Simon McVicker re-elected chair of CIPR Public Affairs
Simon McVicker MCIPR has been re-elected as the Chair of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ (CIPR) Public Affairs (PA) Group for another twelve months. Simon was voted Chair of the Group for a second by fellow PA Group members, at the AGM held last night at Ellwood Atfield’s Art Gallery.
As Head of Public Affairs at PCG, the professional association for UK freelancers, contractors and consultants, Simon brings with him more than 25 years of experience of professional lobbying. Simon also has a strong understanding of the work undertaken by the CIPR having sat on the CIPR Council for the last year, a role he will now continue until 2014.
Other newly elected members of the Public Affairs Committee include:
- Vice-Chair: Jane Bowles MCIPR, Hy Consulting
- Vice-Chair: John Letizia MCIPR, Unum
- Secretary: Sarah McMonagle MCIPR, Federation of Master Builders
- Treasurer: Ben Stafford MCIPR, Cicero Consulting
- Membership Secretary: Christopher Calland MCIPR, PLMR
- Committee member: Simon Astley FCIPR, Balfour Beatty
- Committee member: Nusin Ergun MCIPR, Freelance
- Committee member: Stuart Holland MCIPR, College of Optometrists
- Committee member: Victoria Parker MCIPR, Insight Public Affairs
- Committee member: Deborah Powton FCIPR, Sam Weller Associates PR
The AGM was followed by a speech and Q&A with Tim Montgomerie, founder of ConservativeHome and Times columnist, who gave a frank review of the current state of the Conservative Party and the wider political landscape as he sees it.
I’m delighted to be re-elected as Group Chair of the PA group, the third biggest sector group within the CIPR. Last year was an action-packed time for the group and we hope to continue to have a full programme of events in the coming year, along with several new initiatives for the benefit of our members. We have already launched a major new initiative in our new ‘Young Professionals Group’ which will give public affairs practitioners in their first 10 years a chance to hold meetings on topics that are relevant to them and reach out to a younger audience. I want to thank all of the former committee members who have served CIPR Public Affairs extremely well, and I look forward to working with the newly elected committee members over the next year.
Notes to editors
About the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)Founded in 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the Royal Chartered professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK and overseas. The CIPR is the largest membership organisation for PR practitioners outside of North America. By size of turnover and number of individually registered members, we are the leading representative body for the PR profession and industry in Europe.
The CIPR advances professionalism in public relations by making its members accountable to their employers and the public through a code of conduct and searchable public register, setting standards through training, qualifications, awards and the production of best practice and skills guidance, facilitating Continuing Professional Development (CPD), and awarding Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status (Chart.PR).