President’s Note: January 2021

[caption id="attachment_5789" align="alignleft" width="300"] Christina Francisco, 2021 WWPR President, ASHP Director of Digital Marketing and Strategy, Adjunct Lecturer at Georgetown University School of Continuing Studies[/caption] For me, January always brings a feeling of new opportunities and a fresh slate. Coming off of the heels of 2020, this January feels more hopeful to me than in years past. I believe Sarah Beth said it best at this year’s annual meeting: “2020 is the year when the world masked up, went virtual, and managed to navigate the unknown - and so did we. Like others, our industry has been completely flipped on its head - with shifting business priorities, a new media landscape, slashed budgets (or in some cases, doubled budgets!), and hiring freezes. Not to mention, video cameras, mute buttons, sweatpants, barking dogs, and screaming children. Despite all of what 2020 brought to the table, WWPR persevered and I feel even closer to this community.

• We hosted more than 16 in-depth webinars and events in 2020
• We covered everything from the role of brands in today’s landscape to business development in a digital world
• We mentored, networked, and even reconnected with old friends and colleagues
• We honored amazing leaders and named a 2020 Woman of the Year
• And finally, we celebrated our 40th anniversary

If you are as excited as I am for the possibilities and opportunities in 2021, I encourage you to consider WWPR membership if you are not a member already.  We have a lot in store for 2021 and can’t wait to bring you more professional development opportunities and celebrate outstanding professionals and our community through the 2021 Emerging Leaders Awards and Woman of the Year Awards. If you are a member and are looking to get involved, consider joining a committee or speaking with our membership co-chairs about serving as a member spotlight. You can reach the membership co-chairs at membership@wwpr.org. To view available committees, visit https://wwpr.org/committees/#!form/Committees.   I look forward to a great year ahead of us!