What is it?

The College of Fellows is a senior group of practitioners that brings their collective skills, experience and knowledge together to help guide PRIA through evolving issues in the industry - particularly in the area of ethics. Established in 1987, the College of Fellows strengthens PRIA's ability to pursue its key objectives.

The College of Fellows advises PRIA's board of directors and the state and territory division councils in clarifying policy. They also use their wealth of knowledge to participate in the judging of the Golden Target Awards and State Awards for Excellence.

The College of Fellows objectives include:

  • Retaining and increasing Fellows involvement in PRIA's affairs

  • Providing a forum for PRIA to draw on Fellows experience, judgement and influence

  • Advising the board on matters relevant to PRIA's objectives, policies and activities

  • Acting as a guardian to PRIA's code of ethics

  • Assisting the board with Fellowship nominations

The College Council

Each PRIA state and territory division has a chapter of the College of Fellows. At a local level, the chapter chair can offer advice, counsel and practical help on projects. Collectively, these chairs form PRIA's College Council. The Officer of the College is elected annually. View the current members of the College Council.

The College Council also acts as PRIA's ethics committee when necessary. The committee, or a selected inquiry panel, is charged with investigating allegations of unethical practice by PRIA members.

Am I eligible?

A Fellow of PRIA is person who has:

  • at least 10 years full-time professional public relations experience

  • had senior status in public relations practice or public relations education on a full-time basis for at least 5 years

  • who, having been a Full Member, has in the opinion of PRIA's Board of Directors made an outstanding contribution to the public relations profession through excellence in achievements and adherence to the highest professional standards

Any PRIA member may propose a candidate for fellowship to their PRIA state or territory division Fellowship Nominations Committee (FNC). Each committee includes the local PRIA division president and at least three Fellows. Proposals must be submitted by 31 March each year.

The FNC in each state or territory considers the proposals, agrees on who should be put forward for nomination and then organises a well-documented nomination for each candidate. All nominations should be attentioned to:

Public Relations Institute of Australia
Suite 1, Level 1
44 Bridge Street
Sydney NSW 2000

Approved submission are then passed on to the College of Fellows Council for consideration. Each Council approved nomination is then forwarded to PRIA's national Board for final judgment.

The assessment criteria includes:

  • Excellence in achievements and adherence to the highest professional standards

  • Service to PRIA

  • Pro-bono service to community organisations

Full Procedures for Elevation to Fellowship

The 2019 Fellows

Neil Small - LFPRIA

Neil’s elevation to Life Fellow recognises his continuing contribution to the Institute, the profession and to the community. Since his election as Fellow in 2004 he has continued to work in best interest of the Institute, the public relations industry and the community.

Neil has been active in the PRIA since first joining the ACT Council in 1990. In what could be a PRIA record, he has held continuous membership of the Council since then in October, he was elected to the 2019/20 Council.

The nomination noted his work in heading has headed a range of sub committees – from Education to Continuing Professional Assessment. He served two years as President and five years as the Chair of the ACT Registered Consultancies Group, served as a judge for Golden Target Awards and this year is working with other Fellows on revitalising the ACT Division

In recent years he has played a major role in the establishment of ACT Film and Television Council – and serves on the board of the Council. He is an enthusiastic supporter of the ACT Writers Centre – encouraging and supporting Canberra’s writers.

In 2018 Neil volunteered to work at St John’s Care in the Canberra suburb of Reid Here he has made a difference in the lives of Canberra’s marginalised people – displaying the true spirit of community service recognised by the PRIA. 

Justin Flaherty - FPRIA

Justin’s elevation to Fellowship recognises his outstanding work over more than 20 years in the PR industry. As a co-owner of Horizon, Justin has presided over the company’s success, profitability and sustainability.

The nomination noted that Horizon has won 12 PRIA Awards at a State and National level – all of which he was actively involved in as either strategist, creative or program manager. The most recent were PRIA State and Golden Target Awards for Horizon’s work on the Don’t be a Tosser campaign.

Justin has made a long term contribution to the PRIA As a member of the PRIA since 2006, he has been actively involved in RCG events and activities including the initial RVG benchmarking surveys and RCG conferences between 2004 and 2009.

The nomination recognised his community service as a Justice of the Peace (NSW) since 1991 and in his service as a board director at Rosebank College, a co-educational Catholic private school. Holding this position for over 4 years Justin also chaired the building sub-committee which has now completed over $37million in projects over this time.

Nicole Webb - FPRIA

Nicole Webb’s nomination recognised her contribution to the industry as an outstanding communication professional. Nicole’s leadership skills and personal ethos have set a high standard for the IMPACT Agency.

Her strong contribution to the PRIA included terms as Chair of Young Practitioners (NSW), as a NSW state councillor and in 2014 election as President of the NSW Division. Over 10 years, Nicole has been an active member of the PRIA’s Registered Consultancy Group.

