WASHINGTON, Oct. 21, 2022 — Today, Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is thrilled to announce the three finalists for its 33rd annual Washington PR Woman of the Year Award ceremony. The organization received a phenomenal and competitive slate of nominations for exceptional women leading the communications industry in the Washington, D.C. Metro area. Nominees were judged on demonstrated ability in the communications field, contributions to the community and industry leadership qualities.
The finalists for WWPR’s 2022 Woman of the Year Award are:
Gemma Puglisi, Assistant Professor of Public Communication, American University
Gloria Rodriguez, President and CEO, RF Comunicad; EVP, Ruder Finn Group
“We received an impressive group of nominees this year of women who have made exceptional contributions across their industry and in the D.C. communications community making for an incredibly tough decision for our judges,” said Jacqueline Wilson, WWPR President. “We look forward to celebrating each of these dynamic and strong leaders who have shown up in major ways professionally and personally, day in and day out throughout their careers at this year’s event.”
Eleanor Hawkins, the author of the weekly Axios Communicators newsletter that covers topics and trends that impact how leaders, brands and employers communicate, will provide attendees with insightful commentary as part of a fireside chat during the event. Sukhi Sahni, WWPR Advisory Council member and Senior Vice President, Head of Brand, DEI, Technology and Innovation Communications at Wells Fargo, will moderate the conversation.
The event will be held on Friday, November 4, 2022, at 11:30 am ET making its return to an in-person celebration for the first time since 2019. The Woman of the Year Award Ceremony, established in 1990, is WWPR’s signature event. It is an annual experience fostering camaraderie among women in public relations, culminating in this must-attend event that honors the achievements of those who have reached a pinnacle in the profession.
Register today and follow the conversation online using the hashtag #WOY2022. Registration closes at 12:00 pm ET on October 31, 2022.
About WWPR Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is a member-based professional society cultivating and inspiring female communicators to reach their full potential in the DC market and beyond. The organization is committed to providing leadership opportunities, professional development, mentorship, and industry networking.
Media Contact: Colleen Gallagher woy@wwpr.org 315.447.2331
Lauren Lawson-Zilai former, Sr. Director, Public Relations, Goodwill Industries
At the height of the pandemic, Goodwill Industries International faced a pretty significant challenge. People knew the Goodwill® name, and our physical presence was strong — but there was a disconnect. Despite a 94% brand recognition rate, there was a gap in mission awareness.
Goodwill is a 120-year-old social enterprise; one of the oldest, legacy 501 (c)(3) nonprofit brands and the leading nonprofit workforce provider in North America. People knew about our donated goods retail stores, but most were not aware that the revenue from the sale of those donated goods goes toward providing skills training, support services and employment placement, enabling people to empower themselves and create their own economic mobility.
Meanwhile, the pandemic lifted the veil on many inequities that exist in our society. It was time to tell our story and increase our visibility as a solution. Goodwill operates under a federated model, with local headquarters and leadership operating their own stores, donation centers and employment services in their communities. Each has a unique lens as they have boots on the ground, are embedded in their communities and know the needs of their local labor markets.
So Goodwill leadership joined forces with social good strategic communications firm, BerlinRosen, to embark on a listening tour of local Goodwill organizations, partners and funders. Our aim was to reach people who could tell the Goodwill story and help provide expanded services.
Our key takeaways from this effort revealed where we could put a stake in the ground:
Goodwill’s long history makes it well-positioned to persevere through the pandemic.
Goodwill is uniquely flexible in meeting the needs of job seekers and employers.
Goodwill is a premier nonprofit organization for workforce development.
Equity is a growing priority for Goodwill.
Recognizing that the pandemic accelerated a massive transformation of our economy and workforce, we created a five-year strategic initiative called Rising Together™, which establishes a system that enables faster and more equitable economic recovery. The goal is to equip 1 million individuals with sustainable jobs by 2025. This involves a two-fold approach:
1. Leveraging media and PR to gain public support for the initiative.
2. Partnering with like-minded organizations with funds to expand services that create the right infrastructure to support job seekers and career advancers.
Rising Together™ provides the needed skills and supports to job seekers through a combination of holistic workforce services and support, as well as builds and expands upon Goodwill programs that address systemic barriers in the workforce.
Our strategic partners in the Rising Together™ initiative include Fortune 50 companies, and global philanthropic and business leaders. To address an ongoing skills gap in the workforce that prevents many people from competing for available jobs and earning a sustainable wage, each of our partners made a specific commitment and provided dedicated resources to help people skill up for the available jobs. Read their commitments.
