Aloha!
Thank you for the honor of allowing me to serve as president of the PRSA Hawaii Chapter. I am excited for this chance to lead our chapter and look forward to every opportunity the year ahead brings to enhance our success and the success of our members.
The year now thankfully behind us was a difficult one. It revealed the fragility of all that we thought we knew. It brought us face-to-face with unprecedented challenges — a global pandemic, countrywide protests and a presidential election that has divided our nation. In 2020, we were all passengers on a ride that tested our systems, our values and our humanity.
However, let’s not forget that the events of 2020 also showed us how strong and resilient we are. Despite the year’s trials and tribulations, we embraced the necessity of caring for our mental and physical health, the value of gratitude, the importance of personal accountability, and the power of relationships. The result of what we’ve collectively been through? Each of us is now stronger than ever, fortified by a deeper bond with those who were with us through it all.
“Our focus remains providing value to each of you through opportunities for personal and professional development, and, now more than ever, helping you find stability in an uncertain time.”
Looking forward into 2021, I am committed to pushing forward to create opportunities for all of us to persevere and progress. Our goals are to invest in the chapter and its members, and to ensure that you receive the most value from your membership. Our focus remains providing value to each of you through opportunities for personal and professional development, and, now more than ever, helping you find stability in an uncertain time.
We will continue to recognize and foster new and diverse talent by bringing together current and future leaders in our industry, while thoughtfully providing direction for our next generation. PRSSA, our student chapter at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, remains robust and thriving. PRSA Hawaii will continue to support our local college students in PRSSA through scholarships, mentorships and collaborative opportunities.
Our chapter also has an exciting opportunity to look forward to through next year as Hawaii has been selected to host the 2022 PRSA Western District Conference. It is fitting that the 2022 conference will bring with it an occasion to reintroduce Hawaii to attendees as a premier post-pandemic travel destination. Personally, I’m looking forward to hearing everything our peers have to share about significant and revelatory initiatives that have transpired locally and nationally.
The PRSA Hawaii Chapter board of directors is looking for individuals to join our team as members of the 2022 PRSA Western District Conference Planning Committee. Our committee can only be strengthened by new members and their ideas. No matter what level you feel you are at in your career or within our industry, your knowledge and experience are welcome and necessary. Remember, the greatest value of your PRSA membership comes from the networking you do and the connections you make. To get involved, contact our Western District Conference Delegate Jennifer Armstrong at jenarmstronghi@gmail.com.
On behalf of PRSA Hawaii and our entire board of directors, mahalo once again for your membership and your dedication to our industry.
William Nhieu
President
PRSA Hawaii