PRII AGM 2023 elects new National Council Members

The PRII Annual General Meeting took place on 7 December at the Dublin Chamber of Commerce Office, Clare Street, Dublin 2. 

During the AGM, elections took place to fill two National Council vacancies. The election took place in line with the rotation requirements of the PRII Constitution, requiring two Council vacancies to be filled, one as a result of retirement from the Council and another from the drawing of lots among current members of the Council of equal seniority.    

Paul Hand, MPRII, and Trudi McDonald, MPRII, were elected. 

Paul has served on the PRII National Council for the past year, as a Council Member and Treasurer. He is the Senior Press Officer at ESB. With a career spanning over eighteen years, he is responsible for the development and execution of media engagement strategy across ESB’s diverse business units. 

Trudi is a Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Manager at Fáilte Ireland. She is responsible for the development and implementation of strategic communications and public affairs plans that support the sustainable development of tourism in Ireland. She is also a founding member of Purpose Disruptors Ireland and represented Ireland at the Cannes Young Lion for PR in 2019. 

With David Geary (Director of Communications, Irish National Teachers’ Organisation) as the President, other members of the National Council include: 

Laura Wall, MPRII, Vice-President, PRII and Group Account Director for PR & Advocacy, Thinkhouse; Dr Karl Anderson, MPRII, Communications Consultant; Alex Connolly, FPRII, Head of Communications, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage; David Kinch, MPRII, Director, MKC Communications; Joan Mulvihill, Digitalisation and Sustainability Lead, Siemens Ireland and, Sarah Ryan, MPRII, Communications and Sustainability Consultant. 

Additionally, the AGM also approved the awarding of Life Fellowship to Niamh Ward. Niamh is a Principal at the Crumlin College of Further Education. She has contributed to the PRII and the public relations sector in Ireland for over thirty years, mainly in education. A Life Fellow must be a champion of the highest standards and implementation of the PR profession. This is the highest honour that the PRII can bestow on a member. A formal presentation will be held in the coming weeks at a special event.