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WASHINGTON WOMEN IN PUBLIC RELATIONS ANNOUNCES 2021 WOMAN OF THE YEAR WINNER

Woman of the Year recognizes the leading women who have been visionaries in our field paving the way for the future of our profession

WASHINGTON, D.C.  — Today, Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) named Susan Waldman, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Meals on Wheels America, the 2021 Woman of the Year. Established in 1990, this award program recognizes individuals who have raised the bar in the communications field and paved the way for the future of the profession.

Throughout her communications career, Waldman has been at the center of transformational decision making on behalf of her consulting clients and in her client-side roles. She has led strategic communications planning, branding, advertising, marketing and public relations initiatives for organizations like Discovery, Disney, Verizon, Northwest Airlines, NASA, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

In her current role, Waldman has driven national campaigns that forged significant increases in brand attributes and awareness; turned a federal budget threat into one of the largest budget increases ever awarded; recruited nearly 250,000 new volunteers and supporters; and most recently, raised unprecedented emergency relief funding in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meals on Wheels America is the leadership organization supporting the more than 5,000 community-based programs across the country that are dedicated to addressing senior isolation and hunger. 

“We are thrilled to honor Susan for her dynamic and strong leadership, professionally and personally, amidst the challenging past year.” said Christina Francisco, WWPR President. “WWPR is proud to recognize the achievements of Susan and the other finalists and we look forward to what they will achieve in the future.”

Brenda Foster, Senior Vice President of Vanguard Communications, and Carrie Fox, Founder and CEO of Mission Partners, Benefit LLC, were also honored as 2021 Woman of the Year finalists.

A distinguished panel of judges selected the winner based on her record of excellence and accomplishments in her careers thus far, as well leadership qualities and ethical standards. The 2021 judges included Lauren Lawson-Zilai, Pattie Yu, Jennifer Curley and Stephenie Fu.

The Woman of the Year winner was announced at a virtual awards reception today, Thursday, November 18. Shantel Goodman-Luckett, Chief Experience Officer for the National Association for College Admission Counseling, gave the inspiring keynote address.

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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.

CONTACT:
woy@wwpr.org

 

 

WWPR ANNOUNCES FINALISTS FOR 2021 WASHINGTON PR WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD

WASHINGTON, D.C.  — Today, Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is thrilled to announce the three finalists for its 32nd 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 2021 Woman of the Year Award are:

  • Brenda Foster, Senior Vice President of Vanguard Communications
  • Carrie Fox, Founder and CEO of Mission Partners, Benefit LLC
  • Susan Waldman, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer of Meals on Wheels America

“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. Our judges were certainly presented with a big challenge,” said Sarah Beth Cloar, WWPR Past President. “We look forward to celebrating each and every one of these incredible leaders at this year’s event.” 

Shantel Goodman-Luckett, Chief Experience Officer of the National Association for College Admission Counseling and established marketing leader, will provide keynote remarks at the virtual event as WWPR honors the 2021 Woman of the Year.

The virtual event will be held on Thursday, November 18, 2021, at 12pm ET. 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 #WOY2021.

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:
woy@wwpr.org

 

WWPR’s Woman of the Year Award at 31: Advice Across Three Decades

WWPR has honored 31 outstanding and accomplished women with the Woman of the Year Award. That’s three decades of recognizing the best in the fields of public relations in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

In honor of the past 31 years and in the lead up to WWPR’s 32nd Annual Woman of the Year awards in 2021, we sat down with three past Woman of the Year Award winners across three decades to get their best life and career advice.

[box] Beverly Silverberg, Founder, Beverly R Silverberg Communications Inc (1996 Woman of the Year)[/box]

What moment in your career are you most proud of?
Being selected to be Metropolitan Washington Transit Authority’s spokesperson and representing the agency and its people to the best of my ability.

In honor of 31 past Woman of the Year awardees, what advice would you give yourself at 31?
I would tell myself that you learn more with your ears open and your mouth shut.

From when you first got into communications to now, what has changed the most and what has stayed the same?
Social media is the single biggest change I’ve witnessed! The ability to instantly spread information (and sadly misinformation) has changed the landscape of America and how public relations is practiced. What has changed the least is the passion of PR practitioners to help their clients get their message across.

[box] Jennifer Wayman, MHS, President & CEO, Hager Sharp (2007 Woman of the Year)[/box]

What did it mean to you when you were selected as a WWPR Woman of the Year?
I was truly shocked and very honored to be included in such a renowned group of leaders.

What is your best piece of advice for balancing your career and family/friends?
Take ALL of your vacation time, and truly use it to unplug. Also, you don’t have to do it all. Slow down a bit and enjoy things.

From when you first got into communications to now, what has changed the most and what has stayed the same?
Much has changed. In my first internship, we FAXED news releases to journalists, email wasn’t used regularly, and social media didn’t exist. What hasn’t changed is the importance of relationships, becoming an expert on your clients’ business, and the art of crafting a compelling message.

