduled NSPRA Executive Board meeting.

Project Team Membership

The president appoints special committee members, and members serve for one year unless otherwise authorized by the Executive Board.

Board Team Leader: Music Watson, APR, Vice President for Diversity Engagement

Staff Liaison: Mellissa Braham, APR, Associate Director

Project Manager: Kimberlee Armstrong, Ed.D., karmstrong@srcs.k12.ca.us 415-945-1053 (NSPRA Southwest Region)

Members:

 

Teller Committee
(Standing Committee)

Charge: To certify the results of the 2022 election for NSPRA Executive Board offices in the event that there is a contested election.

Board Liaison: TBD

Staff Liaison: Tommy Jones,  Senior Manager - Business/Office Services

Committee Membership

Members are typically appointed by the president only if there is a contested election. The committee is composed of not fewer than three persons.

Members:  

  • TBD

Membership

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