PRSA Tampa Bay Represents at Sunshine District Conference SunCon 2025
Posted on Jul. 30, 2025 / Subscribe 0
By Rachel Kerstetter, APR
I had the distinct honor to attend the Sunshine District’s SunCon25 in July, as well as to be one of the representatives of our chapter leadership at the Sunshine District’s QuickStart leadership training.
One of my main takeaways from two days of professional development, insights and networking is: The Tampa Bay chapter really shows up!
As a local professional group, we should be really proud of that fact. Our members showed up in so many ways.
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Leadership
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Instruction
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Outstanding work
Leadership
Our chapter’s President-Elect, Kate Smith, along with Rockhelle Johnson, board member for programming and I, board member for digital communications, continued our leadership journeys and dove into key chapter leadership topics, shared conversation and ideas with other Florida PRSA chapter leaders.
Beyond local chapter leadership, PRSA Tampa Bay is set to be well represented on a national scale with the 2026 Board of Director candidates who will be voted on this October. That slate of candidates includes two of our very own members:
Angela Walters Eveilard, MBA, APR is the nominee for National Chair-Elect. Angela is the Executive Director of marketing and public relations at Hillsborough Community College - soon to be Hillsborough College - and is a long-time member of the Tampa Bay chapter, she served as chapter president in 2012 and earned the Tampa Bay Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022.
Jennifer Dunn, MA, APR is the nominee for Sunshine District Director and would represent the entire district serving the state of Florida. Jennifer served as Tampa Bay chapter president in 2016.
Both of these representatives have contributed significantly at both the chapter and district level and will be excellent leaders on the national level.
In addition to soon-to-be elected representation, PRSA recently named Tampa Bay chapter member Linda Beltran to the position of Chief Communications Officer for the organization.
Instruction
Two of our chapter members shared their knowledge and experience at two of the best-attended sessions at SunCon.
Robyn Felix, APR presented “Building the Bridge in a Crisis: Combating Misinformation During a Storm.” Her informative session presented how the Southwest Florida Water Management District used social listening to identify and tackle surging misinformation during Hurricane Milton and how those tactics can be applied in other scenarios. Robyn also discussed the importance of the organization’s spokesperson, Dr. Mark Fulkerson, having credibility, trust and affinity with the community.
Bo Breuklander collaborated on a panel with two other experts for the discussion “Bridging AI Barriers Panel Discussion: AI and the Future of PR.” This open Q&A panel drove an engaging conversation about human-led AI, lessons learned and advice for working in and with AI. The AI conversation will continue on August 27 at Professional Development Day when Bo will moderate a panel on “The Next Chapter in AI: Bridging Writing Standards, Ethical Practices, and Accessibility” with local experts.
Outstanding Work
The Sunshine District’s Radiance Awards were also presented at SunCon and PRSA Tampa Bay was well represented there as well, showcasing the amazing work and professionals in our chapter.
Congratulations to the following Radiance Awards winners:
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B2 Communications and Valley National Bank - Elevating a Bank Through Strategic Award Wins
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Southwest Florida Water Management District - Combating Misinformation During Milton
Congratulations to the following Award of Commendation winners:
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City of Tampa Solid Waste - Litter Skimmer: Cleaning Tampa Bay
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Lutheran Services Florida - Kid-Friendly, Parent-Approved Rack Cards
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Lutheran Services Florida - Two Storms, One Strategic Voice
In addition to programs and tactics, the Sunshine District also announced their Individual Awards. Our PRSA Tampa Bay chapter is proud to join with PRSA members across the entire state of Florida in congratulating:
Dr. Mildred “Mimi” Perreault this year’s Trailblazer Professional of the Year!
The Trailblazer Professional of the Year honors a PRSA Sunshine District member who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in the practice and implementation of public relations principles. Recipients of this prestigious award also advocate for the profession and exemplify the Society’s values.
Dr. Perreault, Assistant Professor at the Zimmerman School of Advertising and Mass Communications at the University of South Florida, is a worthy recipient of this honor due to her dedication to research, education and advocacy. Her work has undoubtedly made a significant contribution to the practice and implementation of public relations principles, particularly in crisis and disaster communication, benefiting the Sunshine District and the broader public relations field.
If it’s been awhile since you connected with our chapter, now’s the time to dive in and get connected.
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