TORONTO, Nov. 28, 2016 /CNW/ - The Communications + Public Relations Foundation (C+PRF) has charted a new path to success by appointing the following individuals to its 2016-17 Board of Directors:
Executive
Chair: Yanik Deschênes, LLB, ARP – Montreal, Que.
1st Vice Chair: Grace Diffey, APR, FCPRS – Hamilton
2nd Vice Chair: Blair Peberdy, APR, FCPRS – Toronto
Secretary-Treasurer: Laura Balbinot, CPA, CMA, B.Com –Toronto
Past Chair: Robert Paddon, APR, MA, MBA – Vancouver
Directors
Robert Batherson, BPR – Halifax
Ken Evans – Toronto
Patrick R. Hammond, APR – Lethbridge, Alta.
Andrew Molson, LLB, BA, MSc – Montreal
Mark Seland, APR – Calgary
Jean-Claude Torchia – Montréal
Deborah E. Trouten, MA, APR, FCPRS ICD.D – Toronto
Anita Wasiuta, APR – Victoria
"By looking at the 2016-17 Board of Directors, it's clear the C+PRF is in good hands," said Yanik Deschênes, LLB, ARP, Chair, C+PRF who is also Head of Global Communications at Sid Lee and President of YPR Canada. "Each of us brings decades of communications and managerial experience to our roles and will work together, focused on public relations education and research, doing everything we can to ensure the continued success of the Foundation."
One of the Board's first orders of business was approving a new governance model mirroring the relationship between the Public Relations Society of America and its Foundation. Under the new model, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) will provide the C+PRF with communications, marketing and administrative support.
In recent years, the C+PRF has explored new ways for it to preserve the financial stability required to successfully administer its many scholarships, awards, annual fundraising and research campaigns, the Jack Yocom Public Relations Profile Collection and the Diana and Charles Tisdall Lecture in Communications.
"A stronger relationship between the C+PRF and the CPRS will help both organizations realize our missions more effectively," said Deschênes. "We look forward to working with the CPRS long into the future, continuing to lead the way for Canadian public relations professionals."
Following the approval of the new model at the C+PRF annual general meeting on July 8, CPRS Executive Director Karen Dalton, CAE, APR, took on responsibility for managing the Foundation and quickly established a new donation method using CanadaHelps.ca to foster effortless donations to the Foundation on their website
cprfoundation.ca/donate.html.
Over the next few weeks, the C+PRF will announce its priorities for the year to come.
About C+PRF
The Communications + Public Relations Foundation (C+PRF), established in 1979, is a recognized, not-for-profit, charitable organization that: is committed to increasing public knowledge and awareness of the role of public relations and communications through support to educational initiatives and conduct of original communications research; promotes the advancement of public relations and communications as a vital function in society; and is dedicated to the public interest. The 2015-16 Annual Report is available at
http://cprfoundation.ca/governance.html.
The Foundation is governed by a national board of communications professionals and those from the business sector. It is a separately incorporated organization and has had a strong relationship with the Canadian Public Relations Society through its founders. Directors are elected annually at the organization's annual general meeting, and may serve up to three, two year terms.
About CPRS
Founded in 1948, the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is a not-for-profit organization whose members are engaged in the practice, management or teaching of public relations. Members work to maintain the highest standards and to share a uniquely Canadian experience in public relations. CPRS is a federation of more than 2,500 members across 14 Member Societies based in major cities or organized province-wide. The CPRS 2016 Annual Report is available at
http://www.cprs.ca/aboutus/governance/reports.aspx
MEDIA CONTACT: Karen Dalton, Executive Director, CPRS National, 416-239-7034,
kdalton@cprs.ca