The PRSA Foundation

This month, the PRSA Foundation named Thomas Bennett III as President-Elect and welcomed Darrel Ng to the Board of Trustees. Thomas Benett is an HBCU alumni with over 22 years of experience. He is a Senior Vice President at FleishmanHillard, a global PR and communications agency that was named the 2023 Agency of the Year by PRWeek. In his role at FleishmanHillard, he helps lead efforts to drive new business and organic growth for the agency and provides strategic consultation for clients around DEI. Additionally, he works with all FleishmanHillard General Managers across North America, EMEA, and APAC on their local office diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) plans. Darrel Ng is a seasoned strategic communications and marketing executive, leading a team of 40+ at a Fortune 25 health care company. He is currently the Vice President for Communications and Marketing and chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council at Health Net, where the business unit leads the enterprise with a 40% participation rate in the company’s Employee Inclusion Groups.

Today we are announcing our 2024 class of fellows, which was conceived by and funded through Mission North’s cross-industry diversity initiative that aims to empower the next generation of PR professionals. The collaborative effort creates pathways for individuals historically excluded from leadership positions in the public relations industry by offering opportunities to gain valuable work experience while offsetting some of the financial burdens of tuition and other education expenses. Six different PR agencies support the program, which includes a combination of scholarships and stipends awarded through the PRSA Foundation totaling $80,500, and paid internships with each agency. This year, the fellowships will be awarded to: ●       Agean Public Relations Fellowship: Fatoumatta Sowe, Cornell University ●       The Bliss Group Bliss-Baker Fellowship: Jalani Isaac, St. John’s University ●       Just Drive Media Communications Fellowship: Evelyn Ealey, Elon University ●       LaunchSquad Fellowship: Natalie Aldous, Brigham Young University ●       Method Communications Fellowship: Venecia Easter, Florida A&M University ●       Mission North The Future Is… Fellowship: Naiyana Williams, Hampton University The fellows will complete a five-to-eight-week paid internship this summer, using a curriculum developed by Mission North following the launch of its The Future Is… Fellowship in 2022. Learn more at https://lnkd.in/dNCVytv2

One week left to apply for PRSA Foundation scholarships! We're awarding over over $66,000 in scholarships for public relations and communications students this year, including scholarships just for PRSSA members. The application deadline is Tuesday, April 30. Learn more & apply at https://lnkd.in/eJT3PHZn

We’re announcing today that nine new Trustees have been appointed to the PRSA Foundation Board of Directors. The appointees will serve a 4-year term as a member of the Board and oversee the strategic direction of the PRSA Foundation. The new Trustees include communications and public relations leaders from across the profession who have spearheaded efforts to advance diversity, equity and inclusion in their fields throughout their respective careers. The new appointments include: Cristina Alfaro, Manager, Global DEI Strategy & Alignment at McDonald’s Thania Benios, Senior Director of Communications at Stevens Institute of Technology Felicia Blow, PhD, APR, CEO and Founder at Walker Blow Consulting Stephen Chavez, President & CEO at ChavezPR Sharon Fenster (She/Her), CEO at Sharon Fenster Consulting LLC Betty Hudson, President at Hudson & Associates Cayce Myers, Ph.D., LL.M., J.D., APR*, Professor of Public Relations, Director of Graduate Studies at School of Communication, Virginia Tech Teresa Valerio Parrot, EdD, APR*, Principal at TVP Communications Andrea Richardson, MBA, Executive Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Zeno Group   “It’s an honor to welcome these new leaders to the Foundation’s board of directors,” said Antonio Hernández Crane, president of the PRSA Foundation. “These individuals are key influencers and leading PR experts who will help us advance the Foundation’s mission to expand our outreach and impact when it comes to promoting inclusion and diversity across the PR industry.” *Member of PRSA’s Board of Directors

We’re excited to announce that applications to our 2024 fellowship program are open! Together with Agean Public Relations, The Bliss Group, Just Drive Media, LaunchSquad, Method Communications, Mission North , and PressFriendly, we’re taking steps towards a more progressive future for the public relations industry by creating pathways for individuals who’ve been historically excluded from leadership positions. This year, we’re expanding one fellowship and introducing three new fellowships for BIPOC-identified public relations and communications students, for a total of seven fellowship opportunities. Each fellowship includes a scholarship and five-week minimum paid agency internship during summer 2024: Agean PR Fellowship: $2,500 scholarship, 5-week remote internship Bliss-Baker Fellowship: $5,000 scholarship, 8-week in-person internship with The Bliss Group in New York, NY Just Drive Media Communications Fellowship: $5,000 scholarship, 8-week remote internship Launchsquad Fellowship: $10,000 scholarship, $4,000 stipend, 8-week remote internship Method Communications Fellowship: $15,000 scholarship, $3,000 stipend, 6-week remote internship Mission North The Future Is…Fellowship: $30,000 scholarship, $6,000 stipend, 8-week remote internship PressFriendly Fellowship: $1,500 scholarship, 8-week remote internship Applications are open now. Deadline is Friday, March 8.  Learn more and apply at https://lnkd.in/eqZeg6nn

"I am so excited for what this means about what I've already done and that it was acknowledged, and there are people that believe in me and want to help me fund this education that I've been pursuing, and that I'm passionate about." Congratulations to Marissa Crane, senior at Seattle Pacific University and 2023 recipient of the Horace and Susie Revels Cayton Scholarship, funded by the PRSA Puget Sound Chapter! Support this scholarship and others at https://lnkd.in/eEZcBtHr

As we approach the holiday season, we're thankful for supporters like you who have helped us award over $130,000 in scholarships, fellowships, and grants to students - our largest giving year yet. Giving Tuesday is on Tuesday, November 28. This day celebrates generosity, collaboration, and the power of doing good. This Giving Tuesday, help us bring even more educational and professional opportunities to diverse young students entering the public relations profession. Please consider the PRSA Foundation for your year end charitable contributions and make your donation at https://lnkd.in/eAB8RFrC. Through your generosity, we'll be able to give more financial support to talented public relations students, allowing them to focus on their education and develop their professional skills.

"It's a great way to kick-start my career and it's very helpful during the school year as my family is going to be paying two college tuitions soon." Congratulations to Isabel Hinojosa, a 2023 recipient of the PRSA Diversity Multicultural Scholarship!

"I finally found my niche and I found a loving community of PR professionals to help me throughout my career." Congratulations to Adham Mohamed, 2023 recipient of the Axia Public Relations Scholarship!

"This scholarship not only helped me in my educational pursuits, but it also encouraged me in my professional aspirations." Congratulations to Meseret "Mercy" Mehzun, a 2023 recipient of the PRSA Silicon Valley Diversity and Multicultural Scholarship!