PPRA Annual Meeting Recap

Wednesday evening at the PPRA Annual Meeting, the Philadelphia Public Relations Association honored past Temple University PRSSA President, Mackenzie Krott, with the PPRA Dr. Jean Brodey Award. This award honors a student for outstanding interest and professional promise in the field of public relations, academic excellence and community contribution. With a warm welcoming of applause from PPRA members, Mackenzie thanked everyone for their continued support to PRSSA as well as to us eager PR students, whether it be as a mentor, an informational interview or sending us internship openings, they continue to motivate and help us in any way. 

I was lucky enough to join Mackenzie at the event and was reassured once again of the importance and necessity of joining PPRA and their role in PR in the area. We were able to network with familiar faces, esteemed alumni, as well as new faces that we cannot wait to make further connections with. 

The evening started with Tom McGrath, editor of Philadelphia Magazine, as the keynote speaker, followed by the induction of the incoming president and Board of Directors. Tom McGrath spoke about the future of Philadelphia Magazine in print as well as the ever-expanding need for online content. He also mentioned the controversial topics that the magazine covers and how they deal with reactions and potential backlash. We were all excited to hear his positive attitude and confidence about the future of publishing and the magazine, and pleasantly shocked that the number of subscriptions has not changed, even with the presence of multiple online ways of receiving news. Seeing the new Board of Directors inducted was exciting, with multiple Temple and PRSSA alumni serving on the board, it furthered our determination to work hard so that these positions could be in our future. 

A professional association event that took time to award and focus on Mackenzie was incredible to see. All of her hard work has paid off and the award summarizes her qualities. No one was more deserving! 

This guest blog post was written by PRSSA President Brianna Rooney.