
Upcoming Events
The Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO) chapter would like to welcome you to our meetings, which are held on the second Tuesday of every month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. ECPRO members are employed in a wide variety of fields including public relations, marketing, advertising and the media. Anyone involved in the art of communication will benefit from the ECPRO experience and our accomplished line-up of guest speakers!

Local News in Okaloosa County
ECPRO Presents a Panel Discussion on “Local News in Okaloosa County” Featuring Local Reporters
Local news serves as the backbone of communities worldwide, providing essential information that impacts daily lives. The significance of local journalism cannot be overstated, as it fosters community engagement, holds local authorities accountable, and helps maintain an informed citizenry. Please join ECPRO for a Lunch and Learn on April 8, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Amplify Your Voice, Share Your Story
ECPRO Presents “Amplify Your Voice, Share Your Story” featuring Dr. Monica Sanford, DNP, host of The Monica Sanford Show on March 11, 2025.

SPRF’s Quarterly Professional Development Webinar
Her team’s Every School Day Counts campaign was awarded Best of Show at the 2024 Lantern Awards. Now hear from Jean Cook, APR, from the Mississippi Department of Education on this award-winning campaign. Join us for the Q1 SPRF Professional Development Webinar on February 19 at 2:00 p.m. CST.

Turning Words into Action
ECPRO Presents "Turning Words Into Action” Featuring Samantha Sanabria, Conversion Copywriter and Owner of Period and Pen, February 11, 2025.

Annual Holiday Dinner Party
Join ECPRO members and guests for our annual holiday party at Longhorn Steakhouse in Fort Walton Beach on Tuesday, December 10, at 6:00 pm.

Handcrafting Your Book with Bill Matthews
Join ECPRO for "Handcrafting Your Book" by author and speaker, the legendary Bill Matthews, on November 12 at 11:30 am at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Diving Into Public Relations Annual SPRF Conference
Join public relations professionals from around the region in Biloxi, MS, Oct. 20-22, 2024 for the annual conference of the Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF). Hear from nationally acclaimed speakers, learn tangible tools to get results and network with industry colleagues from around SPRF’s four-state region and beyond. Choose from a variety of sessions and celebrate with colleagues at our annual awards presentations.

Married to Media with Laura Hussey & Will Estell
Join ECPRO’s Lunch & Learn featuring guest speakers, Laura Hussey and Will Estell, in “Married to Media” on October 8 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Greater Ft. Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce!

Leadership Lab Q&A 3.0
Register for our third Leadership Lab Q&A panel on Tuesday, September 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce. Our panel participants, Faith Ellisor, Kelly Jasen, Neko Stubblefield, and Chanda Ryan, will provide professional insights and answer questions covering the areas of public relations, marketing, and business leadership.

Messages That Matter With Eddie Mansfield
Join ECPRO guests and members on Tuesday, August 13 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm for Eddie Mansfield’s presentation on “Messages that Matter” at the Greater Ft. Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Headshot & Photography Workshop with Edward Mitchell III
Join ECPRO’s Lunch & Learn featuring guest speaker, Edward Mitchell III, who will provide headshots (10:30 to 11:30 a.m.) and a photography workshop (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) on Tuesday, July 9 at the Greater Ft. Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce. Space is limited - register in advance!

Marketing Your Brand with Skip Orth
Join Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO)’s June Lunch & Learn featuring guest speaker, Skip Orth, who will give a presentation on effectively marketing your brand.
Skip Orth is an entrepreneur who has started several businesses and is currently the owner and CEO of Father and Son Pest and Lawn Solutions, a multi-million-dollar lawn and pest business in Northwest Florida.

Leadership Lab Q&A 2.0
Register for our second Leadership Lab Q&A panel on Tuesday, May 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce. Our panel participants, Willie Collins, Kari Painter, Randall Forsythe, and Vatema Ivy, will provide professional insights and answer questions covering the areas of public relations, marketing, and business leadership.

Social Responsibility & Community Engagement with Darra Flanagan
Join Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO)’s April Lunch & Learn featuring guest speaker, Darra Flanagan, who will give a presentation on social responsibility and community engagement.

