National Council on Accreditation

The APR is the highest global professional standard of excellence in public relations and the CPRS accreditation program is the only senior-level public relations credential currently offered in Canada. The National Council on Accreditation is responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining the Society’s accreditation program.

Current members include:
Presiding Officer: Tom Ormsby, APR 
Board Liaison: Danielle Côté, APR
Members: 
Susan Gee, APR 
Sharmin Hislop, APR
Alyssa Lai, APR  
Silvie Letendre, APR, FCPRS
Alexandre Sevigny, APR 
Celia Sollows, APR 
Jackie Spurrell, APR 
Guy Versailles, APR, FCPRS

Chief Examiner: Alexandre Sévigny, PhD, APR
 

Council News

The National Accreditation Council was pleased to welcome new council members Alex Sévigny, PhD, APR, and Sharmin Hislop, BSc, APR, at a council meeting held on September 9, 2020. 

Sévigny is a long-time member of CPRS Hamilton, who has served on that board since 2009. He is associate professor of communications management and communications studies in the Department of Communications Studies at McMaster University. He also serves as director of the McMaster Communications Management Research Lab and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Professional Communication. From 2011-2019, he served as director of the Master of Communications Management Program, co-offered in partnership with Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communication. Sévigny is also a communication management consultant focussed on data-driven decision making. He will serve as Chief Examiner.

Hislop, a long-time member of the Edmonton chapter, is Director of Corporate Communications at Alberta Blue Cross, where she is responsible for strategic oversight of corporate communications, acts as media spokesperson and ensures brand reputation integrity. A member of CPRS since 1999, she has served in a variety of positions on the Edmonton board of directors, including acting as chair of the mentorship committee from 2012-2015.  Ms. Hislop will serve on Council as a Member-at-Large.

Other members of the National Accreditation Council are: Colin Babiuk, APR, FCPRS; Lydia Boyko, PhD, APR, LM; Danielle Côté, APR; Sharon Hawrelak, APR; Patrice Leroux, APR, FSCRP; Jeff Meerman, APR; Margaret Pearcy, APR, LM (presiding officer); Matt Wood, APR (national board representative). The council is ably assisted by Aisling Bermingham, Certification Coordinator. 

The work of the council is supported by a number of regional Accreditation Chairs, including: Jane Antoniak, MCM, APR (Hamilton); Danielle F. Côté RN, APR (Ottawa-Gatineau); Eloi Courchesne ARP (SQPRP); Jonathon Dyck, MA, APR (Vancouver Island); Scott Jackson, APR (Vancouver); Kimberlee Jones, APR (Calgary); Patricia MacNeil, APR (Vancouver); Julie Rogers, APR (Northern Lights) and Jason Small, APR (Manitoba).

The National Accreditation Council is responsible for oversight of the CPRS Accreditation (APR) and Public Relations Knowledge (PRK) programs. For more information on Accreditation, please contact Aisling Bermingham.

Interested in supporting the National Council on Accreditation? Fill out our Volunteer Application and let us know.