Alisa’s Journey Since Winning the WWPR Woman of the Year Award (by Elisa OHalloran)

Alisa Valudes Whyte, CEO, Senior Partner at Merritt Group, was named WWPR’s Woman of the Year in 2023. The award gave her a new avenue to connect with amazing women who are communications leaders. “The annual dinner for past Woman of the Year winners and Board members is a unique and rewarding experience to connect with incredible women leaders in a smaller, more intimate setting,” she says.

Since winning the award, Alisa’s career and agency have continued to thrive. She was named a finalist for the upcoming March of Dimes “Heroines of Washington” awards to take place in November 2025, honoring professional women in the D.C. metro area who give back to their community through extensive volunteer service. Her firm, Merritt Group, has also earned national recognition, including Bulldog PR’s B2B Agency of the Year (2025), PRNews’ Agency Elite ranking of the top 120 U.S. agencies (2025), CyberMarketingCon PR Firm of the Year (2024), and a Viddy Gold Award for Samsung’s DeX-in-Vehicle video.

Her leadership extends beyond client work. Alisa serves on the Democratic Business Council of Northern Virginia and will begin her term as President-Elect in 2026. She has also encouraged Merritt Group colleagues to engage with WWPR. “My colleague and partner, Michelle Schafer joined the WWPR Board in 2025. Also, we had two agency leaders being recognized as Emerging Leaders: Katherine Nanney (winner in 2025 in mid-size agency category) and Kelly Finneran (finalist in 2023 in mid-size agency category).

For women rising in communications, Alisa offers clear advice: “Always show intellectual curiosity. There’s an opportunity to learn throughout every phase of your career. Couple career success with community service. Giving back is a responsibility we all have as professionals.”

Looking ahead, she’s excited about innovation. Alisa adds, “Merritt Group is committed to focusing on how AI is impacting our field.  We launched MG Labs, dedicated to experimenting with AI tools, and expanded into B2B influencer and partner marketing services. Merritt Group’s work in AI led to our agency being named a silver winner as “Most AI Ready Agency” in 2024 by Bulldog PR Awards “ 

From industry accolades to mentoring the next generation, Alisa’s journey reflects the spirit of the Woman of the Year award - leading with vision, generosity, and impact.