My PRgative

On Saturday, Oct. 23, I successfully completed the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations, entitling me to use the APR professional designation.  This has been officially affirmed by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), a consortium of nine professional communication organizations that directs this competency certification program.

The Accreditation program aims to improve the practice of public relations by assessing competence in 60 areas of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the profession.  The Examination is designed for public relations professionals with five to seven years of job experience and/or a bachelor’s degree in a communication field. 

It took me a little more than a year to successfully complete the rigorous APR process, which included preparing and presenting my portfolio to a Readiness Review panel of three peers and sitting for a computer-based examination at a Prometric Testing Center in the Houston area.

According to Felicia Blow, APR, 2009 chair of the Universal Accreditation Board, “Earning the APR reflects mastery of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed in our increasingly complex profession.  Practitioners who achieve the designation are demonstrating their commitment not only to our profession, but also to a strong code of ethics and to the betterment of their organizations and clients.”

To maintain my APR credential, I will participate in continuing professional development while also seeking ways to provide leadership to the profession and serve the Houston community.

For more information about the UAB and the APR designation, visit http://www.praccreditation.org.