Emma Finkbeiner, a Northern Michigan University senior from Marquette and Harbor Springs, has been elected 2016-17 national president of the Public Relations Student Society of America.

"I'm thrilled to serve PRSSA as national president and lead the society in another successful year,” Finkbeiner said. “I've gained so much personal and professional development from this organization, and I felt that continuing my service as the national president was the best way I could give back. It's going to be a year of change as we update our website and review our resources, and I'm glad to be a part of it."

Finkbeiner joined the NMU Chapter of PRSSA in September 2013 and served as head of the chapter’s public relations campaign for the Hometown Taste-Off the same semester. She became the chapter president for the 2014-15 school year. From the beginning of her PRSSA career, Finkbeiner began writing for the society’s national publications. She was named national publications editor in chief in the spring of 2014.

“I have to say that NMU PRSSA and NMU in general is so lucky to have such great public relations faculty in Tom Isaacson and Jes Thompson,” Finkbeiner said. “They support, advise and encourage our public relations students in all of their endeavors and I sincerely believe I wouldn't have come this far without their confidence in my abilities.”

After her May graduation from NMU, Finkbeiner plans to attend DePaul University in Chicago this fall to pursue a master’s degree in public relations and advertising. She will balance graduate school with her duties as PRSSA national president.

Finkbeiner is the second NMU student to serve as PRSSA national president in recent years. Negaunee native Brian Price was elected to the post for 2013-14.

“NMU continue its string of having students on PRSSA's National Committee every year since 2012,” said Isaacson, a professor in NMU’s communication and performance studies department. “That’s an impressive achievement, considering we have between 50-70 majors and PRSSA is a 10,000-plus member organization. Our students are doing a lot to enhance NMU's reputation and that of our PR program as well.”