To create can’t-miss news for media, we launched Rising Together™ and announced our partnerships in advance of Mother’s Day 2021 to tie into the she-cession hook.
To gain B2B support, we began an integrated campaign. We conducted a radio tour that garnered more than 23M media impressions. We strategically focused on markets where these partnerships existed as well as larger Goodwill markets. Native ads appeared in several leading publications, including US Weekly, Reader’s Digest, Essence, US News and World Report, TIME, Associated Press and others, which generated 150,000 impressions. A series of digital ads ran on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, resulting in more than 2.4M impressions.
Goodwill organizations and partners use a toolkit of resources to amplify the message, including a draft pitch note, social media graphics and messaging, and a content calendar for data and success story sharing.
Recently, Goodwill also commissioned a poll, in conjunction with PerryUndem and using YouGov’s online panel, to understand the challenges faced by job seekers ages 18-65 and to leverage the results for PR and thought leadership opportunities, including a recent op-ed in The Washington Business Journal. The poll revealed that the majority of adults, more than 54%, are not in an ideal job with opportunities for growth, and most say skills training would help.
The Results
Goodwill leadership have been guests on television, including Cheddar, ABC and FOX, highlighting their positions as thought leaders and opening the door to ongoing opportunities. We received notable coverage through a steady drumbeat of responses to the monthly jobs reports and the news of the day in business and top-tier media, adjusting our story and storytellers as needed — educating our target audiences of donors and stakeholders about Goodwill.
We leveraged relationships with reporters who are contributors and influencers in their respective spaces. For instance, we secured a New York Post piece by Vicki Salemi, a Monster career expert, author, keynote speaker, and regular contributor for The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, Business Insider, etc. This relationship has staying power, as she plans to now include Goodwill in her upcoming book about employment. We also worked with Jack Kelly from Forbes,who founded two recruiting firms, has his own podcast and is well-known on Twitter.
Goodwill thought leaders are connecting and engaging with business audiences in a personal and meaningful way. When a potential partner hears our stories and experiences, they learn there are real people behind our brand, which allows Goodwill to earn trust and authority.
With the increased awareness, we have secured additional partnerships and resources to support our critical work in helping people earn jobs.
Best Practices and Lessons Learned
Prioritize media requests from various outlets, not just top-tier media like The New York Times or TheWashington Post.
Allow ample time to review communications materials ahead of major announcements.
Communicate internally consistently to ensure clarity and visibility for strategic planning and related coordination.
Identify spokespeople who can be available for media requests ahead of announcements.
Create a digital and social content calendar to share with key stakeholders and potential partners to leverage cross-posting opportunities.
Plan to track impact data to highlight and break into the news cycle.
Uplift real people and human-interest stories and those with lived experiences.
Rising Together™ started as a communications vehicle with a national focus. As it continued to take shape, it quickly led local Goodwill markets across North America to create programing on their own that coincides with the coalition goals. While Rising Together™ was created to drive national and local coverage and fundraising, it has now become the strategic narrative for policy, sustainability initiatives and more.
Lauren Lawson-Zilai is the former Senior Director, Public Relations for Goodwill Industries International, North America’s leader in workforce training and development, job placement and other support services for people looking for employment or career advancement. As spokesperson for Goodwill®, she was quoted frequently in news media publications and networks, including the Associated Press, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Forbes, MarketWatch Radio, The New York Times, The NonProfit Times, PEOPLE, PR News, and USA TODAY.
She recently transitioned from Goodwill to join Shatterproof, a national nonprofit dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the U.S. Shatterproof harnesses the models of business, the rigor of science and the power of a national movement to create change and save lives through three pillars of work: revolutionizing the addiction treatment system, breaking down addiction-related stigmas and supporting and empowering our communities.
Lawson-Zilai is Past President of WWPR, the founder of the Emerging Leaders Awards and a former member of the Advisory Council. She is also a WWPR PR Woman of the Year honoree.
The Award Recognizes Rising Stars in the Communications Industry
WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 23, 2022)— Today, Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR), the only professional society for female communicators in the greater capital area, named its 2022 class of Emerging Leaders Awards (ELAs). The four winners were selected from a diverse and impressive slate of rising stars, ages 25-35, who have excelled in public relations and related fields, and given back to the industry by contributing their skills and talents to innovative initiatives and projects.
“Tonight’s event honoring our 2022 Emerging Leaders Awards recognized a diverse group of women who stand out both in their careers and in their contributions to the community,” said Jacqueline Wilson, WWPR President. “The event was made even more special as it marked WWPR’s first return to an in-person event of this scale since 2019. We are so proud to honor the achievements of this impressive group of women, and we look forward to watching many more accomplishments these ladies will no doubt achieve in the future.”
