The mission of NSPRA/Ohio is to facilitate support for and trust in education through comprehensive communications and public relations efforts.

NSPRA/Ohio is dedicated to fulfilling this mission by:

• Assisting members in listening to and communicating responsibly with their many internal and external publics.
• Enhancing the image and role of public relations with educational management.

GOALS
The goals of NSPRA/Ohio in support of this mission are:

• Promoting the practice of school public relations by demonstrating the professionalism of the organization and its members.
• Enhancing the value of membership by increasing networking and professional development opportunities for members.
• Monitoring and influencing public policy, particularly as it pertains to the field of education and/or school communications.

ACTION PLANS 
Promote the practice of school public relations by demonstrating professionalism of organization and membership.

• Increase the number of accredited NSPRA/Ohio members
  • Arrange to have in attendance and identify to attendees an accredited school public relations professional at NSPRA/Ohio-sponsored workshops and conferences to provide information and answer questions regarding the accreditation process.
  • Identify accredited public relations professionals across the state willing to serve as mentors to NSPRA/Ohio members interested in attaining their APR. NSPRA/Ohio President will facilitate, with assistance from Executive Board and NSPRA/Ohio Committee Members.
• Expand NSPRA/Ohio’s marketing and programming to school board members, superintendents, treasurers and other educational management professionals. Work closely with other professional educational organizations to expand on the development, co-sponsorship and delivery of workshop, conference and communiqué content to both NSPRA/Ohio members and to the educational organizations’ memberships.
• Schedule and co-sponsor with OSBA at least one annual regional workshop (at sites in Northern Ohio and Southern Ohio) whose content is pertinent to current issues and events, particularly as they relate to the fields of education and effective public relations.
• Have Executive Board Members serve as break-out session presenters on educational communications and public relations-related topics at the annual OSBA Capital Conference.  Encourage NSPRA/Ohio members to do the same.
• Provide veteran NSPRA/Ohio members as panel participants in the annual OSBA “New-to-School-PR” workshop.

Enhance the value of membership by increasing networking and professional development opportunities for members.

• Conduct membership drives in the Spring and Fall prior to a new school year, providing members with two opportunities to renew their membership. This will allow members the chance to tailor to individual district budget cycles and requirement their membership requests.
• Improve membership retention and new memberships through personal contact.
  • Contact all “drop out” members, following the Fall Membership Drive, to provide them with information regarding the benefits of membership and to encourage them to re-join NSPRA/Ohio. NSPRA/Ohio President will facilitate efforts, with assistance from Executive Board and members of the Membership Committee.
  • Contact non-member school districts, following the Fall Membership Drive, with information about member benefits and to encourage membership in the chapter. NSPRA/Ohio President will facilitate, with assistance from the Executive Board and members of the Membership Committee.
• Prepare and distribute an Annual Report that focuses on chapter accomplishments and membership benefits. NSPRA/Ohio President will facilitate preparation of Annual Report, with assistance from Executive Board Members.
• Have NSPRA/Ohio President send “All-Call” requests to all members in a timely manner.
• Post new and archived “All-Call” responses to the website, making information available only to members.
• Implement and use existing and emerging technologies – such as a content-management-based website, email, and social networking options -- to communicate regularly with members regarding “best practices” in school public relations,   professional development and networking opportunities and current educational and communication issues that may impact members and their districts.
• Develop an annual membership needs assessment and tailor professional development opportunities and other programming and communications to the identified member needs.
•  Hold an annual Fall Workshop and Luncheon, in conjunction with the OSBA Capital Conference in Columbus. Topics of workshop should center on current educational and public relations issues, events, legislation and crises, particularly as identified in the membership needs assessment.
• Hold an annual Spring Conference and Awards Program. Topics of conference should center on current educational and public relations issues, events, legislation and crises, particularly as identified in the membership needs assessment.
• Schedule a “social” component to the Spring Conference and Awards Program to provide attendees with a networking opportunity.
• Recognize school public relations professionals for excellence in educational communications efforts -- as deemed so by a panel of judges – and recognize said award winners at the Spring Conference and Awards Program.
• Utilize NSPRA/Ohio website as a vehicle for showcasing said award-winning work and the school public relations professionals who created it.
• Post a membership contact list, including members’ “areas of expertise,” on the NSPRA/Ohio website and provide access only to members.
• Encourage NSPRA/Ohio members to serve on chapter committees, encouraging greater involvement of a larger number of members in chapter business and fostering member interest in serving on the Executive Board.
• Develop a contact list of veteran school public relations professions across the state willing to serve as mentors to newer school PR professionals. NSPRA/Ohio President will facilitate, with assistance from the Executive Board and NSPRA/Ohio Committee Members.
• Promote NSPRA membership to NSPRA/Ohio members and underscore the corresponding benefits of national membership in a professional school public relations organization with membership in the local chapter.

Monitor and Influence Public Policy

• Monitor pending local, state and federal legislation and assess its impact on education, school communicators and their districts.
• Notify members of any impacting legislation, develop a position statement – when appropriate -- and urge members to support the organization’s position by contacting their local representatives.
• Provide school public relations professionals from among NSPRA/Ohio membership to collaborate with other professional educational organizations, serve on committees and testify before the House and/or Senate on pending issues and legislation that impacts education and/or the field of school public relations.