Brigham Young University public relations student Andrew Cook was elected as the 2017-2018 national president of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) during the organization’s national assembly in Seattle from March 31 – April 2, 2017.
After serving for the past year as the national vice president of advocacy, Cook’s transition into this new role will take place on June 1, 2017.
“I’m excited to take on this new opportunity to represent BYU and our local BYU PRSSA chapter,” Cook said. “BYU has given me so much in terms of the education I have, and now I can elevate its name to a national stage and show what our program is capable of.”
Cook’s vision for this next year as president is to “help PRSSA to become a more collaborative, globalized and more socially responsible pre-professional society,” Cook said. “Essentially, we’re going to be a family that plays hard and works hard.”
Cook is the first BYU student in 18 years to serve as the national president, and he is only the second from BYU to rise to this position. The last BYU national president served in 1999-2000.
The PRSSA national assembly takes place every spring in rotating cities across the nation. More than 200 students came together to participate in leadership training events, to learn from professional and to vote on important matters such as bylaws and the national committee. BYU PRSSA is a student-run organization that represents the interests of the school at a national level.
BYU PRSSA is a chapter in the larger, international organization called Public Relations Student Society of America. BYU has one of the largest chapters with more than 150 members. PRSSA is a student-run organization dedicated to fostering an environment where students may connect with influential professionals and develop strategic communications skills they need to make a positive difference in society.