This week, in my capacity as President of the Capital Chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association, I attended the Tallahassee City Commission meeting to publicly present the Stanley Tait Professional Award to Michelle Bono, APR, CPRC, for her years of dedication to our community and to the public relations profession.

Michelle is truly deserving of this highest, most prestigious award of our chapter, named for Stanley Tait, who was a visionary Tallahassee PR legend and mentor to many throughout his career.

Over the past 16 years Michelle has been a valuable FPRA member, never missing an opportunity to be engaged and to encourage others in the profession to be active and involved in FPRA.

She leads by example, rarely missing a monthly chapter meeting or annual conference, volunteering her time to events such as “ER for PR,” and teaching workshops on how to submit a winning Image Award. Outside of her dedication to FPRA, Michelle is a strong mentor to up-and-coming professionals, regularly sharing her expertise with those around her.

Michelle has mentored many employees and student interns who have experienced their own successes due in part to her constructive feedback and positive encouragement.

Mentoring is part of the culture of public relations professionals. It’s a privilege to pass on what we have learned as PR pros to the next generation and help them flourish. Michelle continues to uphold this tradition every day.