[box] Wendy Hagen, President, Hagen inc (2018 Woman of the Year)[/box]

What moment in your career did you learn the most from?
I transitioned from a scrappy, creative, and entrepreneurial advertising agency to the national corporate communications team at Lockheed Martin. I had to quickly adapt to an entirely different corporate culture, learn an entirely new and complex industry, and figure out how to build consensus and drive change in a highly conservative (and at times comms-averse) organization.

In honor of 31 past Woman of the Year awardees, what advice would you give yourself at 31?
When I was 31, I was a VP at a large agency, juggling a full client load and also running a new business. Oh, and I was pregnant with my first child. Looking back, I would say, “Give yourself some grace!”

What did it mean to you when you were selected as a WWPR Woman of the Year?
I was surprised that WWPR selected a non-traditional candidate like me—someone with a varied background in advertising and PR agencies, corporate communications, branding, and strategic planning. To my absolute delight, I learned how inclusive and welcoming the WWPR community is, and I’m so proud to be included among the amazing PR leaders and badass women who came before (and after) me.

Meet WWPR’s newest Woman of the Year honoree at the virtual 2021 WWPR Woman of the Year Awards Ceremony on November 18!

Member Spotlight: Megan Lowry, Media Officer, Office of News and Public Information, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine

Megan Lowry
Media Officer
The National Academies of Sciences

Tell us about your professional experience and what brought you to The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. 

My first job in PR was an internship with a small boutique firm in DC. I’ll admit that my main reason for applying was that I was a broke college student and it paid $15 an hour. But that semester I fell in love with communications and public affairs. I loved the challenge of working on a tight deadline and learned how thrilling it can be to watch a good communications campaign change the way issues, politics, and events unfold.  

After college I had the privilege to learn from an incredibly smart group of people on the health and science team at the Glover Park Group (now Finsbury Glover Hering). When I decided to move into nonprofit work, I wanted to stay in the health and science space so I spent two years at the American Public Health Association before I joined the National Academies’ news office. 

What is a typical day in the life of Megan in your current role as Media Officer? 

The first thing I do when I start working in the morning is read the news. On any given day I’m working with 4-5 different research teams on anything from behavioral research to climate science and fielding unexpected (and urgent) media requests—so my typical day is really about balancing projects and being flexible.

In the morning I could be launching a report about reopening schools during the pandemic, at lunch writing a news feature or press release, and in the afternoon hosting a webinar on the future of earth sciences. The variety of beats and subject areas that I cover is really engaging and it’s something I love about my job. 

What is your favorite thing about working at The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine? 

My favorite thing about working for the Academies is the research. I find the fact that our staff can bring 15 experts in to a room together and get them to agree on anything—much less a full-length report with recommendations for the future of their field—to be an impressive feat. Getting to share that process and the end result with the public and reporters is really fun for me. And I love that I get to immerse myself in a new niche area of science every few weeks. 

Written by Rachel Winer WWPR Content Committee Senior Vice President – Digital, Rokk Solutions

What advice would you give to women just starting out in the media industry?

My advice is to read the news. A newspaper is like a graded exam paper that you get back after a final—reading between the lines you can see which experts reporters choose to consult, which quotes were snappy enough to make it in to the final draft, and how to tie your pitches to current events. I also find reading talented writers is the best way to improve my own writing style.  

What do you love about WWPR?

I love getting to cheer on other women in my field who live and work in DC. There’s so much talent in this community and it’s always inspiring to see others excelling and getting to learn from their experience and expertise. 

President’s Letter: September 2021

As we enter into the new season, I can’t help but be excited for what is to come both personally and for WWPR. I have my first baby boy due this October and my husband and I can’t be more excited. On the WWPR front, we are entering into the fourth quarter with a lot to offer our members.

First, If you haven’t already, please consider nominating a woman who inspires your work, nominations are open for this year’s PR Woman of the Year awards and the deadline to submit nominations to woy@wwpr.org is Friday, October 8 at 11:59 PM ET. I hope you’ll take some time to show some celebrate a boss, mentor, or leader who exemplifies what it means to lead and inspire in this industry. The event to honor this signature award will be held virtually on November 18.

As we close out September and look ahead to October, I also want to encourage folks to register and attend our last September professional development event in partnership with the Advocacy Association – STRATEGICALLY ADVANCING ISSUE ADVOCACY THROUGH OBSERVANCE DAYS. Join Kiara Pesante, Senior Vice President, BerlinRosen, Sarah Yi, Executive Director, External Affairs at CTIA and Jewel Jones, Health Equity & Justice Leader, Real Chemistry  and moderator Jennifer Fox, Fonseca as they navigate this timely conversation.

I look forward to seeing you all virtually at the next WWPR event this Fall.

Best,
Christina Francisco
2021 WWPR Board President

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