CHICAGO, Nov. 18, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Chicago, one of the country’s largest chapters, is proud to announce the launch of the PRSA Chicago Michelle Flowers Diversity Fellowship. The new initiative was created to grow the pipeline of upcoming multicultural talent in the field of public relations and communications while honoring the impactful contributions of one of the nation’s leading marketing communications veterans.

“PRSA Chicago is creating more opportunities to close the diversity gap in the public relations industry by launching the Michelle Flowers Diversity Fellowship Program,” explains Dane Roth, president of the PRSA Chicago Chapter. “According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the ethnic makeup of the PR industry in the U.S. is nearly 88 percent white. As a Chapter that represents one of the most diverse cities in the world, we must invest in the development of the next generation of multicultural PR practitioners. We are working toward creating a future state of PR that is dynamic, equitable and inclusive. The Fellowship Program establishes a long-term investment in our profession and builds a highly qualified pipeline of diverse talent.”

The program consists of two awards, each in the amount of $3,000, which will be presented to two talented juniors who major in communications and are of African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, Native American, Alaskan Native, or Pacific Islander ancestry. The two fellows will be announced in February 2021. Interested college students can visit www.michelleflowersfellowship.com to learn more and apply for the fellowship.

The fellowship will include a summer internship at a Chicago agency affiliated with PRSA Chicago between the Fellow’s junior and senior year. The award is renewable for the Fellow’s senior year based on attaining a 3.0 GPA. While in school, Diversity Fellows will be able to attend PRSA Chicago chapter events and programs at no cost. The Fellows also will be recognized at PRSA Chicago’s annual Skyline Awards. Following graduation, the Michelle Flowers Diversity Fellows will be considered for additional employment opportunities at PRSA Chicago member agencies.  Membership in the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) is preferred, but is not a requirement. 

By providing financial assistance and employment opportunities, PRSA Chicago aims to attract, train and retain people of color to the practice of public relations and communications. The Diversity Fellowship pays tribute to the meaningful contributions of Michelle Flowers Welch, an award-winning expert in the field of multicultural communications. The visionary public relations and marketing entrepreneur founded Flowers Communications Group, one of the nation’s top multicultural integrated marketing agencies, in 1991.

One of the firm’s core values is focused on cultivating the next generation of multicultural communications practitioners. In support of Flowers Welch’s lifelong commitment to diversity in the public relations industry, Flowers Communications Group is a founding sponsor of the PRSA Chicago Michelle Flowers Diversity Fellowship Program. 

A strategic, innovative thought leader, Flowers Welch serves as a trusted senior counselor to clients and an inspiring mentor to young professionals. She holds a master’s degree in advertising from Northwestern University and is a magna cum laude graduate of HBCU Winston-Salem State University. A charter inductee into Northwestern University’s Medill Hall of Fame, Flowers Welch is the recipient of the Publicity Club of Chicago’s Lifetime Achievement Award, was named PRSA Chicago’s 2017 Distinguished Senior Leader and is a member of the PR News Hall of Fame. She currently serves on the boards of The Salvation Army Metropolitan Chicago, PRSA Chicago and the PR Council. Her firm has received more than 150 industry awards for communications excellence. Most recently, Flowers Communications Group was named to Forbes list of America’s Best PR Agencies. 

About PRSA Chicago
PRSA Chicago is one of the largest chapters in the country. The chapter was founded in 1948 to provide professionals with programs and activities designed to meet their needs for professional development and networking. Today, its nearly 500 members represent a cross-section of industries, with a diverse mix of Fortune 100 corporations, public relations agencies, associations and non-profit organizations. The goal of PRSA Chicago is to advance the profession of public relations, promote high professional and ethical standards and build the reputation of the profession in the Chicago area.

As part of PRSA Chicago, members have access to the national Public Relations Society of America, the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals. The Society has nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into more than 100 Chapters nationwide, 19 Professional Interest Sections and Affinity Groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has nearly 300 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States.  

Media Contact:
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SOURCE PRSA Chicago

WASHINGTON, Nov. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — During this unprecedented time, it is expected that more holiday gifts and greetings will be sent through the mail, as families and friends will hold virtual celebrations instead of opening gifts in person. The Postal Service always encourages customers to send their holiday gifts and cards early. This year is no different.

