Special Awards

    OVERVIEW

    Special awards honor exceptional achievements by people and teams.  

    Certain special award categories are open to PRSA Colorado chapter members only, including:

    • Ayers Chapter Service

    • Swede Johnson Lifetime Achievement


    • Jane Dvorak Mentor of the Year

    • Sharon Linhart PR Person of the Year

    • Joe Fuentes Rookie of the Year

    The following special awards are open to both members and non-members:

    • Outstanding Business Leader

    • Media Professional of the Year

    • Public Relations Team of the Year 


      Each nominee will receive one (1) complimentary registration. If no entries are received for any given Special Awards category, the PRSA Colorado Board may collectively nominate a person to receive the award.

    AWARD CATEGORIES

    Swede Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award

    Recognizes a PRSA Colorado Chapter member for distinguished service to the profession of public relations, the community and to PRSA. This award may be based on volunteer work for non-profit causes, leadership on a significant public relations issue affecting the community, and/or outstanding educational achievement in public relations. The recipient must have been a member of PRSA for at least twenty-five years at the time of nomination.

    Joe Fuentes Rookie of the Year

    Recognizes an outstanding new member of the PRSA Colorado Chapter and the public relations profession. The nominee must have three years or less of professional industry experience, must be a member of PRSA Colorado and actively involved in the Chapter, and volunteer his/her skills on committees and attend functions. The nominee’s Chapter participation level and willingness to serve PRSA will be carefully considered. A demonstration of excellence in practicing public relations, in addition to community/charity sup­port and involvement, also will be considered.

    Ayers Chapter Service Award

    Presented to an individual who is a current member of the PRSA Colorado Chapter and has demonstrated a particularly strong level of commitment to the Chapter through volunteer work, board or committee work, or involvement in special projects. The award is designed to recognize a member whose contributions might be regarded as unpublicized and behind-the-scenes.

    Sharon Linhart PR Person of the Year

    This award honors the outstanding achievement of a public relations professional and Colorado chapter member who has taken his or her PR skills to the next level. Professional development, client success, company loyalty or any other demonstration of professional success during the past calen­dar year will earn one of our colleagues this prestigious award. This person must have five or more years of experience and work for a Colorado-based company or organization.

    Outstanding Business Leader

    Presented to a business leader of a Colorado-based company or organization, this individual must have demonstrated upstanding corpo­rate citizenship and respect for and appreciation of the function of public relations. Additionally, he or she must have actively supported and/or originated creative, ethical, and community- responsive public relations programming.

    Media Professional of the Year

    Presented to a journalist of a Colorado-based media outlet who has demonstrated a dedication to their craft by reporting with integrity, sharing impactful stories, and always keeping the public interest in mind. Additionally, this person must have proven experience working respectfully with local public relations professionals.

    Jane Dvorak Mentor of the Year

    Recognizes an outstanding public relations professional and Colorado chapter member who has demonstrated time and commitment to being a mentor to other public relations professionals. The nominee must display exemplary mentoring to a public relations professional(s) through a variety of means including, but not limited to, resume writing and critiquing, industry networking, improving interviewing skills, and provid­ing public relations expertise. This person must have five or more years of experience and work for a Colorado-based company or organization.

    Public Relations Team of the Year

    PRSA Colorado will honor a PR team that deserves special recognition for its achievements during the past year. This team can be a PR agency, an internal PR group for a business or nonprofit, or another collaborative workgroup. Unlike the chapter’s other special awards, the team nominates itself for this award. The honor will be awarded based on the following criteria:

    • Generates outstanding results and achievement for its clients, organization, or causes;

    • Demonstrates innovation and creativity in its public relations efforts;

    • Creates a positive impact on the communications profession, in the lives of professionals and on organizations; and

    • Exhibits high professional and ethical standards within the public relations profession.


    At least one member of the PR team must be a member of PRSA Colorado. The nomination is limited to two pages and should in­clude the team’s top five accomplishments from the past year and a description of why your team is worthy of being named PR Team of the Year. Up to two letters of recommendation may be included but are not required. Letters of recommendation do not count toward the two-page nomination limit.

     

      entity