Paige Fagan – Vice President of Chapter Development

After attending school in Wisconsin for two years, I had returned to Grand Valley State University as a senior. While in Wisconsin, I was a very active member in our UWO-PRSSA Chapter and decided to get involved with our GV PRSSA Chapter. I had obtained a position as an Account Associate with GrandPR and had aspirations to further my public relations skills. Half way through the fall semester, the Vice President of Chapter Development position was made available. I took this as an opportunity to further my leadership qualities and apply for the position.

My position as Vice President of Chapter Development entails membership recruitment, planning and implementing fundraisers, and improving the relationships of our chapter members. It was a little different for me because I started my position more than six months after the other members on E-board. The experience has been challenging, yet very rewarding.

Last semester we held a fundraiser at the library during “exam cram” and sold energy drinks and puppy chow. We were able to reach a large number of students with it being finals week to make the fundraiser a success.

As for this semester, we have been working hard at putting together a “How to Dress Business Professional” fashion show. We want to help communicate to GVSU students how to appropriately dress for interviews, jobs, conferences, etc. The event is going to be open to all students and will take place on Friday, March 16^th at 6:00pm. More information for the event will be released at a later date, please stay tuned!

An important task that Vice President of Chapter Development takes part in is chapter recruitment. For winter semester, I wanted to ensure the same message was being announced to all communication classes that were visited. I created a power point that went over the benefits of joining GV PRSSA and GrandPR. I coordinated with GV PRSSA E-board and GrandPR members in figuring out a schedule and how we can reach the right classes. With the cooperation of professors in allowing us time to give a quick five minute presentation on GV PRSSA and GrandPR, we were able to improve our new membership by over 30%!

Another aspect of my position is the new mentorship program that we have created this semester. I gave all interested members an application to fill out, including their interests in PR. We matched mentors and mentees up with those that have similar interests and aspirations for their career in PR. Members will be receiving their mentor/mentee at the 2/15/12 meeting. I am so excited to how this program is going to help members grow!

This position has opened many doors for me as a public relations student. I have created relationships with my colleagues that have allowed me to feel more confident in my studies. My network has grown, which allows for more input on assignments and feeling more included in the classroom.

I would highly encourage any student to get involved in GV PRSSA E-board. It is a great opportunity to gain leadership experience, network with professors and colleagues, and push your own self limit!