Honoring Outstanding Leaders in Communications
Woman of the Year Award Celebration
Celebrate the Excellence of Women in PR
Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) is proud to host the 2025 Woman of the Year Award Celebration—our annual tradition recognizing exceptional women who have shaped the communications industry through leadership, innovation, and impact.
Join us on Thursday, October 3, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Salamander DC for an inspiring afternoon of celebration and connection. This year’s program will feature keynote remarks from Ellen Bryan, an Emmy Award–winning journalist, author, and motivational speaker.
Nominations are now open.
We invite you to nominate a woman in public relations who exemplifies excellence in our field. The deadline to submit is September 3, 2025.
Event Details
Date: Thursday, October 3, 2025
Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Location: Salamander DC
Registration details coming soon.
A Look Back at 2024
Last year’s celebration honored Aba Blankson, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the NAACP, as the 2024 Woman of the Year. Her creative and strategic leadership helped elevate one of the nation’s most influential civil rights organizations.
Read the full press release to learn more about the 2024 finalists and the impact of last year’s event.
Meet the 2024 Finalists
Debbi Jarvis – As a Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, Debbi set a new course for creativity, strategy and execution at Washington Gas. Her visionary communications strategies and commitment to excellence created enormous positive exposure for the company’s role as an energy leader and community partner. The DMV knows Debbi by name from her days as a news anchor and reporter at NBC4, VP of Communications and company spokesperson at Pepco and as she has frequently represented Washington Gas at numerous community and philanthropic events and professional and nonprofit collaborations.
Linda Roth – Linda has transformed her career from an Emmy-award winning broadcast journalist into a purpose-driven communications expert who leads campaigns with tremendous geopolitical impact. Her work has resulted in more hungry people being fed, advanced the cause of peace, promoted the success of female world leaders and successfully advocated for women’s rights under authoritarian regimes. As Chief Communications Officer at World Central Kitchen, Linda works with humanitarians who strive to be the first to the frontlines providing fresh meals in crises.
Aba Blankson – Throughout her 25-year career, Aba Blankson has made significant contributions to public relations, all of which were distinguished by her creativity, management skills, and strategic leadership, and focused on driving organizational growth. As Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at the NAACP, Aba has been crucial in amplifying the voice of the nation’s largest civil rights organization, ensuring it remains a leading force in the modern civil rights movement. Aba’s creativity in public relations is evident in her ability to craft compelling narratives and innovative campaigns that resonate with diverse audiences. Upon joining the NAACP seven years ago, she led a comprehensive brand evolution that strategically positioned the organization to address contemporary challenges while honoring its historic legacy.
- The nominee must be a professional woman with a minimum of 20 years of experience in the public relations field, at least five of which have been in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area (she must also currently reside in this area).
- The nominee does not have to be a member of WWPR.
- Nominations from previous years who were not named Woman of the Year are encouraged.
- Nominations must include (1) PDF resume (up to two pages) and (1) PDF recommendation (up to two pages) to be considered.
Nominations for 2024 are currently closed. Eligibility requirements and nomination instructions are detailed below.
For more information contact woy@wwpr.org by
- Nominee’s demonstrated abilities should include, but are not limited to, creativity, management skills and contributions to the growth of her organization, unique or prestigious job held, and major accomplishments.
- Nominee exemplifies true characteristics of a leader in PR — a visionary, standout representative of her company or organization, has the perseverance to face any challenge and can strategically link a program to lasting results.
- Nominees make it a priority to devote her time to community causes and activities.
- Nominee’s community contributions may include, but are not limited to, board positions, volunteer work, activities that promote professional advancement of women.
- Nominee is actively involved in leading industry membership associations and has greatly contributed to those associations through board leadership or mentoring.Nominee has received acknowledgement or previous awards for her contributions to the public relations industry or other related work.
More about WWPR Woman of the Year Awards
