Exchange Director/CEO Recognizes Outstanding Public Affairs Representatives

Exchange Director/CEO Tom Shull recently recognized five Public Affairs Representatives (PARs) for the stellar work in garnering installation-level coverage of the Exchange mission in 2020.

The Exchange PAR program is critical for communicating the Exchange’s relevancy and mission to Soldiers, Airmen, Guardians and their families. PARs work with the Exchange’s Dallas-based Public Affairs office to share news to with their community through customized press releases and social media posts, keeping Warfighters in the know about the value and benefit their local Exchange provides.

Chris Litch, visual merchandiser at USAG Bavaria, is the Exchange’s PAR of the year.

The five PARs worldwide who garnered the most coverage for their Exchange in 2020 each received a letter of thanks from Mr. Shull, a Director/CEO coin and an Exchange gift card.

“These valuable team members have made significant contributions to strengthen the Exchange’s relevancy in each of their communities,” Shull said. “Public Affairs remains a critical and credible channel to tell our amazing story of service to Warfighters and their families.”

Chris Litch, visual merchandiser at USAG Bavaria and the top PAR worldwide, credits his military experience for contributing to his success.

“The military taught me organizational skills and how to compartmentalize and I use both when it comes to telling the Exchange story,” Litch said. “I speak the language, and I know our customer. This helps me work with the Garrison Public Affairs Office and other media outlets in the area.”

The Exchange PAR program, which began 15 years ago, is patterned after the Army’s Unit Public Affairs Representative, or UPAR, program. Much like UPARs in the Army, Exchange PARs’ responsibility is an additional yet very important duty.

“As a visual merchandiser, the role of a PAR is a perfect match for me,” Litch said. “Much of what I do daily in supporting retail, food and services, I use to communicate through social media channels and local media outlets. My workload and my PAR duties are well-balanced, and it only takes a few minutes during the week to communicate to the community.”

The 2020 Exchange PAR of the Year winners are:

PAR of the Year: Chris Litch, USAG Bavaria

Runner-up: Natasa Stroud, Fort Gordon

Exchange PAR of the Year Honorable Mentions:

Michael Casserly, Colorado Springs Consolidated

Susie Antonello, Fort Rucker/Maxwell-Gunter AFB

Mr. Choe, Ho-Chol, Korea Southern/Camp Walker