Wilson Inducted Into Prsa College Of Fellows

Texas State University School of Journalism and Mass Communication Senior Lecturer and PR Sequence Coordinator Olga Mayoral Wilson, APR, was inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows on Oct. 11 during the PRSA 2014 International Conference in Washington, DC.

The College of Fellows, founded in 1989, is a community of more than 300 senior PRSA members who have advanced the public relations profession and distinguished themselves through their experience and leadership in the public relations industry. Admission is open to public relations practitioners or educators with 20 years of experience or more, who hold the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) credential and have demonstrated exceptional capability and accomplishment in practicing or teaching public relations. College of Fellows members also must exhibit personal and professional qualities that make them role models for other practitioners or educators.

The College of Fellows aims to recognize notable public relations leaders and to further the professionalism and reputation of public relations practice and education. College members mentor public relations professionals and students, support PRSA in executing its strategic plan, specifically in advocacy and education, and create and sponsor a continuing education “Master Class” for advanced professionals each year during the PRSA International Conference.

A selection committee consisting of current College of Fellows members oversees the nomination of new Fellows. The committee solicited and reviewed applications and recommended this year’s candidates to the 2014 Board of Directors.

“The fifteen impressive inductees of the prestigious PRSA College of Fellows each have more than two decades of exemplary public relations work and are a model of what can be achieved in our profession,” said PRSA 2014 National Chair Joe Cohen, APR. “I congratulate them onthis incredible honor and I urge students and new professionals to follow the example of this outstanding group.”

The 2014 inductees to the PRSA College of Fellows are:

Anita A. Brightman, APR, Fellow PRSA, president, A. Bright Idea, LLC
Douglas F. Cannon, Ph.D., APR+M, Fellow PRSA, assistant professor, Virginia Tech
Amy T. Coward, APR, Fellow PRSA, vice president, Palmetto Health Foundation
Sandra C. Duhe, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, associate professor and chair, Southern Methodist University
Geraldine Ann Evans, APR, Fellow PRSA, president and chief executive officer, Evans PR Group
Michele E. Ewing, APR, Fellow PRSA, associate professor, Kent State University
William A. Gay, APR, Fellow PRSA, president, Reliance Public Relations, Inc.
Laura R. Hammel, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, associate professor and program director, Ursuline College
Suzanne M. Holroyd, Ph.D., APR+M, Fellow PRSA, prevention outreach, office of sexual assault prevention and response, Department of Defense
Rose M. McKinney, APR, Fellow PRSA, founder and chief executive officer, Pineapple RM, Inc.
Christopher E. Payne, APR, Fellow PRSA, executive director of communications, Tulsa Public Schools
Robert E. Sheldon, APR, Fellow PRSA, public relations director, Creative Communications Consultants, Inc.
Brenda S. Smith, APR, Fellow PRSA, public affairs director, State Farm Insurance
Olga Mayoral Wilson, APR, Fellow PRSA, senior lecturer, Texas State University
Kelly L. Womer, APR, ABC, Fellow PRSA, vice president and partner, Linhart Public Relations

About the Public Relations Society of America

PRSA is the largest professional organization serving the U.S. public relations community. With a mission to “advance the profession and the professional,” PRSA provides news and information, thought leadership, continuing education and networking opportunities; sets standards of professional excellence and ethical conduct; and advocates for the business value of public relations and greater diversity among public relations professionals. Based in New York, PRSA comprises 112 local chapters, 14 Professional Interest Sections focusing on specific industries and practice areas, and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), active at more than 320 colleges and universities.