The 2022 WWPR Emerging Leaders Awards Winners are:
As a senior vice president on the Financial Communications leadership team at Edelman, Ashley Lewis acts as a mentor to junior staff members and supports Edelman’s pro bono efforts in addition to being a trusted counselor to a range of Edelman’s financial services clients. In 2019, Ashley was named “Top 40 Under 40” by Women in Housing and Finance, Inc. of Washington DC. She currently serves on the Young Patrons Board of Arena Stage Theater, the Ambassadors Board for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, and the Joint Center’s Host Committee for The Eddie Williams Future of Black Communities Leadership Summit.
As an account director at REQ, Casey Dell’Isola leverages today’s multifaceted world of digital communications to give her clients a creative edge in their industries and amplify their visions in the media landscape. She is a tireless media professional and leads her account teams with proactive media outreach, awards and speaking engagement pitching, and creative content. She approaches B2B and B2G client opportunities with ambition and brings enormous value to clients with the many strong relationships she has cultivated with reporters over the years, including the quarterly media roundtable series that she hosts.
As a senior account supervisor at Hager Sharp, Cailin Jason supports the education, labor, and economy practice. In this role, she serves as the deputy project manager to their client, the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a program administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. In this role, she leads qualitative research with various education stakeholders; strategic communications planning; and recruitment and outreach materials development. She also leads Hager Sharp’s Orientation Enhancement Team, which helps provide a comprehensive and welcoming orientation process for all new employees.
Charmaine Riley is a public relations professional and mentor with years of experience in civil rights, education, and advocating for historically marginalized communities. Most recently, she worked at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and its sister organization, The Leadership Conference Education Fund, where she managed media relations for issues such as education, media and technology, and economic justice. As of June 2022, Riley is continuing her work in the movement as communications director at A–B, a Black-led, Identity Powered Design agency transforming how power works and who it works for.
A distinguished panel of judges selected the winners based on their record of excellence and accomplishments in their careers thus far, as well as their leadership qualities and ethical standards. The 2022 judges included:
Sukhi Sahni, Senior Vice President, Head of Brand, DEI, Technology and Innovation Communications at Wells Fargo
Danielle Veira, Founder and CEO at Minerva’s Legacy Consulting Group, LLC and Senior Vice President of Communications, Marketing, and Membership at Advocates for Community Health (ACH)
Susan Waldman, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Meals on Wheels America
The ELA winners were announced at a special awards reception at LiUNA’s Rooftop in Black Lives Matter Plaza on Wednesday, June 22. Laila Mokhiber, Director of Communications for UNRWA USA, gave the keynote address. Attendees also heard from WWPR’s pro bono client, New Endeavours for Women (NEW). The complete list of 2022 WWPR Emerging Leaders Awards finalists can be found here: https://wwpr.org/wwpr-announces-2022-emerging-leaders-finalists/.
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Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is a member-based professional society cultivating and inspiring female communicators to reach their full potential in the DC market and beyond. The organization is committed to providing leadership opportunities, professional development, mentorship, and industry networking. Visit us at wwpr.org connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @WWPR and on Instagram @WWPRDC.
12 DC-area female communicators will be recognized on June 22, 2022 at the 12th annual awards ceremony; Four winners will be revealed during the awards event in Washington, D.C.
WASHINGTON, June 15, 2022 – Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR), a professional development and networking resource for female communicators in the nation’s capital, announces the finalists for the 12th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards (ELAs).
The ELAs honor outstanding young women, ages 18-35, in the Washington, D.C. metro area who have excelled in public relations and related fields. The 12 finalists are grouped into the following categories: Global & Large Sized Agency, Mid-Sized Agency, Small & Boutique Agency and Government & Non-Profit Organization. One honoree from each category will be revealed on Wednesday, June 22, at the annual awards ceremony.
This year’s finalists represent the top three candidates in each of the four categories. The 2022 ELA finalists are:
Global & Large Agency Category
Alex Abrahamson, Vice President, Edelman
Ashley Lewis, Senior Vice President, Edelman
Amanda Limoges Loughran, Vice President, GCI Health
Mid-Sized Agency Category
Casey Dell’Isola, Account Director, REQ
Kara Frank, Vice President, Stratacomm
Kamilah Guiden, Account Supervisor, Digital, JPA Health
Melinda Tolliver, Director, Digital Strategy, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools
“The 2022 Emerging Leaders Awards recognizes the work of young women who have accomplished great things and are rising stars on the road to becoming future PR leaders in the Washington, DC metro area. These women’s contributions to their organizations, communities and the PR field provide a great sense of excitement for the future of our profession,” said Jacqueline Wison, WWPR President. “WWPR is proud of the diverse set of voices that continue to be represented in the nominations each year, and we are excited to celebrate these changemakers. We look forward to congratulating our finalists on their accomplishments as our ELA event makes a return to an in-person venue this year.”
