As we look at the wonderful city around us, we continue to see growth and expansion all around us. You just have to look downtown to see the heart of the energy in our city and the Philbrook Museum is right in that mix. As a key arts organization in our region as well as one that has been pushing at a national level to increase awareness, there is much we can learn from our neighbors at the Philbrook Museum.

May is a month with plenty to do heading into this summer, but I hope you’ll take your lunch break this Thursday, May 9 to spend some time with your fellow public relationship professionals to learn more about the Philbrook Museum’s progress and plans. This is a great meeting to invite your coworkers and friends as well!

Also, don’t forget about the PRSA Southwest District Conference, which will be held in Austin next month. As home to a number of interesting companies and campaigns, you’ll get the opportunity to learn how to “keep PR weird.” Be sure to register today, you won’t want to miss it! Visit www.prsasw.org for more information

I look forward to seeing you all this week at McNellie’s!

Best,

Lucinda Rojas Ross, APR

PRSA Tulsa Chapter President

Each year, the PRSA Tulsa Chapter hosts a Professional Development conference and the planning for this year’s conference is in full swing! As the committee begins planning, your expertise, insight and participation is incredibly valuable. If you are interested in helping your fellow professionals advance in the PR profession or looking for ways to become more involved in the PRSA Tulsa Chapter, email lharper@bokf.com and let us know that you are interested in joining the Professional Development committee!

There are mobile business apps designed to make users more productive, more organized and more collaborative, and now there is an app to help guide public relations professionals in making ethical decisions. PRSA has made its Code of Ethics mobile to help make public relations professionals more aware of the principles and guidelines that underpin ethical decision-making in internal and external communications. The app will provide an easy reference that members can turn to quickly at any time as part of their daily practice.

Other features of the PRSA Ethics app include a communications ethics quiz; an RSS feed that automatically pulls-in PRSA ethics-related blog posts and new “Professional Standards Advisories,” which offer timely guidance on emerging ethics issues; and email access to PRSA’s Board of Ethics and Professional Standards (BEPS), the committee responsible for developing recommending refinements to PRSA’s ethical standards.

The PRSA Ethics app is available free in Google’s Android Market and Apple’s App Store and can be accessed from iPhone, iPad and Android devices.

The PRSA Austin Chapter invites you to the 2013 Southwest District Conference, taking place at the Omni Hotel in Downtown Austin, June 5 to 7, 2013.

Keeping in line with Austin's motto "Keep Austin Weird,” this conference will focus on how the PR industry has 'kept it weird' with constantly evolving trends, techniques and strategies.

Austin is home to a number of Fortune 500 companies, while also being a hub for technology and business startups. The PRSA Southwest District Conference will take advantage of this environment with speakers from a variety of industries and backgrounds to share tips and case studies on how they have kept PR weird - and made it work!

The conference will also offer sessions catered to PRSSA members and those interested in pursuing their APR. For more information, visit http://prsaswconf.org.