PRESS RELEASE: Washington PR Woman of the Year to Join WWPR Advisory Council

Leading PR Society for Women Adds Debra Silimeo to Senior Leadership

WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 25, 2013 – Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR), a leading resource for communications professionals in the nation’s capital, today announces that Debra Silimeo, executive vice president of Hager Sharp, will be joining the WWPR Advisory Council. The council, established in 2012, provides strategic advice on the direction of the organization focused on networking and peer-to-peer mentoring. "WWPR is in a pivotal time of change to ensure it is meeting the needs of its members as women in the PR industry continue to achieve new professional heights,” said WWPR co-president Tina McCormack Beaty. “Almost half of PRWeek’s recent 50 Power List were women – as more women take strong leadership roles nationally and here in DC, it will be important for them to have a professional network of peers to learn from and lean on.” Silimeo was named the 2010 PR Woman of the Year by Washington Women in Public Relations, an award recognizing a public relations strategist whose achievements have reached a pinnacle in the profession. As a member of the Hager Sharp’s management team, Debra leads the firm’s education practice and client services, including comprehensive national campaigns, and has helped the firm more than double in size and revenue. She has extensive experience in public policy communications, as a senior member of the Congressional Leadership staff and at two Cabinet level agencies. She began her career as a radio and TV journalist (WAMU, WTOP, NBC4/WRC-TV) covering local and national issues in the Washington region. “WWPR is an extraordinary organization, I am looking forward to helping it expand its potential,” said Silimeo. “It’s great having a seat at the executive table, but it’s equally important to help the next generation of leaders fill more of those seats.” Silimeo joins fellow industry titans on the advisory council including:

• Martha Boudreau, President Mid-Atlantic & Latin America, Fleishman-Hillard
• Frank Kauffman, Senior Counselor, Edelman
• Catherine "Kiki" McLean, Counselor, Porter Novelli
• Polly Sherard, Manager-Special Projects, ABC7-TV and wjla.com

For more information on the Washington Women in Public Relations or its advisory council, please visit www.wwpr.org. ABOUT WASHINGTON WOMEN IN PUBLIC RELATIONS Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is the first and only D.C.-based professional organization advancing women in the communications industry. WWPR is committed to delivering outstanding professional development, networking, marketplace positioning, and leadership opportunities to area communicators. Visit us at wwpr.org, “Like” us on Facebook.com/WashingtonWomeninPR, and follow us on Twitter @WWPR.  

###