Author: Derika Crowley

By Emily Tillet, Senior Director at AVOQ

In the vibrant world of public relations, our power lies in our ability to shape narratives, connect communities, and drive meaningful change. As a network dedicated to empowering women in PR, we hold a unique responsibility–and a profound opportunity–to amplify the voices that often go unheard, particularly in the realm of women’s health.

For too long, conversations surrounding crucial aspects of women’s well-being have been whispered or shrouded in silence. It’s time to break those barriers and bring these vital stories into the spotlight. By strategically leveraging our PR expertise, we can illuminate the challenges women face, celebrate their resilience, and connect them with the resources they desperately need.

Two organizations that exemplify the power of advocacy and support in women’s health are Postpartum Support International (PSI) and the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA). These incredible groups work tirelessly on the front lines, offering crucial services and driving critical research. As PR professionals, we can be instrumental in bolstering their impact.

Postpartum Support International addresses the often-invisible struggles of maternal mental health. From the “baby blues” to postpartum depression, anxiety, and psychosis, these conditions affect a significant number of new mothers, yet stigma and lack of awareness often leave them feeling isolated and alone. PSI provides invaluable resources, including a helpline, online support groups, and a network of trained professionals. By crafting compelling narratives around the experiences of mothers and the support PSI offers, our team at On Air/AVOQ were able to secure nearly 30 broadcast media engagements in English and Spanish, across local and network outlets to help break the silence on an all-too-common issue, encourage help-seeking behavior, and foster a more compassionate and understanding society. Our team successfully re-imagined PSI’s campaign efforts by putting personal stories of recovery at the forefront, highlighting the signs and symptoms of postpartum mental health challenges, and directed individuals to PSI’s vital service across a wide array of demographics. 

On another critical front, the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance is dedicated to funding innovative research, advocating for patients, and providing support to those affected by ovarian cancer. Often referred to as the “silent killer” due to its subtle early symptoms, ovarian cancer demands greater awareness and earlier detection methods. OCRA plays a pivotal role in driving scientific breakthroughs and empowering women with information. Our team at On Air was tapped to share the latest in OCRA’s initiative with Microsoft Health funding global research grants. We were able to leverage our team’s ability to zero-in on targeted, thoughtful outreach to key stakeholders across the country including tech-minded viewers in Silicon Valley to policymakers in Washington, D.C. These thoughtful approaches to sensitive and necessary topics helped to elevate OCRA’s mission by sharing the stories of survivors, highlighting the importance of research funding, and educating the public about risk factors and symptoms. Our mission was to create a campaign that amplifies the voices of researchers on the cusp of new discoveries or shares the journeys of brave women navigating their diagnoses, connecting them with OCRA’s support networks.

So, how can our wider network actively contribute to amplifying similar crucial voices?

• Pro Bono Support: We can offer our expertise to women’s-focused health organizations in developing communication strategies, crafting press releases, managing social media campaigns, and securing media coverage.
• Awareness Campaigns: We can initiate our own campaigns within our networks and communities to raise awareness about issues similar to postpartum mental health or ovarian cancer, directing people to the resources provided by these organizations.
• Storytelling Workshops: We can host workshops focused on ethical and impactful storytelling for women’s health advocates and survivors, empowering them to share their experiences effectively.
• Industry Engagement: We can continue to leverage our connections within the PR industry to encourage media outlets and influencers to prioritize these important health topics.
• Education and Advocacy: We can educate ourselves and our colleagues about the specific challenges and needs within women’s health, becoming informed advocates for change.

By uniting our skills and passion, WWPR can become a powerful force in amplifying the voices that need to be heard. Let’s commit to using our influence to break the silence, foster understanding, and drive meaningful support for organizations like Postpartum Support International and the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, ultimately empowering women to prioritize their health and well-being. Our collective voice, when raised together, has the power to create real and lasting impact.

