APS Office of
Public Relations and Outreach

The mission of OPRO is to:

• Educate the public and APS members on matters related to plant health, plant diseases, and associated microorganisms
• Increase media coverage of plant health issues in order to demonstrate the value of plant pathology to society
• Assist Public Policy Board in strengthening advocacy for science-based public policy
• Promote interactions with other scientific and professional organizations

General Responsibilities
OPRO is charged by Council with primary leadership for the society’s public outreach and media relations programs and is empowered to dispense funds allocated by Council for outreach programs as well as to utilize staff time for execution of these programs. It is recognized that much responsibility for public outreach resides with individual APS members, Council, and various APS committees, boards, offices, and divisions. It is the responsibility of OPRO to coordinate, enable, and nurture public outreach from various sectors of the society. OPRO will provide a forum for discussion of outreach opportunities and initiatives and a mechanism for funding special projects. OPRO will choose the highest priority audiences for outreach efforts, and periodically, will reassess these priorities.

Organizational Structure
To carry out its responsibilities, the OPRO Board is comprised of the following:
• A director
• Immediate past director, for one year term immediately following director term (ex officio, non voting)
• 6-8 board members representative of the society with interest in: extension; research, teaching; industry, government, and international programs.
• The Public Policy Board chair (ex officio, voting)
• The APSnet feature editor (ex officio, voting)
• The immediate past president (ex officio, voting)
• OPRO staff liaison(s)

The director and each regular Board member are appointed by Council to serve three-year terms. Board members can serve no more than two consecutive terms. The OPRO director will convey to Council nominees for Board members based on input from the current Board and from various outreach constituencies in the society.

General Responsibilities of the Director
The director will lead the OPRO board and staff in establishing priorities and individual assignments for follow-through. The director will serve as the primary societal contact for all issues relating to communication with the public. The director will represent OPRO to the society’s leadership and work with the leadership to assure that OPRO shares information with the public that is consistent with the society’s interests. Prior to issuance, the director will review all press releases and similar public pronouncements for relevance, consistency of message, accuracy, appropriate crediting, avoidance of liability, and compliance with society policies and then forward for approval by the APS president. Prepares and submits an annual and midyear report to the secretary of APS upon request. Coordinates and submits reports from OPRO committees as well. During the Director’s second year of their final term the OPRO board will nominate potential candidates at midyear for the director position to bring to Council. Council appoints the new director. Upon appointment, the incoming director is requested to attend the OPRO mid-year meeting that precedes their term as director. Serve as ex-officio member of the Public Policy Board.

General Responsibilities of Board Members
The OPRO board will meet twice annually (once at the APS annual meeting) to make programmatic and financial decisions. However, planning, decision-making, and program execution occur on a daily, year-round basis. Board members are expected to participate actively in regular board discussions via email and to respond in a timely manner to requests for information/opinion by the OPRO director and staff. Rapid feedback is often necessary in response to media inquiries and public policy questions. Board members are responsible for maintaining regular liaison between OPRO and specific societal constituencies (either ex officio or as assigned by the director). Board members will also become broadly familiar with public affairs and education issues of the society and will be proactive in bringing issues to the board’s attention and in pursuing opportunities to increase the visibility of APS. Board members will ensure OPRO is developing timely messages to inform the public and society members on contemporary issues of plant health, plant diseases, and associated microorganisms, and will help society members become more effective in their interactions with the public. Board members are charged with maintaining the highest professional standards of scientific objectivity, dispassion, and ethical conduct. Board members may be called upon to serve as authors and reviewers of outreach publications and products, and to assist other groups in APS with their outreach projects.

Committees of OPRO
To carry out its mission and responsibilities OPRO may form committees as needs dictate.

© Copyright 2007 by
The American Phytopathological Society