Community Relations Professional of the Year

Karen Proctor
Vice President of Community Affairs and Government Relations
Scholastic Inc.

Under Karen’s direction, Scholastic created one of the nation’s largest in-kind giving initiatives, Scholastic Book Grants, which has donated more than 10 million children’s books to non-profit organizations that find creative and effective ways to serve the reading and literacy issues facing children and families in need. In addition, she created the Read and Rise™ campaign, a collaborative effort with the National Urban League aimed at fostering the reading skills of African American children and Words Travel™, a national literacy and family-strengthening program for incarcerated parents and their children.

Top Crisis Manager

Susan Atteridge
Chief Communications Officer
TXU Corp

Susan has been full circle with the company in her seven years. Within Susan's first four years, TXU moved from 15 to first place in a major reputation poll and drew a third of its revenues from offshore operations. Then, in October 2002 as energy markets and credit cratered, so did TXU. In a crisis mode, the company within one month sold off chunks of its European businesses. Daily analyst and press calls became the norm, as did continual dialogue with employees. This effort staved off US bankruptcy and then a year (2003) was spent in stabilizing the business. Susan and her communications team have been central to the transformation.

PR Professional of the Year: Nonprofit

Sandra R. Gordon
Director of Public Education and Media Relations
The Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Sandra Gordon has been with the nonprofit for over five years and recently created the Safe, Accessible Playground Build Project, where orthopaedic surgeons volunteer to build playgrounds for children with and without disabilities, and Legacy of Heroes, a multi-media program, including a book, film, website and exhibit in part highlighting the contributions orthopaedic surgeons during World War II and their advancements in trauma care. She has won over 1,000 national and international awards for her work, including several awards for outstanding creativity, 12 Best of Shows, 3 Freddies, an Emmy for best national public service announcement.

Corporate PR Professional of the Year (TIE)

Shelley Bird
Chief Communications Officer
NCR Corporation

Since joining NCR in 1999, Shelley has refocused and strengthened the corporate communications function, making it more strategic, more targeted – and more effective. Much of her time over the past 18 months has been devoted to effectively communicating a change in leadership at NCR and articulating the vision of a new CEO. Last year, she was honored with an IABC Communication Leadership Award.

Andrew B. McCormick
Vice President, Media Relations
Pfizer

Andrew heads up media relations for the world's largest research-based pharmaceutical company based in New York. Since joining Pfizer in 1993, Andrew has managed the company's media communications on corporate, product and science issues. He was instrument in the successful integration of Pfizer and Pharmacia; and the introduction, earlier this year, of Pfizer's new initiative to provide savings on Pfizer medicines for Americans 43 million uninsured.

Agency Professional of the Year

Bridget Brennan
Managing Director of the Consumer Marketing Practice
Zeno (formerly PR21)

Bridget has been at the agency for nearly six years, and has developed programs for such clients as United Airlines, Johnson & Johnson, Pizza Hut, Jose Cuervo, Sprint PCS and Whirlpool Corporation. In 2003, Brennan launched the firm’s Speaking Female practice, which leverages gender psychology and behavioral economics to help clients market to women. Her most recent achievements include creating a designer baby carrier for Evenflo with Nicole Miller, and launching Ted, the new low-cost offering from United Airlines.

Public Affairs Executive of the Year

Gloria S. Dittus
President and CEO
Dittus Communications

Gloria heads the full-service, 50-person PR firm in Washington, D.C., specializing in public affairs counsel. Gloria began the firm 11 years ago and has since overseen its growth to become the 12th-largest independent PR firm in the nation and the 4th-largest in the D.C. area. Recent successes include counseling Clear Channel Communications through the outcry on broadcast indecency and guiding the American Council for Fitness and Nutrition in its public education and legislative efforts to encourage a better balance between physical activity and nutrition choices. She has been honored as the Washington Business Woman of the Year, the Washington PR Woman of the Year and a Heroine in Technology, and has received numerous industry awards for client campaigns.

PR Professional of Year: Government

Dawn Haley
Chief
Office of External Relations for the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP)

Dawn is BEP’s official spokesperson, as well as, the advisor to the senior management team on external issues. Dawn directed the global PR and public education program for one of the largest and most successful product launches in history – the introduction of the new series of U.S. currency designs.

PR Executive Of the Year: Education

Tomika DePriest
Director of Public Relations/Communications
Spelman College

For the past 2 and 1/2 years, Tomika has served as head of PR for Spelman. One major campaign she has worked on was the Spelman College Student Protest of Misogynist Images and Lyrics in Hip Hop, garnering more than 645 million media impressions and over the course of a few years has breathed new life into the PR and communications at the college.

Brand Manager of the Year(TIE)

Ken Sternad
Vice President of Public Relations for UPS

Ken directs the media relations, reputation management, executive communications and marketing public relations activities for the company. During Ken’s tenure, UPS's public relations department has grown from five U.S.-based employees to more than 35 professionals globally. The company is a recent recipient of the national award for excellence in public relations from the Arthur Page Society.

Jim Lake
Managing Director with Burson-Marsteller

Jim manages the firm's public affairs practice in the Washington, DC office. Jim serves as the Global Client Leader for the Bureau of Engraving and Printings "The New Color of Money" public education program raising the awareness of world wide audiences on the new U.S. currency going into circulation. Prior to joining Burson-Marsteller, Jim was with sister company Cohn & Wolf for three years where he was Client Leader for the award winning public education efforts for the Census 2000 effort.

In September 2004, Peter joined Edelman Worldwide as Executive VP and Chief Media Officer for Edelman Worldwide. He left Burson-Marsteller after 11 years, most recently as Managing Director. Not only did Peter oversee one of the biggest media events of the last year – the dedication of the World War II Memorial in DC, but he is an outspoken champion of the industry. He is also president of the Publicity Club of New York.