May 2023 
Letter from the President
Can you believe we’re already heading into June? As I look toward the summer, I’m excited for our happy hour and Bisons Game on July 25. We had a wonderful turnout last year, and I’m so grateful for all that our Membership Director Nia Carter-Redding has done to make this such a fun outing for our members. I hope to see many of you there!
As a reminder, our Annual Excalibur Awards have been moved to Sept. 21. Don’t forget to review the new timeline submissions and join the Excal committee for a webinar on June 13 to learn how to prepare your winning entry.
Please also save the date for our August Sunrise Seminars. This year’s theme is “Community Conversations for DEI” and will dive into inclusive messaging, ADA accessibility for website and social media and the benefits of diversity training. These are important conversations that our chapter must continue to facilitate. I thank Programming Director Darra Kubera and Diversity Committee leaders Sara Green and Jennifer Owens for their hard work securing experts to lead these sessions.
Lastly, I want to encourage you to join a committee or get involved where you can. Our chapter’s strength comes from its members, and we need your engagement and support to continue to our success. Please feel free to email me if you’d like to talk about opportunities for participation (or to share anything else on your mind!).
Thank you for all that you do,
Grace Gerass
A Message From The Diversity Committee
As communicators, we are tasked with developing relationships with clients and the communities we serve. Often, this means sharing news about celebrations, milestones and good news with customers and stakeholders. Unfortunately, it also means reflecting on and sharing heartbreaking moments.
May 14, 2022, is a day Buffalo will never forget. In the past several weeks, organizations across our region looked to communications partners to craft messages of unity, remembrance and support as we marked one year since the Tops Tragedy.
The weight of this work can be heavy. In these moments, we may struggle to find the right words. We may also struggle to balance our public role with our personal experience of grief. You are not alone. Buffalo Niagara PRSA is a diverse community of individuals who at our core focus on connections with one another. During Mental Health Awareness Month and year-round, know you have support from your PRSA Buffalo Niagara leadership and colleagues.
Please continue to take care of one another, and continue to turn to PRSA as we work to fulfill our mission of maintaining meaningful connections and opportunities to further our personal and professional lives. We also invite you to join our next Northeast District DEI&B Quarterly Meet-Up on June 15 at noon. This is not a sub-committee of the District. Rather, it's a safe space where you can share your own challenges, solutions and struggles, and speak with other communicators across the Northeast with similar issues and concerns. You may learn more and register here.
NE District Conference Update
The PRSA Northeast District is looking for presenters for PRxNE 2023, “PR with Purpose: The Future of the Profession,” taking place on Nov. 3 at St. John Fisher University in Rochester. Submissions are due June 16. Learn more and submit here.
Misc
Plan now to earn your Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in 2024! Our chapter has a Panel Presentation date set for Jan. 13, 2024 (time and place TBD). Interested in taking this next step in your professional development? Email Ginger Geoffery, APR or learn more here.
Sponsorship
Provide value and recognition to our members! Our membership expects quality programming, networking opportunities and public relations support. Our sponsors help us meet this expectation while having their names and messages in front of the best communications professionals in the region. To help support the future generation of PR practitioners, a portion of your scholarship will be allocated to the PRSA May C. Randazzo Scholarship Fund.
Interested? Please contact Marcene Robinson at [email protected].
Member Spotlight
Darra Kubera
Director of Communications for FOS
(short for Facility Optimization Solutions; our parent company is CannonDesign)
Fun fact about yourself
I’m a vegetarian (but should really be called a junk-a-tarian. Give me all the french fries and pizza).
Why did you decide to go into the PR/communications field?
It seemed like a natural fit after earning my bachelor’s in marketing.
Years in PRSA/current involvement
I’ve been in PRSA for 4 years; currently the Programming Director.
What has been your favorite moment of your public relations/communications career thus far?
I just spoke at my first conference a few weeks ago — to a JAM-packed room. It was exhilarating and humbling all at once. I’m so grateful I was given the chance to help educate and inspire other marketing/communications professionals.
Which three people (dead or alive) would you like to have a dinner party with and why?
All three are theatre related.
- Jessica Vosk - I saw her perform at Shea’s in the musical Wicked and she then went on to play the same role on Broadway. Her voice gives me chills and I just want to be her friend.
- Idina Menzel - she’s a legend
- Kristin Chenoweth - another legend, but I need to know her thoughts on how the show Pushing Daises should have ended!
Who/what inspires you in your daily life and/or career?
Honestly, the folks I’ve met through PRSA - they’re some of the most outgoing and hardworking people I know.
Share a Shout Out!
Do you have great news to share? Did you get a promotion or change jobs? Did your team win an award, or did you win recognition for volunteer efforts? Let us know! Share your great news with us, so we can consider featuring it here in the PRSA Buffalo/Niagara newsletter or on social media.