Developing Leaders with Tim Bolduc
Join Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO)’s March Lunch & Learn featuring guest speaker, Tim Bolduc, who will give a presentation focused on developing leaders.

Compelling Storytelling & Measurement with Sam Poppell
Join Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO)’s February Lunch & Learn featuring guest speaker, Sam Poppell, who will give a presentation focused on effective storytelling and measurement.

Leadership Lab Q&A
Join ECPRO for its Leadership Lab Q&A panel on Tuesday, January 9 at the Greater Fort Walton Beach Chamber of Commerce. The guests, which include Stephanie Wedel, Skip Orth, Chris Torres, and Tiffany Orner, will provide professional insights and answer questions covering the areas of public relations, marketing and business leadership.

Christmas Jingle & PR Mingle
You’re invited to our annual holiday party on December 5 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Bob Hope Village Welcome Center in Ft. Walton Beach! Tickets for the event, which includes a dinner, a holiday gift exchange, Christmas-themed trivia, and ‘Carol-oke,’ are $35 per person or $65 per couple. Join us for a jolly good networking time!

Taking Your Career to the Next Level
Join Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO)’s November Lunch & Learn featuring guest speaker, Shawn Nickel, who will give a presentation focused on career development and the provision of practical advice.

Public Relations Ethics: What You Do When No One is Watching
Join ECPRO’s October Lunch & Learn featuring guest speaker, Dr. Randy Bobbitt, who will give a presentation entitled, “Public Relations Ethics: What You Do When No One is Watching.” Dr. Bobbitt will cover five salient themes that concern ethical conduct in PR.

Messages That Matter: Measuring Engagement, Results & Perception with Sabrina McLaughlin, APR
Join us for Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO)’s September Lunch & Learn featuring guest speaker, Sabrina McLaughlin, APR, who will speak about “Messages That Matter: Measuring Engagement, Results, & Perception.”

APR: 5 W’s, an H and a Bonus Who with Lisa Darnell, APR
Join us for Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO)’s August Lunch & Learn featuring guest speaker, Lisa Darnell, APR, who will speak about the Accreditation in Public Relations (APR). Her presentation is entitled, "APR: 5 W’s, an H and a bonus Who."

Meet & Mingle with Lisa Darnell, APR
Meet the ECPRO Board and mingle with our August featured speaker, Lisa Darnell, APR on August 7 from 5:30-6:30pm at the Island hotel! This complimentary after hours networking event is open to the public and capacity is limited to the first 100 who RSVP through Eventbrite.

The Importance of Internal Communications in PR with Maureen Bierman
Join us for Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO)’s July's Lunch & Learn with guest speaker, Maureen Bierman, who will speak about the importance of internal communications in PR.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion with Amariles Rosado
ECPRO’s June Lunch & Learn Speaker is Amariles Rosado, who will cover the role of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in public relations.

Lunch & Learn with Willie Collins
ECPRO’s May Lunch and Learn Speaker is Willie Collins, who will provide practical career advice for any age.

Proactive Crisis Management with Christie Solomon, MBA
Join us for Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO)’s April Lunch & Learn with guest speaker, Christie Solomon, MBA, who will identify 10 components of a proactive crisis communication plan that every organization should have on-hand. Although predicting a true crisis is nearly impossible, the consequences of one can be mitigated with a proactive, forward-looking crisis management plan.

Lunch & Learn with Kaitlyn Sanchez
ECPRO’s March Lunch and Learn guest speaker is Kaitlyn Sanchez, who will provide best graphic design practices to improve your marketing and brand management strategy.

Lunch & Learn with Austin Herman
Join us for our February Lunch & Learn with featured guest speaker, Austin Herman, who will focus on effective storytelling in social media.

Lunch & Learn Featuring Cole Randall
Join us at ECPRO's Lunch & Learn Networking Meeting with Guest Speaker Cole Randall who will focus on corporate social responsibility.
Are you a PR pro interested in speaking at an upcoming event or becoming a member of ECPRO?