Heide Harrell (Photo by Jen Missouri)
Public relations is about influencing, engaging and building relationships with key stakeholders across numerous platforms to shape and frame the public perception of a company or business. Whether crafting a message for a new product or service or working to help change a narrative, PR serves on the frontline for Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, and many local and global organizations.
“Ours is a very versatile profession,” said Heide Harrell, who has an accreditation in public relations and is director of communications at Central Arkansas Water in Little Rock. “Every company and organization has a story to tell. Technology may have changed the toolbox, but it comes down to creating compelling messages that resonate with the target audiences.”
Having grown up in northwest Arkansas, Harrell’s story in public relations began at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway when she took her first PR class led by industry legend Bob Sells, a longtime community leader and founder of the Sells Agency in Little Rock.
“Bob said PR is 80 percent writing,” Harrell said. “He said, ‘If you’re not a good writer, you shouldn’t be in public relations.’ I considered myself a decent writer, so I stuck with it.”
Sticking with public relations proved a wise and rewarding choice for Harrell, whose first experience as a PR professional came as an intern for Little Rock’s Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church. Since then, she has enjoyed a diverse career, serving as a strong voice to dozens of organizations.
“I’ve worked for financial firms and ad agencies where I provided PR for multiple retail and service industries, a law firm and now a public utility,” Harrell said. “PR is a business where you rarely see the same day twice.”
What prepared Harrell for the slings and arrows of public relations is the Public Relations Society of America, which she joined in 2006. PRSA has nearly 18,000 members and more than 100 chapters nationwide, including the Arkansas chapter, which has the highest ratio of members who have an accreditation in public relations nationwide. The APR credential certifies one’s skills, professionalism and principles in public relations.
“More than 50 percent of our Arkansas chapter members are APR certified,” Harrell said, adding that it is a point of pride.
With everything PRSA has given to Harrell, she has given back by taking on several PRSA roles, including serving as a member of the national board from 2020 to 2022, as secretary in 2023 and as senior counsel in 2024. She also served as chair and as a board member for the southwest district and as president of the Arkansas chapter. In 2023, she was awarded the Crystal Award, the highest award presented by the Arkansas chapter’s past presidents council, which recognizes significant and continuous contributions to the public relations profession and PRSA.
“That award was so special,” Harrell said. “To be recognized by your peers is both gratifying and humbling.”
Past honorees include Denver Peacock, Alison Melson, Natalie Ghidotti, Bruce Trimble and Susan Blair.
Harrell’s affinity for PRSA stems from her belief in its value.
“First, it’s about adhering to our code of ethics that sets out principles and guidelines on the ethical practice of PR,” she said. “Professional development is another critical component, and for chapters like mine, we have great programming and opportunities that allow you the opportunity to grow. Third, it’s networking. I would not be where I am in my career without PRSA. The people I’ve met and those who continue to mentor me have given me wonderful counsel and support throughout my career.”
In October, Harrell’s dedication to the organization that shaped her career led to her election as the 2025 chair-elect and 2026 chair of the PRSA national board. She is the first Arkansan ever to have the position in the organization’s history, which spans more than 75 years.
“This is one of the most incredible honors of my life, and I am grateful our society’s leaders entrusted me with this vital role,” Harrell said. “As the first Arkansan and first woman from the southwest district to ever serve as the national chair-elect and chair, I’m proud to represent the state I love so much.”
It will by no means be a leisure role. Harrell said the PR industry is tasked with meeting the challenges of the modern age. It is up to PRSA to adapt to emerging technologies and the prevailing behaviors associated with them, she added.
“When I first entered the PR community, networking was a face-to-face process of luncheons, coffees and conferences,” Harrell said. “Today, recruiting young professionals to join has been a challenge. This virtual generation prefers to connect remotely. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a different thing, and we must flex with the times.”
Over her nearly 20-year career as a PR and communications professional, Harrell served as vice president and communications director of the private wealth management division at Stephens in Little Rock, one of the largest privately held independent investment firms off Wall Street. She was also director of marketing and business development at Rose Law Firm in Little Rock, the oldest law firm west of the Mississippi River. She also spent nearly eight years working for two of Arkansas’s top advertising agencies.
Today, as director of communications for Central Arkansas Water, she is crafting another compelling message: “We have the best water in the nation.” Thanks to Harrell, central Arkansans residents will most certainly get the message.
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