The PR Club of New England, the region's leading communications trade organization, has announced its new and expanded board of directors and strategic vision for the 2025-2026 term. Led by returning president Kaitlynn Cooney, the organization is committed to honoring its 77-year historic legacy while setting up for long-term success through educational programming, professional networking events, and membership growth. Founded in 1948, the PR Club has long served as the premier community for public relations practitioners in New England but faced membership and participation declines following the pandemic.
Through volunteer board dedication and rebuilding efforts, the organization has emerged with a strong foundation and renewed leadership focused on expanding impact across the region. For more than 75 years, the PR Club has been a cornerstone of New England's communications community, evolving alongside an industry in constant flux, said Cooney, who also serves as PR Director at Walker Sands. As newsrooms contract and new technologies reshape how we tell and listen to stories, the Club's revitalization mirrors the need for communications professionals to come together, share expertise, and navigate change with confidence.
The PR Club is here to help our members learn, grow, and build meaningful connections for the future, Cooney emphasized. The organization is introducing an expanded board featuring new members and additional support for key functions including content, programming, social media, and membership. The board includes programming leads Allison Logano of Tier One Partners and Angelica English of TEAM LEWIS, content lead Abbey Clark of Health+Commerce, social media lead Abby O'Malley of Revenue Analytics, Bell Ringer Awards lead Lana Tkachenko of Bob's Red Mill, and membership lead Caitlin Kahle of Duffy & Shanley.
Membership continues to provide strong value with benefits including free monthly passes to educational programming, discounted member-only pricing for events, and unrestricted access to exclusive Club content and resources. Corporate memberships also include free Bell Ringer Awards entries, complimentary tickets to monthly programs, and sponsored blog posts spotlighting member companies. The New England PR industry is a small world, and we want to make it even smaller, says Cooney. We want to bring practitioners together to learn from one another, share ideas, and build a social and professional circle where fresh ideas thrive for collective growth at a challenging time in our industry.
The PR Club has begun preparing for the 58th annual Bell Ringer Awards, scheduled for June 2026, which celebrate excellence in PR and communications across events, content, and campaigns, along with professional achievement awards. To stay current on events and updates, members can visit https://www.PRClub.org for the latest information about programming and membership opportunities.
