More than 200 PR professionals packed a ballroom on Nov. 29 at the revered National Press Club in Washington, D.C., for the annual People to Watch Awards, which honor 34 rising stars of PR—communicators who stand poised to help lead PR in the agency, corporate and nonprofit sectors. The luncheon also featured the PR People Awards, the induction of five PR Hall of Famers and the Top Places to Work in PR.
The People to Watch Awards featured an already accomplished group of PR up-and-comers aged 30 and under, from government affairs communicators like Katie Denis of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Jason Kuruvilla of the U.S. Department of Labor to agencies pros Matt Marcus from Weber Shandwick and Emily Zanovich of Porter Novelli to nonprofit pros such as Julie Hendry of Direct Energy and Albe Zakes of TerraCycle.
Each member of the 2012 Rising Stars of PR class is a young PR professional whose creativity and excellence stood out this year. Honorees also discussed what inspires them in their careers. Caitlin Fisher, an account executive at DCI Group, said “working in PR affords me the opportunity to be on the front lines of the ever-evolving media. I love being a part of the news cycle and helping people stay informed and engaged."
Jason Meyer, associate director of online at APCO Worldwie, said he finds himself inspired by the rapid pace with which communications must evolve in order to match social shifts in the world. "We’re no longer waiting decades for new trends to emerge—we can see changes from year to year, if not from month to month,” said Meyer.
Learn about all the winners at our PR People Awards Luncheon: PR People; People to Watch; and Top Places to Work.
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