PRSA Oregon offers a complimentary Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) prep course for chapter members, led by experienced coaches to guide Oregon chapter members through the program.
The APR asserts professional competence; communicates professional expertise, plus personal and professional dedication and values; reflects progressive public relations industry practices and high standards; and sets professionals apart from their peers, positioning them as a leader and mentor in the competitive public relations field.
Congratulations to our three PRSA Oregon members who have earned their APR in 2020: Eric Johnson, Tom Fuller and JC Vannatta.
Eric Johnson, APR, PRSA Oregon Chapter Membership Co-Chair
City of Roseburg
Eric is the Communications Specialist with the City of Roseburg, where he serves on the management team. Eric’s duties at the City include implementing a comprehensive strategic communication plan, including media relations, website content, writing and designing print publications, managing the City’s social media efforts and electronic communications. Additionally, he is responsible for community engagement with citizens as well as internal systems that promote City employee communications.
Before working at the City of Roseburg, Eric was the Public Relations Coordinator at Explore Lincoln City, where he honed his skills as a PR professional in the tourism marketing industry. Outside of work, Eric is an active member of the PRSA Oregon Board of Directors, where he serves as co-chair of the membership committee. Eric is also an avid runner, reader, gamer and cat dad.
Eric received his APR in December 2019 after many months of studying and preparing. Throughout the process of achieving accreditation, Eric has learned to think strategically about long-term public relations planning and looks forward to putting that knowledge to the test in Roseburg.
Tom Fuller, APR
Oregon Department of Transportation
Tom is the communications manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation. Tom oversees a group of professional communicators across the state that assists the agency in communication planning, messaging, public outreach, education, web, social media, video and graphics, and media relations. Tom is a 20-year veteran and Emmy®-winning television journalist and communications professional with over 19 years of experience in state government. He has won numerous public relations awards including a 2017 Award of Excellence and the “Best of Show” award for the 2016 National Association of Government Communicators Blue Pencil Awards.
Tom serves on the board of directors for the National Association of Government Communicators. Tom also serves as the chair of the state of Oregon E-governance Board, which oversees the Oregon.gov website. Tom holds an accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America.
He is a national speaker on content and visual engagement strategies as well as communications planning and measurement. Tom holds a BA degree in Communications Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. In addition, he is the published author of five books on Oregon history and a licensed drone pilot.
JC Vannatta, APR
TriMet
JC is the managing director of communications, marketing and customer experience for the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon or TriMet. As managing director, he oversees the agency’s media relations, social media, employee communications, creative services, marketing & advertising, community outreach, sales and customer experience.
JC is no stranger to transit having worked nearly 20 years in transit in various communications capacities at three different transit organizations – two of those being in Chicago. JC also has the scars from working in the broadcast news industry where he worked for seven years as a television news reporter and producer.
JC holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations from Montana State University. He doesn’t own a car and uses transit to get where he needs to go!
Get started on your accreditation!
The Oregon PRSA Chapter has a long history of success in helping members get their accreditation. Classes are offered online via Zoom. We work with a team of coaches and professionals to help you be successful, including, but not limited to, Mara Woloshin, APR, Fellow PRSA; Chuck Williams, APR; Dave Thompson, APR; Stacy Keen, APR; Patti Akins, APR and Jean Kempe-Ware, APR. The next session is planned for February 2021, unless we have members who would like to study for their accreditation sooner. For more information, please contact Patti Atkins, APR (patti@prpatti.com).