The Postal Service begins planning for peak holiday season every January. To help handle the expected volume increase, the Postal Service has the ability to flex our network to meet the significant volume increases expected this year. This includes making sure the right equipment is available to sort, process and deliver the expected mail and package volumes. We also have 644,000 employees dedicated to ensuring gifts and greetings are delivered in time for the holidays.

Seasonal workers are hired when and where needed, and technology has been expanded to enhance package tracking throughout the USPS processing and transportation networks. Sunday delivery will be expanded beginning Nov. 29 to locations with high package volumes. USPS already delivers packages on Sundays in most major cities. Mail carriers will also deliver packages for an additional fee on Christmas Day in select locations. We thank our customers for their continued support, and our promise that we will continue to work hard to ensure their gifts and cards are delivered in time to virtually celebrate the holidays.

Busiest Mailing and Delivery Days

The busiest time of the season peaks two weeks before Christmas, when much of the last-minute shopping starts. Customer traffic is expected to increase beginning Dec. 7, with the week of Dec. 14-21 predicted to be the busiest mailing, shipping and delivery week.

Skip the Trip and Ship Online

Consumers don’t have to leave home to ship their packages. In these socially distant times, they can simply visit usps.com or use the Click-N-Ship feature for help shipping that holiday gift, ordering free Priority Mail boxes, printing shipping labels, purchasing postage and even requesting free next-day Package Pickup. And usps.com is always open.

2020 Holiday Shipping Deadlines

The Postal Service recommends the following mailing and shipping deadlines for expected delivery by Dec. 25 to Air/Army Post Office/Fleet Post Office/Diplomatic Post Office and domestic addresses*:

• Dec. 9   — APO/FPO/DPO (ZIP Code 093 only) Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
• Dec. 11 — APO/FPO/DPO (all other ZIP Codes) Priority Mail and First-Class Mail services
• Dec. 15 — USPS Retail Ground service
• Dec. 18 — APO/FPO/DPO (except ZIP Code 093) USPS Priority Mail Express service
• Dec. 18 — First-Class Mail service (including greeting cards)
• Dec. 18 — First-class packages (up to 15.99 ounces)
• Dec. 19 — Priority Mail service
• Dec. 23 — Priority Mail Express* service

Alaska

• Dec. 18 — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. First-Class Mail
• Dec. 19 — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. Priority Mail
• Dec. 21 — Alaska to/from Continental U.S. Priority Mail Express

Hawaii

• Dec. 15 — Hawaii to/from mainland Priority Mail and First-Class Mail
• Dec. 21 — Hawaii to/from mainland Priority Mail Express

*Not a guarantee, unless otherwise noted. Dates are for estimated delivery before Dec. 25. Actual delivery date may vary depending on origin, destination, Post Office acceptance date and time, and other conditions. Some restrictions apply. For Priority Mail Express shipments mailed Dec. 22 through Dec. 25, the money-back guarantee applies only if the shipment was not delivered, or delivery was not attempted, within two business days.

More tips for a successful holiday mailing and shipping season:

• Use free Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes. They are available at Post Office locations or online at usps.com/freeboxes.
• Make it easy with Click-N-Ship. You can create shipping labels and pay for postage online at usps.com/ship. 
• Schedule a free Package Pickup when the carrier delivers your mail. It’s free regardless of the number of packages. Pickups can be scheduled at usps.com/pickup.
• Mail and packages that weigh more than 10 ounces or are more than a half-inch thick and using stamps as postage cannot be dropped into a collection box or left for a carrier to pick up. Instead, take them to a local Post Office.

Additional news and information, including all domestic, international and military mailing and shipping deadlines, can be found on the Postal Service Holiday Newsroom at usps.com/holidaynews.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

Please Note: For U.S. Postal Service media resources, including broadcast quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Subscribe to the USPS YouTube Channel, like us on Facebook and enjoy our Postal Posts blog. For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com.

More USPS holiday news, including shipping deadlines and Santa mail, can be found at usps.com/holidaynews.

For reporters interested in speaking with a regional Postal Service public relations professional, please go to about.usps.com/news/media-contacts/usps-local-media-contacts.pdf.

Contact: Kim Frum
[email protected]
usps.com/news

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SOURCE U.S. Postal Service