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Contact: Sasha Steinberg

STARKVILLE, Miss.--A senior member of Mississippi State's Office of Public Affairs is among 15 selected for a major recognition by the world's largest organization for public relations professionals.

Checky Herrington, who has served since February 2014 as the university's marketing research analyst, will be inducted in November into the Public Relations Society of America's prestigious College of Fellows. A Louisville native, he has more than three decades experience in marketing, public relations and brand-strategy development.

"Checky is very deserving of this recognition," said Ï㽶ֱ²¥Chief Communications Officer Sid Salter. "He has been an integral part of the progress we've made in building and advancing MSU's brand and I'm extremely proud to have him as a colleague."

Herrington and other Fellows formally will accept the honor in ceremonies prior to the organization's 2015 conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

Chartered in 1947, New York-based PRSA currently has more than 22,000 members spread throughout North America, including those in the Public Relations Student Society of America at more than 340 colleges and universities. For more, see .

Founded in 1989, its College of Fellows includes some 350 senior members who have successfully advanced in the profession by distinguishing themselves in major leadership roles. Less than two percent of PRSA members are accepted into the College of Fellows.

Last year, Herrington received the highly coveted Accreditation in Public Relations designation from PRSA's Universal Accreditation Board.

Prior to returning to his alma mater, the 1979 Ï㽶ֱ²¥communication/public relations and marketing graduate served nearly 30 years as Entergy Corp.'s marketing communications leader. During his Entergy tenure, he received numerous recognitions, including the PRSA's Silver Anvil Award for work as a team member during and after Hurricane Katrina.

Before joining Entergy, Herrington was a member of Gov. William Winter's administration, where he directed media relations efforts that contributed to the successful passage of Mississippi's 1982 Education Reform Act.

He began his career as a reporter with the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson and, before that, at his hometown Winston County Journal.

Herrington is past president of the International Association of Business Communicators. In addition to the PRSA, his other professional affiliations include the Southern Public Relations Federation and the Public Relations Association of Mississippi, for which he serves as state treasurer.

Expressing appreciation to the many individuals who have set examples for him over the years, Herrington said he views the "huge honor" of joining the College of Fellows as an opportunity to further serve as a resource for others in the profession.

"Over the course of my career, I have seen the value of public relations to the organizations with whom I have been a part," he said. "I'm looking forward to having the opportunity to mentor students and work with other practitioners to keep integrity in the field."

Herrington said he looks forward to joining other inductees as they work to inspire practitioners throughout the country to "stand tall, have confidence in the value they bring, and be accountable when telling their organization's story.

"All of those things, in the long run, will help our profession get stronger and the organizations we serve get better," he emphasized.

In addition to his public affairs duties, Herrington serves as adviser for MSU's Kappa Alpha Order social fraternity. In July, KA honored him with its national faculty adviser of the year award.

Learn more about the Office of Public Affairs at .

MSU, the state's flagship research institution, is online at msstate.edu, meridian.msstate.edu, facebook.com/msstate, instagram.com/msstate and twitter.com/msstate, using #WeRingTrue.