By Flo Federman, Senior Marketing Manager at Marcum LLP, former PRPLI president, registration table greeter
It was the Spring of 2003 and I was where I loved to be – at the registration table of a PRPLI event. I’ve manned many a registration table over the years but that day stands out because it was the due date for my first child.
One of the best things about PRPLI is its inclusivity – we have always prided ourselves as being a friendly group, for both newbies and old timers. My son didn’t arrive for a few days after that, but I was there that day because I love being the greeter – the first face people see when they come to a PRPLI event.
I always credit my friend Jeff Morosoff for getting me involved in PRPLI. He was my mentor when I made a career switch into marketing and among his great advice was to join PRPLI. So I did.
And in the years since, I’ve met people at PRPLI who’ve turned into co-workers, business partners, sounding boards, and personal friends. That is what PRPLI offers to its members – possibilities.
When I was new to the industry and wide-eyed with inexperience, it was people I met at PRPLI who offered to get together to share ideas. We became the Ladies Who Lunch – Laurie Bloom, Melissa Connolly, Deb Scala, and Val Zurblis – and decades later they are all still friends.
PRPLI offers opportunities. If you want to just attend meetings, you can. If you want to get more involved, you can do that too. And I did. Aside from registration table greeter, I’ve been chair of the annual awards dinner and emcee of the annual Meet the Media night. I was around long enough to receive PRPLI’s Rising Star Award in 2001 and then the Mentor Award 17 years later. And I was the board for several years, as treasurer and then president. I had a great group of people who were on the board during my presidency and I loved working together with them to create great value for our members.
PRPLI has been a reliable source for educational programs, social mixers, and interesting award programs. But it is the relationships I developed from my time at PRPLI that will outlast anything else. I continue to be PRPLI’s most ardent cheerleader. And I expect it’ll be around for another 30 years.
Just let me know whenever you need me at your next registration table.
