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Member Spotlight: Charla Kucko & Rich Pulvino

In this member spotlight, we’re highlighting two PRSA members and recent APR recipients – Charla Kucko, Senior PR Consultant, McDougall Communications and Rich Pulvino, Manager, Corporate Communications & Social Media, ESL Federal Credit Union. Check out their full interviews on our website!

Charla’s Interview:

What motivated you to apply for your APR accreditation?

I’m a big believer in professional development. There is always more to learn. I had been thinking about earning my APR for years. My colleagues Mike McDougall and Heather Kowalczyk are both APRs. They encouraged me to pursue it and I’m so glad I did. I’m proud to join many friends and former colleagues in the local APR group. I look forward to when we can gather again!

Describe how this process of studying and working towards your accreditation was during the pandemic? Were there any challenges or lessons learned? 

It was a year-long process. The first part was to prepare a presentation based on a PR project that I led. I delivered the presentation in front of a panel of APR judges last December before the pandemic. After passing the presentation, I had through the end of October this year to take the APR exam. I studied for about a month prior to taking the exam remotely in October due to the pandemic.

Since receiving your APR, how have you implemented your learnings into your professional career? 

Studying for the APR reinforced much of what I have been practicing throughout my career. I enjoy helping clients to identify their PR goals and objectives and coming up with creative ways to help achieve them through strategic planning. It’s also rewarding to help clients navigate crises—this year has been especially challenging for so many.

What was your biggest takeaway from this process?

It’s important to build PR on a strong strategic foundation. While it may be easy to jump into short-term tactics, there is no substitute for a solid strategic plan based on research with built-in analytics to measure effectiveness and results. I learned so much through the APR process and I’d like to thank my colleagues at McDougall for their encouragement!

Rich’s Interview:

When did you decide you wanted to apply for your APR? Was this a goal you always wanted to work towards in your career?

My favorite part about the APR is the commitment to lifelong learning it supports, as the requirement to recertify every three years ensures you'll be focused on continuous education in the PR field. APR became a goal of mine back when the NE District Conference was last hosted in Rochester. I attended an APR Workshop, and it was a great way to learn the ins and outs of the APR process. While timing didn't work out for me back then, I figured 2019 was as good a time as any to officially start the process.

Describe how this process of studying and working towards your accreditation was during the pandemic? Were there any challenges or lessons learned? 

The biggest lesson I'd say is to make sure you consistently carve out time to study throughout the process, even if it's 15-30 minutes a day. It's not an exam you can cram for, and that regularity keeps the information top-of-mind. While I was able to complete my panel portion pre-pandemic, the pandemic and resulting closures hit about three weeks before I was supposed to take the exam. With our testing site closed and PRSA not providing virtual proctoring until late-June, I wasn't certain if I'd meet my one-year deadline. For some reason, I was having issues with the virtual proctoring technologies on my computer, so I had to wait until the testing site reopened, which happened in August just before my one-year deadline was up (phew!). Fortunately, our PRSA Rochester APR Chairs, Patty and Jamie, as well as PRSA National, are excellent, easy to reach resources who are always happy to work with you on any issues you're experiencing.

What learnings from your studies for the APR accreditation have been most useful to you in relation to your current role? 

Revisiting the research and communication theories has been very helpful. Pairing these learnings with the creation of our plan at work has allowed me to put more weight and theoretical learnings in place to better support our methods, practices and strategies. Also, Ethics, First Amendment and Comm Law are always important topics for us to keep fresh in our minds, and the APR process is an excellent way to revisit and refresh your knowledge in these areas.

What advice would you share with fellow PRSA members who are interested in earning an APR accreditation? 

If you're interested, go for it! Learn as much as you can about the APR process so there aren't any surprises about the timeline. There's never going to be a definite "good time" to devote a year of your life to studying, case studies and exams. If you're interested, reach out to Patty and Jamie to learn more, and if you're motivated to get your APR, sign up. There was no greater motivator for me than being on the 12-month clock once I officially submitted my paperwork.