Prsa Members on the Warpath Meeting Saturday

PRS Reformers Heat Up The Warpath

Petition by 50 leaders is criticism of “regime” of Rhoda Weiss and the selection of Mike Cherenson over Tony D’Angelo, say members. The “50” (47 of them APR) are so mad they may vote “No” Saturday when asked to approve the slate.

PRS REFORMERS HAVE LIST OF GRIPES

Members of the “Group of 50” are demanding “openness” and “transparency” at the PR Society but these are “code words” for criticism of the administration of Rhoda Weiss and the nominating committee’s selection of Mike Cherenson as chair-elect over Tony D’Angelo, say those who are close to the group.

They’re “furious” at Cherenson skipping from secretary to chair-elect without first serving as treasurer and bouncing Tony D’Angelo, who was treasurer, from the chair-elect nomination, say these sources.

Weiss and her administration are under fire for being too control-conscious (skimpy delegates’ binder, failure to face big chapters, tight control of PRS website, private e-group for delegates, lack of governance reform, appointment of Ray Crockett to board without an announcement, transcripts 2005-06 Assemblies denied to members, etc.).

Angering a number of ex-presidents is the refusal of Weiss to attend the presidents’ dinner Oct. 22 when the current president traditionally is “roasted.” She has told the 20 or so presidents expected at the dinner that she will visit all the section dinners (there are 19 sections) that evening and may stop by for dessert. She has also told them she does not want to be “roasted,” sources say.

The worst offense, they say, is the plan by Weiss and chair-elect Jeff Julin to take up the morning session of the Assembly with leader speeches and then force the delegates to sit in designated seats rather than where they want to sit and force them to discuss the “Strategic Plan” for an hour and a half.

Weiss, who moved the Assembly lunch up to noon from 12:30, told a delegate teleconference Oct. 9, “I will make it happen” (discussion of Strategic Plan).

Nomcom Tradition Violated

Not only was tradition trampled on by the nomcom, say members of the “50” (all APR except for three), but the Society could be headed by another “obscure” PR person from a small or one-person firm instead of D’Angelo, who has a PR post at a division of one of the biggest companies, United Technologies.

The dissidents are so mad at the nomcom’s other choices, including Rosanna Fiske as treasurer (and in line to be chair-elect), Mary Barber for secretary, and Kathy Hubbell for N. Pacific director, that they may scuttle the election of anyone this Saturday, sources say.

They note that only five of the 20 nomcom members signed the petition for transparency/openness and that none of the current board members signed it.

“50” Have Power

Powerful members of the “50” include eight former presidents—Del Galloway, Kathy Lewton, John Beardsley, Joe Epley, Jerry Dalton, Jack Felton, Judith Bogart and Barbara Hunter.

Some of the “50” are also angry at such staff appointments as Bill Murray as COO, who had no PR background and who has appeared before only one chapter; Phil Bonaventura, CFO who is not allowed to use “CPA” after his name because he has not taken the required 35 hours of CPA courses annually, and Joseph DeRupo as associate PR director, who was not only not APR but wasn’t even a member of the Society.

Lawyers Gut Proposal of “50”

Also angering the “50” is the virtual “gutting” by PRS lawyers of their resolution to encourage the development of qualified leaders and to encourage more “openness” and “transparency” at PRS.

The PRS law firm, Venable, a 600-member firm based in Washington, D.C., that has replaced Moses & Singer of New York, told the “50” to make 19 changes in the resolution or it would be ruled out of order when presented to the Assembly.

The resolution and the 19 changes were presented to the delegates in their private e-group.

Wherever there is an instance of the Assembly trying to act on its own, the Venable lawyers demanded that the wording be removed or changed.

“The core issue,” said “50” members Blake Lewis and Debbie Mason, “is that the Assembly cannot create, designate or take actions; the Assembly can only recommend to the board.”

Crossed out under orders from Venable were such words as “create,” “designate,” “lead,” and “empower.”

The initial resolution, for instance, said, “Be it resolved that the 2007 Assembly hereby creates a delegate-led process to study PRS’s national leadership development continuum.”

Venable lawyers told the “50” to change it to: “The Assembly recommends to the PRS board of directors…” or the resolution would be immediately ruled out of order and no discussion allowed at the Assembly.

Makes APR Look Bad

Members of the “50” have told friends that the actions of the current PRS administration, made up exclusively of APRs, makes APR itself look bad.

Among the signers are Marisa Vallbona, 2007 chair of the Universal Accreditation Board, and Mary Graybill, 2006 UAB chair.

Significant, say observers, is that only five of the 20 members of the 2007 nomcom are among the “50.”

They are Deanna Pelfrey, past director; John Beardsley, past president; Maria Russell, past treasurer and secretary; Gail Winslow-Pine, co-chair, section council, and Gary McCormick, past national director (he resigned from the board in mid-term in 2006).

Nomcom members not signing the petition are Cheryl Procter-Rogers (2006 president serving in an ex-officio capacity); Judith Phair, 2005 president and nomcom chair; Bob Frause, representing the College of Fellows; Debra Miller, chair of the Fellows and ex-president; Sue Bohle, L.A.,; Michelle Lantz, Grand Ledge, Mich.; Robin Chapman, Norfolk, Va.; Gail Liebl, St. Paul, Minn.; Kevin Kane, Rochester, N.Y.; Cary Greenwood, Lincoln City, Ore.; Wendy Kurtz, Orlando, Fla.; Karen Halvorson, Oklahoma City, Okla.; Anita Saunders, Middletown, Conn., and Jane Dvorak, Lakewood, Colo.

Dissident PRS members conjectured that when the nomcom picked Cherenson over D’Angelo for chair-elect, that Cherenson would not have accepted that nomination (skipping over the treasurer’s post) unless he had assurances that he would win that nomination. Otherwise, he would have to have left the board.

Mark Schilansky, the parliamentarian for PRS from 2004-2006, was an ex-officio member of the 2007 nomcom.

He was unable to be present at the 2006 Assembly because of an illness. He said he is completely recovered and working on numerous assignments but has no current assignments from PRS.

Lawyer Beth Caseman of Venable will serve as this year’s parliamentarian, the Oct. 9 teleconference was told by Weiss. “We are thrilled to have her as part of our team,” she told the teleconference.

Veteran PRS members said this is the first time PRS has not had a local parliamentarian and that the use of Caseman constitutes a conflict of interest and is further evidence of the Weiss administration’s attempts at control of the Assembly.

Signers Listed

Signers of the “Resolution in Support of PRS Leadership Development” also include Joe Trahan, Patrick Pollino, Steve Shivinsky, Katie Foster, Kara Ford (not APR), Ofield Dukes, Judy Turk, Dave Meeker, Mary Beth West, Tom Vitelli, Isobel Parke Jackson, Mike McDermott, Steve Seekins, Elizabeth Toth, Michael Bardin, Robin Schell, Mike Jackson, Brenda Wrigley, Linda Hadlen (not APR), Dave Simon, Gary Grates (not APR), Dean Kruckeberg, Jim McCall, Donna Stein, Richard Toth, Laurie Wilson, Aileen Katcher, Merrie Kershaw, and Marty Campanello.