Emily Tillett is a Senior Director at AVOQ, an advocacy and communications firm, and serves as Editorial Producer for On Air, AVOQ’s broadcast media offering. Her clients include leaders in the public health space and technology world where she regularly manages broadcast media engagements for local and network spots across the country.

By Ranata Reeder, Co-Chair Emerging Leaders Awards, WWPR

In this candid Q&A style blog, Dr. Julaine Braham, double board-certified internal medicine and obesity medicine specialist, shares the importance of preventative medicine in women’s health, current women’s health trends, and information on how women can take a comprehensive approach to wellness. 

“When it comes to their health, I implore women to advocate for themselves.” – Julaine Braham, M.D.

What trends are you seeing in women’s health? 

Now, more than ever, women are looking for trusted healthcare providers to guide them with a comprehensive approach to wellness that incorporates holistic methods. 

What should every woman speak to her doctor about? 

I advise adult women to ask and be proactive about their preventative screenings. This includes checking your risk for cardiovascular disease and checking your cholesterol panel. For women over 30, getting a calcium score done which ultimately checks the vasculature around the heart, and making sure you’re on top of your pap smears. For those over 40, making sure you’re on top of your mammograms or doing self checks. As women, when we go through our cycles, we can have dense tissue in our breasts, and certain areas will become more dense. That can be scary, but it’s still important to do those checks so you can talk to your doctor, because early detection can save your life. 

Also, if you are having concerns about random symptoms, say you have chronic fatigue and weight gain, but you know you’re eating right, exercising properly, and you should be seeing the scale go down – if it’s not, you definitely need your hormone levels checked. 

What is one tip you have for women during Women’s Health Month? 

The number one cause for death in women is cardiovascular disease. It’s outpacing men especially as we get older. So I will go back to preventative screenings, and encourage women to stay on top of our modifiable risk factors (such as, making sure your blood pressure and A1c levels are controlled, eliminating or limiting meat, dairy, and alcohol intake, avoiding tobacco products and eating a well balanced diet) in order to prevent chronic diseases. This is why I’m very big on making sure to check in on patients diets, exercise routine and  frequently monitor cholesterol levels and cardiovascular risk factors. 

What is one small lifestyle change someone can make that will have a big health impact? 

Hydration and not only H2O water hydration, but with fruit water. For instance, cucumbers are 98% water and also carry a lot of minerals and vitamins. Hydrating fruits like pineapples, watermelons, and cucumbers, should be staples especially coming into the summer months. Fruits can have antioxidants, salts, nutrients, and the vitamins that you need. With fruits, you’re getting hydrated plus you’re helping your body be equipped to have a strong immune system.

What’s the best health advice you’ve seen on Instagram or TikTok lately? 

The best advice I’ve seen is juicing. For your fruits and vegetables, if you’re not eating it, juice it. Doing a weekly green juice at home to help detoxify the body and build your immune system would be awesome.

About Julaine Braham, M.D.

Dr. Julaine Braham is a double board-certified internal medicine and obesity medicine specialist. She is deeply passionate about sharing the importance of health and wellness. Originally from Jamaica, Dr. Braham founded Kiwi-Med to provide high-quality virtual care for busy professionals who need convenient access to their healthcare provider. Dr. Braham is passionate about diving deep with patients and brings a mixture of Western medicine plus a holistic approach. Dr. Braham earned a Bachelor of Science from Oakwood University, graduated Magna Cum Laude from the American University of Antigua, and completed her Internal Medicine residency through Florida State University at Sarasota Memorial Hospital before completing the Obesity Medicine Certification Program at Columbia University. 

By Kristal Farmer, WWPR Board Member – DE&I Chair

May is Mental Health Awareness Month — but how often do we talk about mental health as part of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)? This month, WWPR board member Kristal Farmer reflects on why true inclusion must also mean caring for the invisible emotional load too many carry every day.

There’s something we don’t always say out loud in DE&I work, but we feel it.
It’s the invisible load.

