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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion


The Minnesota chapter is dedicated to providing a welcoming environment to all PR and communication professionals. In 2018, the membership voted to add a Diversity and Inclusion Officer (DIO) to its board. Marsha Pitts-Phillips, APR, served as the first DIO through 2021. Leah Kondes served as DIO from 2022 through 2024. Sarah Bhimani was appointed in 2025. In this role, Sarah now leads Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) efforts for the chapter including an annual half-day DE&I forum.

 

The DIO will also:

  • Provide stewardship in aligning the chapter with the national PRSA standards and best practices for DE&I;
  • Oversee the chapter’s DE&I education, and lead efforts to incorporate DE&I into the fabric of the chapter;
  • Serve as an advisor to the board on matters related to DE&I; and
  • Work with members to increase visibility of DE&I standards, resources and best practices for the following dimensions of diversity at all levels of the organization – racial, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender, culture, skills and mindset.

Questions? Contact office@minnesotaprsa.org.


Resources:

PRSA D&I Strategic Plan 2020-2022
PRSA D&I Chapter Toolkit

Upcoming Events:

 

Check back soon!


Past Events:

Mar. 12, 2025: DEI Chats: Facing Challenges by Strengthening Our Values and Knowledge (Virtual Event) 
Oct. 9, 2024: Annual DEI Forum – Understanding Bias: Uncovering Unconscious and Confirmation Bias - Photo Gallery
May 15, 2024: DEI Chats: Let’s Talk about DEI in the Workplace (Virtual Event)
Feb. 8, 2024: DEI Chats: Building Bridges and Breaking Barriers (Virtual Event)
Oct. 3, 2023: Annual DEI Forum - Diversity, Equity, Inclusion: From Awareness to (Affirmative?) Action - Photo Gallery
Feb. 17, 2022: 3rd Annual Diversity and Inclusion Forum with guest speaker Seena Hodges, Founder and CEO of The Woke Coach
Oct. 30, 2020: 2nd Annual Diversity and Inclusion Forum - Recording (Video) & Post-Event Resources
Sep. 17, 2020: "The Intersection of Ethics & Diversity & Inclusion" - Recording (Video & Audio) & Post-Event Resources
Jul. 28, 2020: "The Power of Language" Panel Discussion - Recording (Audio) & Post-Event Resources
Nov. 5, 2019: 1st Annual Diversity and Inclusion Forum - Recording (Audio) & Post-Event Resources

National Recognition:

    
Minnesota PRSA Awarded 2nd Place for DEI at the 2024 PRSA ICON
Congratulations to the chapter for its diversity, equity and inclusion strategic initiatives and programming receiving second place honors at the PRSA ICON DEI Awards Reception. Chapter President and 2020 D. Parke Gibson Pioneer Award recipient Marsha Pitts-Phillips, APR, gathered with 2024 awardee Anita Ford Saunders and 2023 awardee and new national PRSA board member Dr. Chuck Wallington.

Visit the PRSA website to see photos, videos and submissions from the winning chapters.


Minnesota PRSA Awarded 1st Place for 2023 PRSA DEI Chapter Awards
Minnesota PRSA President Ben Saukko, APR, MBA, accepted the award for the Chapter at the DEI Reception at the PRSA 2023 ICON in Nashville on October 16. Presenting the award were Marsha Pitts-Phillips, APR, PRSA DEI Committee Co-Chair and Minnesota PRSA President-Elect, and W. Patrick McSweeney, APR, Fellow PRSA, PRSA DEI Committee Co-Chair.

The PRSA DEI Chapter Awards are given to Chapters that embody and demonstrate key values in diversity, equity and inclusion. Minnesota PRSA submitted an entry for the award showcasing the Chapter’s DEI work hosting the 2022 Midwest District Conference and its work in 2023 to incorporate the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) within the Chapter Board to expand the Board’s DEI knowledge by building cultural competence.

Thank you to everyone within Minnesota PRSA who played a role in our award-winning DEI efforts!

Photo Credit: Jim Cowsert, Grapevine Photo LLC