Nicole’s service to the community was recognised through her pro bono and voluntary work for the Australian Theatre of Young People (ATYP), the Australia New Zealand Gynaecological Oncology Group, the McGrath Foundation and others.
 

Amisha Mehta - FPRIA

Amisha’s nomination recognised her outstanding award-winning work in risk and crisis communication at the QUT Business School particularly as an advocate for changes in business practices based on her research findings.

She has made a valuable contribution to the PRIA from the national student association in 1997 to her service as council member and Treasurer on the Queensland Division Council to leadership of the academic forum and the national education committee.

The nomination recognised Amish’s community work over many years of voluntary and pro bono contributions to the emergency management sector.

Debra Camden - FPRIA

Debra Camden’s elevation to Fellowship of the Institute recognises her outstanding professional work over 30 years as a high performance consultant specialising in strategic communication, stakeholder engagement and measurement and d evaluation.

The nomination also recognised Debra’s contribution to the PRIA through the PRIA Education Community Committee and her membership of assessment panels for accreditation.

She has made a significant contribution to her community through voluntary and pro bono work with the Arts Law Centre of Australia and the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam and the Queensland Institute of medical Research.

Margaret Lawson - FPRIA

Margaret Lawson’s nomination recognised an outstanding career in public relations over 20 years. Combining a strong social conscience with astute business acumen and financial understanding, Margaret has been described as an outstanding model for contemporary women in business.

As an industry leader, Margaret has been a staunch supporter of the PRIA in Queensland through her work with the RCGs and as a judge in the Golden Target Awards.

Her community service was recognised in the nomination – particularly her work to promote social justice and bring attention to high profile community issues including domestic violence awareness and prevention. 

 

Michelle Prak - FPRIA

Michelle Prak’s nomination recognised her outstanding career in public relations across the private and public sectors including her work at Hughes PR when she was appointed the first social media consultant in SA’s PR sector. Her work in at the University of South Australia and as the organiser and founding member of Social Media Adelaide has done much to advance the cause of education in the PR sector.

Michelle has made a major contribution to the PRIA in her achievements during a four year term as President of the SA Division.

The nomination recognised Michelle’s community service through her association with the Sammy D Foundation which focusses on supporting young people and Catherine House which provides supported accommodation for young women.

Robert Gill - FPRIA

The nomination recognised Associate Professor Robert Gill’s r considerable Industry and academic experience and achievements in the public relations Industry. Robert has a leading role as an academic in the PR field – as evidenced by his 2017 award as the PRIA’s National Educator of the Year. In his role as Deputy Chair of the Media and Communication Department Swinburne University and Course Director for the Communication Programs, including Public Relations and Advertising Robert has made an enormous contribution to the our industry.

His PRIA role has been equally impressive in his work as Deputy Chair of the Education and Community Committee, the PRIA Accreditation Review (Chair since 2017) and since 2011, a member of the organising committee for PRIA sponsored PRMC Student Forum.

The nomination also recognised Robert’s community service as an active member of his local sporting community, coaching numerous teams, umpiring and serving in hospitality arrangements. 

Bonnie Bullock - FPRIA

The nomination for Fellow, described Bonnie Bullock as a dynamic, dedicated public relations professional who has not only practiced at a senior level, but has contributed significantly to the development of the public relations industry and to the broader community in a voluntary capacity.

The nomination recognised Bonnie’s role as an early adopter of social media – among the first Western Australian PR practitioners to acknowledge it as a game changer for the industry.

She has been a champion for the PRIA in Western Australia – from her support for the PRIA Young Guns and as a regular guest lecturer in PR at Murdoch, Curtin and Notre Dame Universities over the years. The nomination also recognised a very active council membership from 2003 to 2008.

Bonnie’s service to the community has been outstanding with influential volunteer roles in organisations including Ovarian Cancer Research, the Asthma Foundation, Oxfam Australia and Breast Cancer Care WA. 

Catherine Jane Archer - FPRIA

The nomination recognised Catherine Jane Archer’s outstanding PR career over three decades which has included work in consultancies, corporations, government and education. Catherine posted considerable achievements for recognisable WA brands, including Ramsay Healthcare, Curtin University and Murdoch University.

She is a respected colleague in the Australian academic community as a published researcher and as the Academic Chair of Strategic Communication (formerly PR) at Murdoch University.

The nomination recognised Catherine’s strong advocacy for the PRIA through her work with student groups at Curtin and Murdoch and her support for the PRIA (WA) Young Guns Emerging Leaders forum.

>Catherine has been a committed member of PRIA committees across the education sector including national Education Community Committee, the PRIA WA Education Community (WA EduCom), the review panel for PRIA Accreditation program and the PRIA WA WW Mitchell Student of the Year coordinating committee.

