I’ll try to keep this short and sweet since many of you joined the Annual Meeting Happy Hour last week and heard my remarks. 

For anyone who doesn’t know me, I am a Digital Media Manager at Bellevue Communications Group working primarily in traditional PR and social media for clients in all industries. I live in South Philly, am a proud Temple Owl, also serve on the board of Families Forward Philadelphia, and spend my free time re-watching Gilmore Girls while trying not to kill my growing collection of houseplants. 

Being part of a community has been the driving force behind my experience with public relations from my time at Temple in PRSSA and PRowl to present-day when I sit here so humbled and excited (and of course a little nervous) to be the next PPRA president. Getting to know so many talented communications professionals over the past five years has been an absolute pleasure and inspiration. It’s an honor to be tasked with leading this organization and its nearly 300 members. 

My goals for this year are to:

• Streamline internal PPRA processes
• Expand the range of topics covered by our programming
• Continue and build on Diversity and Inclusion practices 
• Renew our focus on mentorship
• Create a greater sense of collaboration between the board and PPRA membership

Written out that sounds like a lot, but I think it all goes hand in hand to help us continue serving our membership in the most meaningful and impactful ways. One thing I know for sure is that I can’t make all of this happen without your help so I have two requests: 

Get involved! We have 18 committees currently recruiting chairs and members. Join one that compliments skills you already have or one that will help you grow new ones. It’s great for your resume and you’ll meet some really wonderful people.

Connect with us! I want to hear what YOU want from our programs, networking opportunities, and mentorship options. Email me any time at lfaust@bellevuepr.com or connect with me on social @londonfaust. 

Thank you for trusting me with this organization that has done so much for me. I’m looking forward to working together to make this year another great one.