2019-2020 Project Teams/Committees

Executive Board Search Committee
(Standing Committee)

Chair: Joseph Ortiz, joseph.ortiz@tuhsd.org 623-478-4002 (NSPRA Southwest Region)
Board Liaison: Kelly Avants APR, kellyavants@cusd.com 559-327-9092
Staff Liaison: Mellissa Braham, mbraham@nspra.org 301-519-1227 

Charge:

• To recruit and recommend a slate of one or more candidates for each NSPRA Executive Board office that will become vacant the following year. (2020 – President-elect, Vice President at Large - Communication Technology & Innovation, Vice President of Diversity Engagement).

• Present slate to the membership at the NSPRA 2020 National Seminar in St. Louis, Mo.

Deadline: Slate of candidates submitted to NSPRA office no later than May 1, 2020.

Committee Members:

• Susan Hardy Brooks, APR, susan.hardybrooks@gmail.com 580-250-5671 (NSPRA South Central Region)

• Mary Beth Hill, mbhill@lexington1.net 803-821-1152 (NSPRA Southeast Region)

• Kristine Liptrot, APR, kliptrot@y115.org 630-553-4382 (NSPRA North Central Region)

• Doreen McKercher, doreen.mckercher@camas.wednet.edu 360-833-5563 (NSPRA Northwest Region)
• Maren Smagala, msmagala@nhvweb.net 908-713-4195 (NSPRA Northeast Region)
• Delaina McCormack, delaina.mccormack@acps.k12.va.us 703-619-8003 (NSPRA Mideast Region)
• Shayla Cannady, shayla.cannady@ocps.net  407-317-3200 (NSPRA Southeast Region)

Audit Committee
(Standing Committee)

Board Liaisons: Lana Mueller, lmueller@ltps.org 609-671-5405 (Outgoing)
Staff Liaison: Tommy Jones, tjones@nspra.org  310-519-1222 

Charge:

• To review outside auditor's report and make a report to the Executive Board.

Deadline: 

• Report made at November 2019 Executive Board Meeting and to the membership at the NSPRA 2020 Seminar in St. Louis, Mo.

Committee Members:

• Mychael Dickerson mdickerson2@bcps.org 443-809-8706 (NSPRA Mideast Region) 
• Andy Grunig, APR andy.grunig@fcps.edu 571-423-1212 (NSPRA Mideast Region) 

• Terry Locke locke.terry@cusd80.com 480-812-7647 (NSPRA Southwest Region)

Teller Committee
(Standing Committee)

Board Liaison: TBD

Staff Liaison: Tommy Jones, tjones@nspra.org  301-519-1222 
Charge:

• To count votes, certify the election and contact all candidates about the election results.

Members: 

• TBD

Accreditation Committee
(Standing Committee)

Chair: Naomi Hunter, APR, naomi@naomihuntercommunications.com 650-503-3205 (NSPRA Southwest Region)
UAB Rep: Marcia Kelley, APR, marcia_kelley@hotmail.com 315-434-3415
Board Liaison: Peg Mannion, APR, peg_mannion@glenbard.org 630-417-2339
Staff Liaison: Rebecca Shaw, rshaw@nspra.org 301-519-1221         

Charge:   

• Write two articles for NSPRA publications – one on the value of accreditation and a second on what superintendents need to know about the value of the APR process and accreditation.
• Assist with coordinating Panel Presentations for candidates as needed in states/regions (see below).

• Identify and encourage potential APR candidates.

• Support and use the UAB’s “It Takes a PRo” marketing campaign plan to promote Accreditation to members.

• Serve as a resource to NSPRA chapters and provide advice and assistance in offering accreditation preparation opportunities for members.

• Assist in coordinating and presenting the APR Prep Pre-Seminar Workshop as needed.

• Develop an Accreditation liaison/chair for as many chapters as possible and appropriate.

Pertaining to Panel Presentations: 

• Monitor candidates’ progress through the process and report to NSPRA on each step.

• Serve as the local/regional coordination arm for NSPRA in scheduling Panel Presentations for member candidates for Accreditation.

• Assist chapters in building capacity to host local/state Panel Presentations for candidates.

• Develop relationships/assist chapters to develop relationships with PRSA chapters in states/locales that lack capacity for convening a full panel of NSPRA APRs in order to facilitate the involvement of at least one NSPRA APR on a member candidate’s panel.

• Maintain contact throughout the year with chapters running APR study groups to identify members who plan to become APR candidates and request Panel Presentations at the Seminar.

• Work with NSPRA to identify and recruit members with APRs to serve on Panel Presentations in their state/region and at the Seminar.

• Serve on Panel Presentations at the Seminar and at the local/regional level when possible.

• Be able to explain the steps involved in becoming accredited to interested candidates.

• Thoroughly understand the Accreditation and Panel Presentation process.

Deadline:
Committee chair will provide reports for NSPRA Executive Board Meetings to be held November 2019, March 2020 and July 2020.

