History - Minnesota PRSA

History

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PRSA has been a strong, active part of Minnesota’s communications community since 1949 when the chapter was first formulated. At that time Hubert Humphrey was elected to his first term in the United States Senate, the Minneapolis Lakers were won the NBA Championship and Earl Bakken founded Medtronic. And downtown Minneapolis looked a lot different

In 1953, the chapter elected its first President and a few years later the first enclosed shopping mall in the world was opened in Edina.

Here are a few highlights from the chapter's history.

1974 – First woman chapter president, Lois Wollan
1978 – First awards banquet, called First Annual PRSA Awards
1980 – The first year the awards called Classics
1983 – First time Classics was held in St. Paul
1983 – Minnesota PRSA Recognition Award given to John Verstraete, of 3M
1983 – First time award winners announced at banquet and first Best of Show given.
1986 – Donald Padilla wins Paul M. Lund Public Service Award
1986 – Classics categories align with Silver Anvils to make it easier to submit entries
1990 – Ann Barkelow, APR is the first Minnesotan inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows
1990 – Classics II category introduced to recognize tactical components of PR programs
1994 – The Minnesota chapter honored with the 1994 Best of Chapter Excellence Award from PRSA
1995 – First Minnesota PRSA Community Classic Award given to Roland Minda, APR
1995 – John Beardsley, APR serves as PRSA President
1996 – Minnesota PRSA launches first website
1996 – Community Classic Award renamed in honor of the late Donald G. Padilla, who had been the recipient of PRSA’s Paul M. Lund Award in 1986, the highest honor for public service.
1997 – Minnesota PRSA hires Nonprofit Solutions to provide chapter management
1998 – Gov. Jess Ventura attends the Classics Awards to honor his communications manager Gerry Drewry, who won an award for his gubernatorial campaign.
2000 – Website redesigned; electronic Link member newsletter introduced
2003 – Partnership with Twin Cities Business for groundbreaking "What Business Thinks"
2004 – PRSA Today newsletter shifts from monthly to quarterly distribution
2012 – Young Professional Award introduced; first recipient is Marne Anderson
2013 – Doug Spong, APR, Fellow PRSA wins PRSA Gold Anvil Award
2013 – David Hakensen, APR receives inaugural Midwest District Platinum Award
2015 – Started working with Intrinxec as management company for the chapter