PRSA Portland Metro Chapter
PRSA Portland Metro Chapter

Volunteer Opportunities

Volunteering with PRSA Portland is a chance to leap-frog your career and form relationships that will last a lifetime.

It’s also the single best way the chapter can aid you in your professional development journey.

As a volunteer, you can right-size your experience to match your available capacity and your learning outcomes:

  • Become a C-level executive of an organization with more than 225 “employees”
  • Gain supervisory experience
  • Road test new hires without having to create an internship program at your organization
  • Cherry pick the projects you are passionate about
  • Help shape the very definition of public relations in our region

Volunteer opportunities (by functional area)

Aspiring to our mission to advance the public relations profession and professional requires a passionate, committed army of practitioners who donate their time to this worthy cause.  Learn more about our (volunteer) organizational structure and how we’ve disseminated responsibilities across a number of positions, enabling us to share skill-building opportunities, as well as organizational responsibilities.

Advocacy

Central to PRSA’s mission is sounding a clear, consistent voice on important issues of our time. PRSA’s advocacy program demonstrates the leadership role of practitioners within the public relations profession and in the global community. In 2010, PRSA revised its advocacy program to focus on three core areas: the business value of public relations, ethics and diversity within the profession. The Portland Metro Chapter Advocacy team has the opportunity to build this area of our organization from the ground-up, strengthening the role public relations practice in our own community. (In 2015, this team will report to the Chapter president.)

  • Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Specialist
  • Chair, New Professionals Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Chair, Presidents Council Advisory Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, New Professionals Committee
  • Masterminds Specialist
  • Member, Presidents Council Advisory Committee (limited to past presidents)

Executive Branch

The role of the Executive Branch is to serve and inspire public relations professionals in Portland, to oversee our organization’s functional areas and to identify future leaders within the Chapter, thereby ensuring the continuance of governance.

  • President (board position)
  • President-elect (board position)
  • Immediate Past President (board position)
  • Chair, Nominating Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Chair, Board Development Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, Nominating Committee
  • Member, Board Development Committee

Finance and Development

The Finance and Development team is tasked with increasing shareholder value, but who are our shareholders?

Our shareholders are the more than 225 dues-paying members, dozens of annual sponsors and scores of future members who attend our events and support our programming (through dues, sponsorships and ticket sales).  The Finance and Development team serve a critical role within our organization: Its members safeguard the financial health of our organization, thereby ensuring our shareholders receive a return on their investments.

Most public relations professionals shy away from these kinds of roles, but if you’re looking to take that next step up your personal career ladder, a background in budget management, business development and financial-based decision making is a great way to prepare yourself  for that next rung.

  • Treasurer / Chief Financial Officer (board position)
  • Director, Development (board position)

Finance

  • Chair, Finance Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Chair, Revenue Model Task Force (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, Finance Committee
  • Member, Revenue Model Task Force

Development

  • Chair, Major Gifts Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Chair, Donated Services Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, Major Gifts Committee
  • Member, Donated Services Committee
  • Friends of the Chapter Specialist
  • Donor Relations Specialist
  • Development Specialist

Member Relations

We have more than 225 chapter members who look to our organization for inspiration, engagement and resonance in support of their professional and career development.  The Member Relations team leads the PRSA Portland Metro Chapter through a focus on member services, recruitment and retention.

  • Vice President, Member Relations / Chief Relationship Officer (board position)
  • Chair, Membership Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, Membership Committee
  • Volunteer Coordinator
  • New Member Relations Specialist
  • Member Relations Specialist
  • Partner Relations Specialist
  • District Relations Specialist

Operations

PRSA Portland has grown steadily and is now seeking to develop a sustainable program to support volunteer involvement and member growth. The Operations team is tasked with scaling our organization and developing a performance culture among a group of diverse, talented individuals.

  • Secretary / Chief Operations Officer (board position)
  • Leadership Assembly Delegate (board position)
  • Chair, Bylaws Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Chair, Operations Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Chair, Board and Volunteer Training Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Chair, Chapter Historians (chair position description, committee description)
  • Chair, Strategic Planning Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Chair, Research Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Vice Chair, Research Committee (committee description)
  • Member, Bylaws Committee
  • Member, Operations Committee
  • Member, Board and Volunteer Training Committee
  • Chapter Historian
  • Member, Strategic Planning Committee
  • Member, Research Committee

Professional Development

The Professional Development team will lead our organization through a change management initiative to dissolve the marriage between “events” and “professional development” within the Chapter.  In the last few years, in-person public relations training has become a crowded marketplace, and we need to take a fresh look at what differentiates us from our (friendly) competition.

  • Vice President, Professional Development / Chief Development Officer (board position)
  • Director, Events (board position)
  • Director, Recognition (board position)

Career Development

  • Chair, Accreditation Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, Accreditation Committee
  • College of Fellows Coordinator
  • Chair, Professional Development Plans Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, Professional Development Plans Committee
  • Mentors Network Coordinator
  • Member, Career Development Committee

Events

  • Speaker Relations Specialist
  • Annual Meeting Coordinator
  • Special Events Coordinator
  • Chair, Programming Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, Programming Committee
  • Chair, Communicators Conference Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, Communicators Conference Committee
  • Chair, Spotlight Awards Ceremony Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, Spotlight Awards Ceremony Committee
  • Behind the Newsroom (Media Tours) Coordinator
  • Networking (Pop in PR) Coordinator

Recognition

  • Chair, Awards of Distinction Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, Awards of Distinction Committee
  • Reciprocal Judging Coordinator
  • Spotlight Awards Call for Entries Specialist
  • Spotlight Awards Submissions Coordinator

Public Relations

The Public Relations team is the communications function for an association of communicators focused on advancing the profession of public relations in the region. This team’s mission is to elevate the reputation of the organization within the public relations community and the broader business community.

  • Vice President, Public Relations / Chief Communications Officer (board position)
  • Media Relations Specialist
  • Design Specialist
  • Webmaster
  • Chair, Content Strategy Committee (chair position description, committee description)
  • Member, Content Strategy Committee
  • Newsletter Editor
  • Online Community Manager
  • Multimedia Specialist

How to volunteer

We’d love to use your talents! And you gain experience and demonstrate leadership. Please contact our chapter volunteer coordinator at volunteers@prsapdx.org.

The Nominating Committee will review inquiries for board positions beginning July 2016. All positions remain open until filled.