Philadelphia Public Relations Association

06/16/2026

Registration is now open for the PPRA Annual Meeting!

Join us on July 28 as we celebrate another successful program year, recognize our annual award winners and welcome new board members!

This annual event is one of our most important gatherings, bringing together members from across the region for networking, celebration, and a look ahead at the future of the organization.

Register now: https://ppra.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=98&ts=1781266241

06/09/2026

Know a Philly PR pro or a college student majoring in PR who's quietly doing extraordinary work? Now's your chance to put them in the spotlight. 🏆

Nominations are open for the 2026 PPRA Annual Awards, which honor the best in public relations across Greater Philadelphia. Five awards are up for grabs:

🎓 Dr. Jean Brodey Student Achievement Award
⚡ Fast-Track Award
🤝 PRoactive Community Service Award
📸 Larry Rubin Award for Best Publicity Stunt

Nominations close July 3. Don't let a deserving colleague go unrecognized – nominate them today.

https://ppra.net/Honors_Awards

06/08/2026

Don’t miss 250 Reasons to Connect: The Power of PR and Events, a joint event from the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) and Greater Philadelphia ILEA (International Live Events Association).

Join industry leaders for a behind-the-scenes conversation on how public relations and live events work together to create visibility, drive attendance, generate buzz, and strengthen community impact across Philadelphia.

Featured panelists:

• Cari F., Founder, Relief Communications
• Amanda Kaster, Vice President of Partnerships & Community Impact, Welcome America
• Kellianne DeBlase, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Welcome America Inc.

If you're in PR, events, marketing, communications, or community engagement, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

Register now before it's too late!
https://ppra.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=96&ts=1780342449

06/05/2026

Dear PPRA Members,

Many of you have already heard the news that our friend and colleague, Nina Zucker, passed away suddenly on June 1, 2026.

Nina was a longtime member of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association and a respected leader in the profession. She served as President of PPRA from 1995 to 1997 and was inducted into the PPRA Hall of Fame in 2008 in recognition of her many contributions to the public relations community.

Nina remained actively involved in PPRA throughout her career and until her final days. Most recently, she served as co-chair of the 2026 Hall of Fame Luncheon honoring Ashley Berke. Her dedication helped make the event a memorable celebration for our honoree and our members.

As founder and president of Nina Zucker Associates, Nina built a distinguished marketing communications and public relations firm known for strategic planning, brand-building, media relations, event planning, crisis communications, and destination marketing.

Nina was also a mentor, advocate, connector, and friend to countless people. She generously shared her knowledge, mentored young professionals, and strengthened the public relations profession through her leadership and service.

Her family shared the following reflection:

"The family of Nina Zucker is devastated to announce that Nina passed away suddenly on Monday, June 1, 2026. The bright spark of our family has dimmed. Nina was a vivacious, tenacious and creative force of nature. Petite in stature, her reach was far and wide. A recognized leader in the public relations field, Nina's clients, including those in the arts community, entertainment industry, publishing and non-profit world, were among the most widely recognized, both locally and nationally. Her skill at promoting and publicizing the successes of others was well-known. In contrast, she showed true humility with respect to herself. As a loving daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, cousin, niece, mentor and loyal friend, Nina was always there for those in need, helping to lift others up.

May Nina's memory be for a blessing."

On behalf of PPRA, we extend our deepest condolences to Nina's family, friends, colleagues, and all those whose lives she touched. We are grateful for her decades of service, leadership, friendship, and support of our organization.

Please see some photos of Nina throughout the years, with PPRA.

06/01/2026

For public relations and communications professionals, understanding how creators, journalists, and subject-matter experts are using Substack is becoming increasingly important.

Join the Philadelphia Public Relations Association for a conversation with writer, Diana Lind, author of the Substack newsletter The New Urban Order. Through a moderated Q&A, Diana will discuss the growing influence of independent publishing platforms like Substack, her approach to creating content that resonates with readers, how she has cultivated a direct relationship with her audience, and the ways these platforms are reshaping today’s media and communications landscape.

Register at https://ppra.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=97&ts=1779911433.

Check out Diana's Substack at https://thenewurbanorder.substack.com/

05/27/2026

Join the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) and International Live Events Association of Greater Philadelphia (ILEA) for "250 Reasons to Connect: The Power of PR and Events", a conversation exploring how public relations and live events come together to create visibility, buzz, attendance, and lasting community impact across Philadelphia.

This behind-the-scenes discussion will feature industry leaders who have helped shape some of the region’s most recognizable cultural moments and citywide celebrations. Panelists include:

- Cari Feiler Bender, Founder, Relief Communications

- Amanda Kaster, Vice President of Partnerships & Community Impact, Welcome America

- Kellianne DeBlase, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Welcome America

Register by June 2 to secure early bird pricing at https://ppra.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=96&ts=1779825270.

Join the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) and the International Live Events Association of Greater Philadelphia (ILEA) for 250 Reasons to Connect: The Power of PR and Events, a conversation exploring how public relations and live events come together to create visibility, buzz, atten...

05/22/2026

Studio 2 at WHYY welcomed PPRA corporate and board members this week for a Q&A with the show’s executive producer, Kevin McCorry, and co-host, Cherri Gregg. Members also had the opportunity to watch a live-streamed episode of the show together from the studio.

05/18/2026

Want to sharpen your media pitching skills?

Join PPRA for an upcoming Pitch Perfect featuring Monique Curry-Mims, MBA, MSEd, CAP®, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Generocity. Learn how Generocity approaches coverage of the social impact sector and what makes a pitch stand out in their newsroom.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear directly from a leading voice in mission-driven journalism.

Register now: https://ppra.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=95&ts=1777557151

05/05/2026

03/05/2026

For more than 2,000 years, the Catholic Church has elected 266 popes.

217 were Italian.
49 were from elsewhere in the world.

Not one was American.

“They will never be an American pope,” Bishop Robert Barron said the day before the conclave — echoing what many had believed for decades.

Then the white smoke rose.

An American.
An Augustinian.
A graduate of Villanova University.

The 267th pope.

In an instant, Villanova was thrust onto the global stage — with cameras, headlines, and the eyes of the world watching.

How does a university navigate a media moment that big?

This Friday, join us for a behind-the-scenes conversation on how Villanova managed the global spotlight — and what institutions can learn when the world suddenly starts watching.

Register at: https://ppra.starchapter.com/meetinginfo.php?id=89&ts=1770412692