Jean Gonsoulin
Diversity and Inclusion has been a hot-button topic for some time – even the term itself is hotly debated. Diversity was the subject of this year’s Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium at USC’s Annenberg School for Communications and Journalism, and in a forum where the panel was comprised primarily of Baby Boomers and the audience primarily of Millennials, it was interesting to hear contrasting points of view on the labels that are assigned to marketing and PR strategies.
While many of the older generation speak passionately about the need to address the communications needs and distinct cultural nuances of demographics like Hispanics and Asian-Americans, both of whom now make up a majority of our population, Millennials argue that labels are not in their lexicon. It was a fascinating conversation, to say the least.
Diversity has long been a priority for the Los Angeles chapter of PRSA; after all, we are the second-largest city in the country and our residents reflect the extraordinarily wide range of heritages and languages you would expect in a city of our size. Our membership and our board of directors are equally diverse, and we are committed to providing programming and other services that meet the varied needs of our members and the PR community at large. The focus, however, is on not only cultural diversity, but diversity in years of experience in the profession.
We offer affinity groups with specially tailored programming and networking opportunities for college students studying public relations through PRSSA. For those who are just entering the profession, with up to three years of experience, we offer our Young Professionals group. In May, we will introduce a new group called LA Senior PR Advisors that is aimed at our most seasoned practitioners, those with twenty or more years of experience.
By invitation only, this group will have access to a lecture series entitled “A Conversation With…” featuring influential voices on topics that are relevant and important to those leading the PR and communications functions in today’s world. We kick off the series with a conversation between Mayor Eric Garcetti’s Chief Innovation Officer, Peter Marx, and his former Chief Communications Officer, Yusef Robb. The two will focus on the Mayor’s prioritization of technology-driven communications aimed at making better connections with all of the City’s constituencies. It promises to be a fascinating look behind the curtain of LA’s highest office.
How do you define diversity? Is PRSA-LA doing enough to meet your needs? We want to hear from you!
Sincerely,
Jean Gonsoulin, PRSA-LA President
President, The Gonsoulin Group
jean@prsala.org
@JeanGonsoulin
