Lori Allan becomes president of PRSA

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Buffalo Niagara Chapter welcomes Lori Allan as president for the year 2021. Allan heads a 12-person board of directors, which was recently elected by the local chapter's membership body.

Allan, a resident of Depew, serves as director of communications and development at Charter School for Applied Technologies in Buffalo. In her professional role, she is responsible for the school’s communications strategies including brand awareness, enrollment marketing and advertising campaigns, digital communications, social media platforms, special events and media relations. Allan previously held positions at Pharmacy Benefit Dimensions, Orchard Park Central School District and Child & Family Services.

Prior to her role as president for PRSA Buffalo Niagara Chapter, Allan served on the board of directors as treasurer, assembly delegate and president-elect. Throughout her years as a chapter member, she served as co-chair and chair of the Excalibur Awards committee, received the PRSA Rising Star Award and won Silver and Gold Excalibur Awards for her work with newsletters, newspapers and magazines.

Outside of work and PRSA, Allan is treasurer for the WNY School Public Relations Association and an avid champion of the WNY Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association in honor of her late father.

Besides Allan, other PRSA Buffalo Niagara Chapter members serving on the 2021 board include:

• President-Elect: Marcene Robinson, news content manager, University at Buffalo
• Secretary: Ginger Geoffery, APR, director of communications, Canisius High School
• Treasurer: Christopher Schobert, communications director, University at Buffalo Clinical and Translational Science Institute
• Immediate Past President: Michael Freedman, associate vice president of marketing and first-year enrollment, Niagara University
• Director-at-Large: Michael Barone, founder/owner, STR8 4WRD Communications
• Director-at-Large: Cassandra Kubiak, content marketing specialist, Niagara University
• Director-at-Large: Samantha Schlein, tech partner engagement manager, Garland Technology LLC
• Assembly Delegate: Matthew Biddle, assistant director of communications, University at Buffalo School of Management
• Assembly Delegate: Grace Gerass, assistant director of communications and alumni engagement, University at Buffalo School of Nursing
• PRSSA Chapter Liaison: Alexander Dean, communications specialist, Lippes Mathias Wexler Friedman LLP
• Diversity Chair: Rene Petties-Jones, president, The National Federation for Just Communities of WNY Inc.

PRSA Buffalo Niagara Chapter is Western New York's branch of the Public Relations Society of America – a professional organization serving the communications community. The local chapter began in 1963 and is one of 110 across the nation. Its 120 members represent a variety of industries, including corporate, nonprofit, government, counseling firms, educational institutions and professional service firms. Visit www.prsabuffaloniagara.org for more information.