Categories of Membership

Who can join?

Below are the major categories of membership, as defined in the Society’s bylaws:

  • Individual - An individual member is any member that does not qualify as an Educator, Nonprofit/Government, Honorary or Life Member. Annual dues for Individual Members are $1395. The criteria for an Individual members are as follows:

Individual Corporate:

  1. Hold the top corporate communications position and have a broad range of responsibilities. For example, candidates who report to the CEO and appear in the Annual Report are highly desirable for membership.
  2. A candidate’s company should generate at least $2 billion in annual revenues.

Individual (PR Agency, Opinion Research)

To be considered for agency membership, a candidate must meet the following qualifications:

    1. Be the CEO of the agency (not to include subsidiaries in agencies, but can include appropriate management at holding companies).
    2. Lead an agency with annual fees of at least $5 million per year with the agency having been at that level for a minimum of five (5) years.
    3. Be recognized as providing substantial strategic counsel to major corporations, particularly with Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies, at the C-Suite level.

In addition to the above three (3) requirements, preference will be given to candidates who are considered to be thought leaders in corporate communications, as evidenced by activities such as having leadership responsibility in organizations in the public relations or other industries, published articles, spoken at important forums and generally contributed to our industry.

Educator

To be considered for membership as an educator, a candidate must be:

  1. Employed in a full-time public relations or corporate communication teaching position in an accredited institution of higher learning; and,
  2. Regarded as a thought leader in public relations or corporate communication based upon publication of a substantial body of research that has made a significant contribution to the body of knowledge and literature of our field.

In addition, candidates must meet one (1) of these two criteria:

  1. Possess an earned doctorate or its equivalent
  2. Be currently serving as the director or senior faculty member of their program or instructional group in their institution of higher learning

Annual dues for Educator Members are $595.

Nonprofit and Government

To be considered for membership in this category, the individual must hold the top communication position in the nonprofit (public charity, foundation, university, or association) or government agency and have broad responsibilities as well as meet the following criteria:

  1. The individual has significant professional communications experience
  2. The organization is considered a leader in its area of expertise
  3. The organization has a track record of constructive relationships with corporations
  4. The organization adheres to the Page Principles
  5. The organization meets the relevant financial criteria as follows:
    • Associations – Annual budget of at least $85 million
    • Public Charities – Annual revenue of at least $750 million
    • Foundations & Universities – Assets of at least $2 billion
    • Government Agencies – Annual budget of at least $15 billion.

Membership in this category is limited to ten people per year with a maximum total of ten percent of the membership. Annual dues for Nonprofit and Government Members are $1395.

Life

This category is closed, but is grandfathered to those who retired from their corporate position prior to December 31, 1992 and are not actively engaged in the profession. Annual dues are $110.

Honorary

Individuals, who because of their contributions to the practice of public relations, may be elected by unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees as an Honorary Member. Persons inducted into the Society’s Hall of Fame and recipients of the Distinguished Service Award are elected to this category.

We are Growing Globally

The Arthur W. Page Society welcomes nominations for membership from qualifying senior public relations professionals in companies in all countries.

“Corporate communications is a global profession,” said former president Tom Martin, “and the Society’s growing international membership reflects our common interest in issues confronting practitioners in major companies around the globe.”

While the Society’s current membership is largely North American, several Europe-based corporate communicators are active in the Society and are encouraging others to consider participation.

Where ever they are situated, Society members have access to full membership benefits – from conference and committee participation to networking with others in the Society. The Society’s web site provides news and information to all inquirers. Member contact information is accessible exclusively to members.

What’s the process for becoming a member of the Society?

The process for joining the Arthur W. Page Society is this:

  • An active member of the Society proposes consideration of the individual, by completing the sponsorship form available online, enclosing a current biography of the candidate and by providing a short statement of support for the candidate, highlighting the reasons for any exceptional consideration if applicable. Endorsement from a second current member and/or trustee is also required to complete the nomination.
  • The Membership Committee reviews nominations and makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees for action at regularly scheduled meetings of the Board. Agency and academic candidates are considered annually, either in June or August. Accepted candidates and their sponsors are notified. If a candidate is not accepted, the sponsor and/or candidate are notified.
  • The proposed candidate receives an application and guidelines for submitting it to the Society’s offices. Upon payment of the appropriate fee, the candidate becomes a member immediately and is more formally and personally welcomed at the next annual conference of the Society.

Click here to download a membership sponsorship form.

For answers to specific questions on Arthur W. Page Society membership, contact Ray Kotcher, chair of the Membership Committee.

What are the opportunities for participation?

All members are invited to all functions of the Society and all are qualified for election to the Board of Trustees, to become officers, and to serve on committees. A questionnaire is sent to each new member, asking for his or her interests and preferences for committee assignment. Each committee chair welcomes volunteers to committee work.

Renewing your membership:

To renew your membership for 2013, or to activate your new membership, please click here.

For any other questions about renewals or to request an invoice for membership dues, please contact Susan Chin, 212-400-7959 Ext 101.

New Rule for Retaining Membership

  •  Members joining or rejoining Page on or after June 29, 2011 must retain employment that would qualify them for membership. On an annual basis, during membership renewal, members whose current role makes them ineligible for continued Page Society membership will be allowed a one-year grace period to take employment in a qualifying role.

New Rule for Changing Membership Category

  •  Members who join after June 29th, 2011 and are not yet members for life must qualify for membership under their new membership category, if they switch from one category to another. For example, if Jane Doe moves from a Chief Communications Officer job to an agency position, she must qualify under the rules guiding agency membership in order to continue in the organization.

Abolishing Automatic Membership for Life

  •  Until now, the Page Society has allowed members to automatically remain members for life, as long as their dues were paid on time each year. The Board has agreed to abolish this provision for new members who join on or after June 29th, 2011.
  • Current members, who joined the organization before June 29th, 2011, will continue to enjoy membership-for-life, as long as they remain continuous members in good standing, including paying their dues.
  • The new rules will also not apply to Hall of Fame or Distinguished Service Award winners, who will always automatically qualify as lifetime members. Past Chairs of Page’s Board of Trustees will also qualify automatically for lifetime membership.

Qualifying for Membership for Life

  • Members joining or rejoining after June 29th will be eligible to apply for lifetime membership after they have been members in good standing for seven years.