November Message from ECD Board Chair, Kaylin Staten

Dear PRSA ECD community,

November always brings out introspection and gratitude. On my end, it’s likely due to the start of the holiday season and being able to gather with loved ones for Thanksgiving. I have also been reflecting on the past year, and I must say, I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to be the 2023 PRSA ECD Chair! It has been a rewarding experience, and has allowed me to get to know our ECD board members, Chapter leaders, Chapter members, and others in a deeper way. Thank you for being on this journey with me! 

It was wonderful to see so many of you in person at September’s QuickStart Leadership Conference in Columbus and October’s Leadership Rally and Assembly in Nashville. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for ICON, so I lived vicariously through our members’ and Chapters’ posts on social media! It has truly been reinvigorating to connect with colleagues across our District and across the nation, as well as learn more from each of you so ECD can continue to provide value for you. I have a wealth of notes and ideas on my iPad that I am still combing through!

With that revitalized spirit, however, I do realize that many of us are stressed. Qualitatively, I gathered that many of us are holistically exhausted during roundtable discussions and in other conversations in Nashville. We were likely tired even before the COVID-19 pandemic, but that exhaustion continues to grow. As a leader within PRSA, as well as within my daily job and other roles (especially as a mom to a three-year-old son), I know that PR/communications can be challenging and stressful. National Stress Awareness Day is Nov. 1, and I penned an article on PR and mental health on my Substack that could be of interest to you. My door is always open to talk more about PR and mental health, should you ever need it.

There is always hope, though. I believe we have the best District, full of passionate, dedicated leaders and members who will share their own stories to help others. I have witnessed this all year in our meetings, offline conversations, and in our first ECD Chair Coffee Chat on Oct. 27. Thank you to those who attended this inaugural coffee chat! Please mark your calendars for Friday, Nov. 17 at 9 a.m. and Friday, Dec. 15 at 9 a.m. for our next coffee chats. Register below, and more formalized invitations will soon follow.

• Register here for November.
• Register here for December.

Although this year is coming to a close, there are still several things happening at ECD! Reciprocal judging is currently happening for our Diamond Awards, and we will release our winners before the end of the year. Stay tuned! You have likely seen this all over social media and otherwise, but you’ll recognize a familiar face as our 2023 Platinum Award winner: John Palmer, APR. John is one of our illustrious ECD Past Chairs, member of the Central Ohio Chapter, and director of media and public relations for the Ohio Hospital Association. I am exceedingly thrilled to announce John as the recipient, as it’s well-deserved. Congratulations, and we thank you, John, for your past, present, and future leadership in PRSA and our industry. 

We are also in the midst of preparing our 2024-2027 strategic plan and finalizing items for 2024. Stay tuned for more conversations and information! Register for our ECD Town Hall on Nov. 7 at 3 p.m. with PRSA National and 2023 PRSA Chair Michelle Egan, APR. It’s an opportunity to see everything happening at PRSA and to ask your pressing questions.

I hope you celebrate your successes – and even the missteps – as you read through this newsletter. We love highlighting the exceptional work of our District and its Chapters! As always, I am forever thankful to our amazing ECD Board of Directors. All of you have taught me more about leadership and our profession. I have valued your work this year and will continue to enjoy watching each of you grow into future PRSA roles and in other parts of your lives!

Enjoy the penultimate month of our closing 2023 chapter.

With gratitude,

Kaylin