PR veteran Heide Harrell to serve as secretary of national organization

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) announced Monday (Nov. 14) its newly elected members of the 2023 board of directors and an Arkansan is among the leadership.

Heide Harrell, vice-president and communications director of Stephens Inc.’s Private Wealth Management division, will serve as secretary of PRSA. She is the second Arkansan to serve on this national board. Joseph Abreu of Florida was elected as chair.

Harrell has nearly 20 years of communications, marketing and business development experience. Prior to joining Stephens, Harrell was director of marketing and business development at Rose Law Firm, the oldest law firm west of the Mississippi. Additionally, she spent nearly eight years working for two of the state’s top advertising agencies in addition to five years at the former Delta Trust & Bank.

“The 2023 PRSA Board of Directors will bring a unique level of leadership experience, financial acumen and governance excellence to the organization,” said T. Garland Stansell, APR, Chair of the 2022 Nominating Committee. “The Nominating Committee and the Board did excellent work in bringing forward these candidates, conducting an extensive review of their credentials and engaging in thoughtful discussions about the needs of the organization to ensure our continued growth.”

Officers (one-year term):

Chair-elect – Joseph Abreu, APR
Treasurer – Sam Sims, APR
Secretary – Heide Harrell, APR

Directors (two-year term):

East Central District: Monica Ackerson, CAE, APR
Mid-Atlantic District: Cayce Myers, Esq., APR
Northeast District: Joshua Poupore, APR
Western District: Teresa Valerio Parrot, APR
Director At-Large (converted Tri-State District Director): Andrea Gils Monzón
Director At-Large: Thomas Bennett

As a result of Heide Harrell’s election to the position of secretary, a vacancy of the Southwest District Director position has been created. In accordance with the PRSA Bylaws, the board will fill the vacancy for the remaining year of her term.

PRSA is represented by 110 Chapters and 14 Professional Interest Sections, as well as on nearly 375 college and university campuses in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Argentina, Colombia and Peru.