Public Relations Council of Alabama - Birmingham

Join us for a free webinar APRIL 15 at Noon

Amanda Jarrett APR, Director of Operations and Communications for the City of Madison, will present her crisis case study about building trust in real time under new or transitioning leadership.

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeja2C_-7i6Dqo4mngNQvvmPncq85x8aOSz5Fp-au3TlhdBNg/viewform

Guardian Credit Union Prattville seeks a Director of Marketing

recruiting2.ultipro.com

PRCA-Birmingham is sad to hear of the passing of Dave Rickey, APR, a leader, mentor, teacher and a dear friend to many. He was known and sought out for his wise PR counsel at a time when social media wasn’t a thing. He knew how to build relationships, navigate politics and find consensus even on the most controversial of issues. Dave's prolific career included roles with Blount Inc., Alabama Power, AmSouth, Alfa, and the Birmingham Business Alliance. He was a long-time advocate for accreditation and a PRSA Fellow.

A memorial service will be held on Monday, August 25, 2025 at 3 p.m. at the Briarwood Presbyterian Chapel. Immediately following the service, a reception will take place. We extend our deepest condolences to the Rickey family.

Whether you are working with a large-scale operation or local organization, the most important part of reporting analytics is knowing how to connect the results of your campaign to your customer's business goals. This was just one of the key takeaways from our August chapter meeting with guest speaker Matt Robinson, director of advertising and analytics at Uptick Marketing. Thank you, Matt, for sharing your insight into the analytics that matter most for PR professionals.

It's not too late to register for our August program! See details in graphic. Register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/prca-b-unpacking-analytics-what-really-counts-tickets-1489190511909?aff=oddtdtcreator

Looking for ways to capture the best analytics for your PR/comms campaigns? On Wednesday, August 6, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., join us at AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company, where we will learn best practices from Matt Robinson, director of advertising and analytics at Uptick Marketing. Register on Eventbrite with the link below to secure your seat and lunch. (Registration deadline is Tuesday, August 5, at 2 p.m.)

Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/prca-b-unpacking-analytics-what-really-counts-tickets-1489190511909?aff=oddtdtcreator

A huge thank you to our friends at Knight Eady for speaking to the Birmingham chapter at American Cast Iron Pipe Company today. It was great to hear how they are working to unite the community through sporting events with help from their community partners and corporate sponsors. We appreciate everyone who attended. Watch for more info about our August meeting covering analytics for PR professionals soon.

Mark your calendars for PRCA-B’s June 4 program, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at AMERICAN Cast Iron Pipe Company, where we’ll learn how PR practitioners at Knight Eady leverage strategic partnerships with the city, sports regulatory bodies and more to position clients and communities for growth and economic development.

During the program, consider how we might identify opportunities in the community for growth at our respective organizations.

Register on Eventbrite to secure your seat and lunch. The deadline to register is 2 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3. We hope to see you there! (For parking info, see Eventbrite overview.)

Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/prca-b-the-business-of-bringing-sports-to-the-magic-city-tickets-1363684600349?aff=oddtdtcreator

It was an afternoon filled with PR/comms insights into the current state of mental health in Alabama, with Malissa Valdes, APR, public information officer for the Alabama Department of Mental Health.

Malissa discussed topics including the difference between trauma and mental health issues; how unrecognized trauma and crises impact the long-term health of children and youth; and how the Alabama Department of Mental Health has worked with community partners, licensed professionals and the Alabama Department of Education to address this ever-present issue. Malissa said more funding is needed for additional crisis centers throughout the state, as communities are becoming more aware of the benefits they offer to persons during crises.

Thank you for speaking to our chapter, Malissa, and for continuing the conversation on how public relations and communications experts can support conversations within the workplace and among those we serve.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we could not think of a better guest speaker for our May program than Malissa Valdes, APR, public information officer for the Alabama Department of Mental Health. If you routinely deal with navigating complex mental health topics at work, you won’t want to miss this opportunity to learn from Malissa.

Join us for lunch in Room 101 at Homewood Public Library on Wednesday, May 7, from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. as Malissa guides us through the current state of mental health care in Alabama and provides insight into how public relations and communications experts can support conversations within the workplace and among those we serve.

Register on Eventbrite by 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, to secure your seat and lunch.

Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/prca-b-mental-health-matters-every-day-in-every-way-tickets-1317569849889?aff=oddtdtcreator

The 2025 Public Relations Council of Alabama State Conference in Tuscaloosa was an exceptional opportunity for public relations and communications professionals to network, gain insight into strategies for effective media relations, ways to breathe new life into a podcast and how A.I. can be used to predict risk. A huge thank you to the conference committee as well as the PRCA West Alabama Chapter for planning and hosting this year’s event.