This year’s awards were determined by a distinguished panel of four judges:
Laila Mokhiber, Director of Communications for UNWRA USA, is the keynote speaker for the ceremony. This year’s celebration for the ELAs will be in person at LiUNA’s Rooftop (905 Black Lives Matter Plz NW, Washington, DC 20006) on Wednesday, June 22, from 6 to 8 p.m. Reserve your spot today.
ABOUT WASHINGTON WOMEN IN PUBLIC RELATIONS
Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is a member-based professional society cultivating and inspiring female communicators to reach their full potential in the DC market and beyond. The organization is committed to providing leadership opportunities, professional development, mentorship, and industry networking. Visit us at wwpr.org, connect with us on LinkedIn and Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @WWPR and on Instagram @WWPRDC .
For more information: Contact Emerging Leaders Awards Co-Chairs Erika Dyer and Stephanie Wight at ela@wwpr.org.
Crisis communications guru Julie Parker took the WWPR events virtual stage at the end of last month to share her advice on effectively responding to negative remarks on social media. Julie is the founder of Julie Parker Communications, with her background including serving as an Emmy and Edward R. Murrow award-winning television reporter, the chief spokesperson and director of media relations for two of the nation’s largest police departments, and a subject matter expert on crisis communications, social media and media relations for the Naval Postgraduate School’s Center for Homeland Defense and Security. Needless to say, Julie’s expertise in crisis communications offered the WWPR audiences valuable steps fanning even the biggest social media flames.
Don’t Diminish the Emotions
Julie shared examples of how she has seen a lot of negativity across social media within her police force background. Handling negativity on social media can take an emotional toll. Julie’s advice: acknowledge that and don’t diminish those emotions.
Recognize the Audience and Social Media Landscape
A thing to keep in mind when reading unfavorable social media responses is that it is often the minority opinion’s voice that is the loudest and can carry the most trauma. Good work is hardly publicly recognized.
Being Timely is Everything
People increasingly want and expect answers on social media. Within the last six months alone, Julie shared that 50% of consumers increased their social media usage. 40% expect a response within the hour and 79% expect a response within 24 hours. There is nothing worse than a response that comes too late. When you see negativity and no response, that becomes your brand and narrative. Julie advised to use social media as a customer service relationship tool with the public to enhance the brand and have maximum control.
Types of Negativity
A variety of comments can appear, and it’s important to distinguish the difference between them. This will assess your team’s strategy on how to respond. General negative comments are those that are negative in no response to a particular incident but are more so negative just for the sake of being negative. Others include arguments about specific rules or laws, and comments in response to a negative event or crisis. Engaging with people angry about laws or rules or anything out of your control are futile and can lead to more negativity.
What to Do When Negative Comments Happen
Julie provided a series of steps to take when negative comments happen, even before determining how to respond. Rescheduling any scheduled posts to later, searching Google and social media to see what people are saying, and avoiding any deletion of negative comments or blocking users stand as a solid foundation for an effective crisis response.
How to Respond When Response Is Required
Now that your team determines a response is needed, a few steps to keep in mind will help shape your response to be most effective.
Run your draft response through your attorneys and to others for different perspectives.
Ignore comments that don’t have the intent of having a thoughtful discussion, which are mostly hateful or angry and won’t lead to a resolution.
Respond to comments that start a dialogue to help understand why something happened or how it can be prevented to show you are listening.
Avoid overpromising. It is okay to give people an update, but avoid putting out false information to avoid serious negative backlash.
Be careful about your tone. The way you express your statement matters in how it is received.
It is okay to address people directly and privately. Restating their name can be disarming, and private messages can demonstrate that your brand cares and is addressing the issue.
The Aftermath
So there was a crisis, but the good news is that social media moves quickly and that it is rare for anything to trend for long. The bad news: it is hard to know exactly when you can get back to business. Posting again also requires strategy, including having a neutral-toned post after your incident is over. An overly-happy post can be negatively received. Posts that are in response to the incident should be solution-oriented rather than apologetic. Once your social media is back into the swing of things, engaging posts can bring back positive interaction with your community.
If you are a member and would like to access the webinar recording that includes much more information, please email WWPR’s Professional Development Chairs to request access and for any other questions you may have: professionaldevelopment@wwpr.org
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