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PRSA Las Vegas Sets Fall 2025 “APR Ready to Roll” Cohort

Posted by admincarolyn on Apr. 15, 2025  /  APR, News  /  Subscribe 0

(April 12, 2025  - Las Vegas, NV) – Public relations professionals interested in earning their Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) are invited to attend a Jump Start Information Session via Zoom on Tuesday, Aug. 12

Part of PRSA Las Vegas’ APR Ready to Roll program – an accelerated course providing resources and support to help local public relations professionals achieve this certification in just five months - this informational session will provide an overview of the purpose and process to earn the only formally recognized accreditation for public relations professionals. Please RSVP to [email protected] to receive an invitation.

Since establishing the Las Vegas APR Ready to Roll program in 2020, 16 area professionals have earned this designation and others are currently studying for it.

“In the competitive public relations landscape, organizations are seeking communicators who understand their business functions and can drive measurable results. Earning your APR differentiates you as a strategic professional with the knowledge and skill set to bring substantial value,” said MacKenzie Seroka, APR, president of PRSA Las Vegas. “This credential helped elevate me from a practitioner to valued strategic counselor.” 

“PRSA Las Vegas has an impressive list of Accredited professionals spanning different industries who have a wealth of knowledge to share,” continued Seroka. “I reached out to several while going through the APR process and gained valuable insight, which helped me prepare for my panel presentation and exam.”

Matt Seltzer, APR, Senior VP of Intuify, a research company, also found great value in the program so he could better understand his clients’ points of view.

“I've worked in various roles within the world of public relations for nearly two decades, often supporting communications professionals in their roles. However, as I do not practice public relations on a day to day basis, it was very important to me that I validated that I knew what I was talking about when I spoke about this world - validated for my clients, and validated for myself as well,” he said.

“The APR allowed me to do exactly that. It gave me the opportunity to put my own knowledge of strategic communications to the test, and delivered for me verification of my skills/capabilities/knowledge, and also provided trust to my clients and partners when discussing their worlds.”

Melynda Thorpe, AVP or Workforce and Educational Opportunity at Southern Utah University, also earned her APR through the Las Vegas program and currently serves as the President of Utah PRSA Board of Directors. She notes, “[Earning my APR] was a long-term goal for me, and I had seen others that I admired earn the credential. I realized that if I kept putting it off, I'd never get it done, so a little encouragement from the Las Vegas Chapter was just what I needed.  It has given me increased confidence and opportunities to engage the RPIE planning process. I made new friends in the process. And the recognition of accreditation has opened new opportunities, including that of serving as the Utah PRSA chapter president and consulting in my local community.”

Prior to the August 2025 Jump Start, public relations professionals are encouraged to have one or two public relations campaigns in mind to showcase for their panel review, and should thoroughly review the APR section of the PRSA website to learn more the process and review multiple resource at:  praccreditation.org

Additionally, area communications professionals should follow PRSA Las Vegas on Facebook and LinkedIn to learn about informal opportunities to learn more about earning their APR.

Tuesday Study Sessions (all via Zoom beginning at 6 p.m. PST):

After the final study session, APR candidates should spend some additional time studying and then feel well-prepared to take the virtual exam in their home or office space.

To assist with the financial requirements, PRSA National will reimburse participants $100 dollars if they pass the test on the first time. PRSA Las Vegas will send an additional $100 for participants who pass on the first or second time.

For more information prior to, or to receive an e-vite to August 12, 2025, Zoom call, please email [email protected], APR chair, or Rina Foster, [email protected], APR member, for a personal discussion about APR readiness.

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