NEW YORK (Jan. 13, 2010) — Catherine Huggins, APR, has resigned from the PRSA Board of Directors, effective immediately, due to pressing professional obligations. To fill the vacancy, the PRSA Executive Committee will reach out to qualified candidates to submit applications for consideration by the board, which has the responsibility under PRSA Bylaws to fill such vacancies.
“I know I speak for the entire board in wishing Catherine well,” said PRSA Chair & CEO Gary McCormick, APR, after regretfully accepting Huggins’ resignation. “We will miss her important contribution and certainly hope she can again assume a leadership role with PRSA at some point in the future.”
Bylaw Provision
The PRSA Bylaws directly address mid-term vacancies by empowering the board to fill the post for the balance of the unexpired term, as set forth in Article (v) Section (3). To maintain the geographic diversity provided for in bylaw nomination rules, the PRSA Executive Committee will issue a call for qualified applications from the East Central District for board consideration. PRSA’s Executive Committee is comprised of Society officers and the immediate past chair, as well as the president and COO, who serves ex officio without a vote.
PRSA Board of Directors
The PRSA Board of Directors is comprised of 17 voting directors, consisting of four officers, 12 directors and the immediate past chair of the Society, who serves ex officio, as well as up to two non-voting directors who may be elected by the board. Each District is represented by at least one director, while two serve in an at-large capacity.
To be eligible as a qualified candidate for the position of director, a PRSA member must be Accredited in Public Relations (APR) and a PRSA member in good standing. Additionally, candidates for director must have: held a leadership role within the Society at the Chapter, District, Section or National committee level, or served as an Assembly Delegate; or been a public relations professional for 20 or more years with increasing levels of responsibility.
About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
With more than 31,000 members,
PRSA is the largest organization of public relations professionals and students. PRSA is comprised of 110 local
Chapters organized into 10 geographic
Districts; 16
Professional Interest Sections that focus on issues, trends and research relevant to specialized practice areas, such as technology, health care, financial communication, entertainment and sports, and travel tourism; and the
Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which has more than 300
Chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. PRSA is headquartered in New York.
