(Front L-R) Sementha Mathews, Thressea Boyd, Meghan Schunhoff, (Back L-R) Courtney Orr, Erika Bennett, Caila Anderson, Estel Powell, Dr. Shirley Serini, Jessica Catlett, Sharah Denton, Malynda Dorsey, Gretchen Edwards, Leslie Harris, Courtney Gooding.

Area communications professionals have joined to establish South Georgia Public Relations Society of America, the newest chapter of the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals.

The South Georgia PRSA chapter seeks to serve members from Valdosta, Thomasville, Albany, Tifton, Waycross and surrounding communities. Benefits of joining the chapter include monthly networking events and professional development presentations as well as collaboration with other seasoned area communications professionals and access to accreditation in the field. In addition to monthly events, South Georgia PRSA will host an annual conference, which brings in guest speakers to provide the latest information and trends as well as best practices associated with the field of public relations.

“Public relations is a quickly changing profession,” said Thressea Boyd, CEO of THBoyd Communications and president of South Georgia PRSA. “It includes more than just writing press releases; it involves marketing, community relations, social media and web content management, strategic planning, internal communications, employee relations and crisis communication. The benefits of joining the national PRSA chapter include the opportunity to network on a large scale with public relations professionals and participate in webinars, conferences, and other career development opportunities. Being part of the national organization then allows you to participate with a local chapter.”

The chapter was established after PR professionals in the Valdosta area connected to explore ways to unify professional development and collaborative efforts. Prior to its formation, the nearest chapters were the Atlanta-based Georgia Chapter of PRSA and the North Florida PRSA Chapter located in Jacksonville.

“I have been a member of PRSA for years and appreciate the professional development and networking that it provides,” said Boyd. “However, there was a lack of one-on-one interaction with public relations professionals locally. We started a very informal public relations group several years ago, meeting every two or three months for breakfast and networking. The group began to discuss how we could grow and get more members. From there, we decided to move forward with becoming an official chapter of PRSA.”

Contributions from Dr. Shirley Serini, associate professor of communications at Valdosta State University (VSU) and campus advisor of VSU’s Public Relations Student Society of America, provided the group with the framework needed to establish the new chapter. As an accredited member and a PRSA Fellow, Serini has presented at several PRSA conferences and has been an active member of PRSA for many years. She serves as assembly delegate for the South Georgia chapter and is a vital resource for those seeking accreditation.

“One of the organization’s primary goals is to encourage its members to seek Accreditation in Public Relations (APR), which enhances the credibility of a professional in the field,” said Serini. “Accreditation is a very rigorous process that assesses and demonstrates mastery of public relations.”

The newly established chapter is the only organization in South Georgia recognized on a national or state level to bring public relations professionals together for training and networking opportunities.

“PRSA uses the term public relations to mean ‘a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics,’” Boyd explained. “With this definition, you can see where public relations is an important job function within any business or organization.”

Boyd, who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from Harding University, has more than 22 years of public relations, marketing and sales experience, including 17 years at Valdosta State University serving as special assistant to the president and director of communications. She now manages her own consulting firm, THBoyd Communications, and is the publisher and editor for South Georgia Business + Culture Magazine, which launches this October. Boyd is joined by Serini and 13 public relations professionals around the Valdosta community as charter members of South Georgia PRSA.

South Georgia PRSA charter members include: Thressea Boyd (president), CEO of THBoyd Communications; Sementha Mathews (president-elect), public information officer for the City of Valdosta; Dr. Shirley Serini (assembly delegate), associate professor of communications at VSU; Laura Love (secretary), director of community relations for South Georgia Medical Center (SGMC); Courtney Gooding (treasurer), assistant vice president of marketing at Southeastern Credit Union; Leslie Harris (board member), director of marketing and membership for the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce; Meghan Schunhoff (board member), marketing and research manager at the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority; Estel Powell (board member), owner of Estel Powell & Associates; Caila Anderson, senior marketing consultant with CA Marketing Group; Erika Bennett, senior communications specialist at SGMC; Jessica Catlett, marketing and public relations director for Valdosta-Lowndes Parks and Recreation; Sharah Denton, development director of Lowndes Associated Ministries to People (LAMP); Gretchen Edwards, interface analyst for SGMC; Courtney Orr, foundation coordinator at SGMC; and Malynda Dorsey, assistant director of information technology services at Valdosta State University.

Chapter committees include the professional development and accreditation committee, chaired by Serini; membership and public service committee, chaired by Orr; student chapter committee, chaired by Dorsey; programming committee, chaired by Harris; and public relations committee, chaired by Powell.

More information and updates can be found by visiting the South Georgia PRSA page on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/South-Georgia-PRSA-1090082677678478/