Dee Zulauf, APR
CWC/FPRA president 2007-08
FPRA has always been significantly important throughout my career. From helping to build my confidence when first taking on public relations responsibilities to transitioning to my own public relations & project management firm.
As with anyone with a hectic, stressful position, it never was a good time to seek a board-level post, but in 2007, after serving on the CWC board for a few years, I became president of our chapter. That was life-changing… for so many reasons.
The board worked extremely hard that year by first hosting the State FPRA Conference in Sarasota and partnering with state-wide individuals we had worked with and respected for years. Then collaborating tirelessly to lead-the-way in the evolving public relations and emerging communication technology environment at that time. Our theme was “Rethinking Communication” and our strategy was to attract a variety of local, state, national and international experts to share their knowledge, create engaging, in-depth discussions on the evolving communications and PR environment and encourage change.
And, as a total surprise, we ended the year being recognized as the Chapter of the Year.
Perhaps that was the ‘Ah-ha’ moment for the board when the realization that all of the hard work, commitment and dedication would be rewarded beyond our wildest dreams.
Where am I now? I’m very fortunate to be able to live the life I only dreamt about for many years. I had hoped someday to have my own business to learn if all of the professional skills I developed in the education world would transfer to the business world. And they did… more readily than I imagined with clients in law, international travel promotion, local entertainment, financial services and education. And more importantly I have the flexibility to spend quality time with my granddaughter… exploring life through her eyes and playing an important role in her development. It’s kind of a pay-it-forward scenario… when you’re a young mom with a career, you don’t always get to spend as much time with your kid(s) as you’d like. Fast forward a generation and I’m loving that opportunity now.
What do I recommend for reading? Well, right now the majority of my reading are great children’s books where many life lessons are learned and teachable moments are shared. Here’s a few that my granddaughter and I really enjoy and talk about…
Elbow Grease by John Cena (yes, the wrestler)
In My Heart, A Book of Feelings by Jo Witek
Love Monster and the Last Chocolate by Rachel Bright