The Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association Named Chapter of the Year

August 16, 2022 – Sarasota

The Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association (CWC-FPRA) was recognized for excellence in public relations during FPRA’s 83rd annual conference in Orlando. The honors received by the organization included Chapter of the Year, as well as chapter awards for membership and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Additionally, several individual board members were recognized for their achievements.

“CWC-FPRA is always leading the way, but to do that year over year is no easy task,” said FPRA state president Devon Chestnut, APR, CPRC. “They took this year’s FPRA theme of ‘Greater Than’ to heart and focused on making their chapter even greater than.”  

Under the leadership of CWC-FPRA president Melanie Reda, APR, CPRC, the chapter focused on diversifying its board and monthly programming, provided scholarship and mentoring opportunities, as well as facilitated numerous events to help members earn their public relations accreditation (APR). 

CWC-FPRA was also recognized at the state level for its special emphasis on DE&I over the past year. Reda is the chapter’s first openly LGBTQ+ president and the chapter worked hard to provide more racially diverse speakers and attract more diverse board members. 

Additionally, as the largest chapter in the state with nearly 120 members, CWC-FPRA was recognized with the Membership Award for its high renewal rate, multi-faceted retention efforts, and numerous networking opportunities to keep members engaged with the chapter and one another.

“It has been my honor and pleasure to lead the chapter and work with an outstanding board of directors this past year,” said Reda. “Each member of the board has worked especially hard to ensure we are providing value for our chapter members, and being recognized with these awards, especially Chapter of the Year, was an exciting moment for all of us.”

In addition to CWC-FPRA’s chapter awards, the following board members also received recognition at the ceremony: Erin Hoffer, MA, APR, CPRC, graduated from LeadershipFPRA Class VI and Hunter Carpenter, a Joe Curley Rising Leader Class Member, was a LeadershipFPRA Scholarship Winner.

The Central West Coast Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association meets monthly for professional development luncheons and networking. Visit www.cwcfpra.com for further information.