The readers of PR NEWS selected James Hart Jr., vice president of public affairs at PanEnergy Corp. [PEL] Houston, as 1997 "PR Professional of the Year."
A veteran corporate public affairs executive with extensive experience in the energy industry, Hart also was for many years a public affairs officer in the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
We at PR NEWS also congratulate our other PR Professional nominees, Barbara Hunter of Hunter & Associates, New York, and Richard Yarbrough, who is now with Manning Selvage & Lee but just wrapped up a four-year stint as the top PR person for the just-completed Atlanta Summer Olympic games. Barbara Hunter and Dick Yarbrough also drew a strong response from our readers.
Hart will be honored at a reception to be held on the evening of Nov. 11 during the Public Relations Society of America annual conference in St. Louis. All PR NEWS readers are invited to meet Jim and commend him on the professionalism which has marked his career. It will be held Nov. 11, 5-6 p.m. in the Promenade Ballroom B at the Adams Mark Hotel.