President’s Letter: Building on a Legacy of Leadership in 2025

Dear WWPR Community,

Happy New Year! (Can we still say that the last week of January?!) It’s an honor to kick off 2025 as your President, especially during this milestone year as we celebrate 45 years of Washington Women in Public Relations. For over four decades, WWPR has been a cornerstone for female communicators in the D.C. area, cultivating connections, leadership opportunities and professional growth. I’m thrilled to build on this incredible legacy alongside our incoming Board of Directors.

We’re coming into the year on such a high note after closing out 2024 with an incredible Woman of the Year event and launching a fresh, new website designed to create a much better platform and experience for both members and non-members alike.

We’ve already hit the ground running with exciting events to kickstart the year! On January 9, we hosted Recharge & Reconnect: A Guided Meditation for PR Pros, a virtual session that emphasized the importance of well-being in our fast-paced industry. Thank you to Kristi Duncan for guiding us through a calming meditation and equipping us with practical tools to prioritize mental health.

Later, on January 23, it was wonderful to see so many of you in person at Burson Global for Next-Gen Comms: Strategies for a Shifting Media Ecosystem. This insightful panel explored the challenges and opportunities of today’s decentralized media landscape. A huge thank you to Burson for hosting and to our incredible panelists for sharing their expertise. Seeing a packed room of communicators engaging in such a timely discussion reminds me of the power of our community.

Looking ahead, we have even more in store:

• WWPR Annual Meeting Luncheon – Join us on February 13 at The Hamilton as we gather to thank our outgoing board, welcome the 2025 Board of Directors, and hear from our inspiring keynote speaker, Debbi Jarvis, whose journey and insights will set an exciting tone for the year ahead.
• Policy Influence in a Shifting Landscape – Save the date for our February professional development event on February 25 at the Beekeeper Group. Stay tuned for details as we dive into how communicators can adapt to the priorities of a new administration.
• Executive Communicators Series – We’ll soon announce dates for this exciting quarterly series, designed specifically for senior-level communicators to connect in-person, build community and share strategies on navigating today’s challenges.

This year, we are committed to providing even more meaningful opportunities for professional growth, thought leadership and connection. Whether you’re joining us virtually or in person, I hope to see you at an upcoming event as we continue to grow this amazing community.

Thank you for being part of WWPR’s legacy and future. Here’s to an inspiring 2025!

Best regards,
Colleen Lerro Gallagher
WWPR President