Arkansas PR veteran Heide Harrell to lead prestigious national group

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) on Tuesday (Oct. 15) announced its 2025 Board of Directors and an Arkansas public relations professional will lead the organization for the first time in history.

The delegates of the 2024 Leadership Assembly elected Heide Harrell, M.A., APR, as Chair-elect, as well as eight other members to serve in officer and director positions beginning January 1, 2025.

Harrell, of Little Rock, is director of Communications for Central Arkansas Water, a metropolitan water system that serves almost 500,000 Arkansans in eight counties.

Prior to Central Arkansas Water, Harrell was vice president and communicators director of the Private Wealth Management division at Stephens, one of the largest, privately held independent investment firms off of Wall Street, as well as director of marketing and business development at Rose Law Firm, the oldest law firm west of the Mississippi River.

Additionally, Harrell spent nearly eight years working for two of Arkansas’s top advertising agencies. Harrell has also been chair and director of the Southwest District and President of the Arkansas Chapter of PRSA.

“The depth of experience of the 2025 Board will be instrumental in delivering long-term solutions that drive the organization forward,” said Dr. Felicia Blow, APR, chair of the 2024 Nominating Committee. “We welcome their leadership and expertise as we execute on our strategic priorities to ensure continued growth and relevance in the profession.”

The officers selected for one-year terms include:

Chair-elect – Heide Harrell, M.A., APR
Treasurer – Kevin Waetke, APR, Fellow PRSA
Secretary – Teresa Valerio Parrot, Ed.D., APR

PRSA is the leading professional organization serving the communications community through a network of more than 400 professional and student chapters in the U.S., Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Puerto Rico.