Press Releases

NEW YORK, December 11, 2012 – The Public Relations Society of America New York Chapter (PRSA-NY) today announced the election of its 2013 board. The election comes on the heels of a record membership increase for the chapter which is the third largest in the country with over 750 members. The following will serve as the chapter board of directors in 2013:

President: Lea-Ann Germinder, APR, Fellow PRSA, President, Germinder & Associates

Immediate
Past President: Harry R. Zlokower, President, Zlokower Company Public Relations

President-elect: Henry Feintuch, President, Feintuch Communications

VP/Programs: Hanna Lee, President, Hanna Lee Communications

VP/Membership: Diane S. Thieke, President, Simply Talk Media

VP/Marketing: Katie Kirby, Vice President, DKC Public Relations and Marketing

Secretary: Brandi Boatner, Digital Experience Manager, Demand Programs Professional
Global Technology Services, International Business Machines (IBM)

Treasurer: Linda Krebs, Founder & CEO, LKPR

Director: Jessica Anderson, Vice President, Corporate, Hill+Knowlton Strategies

Director: Keith Green, APR, Vice President, Communications & Agency Partnerships, Synergy Events

Director: Ken Scudder, Communications Trainer and Consultant

Director: Barbara M. Burns, APR, Founder and President, BBA Communications

Director: Robbin S. Goodman, Executive Vice President and Partner, Makovsky + Company

Director: Irene Z. Maslowski, APR, Fellow PRSA, President, Maslowski & Associates

Director: Sandra Fathi, President, Affect

Director: Deborah Radman, APR, Fellow PRSA , Principal, Radman Communications

Director: Art Stevens, APR, Fellow PRSA, Managing Partner, StevensGouldPincus

Director/Delegate: Leslie E. Gottlieb, President, LG Strategic Communications

Director/Delegate Emmanuel Tchividjian, SVP & Executive Director & Chief Ethics Officer, Ruder Finn

Director/Delegate Michael Rinaldo, EVP & General Manager, DNA Medical Communications

Director/Delegate Chi-Chi Millaway , Social Media Director, KCSA Strategic Communications

Director/Delegate David Rosen, Director of Corporate Communications Practice, Burson-Marsteller

Director/Delegate Erica Saviano-Tsioutas, Senior Media Specialist, New York, Ketchum

Director/Delegate William F. Doescher, President & CEO, The Doescher Group

Director/Delegate Scott David Berwitz, Corporate Communications Director, Mindshare North America

Director/Delegate Barri Rafferty, Senior Partner & CEO, North America, Ketchum

Also at the annual meeting, chapter president Harry Zlokower, president of Zlokower Company Public Relations, acknowledged Anchin, Block & Anchin, LLC for its significant and ongoing support of the chapter. Mr. Zlokower was presented with a plaque by incoming president Lea-Ann Germinder, APR Fellow PRSA, recognizing his leadership of the chapter. During his tenure as president, the chapter experienced a record year of not only increased membership, but also programming attendance, a prestigious Big Apple Awards Gala featuring guest speaker Dan Rather, and a record number of Big Apple entries.

“I am grateful to the PRSA-NY board and membership for their enthusiastic service in educating and sustaining our profession and community,” Mr. Zlokower said. “Our Career Forum, Big Apple Awards, dynamic professional development programs and well-planned Hurricane Sandy Benefit highlighted a year of hard work and dedication by this fine organization.”

Also announced at the annual meeting was the formation of a 2013 Community Outreach Initiative to provide donations and services to the organizations in the New York metropolitan area. Nicky McHugh, vice president, MSL New York will chair the Community Outreach committee.

PRSA-NY recently concluded a 2012 Community Outreach initiative. The chapter hosted a holiday benefit for the children of Coney Island affected by Hurricane Sandy. The chapter raised funds for Our Lady of Solace’s Recreation League to replace baseball equipment lost in the flooding and provided gifts for the holiday party of the Friends of Kaiser Park. President-elect Henry Feintuch grew up in Coney Island and co-chaired the event with Mary Buhay, a PRSA-NY member and vice president, Business Development & Marketing, Gibbs& Soell.

"After the hurricane struck, and we came to understand the extent of the damage and loss suffered by New Yorkers, we decided to convert our annual holiday party into a benefit that would help lift the spirit of some of those affected," said Mr. Feintuch. "We found reputable partner organizations in Coney Island that would help deliver the gifts we contributed and the monies we raised directly to benefit Coney Island kids. Donations are still being accepted by PRSA-NY for members of our community looking to help."

About PRSA-NY
The Public Relations Society of America, New York City chapter is one of the founding chapters of the Public Relations Society of America, the worlds’ largest professional organization for public relations practitioners. Founded in 1948, PRSA-NY is the third largest PRSA local chapter in the United States. The chapter serves the interests of public relations professionals working in business and industry, counseling firms, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. Chapter board and committee members are volunteer public relations professionals who work in the New York metropolitan area.