It’s the emotional weight of having to code-switch. Of being “on” all the time. It’s answering the “How are you?” when the real answer feels too complicated or too uncomfortable for the room. It’s watching heartbreaking headlines unfold in real time and still showing up to meetings like nothing happened.

Mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. For many of those from underrepresented or historically marginalized backgrounds, the conversation about well-being is a conversation about equity.We can’t talk about inclusion without talking about what it costs people to show up in spaces that weren’t initially designed with them in mind.
We can’t ask for authenticity and then ignore the emotional labor that comes with being “the only” or “one of few.” And we certainly can’t create belonging if we’re not willing to talk about burnout, anxiety, trauma, and the toll of trying to thrive in environments that don’t always feel safe.

Recent findings from the 2025 NAMI Workplace Mental Health Poll reveal a paradox: while 77% of employees feel comfortable supporting a colleague’s mental health, 42% fear that disclosing their own struggles could negatively impact their careers. This dichotomy underscores the silent battles many face and the pressing need for open, empathetic communication. So what does this mean for us as communicators?

It means we have an opportunity (and frankly, a responsibility) to create space for these conversations. Not just during Mental Health Awareness Month, but year-round. Because DEI isn’t just about representation. It’s about making sure people feel seen, supported, and safe—emotionally, mentally, and culturally.

So this May, as we recognize Mental Health Awareness Month, let’s do more than post a graphic or quote. Let’s commit to being the kind of communicators who make space for the human experience—all of it.

The invisible load gets a little lighter when we carry it together.

By Ranata Reeder, Co-Chair Emerging Leaders Awards, WWPR

In this candid Q&A style blog, Concetta Duncan of the National Portrait Gallery shares the importance of the arts and career advice for local women in public relations looking to grow their careers. 

What’s a typical day like in your life as the Head of Communications and Marketing at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery? 

No two days are alike at the National Portrait Gallery. Each day I start with a sense of our immediate deadlines, and members of my team and I discuss what museum exhibitions or programs need proactive attention. My time is divided between internal and external relationships, so I might bounce between a meeting with our curators or our fundraising team, to a phone call with a New York Times writer or a film shoot in the galleries for a broadcast segment like CBS Sunday Morning.

When there is a moment for strategic work, I’m often developing message points for an upcoming exhibition, assessing analytics for our newsletter or ad buys, or figuring out if there is a way where we can make a sitter’s contribution to history accessible in a snapshot on social.

Why are the arts so important? Additionally, can you share why free access to art is important, even now? 

Access to the arts is incredibly important. One of the privileges of working for the Smithsonian is that I am part of a larger organization that is dedicated to providing free access to the arts, history, culture and science to so many Americans and international visitors. I think art is a really valuable piece of this vision. Art has the power to be the mediator between emotion and intellect. It can alleviate misunderstandings and provide clarity in some of our most important moments as a society and in our individual lives.

Can you share a campaign you ran at the National Portrait Gallery that makes you particularly proud? 

My first few months at the National Portrait Gallery were centered around diving headfirst into developing a strategy for the unveiling of the museum’s commissioned portraits of President Barack Obama and Mrs. Michelle Obama. I quickly had to jump into liaising with media to hold their stories until the opportune time, figuring out presidential protocol, building relationships with new staff, and establishing a rapport with the artists’ studios. The interest in those two portraits was phenomenal, and on the day they were unveiled, it truly felt like we were experiencing history (and art history) in the making. This campaign gave me an opportunity to quickly develop relationships with so many of my colleagues across the Smithsonian. At the same time, I was able to reach outward and communicate with diverse audiences about the importance of portraiture and the potential of images in conveying the history of individuals and the course of this nation.

What was your first job in public relations, communications, or marketing? 

My first job out of college was managing press and marketing for the American Dance Festival based in Durham, North Carolina. It was an incredible opportunity to run a press office right out of school, and I will be forever grateful that they took a chance on me the way they did. That position allowed me to meet some of the most important choreographers working in modern dance while honing the professional experience I needed to later break into the international art world in New York.

