PRAM

BILOXI, Miss., October 21, 2009 – The Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) recognized Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM)-Mississippi Beach Chapter member Susan Lepoma Perkins, APR, as a Senior Practitioner during its annual conference held Oct. 4-6 in Tunica.

Perkins, a staff officer with the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (DMR) Office of Coastal Management and Planning, coordinates the annual Coastal Development Strategies Conference and manages public relations for the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area. Prior to her current position, Perkins worked eight years in the DMR Public Affairs Bureau. She has held board positions with PRAM-Mississippi Beach Chapter, has won numerous public relations awards and earned her Accreditation in Public Relations in 2007. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in public relations from the University of Southern Mississippi.

SPRF members who are designated as Senior Practitioners are recognized as veteran public relations professionals with high ethical standing. Based on criteria set by SPRF, each local chapter nominates and selects senior practitioners. Each nominee must meet three of the following four criteria: 1) the nominee has 15 years of public relations experience; 2) accreditation was received by the Universal Accreditation Board; 3) the nominee served as an officer or board member at the chapter, state or SPRF level; 4) the nominee has received a peer-reviewed, public relations-related award such as a SPRF Lantern award or similar honor.

Founded in 1972, SPRF is a regional network of more than 1,300 public relations professionals from Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana and north Florida who share a common interest in the public relations profession. SPRF is the umbrella organization for the Public Relations Association of Mississippi, Public Relations Council of Alabama, the Public Relations Association of Louisiana and the Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization.

More than 60 area public relations professionals are members of the Mississippi Beach Chapter of PRAM. The group offers numerous networking and professional development opportunities for employees of the public relations and communications industry. For more information, contact Melissa Bryant, PRAM Mississippi Beach president, at 228-363-7257 or melissabryant@coastepa.com.

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