FPRA exPRess | June 2005

REVISED APR PROCESS EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2005
(continued from Page 1)

Any rebates or partial refunds of the examination fee will be at the discretion of participating organizations.

2. In addition, as a result of the annual review of the examination for Accreditation in Public Relations, the computer-based examination has been refreshed. Beginning on July 1, an additional 30 unscored beta-test questions will be added, and the time allotted to complete the examination will be extended to 3 hours and 45 minutes, including 10 minutes for a suggested break.

Full information about accreditation may be reviewed at www.praccreditation.org . Contact Phoenix McKinney, APR, accreditation chair of FPRA Tampa Bay, with specific questions about the process not addressed at the on-line site.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF
YOUR FPRA

CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION
ON LEADERSHIP

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President Scott Taylor The Taylor Company	President-Elect Jamilette Melendez Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance
VP of Programs/Treasurer Sarah Woosley City of St. Petersburg	VP of Memberships Dan McLean, APR, DEM Communications
VP of Communications Kimberly Skrovanek Sunken Gardens/City of St. Petersburg	Accreditation Chair Phoenix McKinney, APR, Tampa Water Department
Community Service Chair Becky Keeslar Family Resources, Inc.	Image Awards Chair Rebeca Searcey Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council
Secretary Tracey Sievertson TLS Media	Professional Development Chair David Mallory Mallory Public Relations

MEDIA TEA REVIEW
by Becky Keeslar

Tea, scones and Devonshire cream. All that was missing was the Royal Family. But we did have some of our own local media royals at FPRA Tampa Bay 's afternoon Media Tea on May 19 at The Coliseum in St. Petersburg . Round table discussions provided insight and clarification about essential elements that are needed when sending press releases and pitching stories to the media.

Media representatives in attendance included: Vicki Benchimol, WFTS-TV; Peter Bernard and Rod Challenger, WFLA-TV; Diane Egner and Scot Kaufman, WUSF; Helen Huntley and Sharon Tubbs, St. Petersburg Times; Tina Karagiannis, Bay News 9; Pam Langan, Tampa Bay Business Journal; Mitch Perry, WMNF-FM; Casey Slott, Tampa Bay Illustrated; Bradley Stager, WUSF-FM; David Warner, Weekly Planet; and Melissa Wells, Maddux Business Report.

Rick O'Keefe, of O'Keefe and Associates said he attended the program to meet specific media representatives and that he enjoys the FPRA Tampa Bay programs, finding them precise, to the point and pertaining to his business. “This type of program makes it easier than driving around trying to meet the media,” he said.

The program was sponsored in part by Bacon's Information, Inc. For more information, visit www.bacons.com.