Regional Committee Reps:

• Adrienne Leon, APR, adrienne.leon@neric.org 518-464-3960 (NSPRA Northeast Region)
• Leslie McCoy, APR, leslie.mcmcoy@bgreen@kyschools.us 270-792-1807 (NSPRA Mideast Region)
• Lorraine Michelle, APR, michellel@issaquah.wed.net.edu 509-539-2009 (NSPRA Northwest Region) 
• Terry Ryan, APR, tryan@northbrook28.net 847-504-3404 (NSPRA North Central Region)
• Rebecca Villarreal, APR, rmvillarreal@nbisd.org 830-643-5762 (NSPRA South Central Region)
• Cindy Warner, APR, cwarner@shelbyed.org 205-682-7084 (NSPRA Southeast Region)
• Christy McGee, APR cmcgee@ffc8.org 719-382-1576 (NSPRA Southwest Region) 

Communication Equity and Diversity Task Force

Board Team Leader: Heidi Vega, hvega@azsba.org 602-254-1100
Member Team Leader: Joseph Ortiz, joseph.ortiz@tuhsd.org 623-478-4002 ​
Staff Liaison: Mellissa Braham, mbraham@nspra.org 301-519-1227

Task Force Goals: To continue to build resources on diversity communication to expand, add to and support the work that has been done to date by the Diversity Engagement Project Team.

Proposed Tasks:

• Write (or recruit member writers for) minimum of three:

  •  “Connecting Communities” columns in 2019-20 for eNetwork on diversity and communication equity topics.

  • Articles for PRincipal Communicator in 2019-20.

• Compile best practice examples, relevant publications/articles and other materials to update, enhance and add to the Diversity Communications Toolkit.

• For the NSPRA 2020 National Seminar:

  • Assist in identifying relevant topics and activities.

  • Assist in recruiting session proposals for a Diversity & Equity Communication track.

  • 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.

Task Force Members:

• Kenita Bowers, APR, kenita.bowers@doe.virginia.gov 804-225-2543 (NSPRA Mideast Region)

• Shayla Cannady, shayla.cannady@ocps.net 407-317-3200 (NSPRA Southeast Region)

• Catherine Carbone Rogers, catherine.carbone@highlineschools.org 206-631-3002 (NSPRA Northwest Region)

• Richard Franco, rfranco@fusdaz.org 520-840-2991 (NSPRA Southwest Region)

• Royal Gurley, Ed.D., rgurley@dcpsnet.org 804-469-4190 (NSPRA Mideast Region)

• Stephen Nichols, APR, stephen@communicationresources.com 916-709-7210 (NSPRA Southwest Region)
• Akwi Nji, anji@cr.k12.ia.us 319-558-4201 (NSPRA North Central Region)

• Joseph Ortiz, joseph.ortiz@tuhsd.org 623-478-4002 (NSPRA Southwest Region) 

• Carla Pereira, APR, carla.pereira@peelsb.com 950-890-1010 ext 2812 (NSPRA Northeast Region) 

• Alma Sotelo, alma.sotelo@csd83.org 623-691-4032 (NSPRA Southwest Region)

• Lori Perlow, lperlow@camdenesc.org 856-784-2100  (NSPRA Northeast Region) 

• Jason Gaston, jgaston@hoover.k12.al.us 205-439-1054 (NSPRA Southeast Region) 

School Communication Benchmarking Project Team

Board Team Leader: Thomas Scheidel, tscheidel@alleganaesa.org​ 269-512-7700 (Outgoing)
Staff Liaisons: Mellissa Braham, mbraham@nspra.org 301-519-1227
Project Manager: Jennie Kerwood, jenniekerwood@gmail.com 518-774-0504 (NSPRA Northeast Region)​

Project Goals: To identify best-in-class practices and performance measures for critical function area of Bond/Finance elections 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 bond/finance election plans and campaigns.

Project Tasks:

• Identify essential program components for the critical function area.
• Identify evaluative measures for the critical program components.
• Determine best-in-class performance.
• Identify benchmark practices in each of the critical program components based on best-in-class performance.
• Develop "how to" for members on using benchmark practices and measures to improve their own performance.

Deadline: Complete content for sixth critical function area – Bond/Finance Elections – by fall/winter 2019.

Reporting: Team will provide reports for NSPRA Executive Board meetings to be held November 2019, March 2020 and July 2020.

Project Team Members:

• David Beil, davidb@ckschools.org 360-662-1620 (NSPRA Northwest Region)
• Linda Buchman, linda.buchman@springbranchisd.com 713-464-1511 (NSPRA South Central Region)
• Joe Ferdani, APR, joe.ferdani@adams12.org 720-972-6223 (NSPRA Southwest Region)
• Brian Nicol, brianico@hssdschools.org 920-662-7825 (NSPRA North Central Region)
• Athena Vadnais, APR, vadnais@gresham.k12.or.us 503-261-4557 (NSPRA Northwest Region)
• Christopher Williams, cwilliams@dsdmail.net 801-402-5260 (NSPRA Southwest Region)