Washington Women in Public Relations Announces 2026 Board of Directors and Advisory Council

 For 46 years, the organization has led networking and professional development opportunities for female communicators in D.C.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (December 4, 2025) – Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR), a leading membership organization for female communications professionals in the Washington, D.C. area, today announced its 2026 Board of Directors. The newly elected Board is as follows:

President: Charmaine Riley | American Beverage
Past President: Colleen Gallagher | OnWrd & UpWrd
Vice President: Vanessa French | Vanessa French Consulting
Secretary: Tisa Sinclair | AARP
Treasurer: Bridgette Dodge | Edelman
Operations Chair: Julie McDowell | College of American Pathologists
Content and Digital Marketing Co-Chair: Elisa O’Halloran | U.S. Department of Agriculture
Content and Digital Marketing Co-Chair: Kamica Price | Vectorworks, Inc.
Content and Digital Marketing Co-Chair: Kate Keverline | The Carlyle Group
Emerging Leaders Awards Co-Chair: Isabel Aldunate | MatchPoint Strategies
Emerging Leaders Awards Co-Chair: Janae Washington | Information Technology Industry Council
Membership Co-Chair: Kate Urbach | Curley Company
Membership Co-Chair: Tiffanie Rosier | Hotwire & ROI DNA
Pro Bono & Social Impact Co-Chair: Alicia Aebersold | American Psychological Association
Pro Bono & Social Impact Co-Chair: Christina Crawley | The Headfirst Companies
Professional Development Co-Chair: Courtney Bailey | Meta Platforms, Inc.
Professional Development Co-Chair: Kim Kinser | Communications and Strategy Consultant
Social Media Chair: Melanie Vynalek | Adfero
Woman of the Year Co-Chair: Adiya Mobley | Mission to Movement Worldwide
Woman of the Year Co-Chair: Marie Baldassarre | Office of Congressman Ro Khanna

All WWPR members were invited to participate in the online voting process for the 2026 Board in November 2025.

For more than four decades, WWPR has cultivated and inspired female communicators to reach their full potential in the D.C. market and beyond. The Board of Directors plays a central role in guiding the organization and delivering leadership opportunities, professional development, mentoring, community partnerships, and industry networking.

“Rooted in pride, purpose, and partnership, the 2026 Board of Directors is ready to meet this moment,” said Charmaine Riley, 2026 president, WWPR. “We entered 2025 with strong momentum, and we are committed to building on that progress by growing our membership, elevating our programming, and strengthening support for communicators across every sector. This is an important moment for our industry, and we are energized to work with this exceptional board to deepen our community and invite even more leaders to get involved.”

WWPR has also inducted a new Advisory Council, which will strategically guide the Board over a two-year term. Led by women who exemplify empowerment, industry leadership, and long-standing support for WWPR, the Council will play a key role in strengthening the organization’s long-term vision and impact. WWPR is proud to welcome:

• Debbi Jarvis, president & CEO, The Debbi Jarvis Group
• Lauren Tyler, chief of staff and communications strategist
• Nell Callahan, founder, Frontwood Strategies 
• Sukhi Sahni, communications senior advisor and educator
• Tina Anthony, senior vice president, marketing and communications, NobleReach Foundation

WWPR will continue to host a robust slate of professional development and networking events throughout the year. The Annual Meeting will be held on January 21, 2025, at The Hamilton. It will kick off the organization’s 2026 programming, including its two signature events—the Emerging Leaders Awards and the Woman of the Year Awards. Tickets for the Annual Meeting, featuring keynote Erica Loewe, are available here. 

Learn more about WWPR and upcoming events at wwpr.org.

ABOUT WASHINGTON WOMEN IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is a member-based professional society that cultivates and inspires female communicators to reach their full potential in the D.C. market and beyond. The organization is committed to providing leadership opportunities, professional development, mentorship, and industry networking. Visit us at wwpr.org. For more information: info@wwpr.org.