The nomination recognised her community work, particularly her pro bono work on the impact of social media on parents and their children and as Member of the Mindframe Journalism and Public Relations Educators’ Advisory Group. 

Jacqueline King-Small - FPRIA

Jacqueline’s nomination recognised her contribution to PR education ‘above and beyond’ her role as a lecturer in the School of Arts and Humanities at Edith Cowan University. Jacqueline has supervised, mentored and taught students and graduates; provided internships and facilitated volunteering and learning opportunities for students.

The nomination recognised her outstanding contribution to the PRIA as a former WA President and council member. For the past five years Jacqueline has worked tirelessly on the Golden Target Awards in Western Australia, encouraging entrants, mentoring applicants, sourcing judges and organising the ‘Celebrate PR in WA’ State Awards

The nomination recognised Jacqueline’s professional achievements in developing and managing a large number of big and smaller events over 17 years. They included the Hyde Park Fair (two days, multi-faceted event with over 60,000 visitors). In 2018, the Fair made a profit of $43,000 for the Rotary Club of North Perth.

She has made a major contribution to her community through pro-bono work with Down Syndrome WA and in organising the annual Butterfly Ball – a major fund raiser for the Association.

The 2018 Fellows

From New South Wales Dr Donald Alexander    

Donald is the Senior Lecturer, Public Relations and Organizational Communication, at Charles Sturt University. He’s been at the forefront of PR practice and academia over 40 years in New Zealand and Australia. Everything from Comalco, the Australian Chamber of Manufacturers and Charles Sturt and the Central Queensland University. 

He’s worked with the PRIA as an Awards judge and he’s focused on how university courses and fit with the industry. In terms of community service, he involved in everything from chairing opera north to promoting and managing the relay for Life to national cool climate wines show. And he plays bagpipes in the local Highland Piper Band. 
 

Also from NSW, Christina Efthymiades   

Christina has posted some outstanding achievement over 25 years both as a Director of Laconic PR + Communications; at the St George Banking Group and at Westpac and earlier at Fairfield City Council.

She’s been a PRIA member for 30 years with three terms on the NSW council and as well as serving an awards judge and leading membership and professional development events.

Christina’s community work stretches seven organisations  from Multicultural NSW’s Regional Advisory Council, to the The Bloody Great Committee which was formed in 2013 to raise funds for blood cancer clinical trials at Concord Hospital. 

Next newly elected Fellow is Susan Moore from Tasmania

Susan has been an industry leader over 24 years and right now, as the Director (Asia Pacific) of the global research and advisory company, Gartner.

This is PR writ large. Susan has led 10 PR teams across Asia-Pacific and provides high level support and advice on issues management and crisis communication.

Earlier at Howorth Communications and MACRO communications, Susan worked on blue chip campaigns with Nokia, Microsoft, Siemens and Videophone.

She is a former President of the PRIA in Tasmania.  Susan’s community service involvement with a dog walking association, as a volunteer wildlife rescuer and the NSW BMW Drivers Club. Hopefully none of those collide on the Tasmania’s roads.

Also from Tasmania, Jacqueline Ray         

Jacquie Ray has delivered outstanding professional work over 15 years in Tasmania and the UK.

Those achievements include the implementation of the 2008 Australian Electoral Commission election campaign and a high profile joint venture between the UK Ministry of Defence and Department of the Environment. 

Jacquie is a former PRIA Tasmanian President and national Deputy President. 

On the community side Jacquie works as a team leader for St. Vincent de Paul’s service which provides night time food and drinks to homeless people.  She also provides pro-bono advice and support for local organisations ranging from Dogs’ Homes of Tasmania to the Orange Sky Laundry. 

 

Another Tasmanian, Lucinda Szczypior      

As a senior Manager at Focus PR, Lucinda has implemented highly successful high level communication and media strategies for local, national and international campaigns and conferences.

They have included the promotion of aquaculture industry through a world conference staged in Hobart and a number of aged care conferences which achieved national recognition, as well as the  creation and delivery of the inaugural Aged Care Awards.  

Lucinda has been member of the Tasmanian PRIA council and worked to invigorating the council through engaging and highly successful events.

She has managed PR and communication programs for many not-for-profit community organisations. These range from Diabetes Tasmania, to the Brain Injury Association of Tasmania. 

Sharon Maloney from Western Australia

Sharon’s career spans 23 years and tracks from two years in London with Cameron PR then the WA Cricket Association and RHK Public relations. Sharon worked with the Department of Education and Training for nine years and then in 2009 established her own consultancy, Spun Communications.

At the Department of Education, Sharon was part of an award winning team which worked on a teacher recruitment campaign and now works with schools to develop and implement communication strategies. 

Sharon has served on the PRIA’s Western Australian Council for three years and planned and implemented annual State Awards for excellence events. 

Sharon has provided advice, support and lobbying on local issues to many community groups. These have ranged from Mundaring Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to the Starlight Foundation.