When working your first job, could you envision yourself doing what you’re doing now? 

Arts and culture are what drive me. I think I always knew I would end up working in the cultural sphere in some capacity. When I started in this industry, I never thought I would have the opportunity to travel and work on projects such as exhibitions at the Venice Biennale, art fairs in London, Switzerland and Hong Kong, the expansion of an arts and culture district in the U.A.E., and an artist’s installation at the Rio Olympics. It has been a wild ride! I have been so fortunate to work with incredible artists as well as very smart and savvy directors whose leadership styles I admire. While many of these projects required intense commitment, they allowed me to also see different parts of the world and understand the international landscape in which U.S. institutions such as the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery sit. Today, most of my work is focused on U.S. audiences, but I have also had the opportunity to help support cross-cultural exchange as a member of Meridian International’s Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council. They are a fantastic organization doing incredible things to support diplomacy in different sectors. In many ways, what started as a career has really ended up informing me quite a bit as a person.

What advice do you have for women in the DC area in public relations, communications, or marketing looking to grow their careers? 

Communications continues to evolve, from the growth of social media to the contraction of the media landscape. It’s important to stay creative and to take stock in assessing whether or not current tactics are still effective. I also think everyone working in communications should experience both in-house and agency roles. There is value in flexing your strategic thinking in both of these settings.

What’s the best piece of career advice you have received?

Do it because you think you will enjoy it.

Can you share a quote or saying that is meaningful to you that can be shared with the WWPR membership? 

“Leadership is like the tip of a spear… there is not a lot of room up there.”  

I remember hearing this as part of a speech made by art collector Marguerite Hoffman at an awards ceremony for ArtTable, which is an organization for women in the arts, for which I previously served as an executive committee member. I think this points to the fierceness often needed to make a difference in the world and how it can also be lonely at the top. But that isolation at times is a discomfort that is worthwhile if you’re doing the right thing and standing up for what you believe in.

Is there anything happening at the National Portrait Gallery that you are excited to share? 

I am in the early stages of working on two exhibitions by stellar contemporary artists. Next fall the Portrait Gallery will present a solo exhibition of work by Amy Sherald, whom I had the pleasure of working with when the museum unveiled her commissioned portrait of former First Lady Michelle Obama. I am also strategizing a communications rollout for a large-scale exhibition by Wendy Red Star, which will open in March 2026 to coincide with the nation’s semiquincentennial.

Any final thoughts? 

Communications allows you to be involved in all facets of an institution and helps you bring the work of content creators to light across different audiences. But I would add that in order to excel in communications, you also have to be strategic, creative, compelling and accurate, and that in itself is its own art form. 

About Concetta Duncan

Concetta Duncan specializes in external affairs for cultural institutions and creative brands. She is currently Head of Communications and Marketing at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery where she oversees the museum’s media relations, marketing, social media, brand engagement and web development. She has directed impactful and record-setting campaigns including the Portrait Gallery’s 50^th anniversary, the unveiling and seven-city tour of the Obama Portraits, and the museum’s red carpet Portrait of a Nation Gala. She has coordinated with stakeholders including former Presidents and First Ladies, heads of state, celebrities, and thought leaders. She has served on pan-institutional branding committees for the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Initiative and U.S. semiquincentennial celebrations as well as Destination DC’s America250 marketing committee. Prior to Washington, Concetta managed media relations for Pace Gallery and later played an integral role in developing the New York office of a global communications agency as a member of its U.S. board of directors. Throughout her career she has directed communications campaigns and events for numerous arts and culture organizations across the U.S., Europe, the U.A.E., Brazil and Hong Kong. Concetta has served as a board member of STABLE Arts, ArtTable’s Executive Committee and PERFORMA Biennial’s Advisory Council. She is currently a member of Meridian International’s Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council. She has a BA from Connecticut College and wrote her thesis on movement and oppression in apartheid South Africa.