CPRS announces newly Accredited Public Relations Professionals

Toronto, ON - January 18, 2007 - The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is pleased to announce that 23 public relations professionals from across Canada successfully completed the requirements for becoming Accredited members of CPRS in 2006. This brings the total accredited members to 481 representing 30 per cent of the CPRS membership. To become accredited and earn the Accredited Public Relations APR designation, a candidate must engage in specialized studies, pass rigorous written and oral examinations, and submit a detailed work sample. To even qualify to take the CPRS accreditation examination, a candidate must have earned a solid reputation of integrity and high ethical standards while completing a minimum of five years of full-time employment in the field of public relations.

"An APR demonstrates proven knowledge, ability and professionalism in the practice of public relations," said Sharlene Smith, APR, Fellow CPRS, Presiding Officer of the CPRS National Council on Accreditation. "The standards for accreditation are very high and each of the CPRS members who have successfully completed the accreditation program is to be commended."

Public relations professionals who received their APR in 2006 are:

• Sophie Allard ARP - Québec
• Cindy Bayers APR - Nova Scotia
• Andrew Berthoff APR - Toronto
• Michele Comeau Thompson APR - Vancouver
• Robert Cooper APR - Toronto
• Danielle Côté APR - Ottawa
• Cindy Goldberg APR - Ottawa
• Marion Grau APR - Vancouver Island
• Susan Kirk APR - Vancouver
• Angela Koulyras APR - Vancouver
• Jeff Lake APR - Toronto
• Asifa Lalji APR - Vancouver
• Albert Lee APR - Toronto
• Lin Moody APR - Ottawa
• Captain John P. Murray APR - Vancouver
• Krys Potapczyk APR - Toronto
• Vincent Power APR - Toronto
• Heather Pullen APR - Hamilton
• Karla Sandwith APR - Vancouver Island
• Brenda Sweeney APR - Hamilton
• Mary Louise Wakefield APR - Vancouver Isl. Christina Winsor APR - New Brunswick
• Marie Zirk APR - Vancouver Island

The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is the only Canadian professional association representing more than 1,600 public relations practitioners in 16 Member Societies across Canada who commit to following a Code of Professional Standards. The Society offers a program of professional accreditation in public relations (APR), professional development and education programs affiliated with various colleges and universities, a job registry, networking opportunities, annual national conference, a directory of all members and a forum for information sharing.