Chapel Submits Her Letter of Resignation

Dear Friends,

I'm writing to tell you that effective immediately, I am resigning from my position as Managing Editor of Strumpette.

This has been a arduous and rather painful decision. As some of you are aware, I've wrestled with the thought of it for months. But now it's time.

Practically speaking, I fought the good fight. I've variously made my points. Together, we've exposed a few frauds and killed countless sacred cows. Together, we've done something PR professor Bill Sledzik describes as "historic." A little hyperbole perhaps but I do know we have made it safer to rail against the hypocrisy in our business.

BUT now I am tired; and now regrettably, I seem to spend all my time revisiting the same battles previously won. I spend all my time trying to keep the Web's rising tide of small literal minds at bay. As you can imagine, it's overwhelmingly tedious and exhausting. All while the largest association of our profession is spending BIG MONEY on a veritable reenactment of "The Masque of the Red Death"!

In describing PRSA's upcoming international conference, my dear friend and colleague Toni Muzi Falconi said, "More than 100 professional development sessions, 10 pre-conference seminars, 16 industry specific dinners and many other events, all designed to titillate thousands of society members and inevitably impede any serious attempt to debate the future of our profession, the major challenges it is facing and, more specifically, the role that associations should be developing in this delicate transition towards a new relevance in an increasingly hostile social environment." Indeed.

Like I said, it's time. It's time to take the brush away from the easel. In the year and a half since my inaugural post, together we've left a footprint. Hell, we've created our own color! Together we created a brand that promises to continue to resonate and inspire others to question; others to potentially step up and take the reins. Anyway, that's my hope.

Lastly, thank you for having given me this opportunity. I have enjoyed working with all of you and will always cherish your kindness, love and support.

I wish you all the very best.

Ciao.

Yours always,

- Amanda Chapel