Farm Bureau staff member earns Accreditation in Public Relations

Kathy Richardson, public relations program manager for the Florida Farm Bureau Federation, has successfully completed the Examination for Accreditation in Public Relations, entitling her to use the APR professional designation. The announcement was made by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), a consortium of nine professional communication organizations that directs the competency certification program.

The Accreditation program aims to improve the practice of public relations by assessing competence in 60 areas of knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with the profession. Candidates who successfully complete the rigorous process, including presenting his/her portfolio to a Readiness Review panel of three peers and sitting for a computer-based Examination, are granted the APR.

“The APR credential reflects mastery of the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed in our increasingly complex profession,” said Rod Hemphill, APR, CPRC, director of Public Relations for the Florida Farm Bureau Federation. “By achieving this designation, Richardson has demonstrated her commitment to our profession. Florida Farm Bureau supports the continued professional development of all of our staff.”

The Florida Farm Bureau Federation is the state’s largest general-interest agricultural association with about 140,000 member-families statewide. Headquartered in Gainesville, the Federation is an independent, non-profit agricultural organization.