FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Director of Community Shelter Board Named PRSA Citizen of the Year

Columbus, OH – Barbara Poppe, Executive Director of the Community Shelter Board (CSB), has been named Citizen of the Year by the Central Ohio Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).

Poppe’s leadership at CSB, a non-profit organization charged with funding, planning and coordinating access to shelter and essential services in Columbus and Franklin County, has resulted in community acceptance and support of one of the nation’s leading social service programs. Under Poppe’s direction, CSB facilitated the Scioto Peninsula Relocation Task Force, which developed a visionary plan to reduce homelessness and replace a patchwork system of emergency shelters with permanent housing and support services. The Rebuilding Lives program created a new community structure that enables homeless people to rebuild their lives.

By putting into practice the principles of public relations – research, planning, execution and evaluation – Poppe and CSB have achieved extraordinary results. The Rebuilding Lives program succeeded in building community acceptance. Today, more than 300 apartments are open, with more under construction, standing side-by-side with traditional housing. The community relations program received a Prism award, the Central Ohio chapter’s Best of Show Award, and PRSA’s highest honor – a Silver Anvil – in 2001. The program will be included in a textbook of best practices for communications students written by Dr. Jerry Hendricks, professor of communications at American University. The Urban Institute, located in Washington, D.C., honored CSB for its efforts to prevent first-time and repeat homelessness. And, the National Alliance to End Homelessness recently recognized CSB for its leadership.

Poppe began her term as executive director since 1995, bringing more than 12 year’s experience in homelessness-and-housing related organizations to Central Ohio. From June 1990 to October 1995, she was executive director of Friends of the Homeless, Inc. She has published and presented on various homeless research topics including strategies to end homelessness, needs assessment, chemical dependency treatment, and employment and training.

In addition, Poppe is a member and past chairperson of the Columbus Coalition for the Homeless, and advisory member of the Ohio Department of Development’s Shelter and Supportive Housing Committee, an advisory group member of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, and a resource person for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Homeless Services Data Users Group.

The Central Ohio PRSA Citizen of the Year award is given to an individual who has made significant contributions to the Greater Columbus community and/or the growth of the public relations profession. Winners demonstrate a commitment to professional or volunteer activities that have caused positive social, economic or political change and have greatly impacted the Columbus community as a whole.

About PRSA

PRSA is the world’s largest organization for public relations professionals. The 400 members of the local chapter include individuals from business and industry, counseling firms, government, associations, health care, education, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. For meeting and membership information, please call PRSA at 470-2762, or visit our Web site at www.centralohioprsa.org.

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For more information, contact Tracey Young at (614) 228-2196.