About NSPRA
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Barbara M. Hunter, APR, became the executive director of the National School Public Relations Association in November 2020. Prior to joining NSPRA, she spent five years as the president/CEO of Hunter Communications LLC, based in Alexandria, Virginia. She also spent 14 years as the chief communications officer in two school districts in Northern Virginia, including Fairfax County Public Schools, the 10th largest in the nation.
She started her career in school communications at AASA, the School Superintendents Association, as editor of The School Administrator magazine. Hunter also served as the director of communications for the National School Boards Association.
Hunter was the lead creator and primary contributor to NSPRA’s Rubrics of Practice and Suggested Measures, which now serves as the standard for evaluating school communication programs. She has earned dozens of awards and national recognition, including a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of America and a Gold Medallion from NSPRA for a community engagement campaign on changing school start times.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and management from Hood College and a master’s degree in public relations management from The American University. In addition, she holds accreditation in public relations (APR) and has served as the NSPRA Mideast Region vice president on the NSPRA Executive Board and is a past president of the Chesapeake chapter of NSPRA.
She is also a member of the Lead Virginia Class of 2024 and serves as the 2024-25 secretary-treasurer of the Learning First Alliance, an alliance of major national education associations focused on improving public education.