The Arthur W. Page Society today announced Paul Basista's decision not to renew his contract as executive director upon the expiration of his second three-year contract.

"I'd like to thank Paul for his dedicated service over the past six years," said Roger Bolton, president of the Page Society. "Paul was our first full-time employee, and thanks in significant part to his contributions, the Page Society has come of age during his tenure. We have grown our membership and expanded our programs for members. For his contribution to all of this, we thank Paul and wish him well."

"I've enjoyed my tenure as executive director of the Page Society," Basista said. "I've had the privilege of working with some of the finest PR professionals in the industry."

"I'm pleased that the organization experienced significant growth, both in terms of its membership and its budget -- a good indication that we were able to offer an attractive member experience," Basista added. "Having accomplished so much, I'm now ready to take on a new challenge and will be devoting my time to exploring opportunities in the coming months."

Basista has agreed to remain in his current role during a search for a successor. "We will be initiating a search for a new executive director, who will help us take the Page Society to the next level," Bolton said. "We are creating exciting new programs that will increase our ability to fulfill our mission, which is to advance the management policy role of the chief corporate public relations officer."

During Basista's tenure, the Society's membership increased by 40 percent, revenues increased 76 percent and the budget increased by 98 percent. He was instrumental in introducing to Society members a number of new programs, including 1) a case study competition for students from leading business and journalism schools worldwide, 2) regional meetings launched this year in San Francisco, Minneapolis, Washington, D.C. in addition to established meetings in Chicago and New York, and 3) Page One teleconferences focused on industry topics as the Avian Flu pandemic, the industry's response to Hurricane Katrina and corporate governance and privacy-related issues.

Prior to joining the Page Society, Basista served for 14 years as the national executive director of the Graphic Artists Guild, a 3,000 member organization comprising 13 chapters nationwide. He also served as the director of Public Affairs for the Independent Federation of Flight Attendants, which he served for four years.

About the Arthur W. Page Society

The Arthur W. Page Society is a professional association composed primarily of the chief communications officers (CCOs) of the world's top multinational corporations, and the CEOs of the world's largest public relations agencies. The organization's members also include academics from the leading business and communications schools.

The Page Society is dedicated to strengthening the management policy role of chief communications officers. The Page Society is upheld by management concepts, known as the Page Principles, which have been tested for more than half a century and have earned the support and respect of chief executive officers throughout the country. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Arthur W. Page Society.

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For more information

Dawn Hanson
Communications Director
216.932.8641