Adacelis Perez Earns APR Certification

ATLANTA, Sept. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Adacelis Perez has earned her Accredited in Public Relations (APR) certification from the Georgia Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (www.prsageorgia.org).

Perez is an integrated marketing communications professional who has worked in agency and corporate environments for non-for-profit and private organizations and across national and international markets for over 12 years. As a Communication Specialist for American Institutes for Research (AIR), she develops communications strategy for the CDC's portfolio of national public health campaigns. She has lead product development, digital marketing, media planning and strategic partnership programs on behalf of the CDC.

Before joining AIR, Perez was CNN International's brand manager, leading cross-functional communication programs and conceptualizing multi-platform advertising and public relations campaigns throughout Latin America. She spearheaded the launch of the first digital marketing program for CNN International in Brazil, including in-language social media and blogger outreach, and she was recipient of two certificates for her contributions to CNN's Peabody Award-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the Arab Spring.

"Becoming APR accredited helped me solidify my knowledge of public relations best practices," said Perez. "My experience throughout the process has been phenomenal and I came out of it feeling reenergized and committed to promoting the highest standards of public relations. It also provided the opportunity to connect with top-notch PR professionals."

She has a B.A. in Mass Communications and graduate studies in advertising from University of Texas at Austin. A native of Puerto Rico, she is fluent in English and Spanish.

Now in its 50^th year, Accredited in Public Relations (APR) is the voluntary certification program for public relations professionals established to unify and advance the profession by identifying those who have demonstrated mastery of a body of knowledge as well as recognition of experience and professional judgment in the public relations field. The international certification process is governed by the Universal Accreditation Board, of which PRSA is a lead participant.

To employers and clients, the APR designation, which is used after the member's name, signals the benchmark of excellence for the practice of public relations and the candidate's dedication to ethics and professionalism.

Preparation for the exam requires six to 12 months of rigorous study spanning 60 topics requiring noted expertise in 10 categories. PRSA Georgia offers a comprehensive study system, designed to prepare the candidate for the 90-minute oral readiness review presentation covering 16 of the knowledge, skills and ability topics and the three-hour computer-based exam, which tests the other 44 skill areas. As a result of this program and the Chapter's promotion efforts, the Chapter has risen to the Top 10 ranks in the country for preparing public relations practitioners with this distinction.

PRSA's Georgia Chapter (www.prsageorgia.org), the second-largest local chapter in the national society, consists of some 850 professionals throughout Georgia. Its mission is to enhance the profession, provide continuing education and offer networking opportunities for its members.

The Chapter has monthly meetings as well as eight Special Interest Groups (Corporate & Employee Communications, Healthcare, Independent Counselors, Leader Board, Nonprofit, Technology, Travel & Tourism, and Young Professionals) that meet at various times.

The Chapter supports 10 PRSSA (student society) groups at the following colleges: Berry College (Rome), Clark Atlanta University (Atlanta), Columbus State University (Columbus), Georgia College & State University (Milledgeville), Georgia State University (Atlanta), Georgia Southern University (Statesboro), Kennesaw State University (Kennesaw), Savannah State University (Savannah), University of Georgia (Athens) and University of West Georgia (Carrollton).

Contact: Denise Grant
770-449-6369
[email protected] 

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SOURCE Georgia Chapter, Public Relations Society of America