Membership Criteria

Qualification for membership includes: – incorporation; – principal involvement in the business of public relations; – audited U.S. net fees income of $1 million or greater annually; – 5 full time staff-members, including CEOs, owners, presidents; – dues payment at the appropriate level; and – 3 years in business prior to application. Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Recommendation for Development of the Trade Association

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Mission

The association represents the leadership of the public relations business and advocates in favor of the interests of public relations firms doing business in the United States. It promotes, protects, and serves the industry by increasing the importance of public relations among key constituencies, emphasizing excellence of performance and quality standards of the industry, and serving the best interests of its member firms. By extension, the association will help move the public relations business to more valued strategic management function.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Goals

The association will: – Advocate on behalf of member public relations firms by providing aggressive lobbying, marketing, promotional and other value-added services that improve member firms’ bottom lines; – Promote career opportunities that attract highly talented people into public relations consulting firms; – Position the public relations industry as a critical player in the evolving global economy by establishing alliances with other appropriate international organizations; and – Provide better standardized measurement tools.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Confidentiality

• All member information submitted as proof of eligibility shall be reviewed by a professional staff member, who will then make recommendations to the Eligibility Committee regarding membership.

• At no time will confidential information, including net billings information and client lists, be made available to the Executive Committee, the Board or to the general membership.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Vision

The Association should provide: – a service industry that is universally recognized as being a critical business component; – heightened understanding of the uses of public relations services; – heightened prestige for member firms; – greater professionalism and solidarity within the industry; and – economic success of members and growth of public relations firms. Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Critical Issues

• Growth in high-value service is causing a recruiting problems.

• Competition is coming from outside industry sources, such as management consulting firms.

• Firms need to form or join international networks.

• At both the state and federal level, public relations is unrecognized as a government relations player.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Membership Dues

• Dues will be assessed according to audited financials submitted by individual firms.

• Dues amounts are subject to yearly review and revision at the discretion of the Board.

• Dues for the first year will equal .065 percent of members U.S. net income and will be capped to ensure maximum and minimum contributions of $50,000 and $2,500.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

The Board

• The Board will be divided into three tiers that reflect membership tiers. • The Board shall be structured to provide heaviest proportional representation to members contributing at the highest financial levels.

• Each membership tier shall have six Board representatives.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

The Board

Board membership is contingent upon the represented Member firm and will be revoked if: – the Board member, either voluntarily or involuntarily ceases employment with the represented member firm; and/or; – the Board member represents a member firm that has been expelled from the Association according to the bylaws.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

The Board

• The Board shall be individuals who represent member firms.

• Each membership tier shall have six Board representatives.

• The Board will be divided into three tiers, reflective of the three membership tiers Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Voting

• Each member firm shall have the right to vote and to hold office within the membership tier to which they belong.

• Each Board member shall have one vote on the Board concerning all business matters and the election of the Executive Committee.

• Each Officer of the Executive Committee shall have one vote on the Executive Committee.

• In all cases, absent Members, Board Members, and Officers of the Executive Committee may vote by proxy.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

The

PURPOSE

of the Association shall be to: • to further the development of public relations as a strategic management process whose value can be measured; • to achieve the highest possible standards, efficiency of operations, and economic success for members; • To promote the universal recognition of public relations as a critical business component; and • To cooperate with all other associations in the industry--domestic and international--and all other business, research, education, or government institutions in the accomplishment of the above objectives.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

•

Categories of Membership

• The large-firm category will include firms generating $50 million in U.S. net income or more per year. Members will contribute

individually

at the highest level; this category shall generally have the smallest number of members.

• A mid-sized-firm category will include firms generating between $7.5 and $50 million in U.S. net income per year. Members will contribute

individually

at the second highest level and shall generally have the second smallest number of members.

• A small-firm Category will include firms generating between $1 and $7.5 million in U.S. net income per year. Members will contribute

individually

at the lowest level; this category shall generally have the greatest number of members.

NOTE: membership tiers should be maintained so that each tier contributes

collectively

an amount near or equal to the others

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

The Executive Committee

The Board shall elect, from among itself, the following officers: – the Chairman - who will preside at all business meetings and over the Board, exercise the corporate powers of the association, and, along with the Treasurer, will have limited authority over all expenditures of funds; – the Vice Chairman - exercises the above rights in the absence of the Chairman; and – the Treasurer - responsible for the funds and finances of the AAPRF and will review the AAPRF books at least annually, and will arrange for an annual review by a Public Accountant.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Term Limits

• Membership in AAPRF is one-year.

• Board Members shall serve three-year terms.

• Officers shall serve one-year terms.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Special Considerations

• Interim Board - Shall be determined at today’s meeting. Eligible members will be appointed by the Steering Committee.

• The interim Board will have three different terms of office, with two positions from each tier lasting one (1), two (2) and three (3) years.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Committees

• All committees and task forces shall be gathered and named by the Board on an ad hoc basis. • Two initial, standing committees shall be required of the Board: – a Nominating Committee, who will oversee selection and election of the Board; and – an Eligibility Committee, who will approve or deny all applications for membership according to the bylaws.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Meetings

• An Annual Business Meeting will be held each year at a predetermined date.

• The Chairman may call additional meetings as necessary.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Professional Staff

• The senior professional staff member shall be titled “President” or “CEO” of the Association. • Administrative support staff and government relations staff or services shall be retained to assist the senior professional staff member.

• A webmaster staff-person or service shall be retained by the Association to develop and maintain the Website.

Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.

Steering Committee Members

Mr. Gary F. Grates--BoxenbaumGrates Mr. Andy Hopson--Evans Group Ms. Gwin Johnston--JohnstonWells Public Relations Mr. David Drobis--Ketchum Public Relations Worldwide Mr. Raymond L. Kotcher--Ketchum Public Relations Worldwide Mr. Louis Capozzi--Manning, Selvage & Lee, Inc.

Mr. Gary A. Myers--Morgan & Myers Mr. Robert T. Druckenmiller--Porter Novelli Ms. Cathy Lugbauer--Weber Public Relations Worldwide Smith, Bucklin & Associates, Inc.