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President’s Letter: Grateful for 2025, Excited for What’s Ahead

Dear WWPR Community, as we close out 2025, I’m feeling incredibly grateful—for the unforgettable experiences we’ve shared, the relationships we’ve deepened, and the continued momentum we’ve built as a community of women in communications.

It has been an absolute honor to serve as President of WWPR during such a meaningful year. From day one, our focus has been on strengthening connections, growing member value, and celebrating the power of this network—and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished together.

A Look Back: Highlights from 2025

✨ Woman of the Year
Our signature event was nothing short of spectacular. We honored three extraordinary finalists and celebrated our 2025 Woman of the Year at a sold-out luncheon filled with energy, inspiration, and community. I’ll never forget the joy in that room.

✨ Emerging Leaders Awards
Fifteen years in, the ELAs are still one of the most moving events of the year. The rising talent in our field is nothing short of extraordinary, and it’s a privilege to honor and support the next generation of powerhouse communicators.

✨ Executive Communicators Dinners
These remain one of my favorite series we offer—intimate, off-the-record conversations among senior communicators that sold out each and every time. Thank you to MiQ for making them possible.

✨ Scholarships & Support
I’m especially proud that we were able to offer 30 annual memberships to women who were impacted by layoffs this year. It’s just one way we continue to walk the walk when it comes to building a supportive, inclusive, and resilient community.

✨ Professional Development That Inspires
From our AI & Credibility panel that I had the pleasure to moderate to Crisis Comms Workshops, book talks, and public affairs discussions, we tackled some of the most pressing topics facing communicators today. Thank you to all of our incredible speakers and moderators.

✨ A Year of In-Person Connection
Whether it was our media roundtable, our Summer Social, or earlier this week at our Holiday Happy Hour, this year reminded us that the magic of WWPR is in the connections we make face to face.

And of course, we started the year strong with an inspiring keynote from Debbi Jarvis at our Annual Meeting Luncheon—and I couldn’t be more excited to already have next year’s event on the calendar.

What’s Ahead in 2026

I’m thrilled to pass the baton to our incoming President Charmaine Reilly and Vice President Vanessa French, two incredible leaders with a deep commitment to our mission. With the talented Board and Advisory Council they’ve assembled, I have no doubt 2026 will be our strongest year yet.

A few exciting events already on the calendar:

🗓️ WWPR Annual Meeting Luncheon
January 21, 2026 | The Hamilton
Keynote: Erica Loewe

🍷 The One Party (co-hosted with AMADC, AAF, PRSA, & IABC)
January 22, 2026 | Royal Sands Social Club

To our incredible Board, Advisory Council, volunteers, partners, and sponsors—thank you for your time, your energy, and your belief in what we’re building together.

And to every single member: thank you for being part of this community. It’s been the greatest privilege to serve you this year.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season—and an even more inspiring 2026. I can’t wait to see where we go next.

All my best,

Colleen Lerro Gallagher
WWPR President (2025)

WWPR Women of the Year: Where Are They Now – Jennifer Curley

By Elisa OHalloran

Jennifer Curley is currently the Founder and CEO of Curley Company, a strategic communications and public affairs firm based in Washington, D.C.  She was honored to receive the WWPR Woman of the Year award in 2020.

Jennifer said, “The award came at a pivotal moment – 2020 was the first year of COVID and a year of crisis and transformation for our industry and our world. It gave me renewed purpose and confidence to lean into my leadership style and continue building an agency that prioritizes communications with impact.”

Since 2020, the Curley Company has continued to grow and expand their capabilities in earned media, healthcare, and public affairs. Jennifer recalls, “In 2022, I appointed KayAnn Schoeneman as President of Curley Company – a strategic move that ushered in a new chapter of shared leadership and growth.” 

The firm has been recognized by PRWeek, PRovoke Media, and the Washington Business Journal, and most recently, Curley has opened a Seattle, Washington office to further build our technology capability and more fully integrate AI. She was elected as the first woman to chair of the Board of Trustees at St. Lawrence University in 2023 and in 2022 she authored Playing the Long Game, a business book about how she built Curley Company which was released to coincide with her agency’s 20th Anniversary.

Looking ahead, her leadership philosophy is rooted in adaptability. Jennifer adds, “As I reflect on leadership right now, I find myself thinking a lot about leading through change. To borrow a phrase from a colleague, leaders today must be change literate. For me, that means keeping a steady hand on the wheel to provide reassurance, while also playing the long game and remembering that current challenges are only moments in time.”

Her advice for women leaders is both practical and inspiring. “Be curious and be willing to try new tools or think differently. We call this Future Ready Comms, which today means leading on AI and navigating the earned media landscape, while preparing for opportunities in our industry. Also, raise your hand for the new assignment and make sure you have a good mentor,” says Jennifer.

Right now, Jennifer is particularly energized by an initiative close to her heart. “I’m especially excited about our Executive Impact Accelerator at Curley Company – a product we built to help leaders sharpen their thought leadership and align it with both business goals and the external media landscape. Since then, we’ve rolled it out with clients who are already seeing results: greater clarity, renewed purpose, and more authentic engagement.”

President’s Letter: Celebrating Growth and Looking Ahead

Dear WWPR Community,

Spring is in full bloom, and so is the momentum within our WWPR network! 🌸 I continue to be inspired by the strength of this community and the incredible energy we’ve seen at every turn this year.

Last month, we hosted a dynamic professional development event and happy hour, and we were blown away by the response—over 100 RSVPs, with registration closing early due to demand! It’s clear that our community is eager to connect, share, and grow together, and we’re thrilled to keep building on that excitement.

A Few Important Updates and Upcoming Events:

✨ Emerging Leaders Awards – June 11
We are officially counting down to our 15th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards! Nominations are still open through May 9, and I encourage you to nominate a rising star in your network and know that we love seeing self-nominations as well! This event is such a powerful celebration of young women who are making an incredible impact in our field, and we can’t wait to honor them this June in Washington, D.C.

✨ Woman of the Year – October 3
Mark your calendars for our next signature event of the year—our annual Woman of the Year celebration returns to the beautiful Salamander DC this fall. Stay tuned for more details in the months ahead!

✨ Upcoming Programming
Stay tuned for some exciting updates about our professional development programming coming in May! And don’t miss the next dinner in our Executive Communicator Series on June 12 at Café Riggs. Registration is open now, and these dinners have been a huge success for building real community among senior communicators. A big thank you to MiQ for making this series possible!

✨ New Peer Mentoring Program: WWPR LINK
We’re thrilled to be launching WWPR LINK: A Peer Mentoring Network this summer! LINK will connect members through small, curated groups focused on shared learning, candid conversations, and career growth. Applications are open now for the pilot cohort running July–December 2025.

👉 Apply here by June 1!

✨ Member Scholarships Coming Soon
In the spirit of community support, I’m excited to share that we’ll soon be offering a limited number of scholarships for WWPR members who have recently been laid off, thanks to a generous donation from a past Woman of the Year honoree. Stay tuned for more details soon.

Finally, I want to take a moment to highlight the incredible work our Pro Bono Committee is doing alongside our 2024-2025 pro bono client, Running Start. It’s inspiring to see how our members are making a difference by supporting young women in their journey toward leadership. You can learn more about the partnership and ways to get involved here.

Thank you for being part of WWPR’s vibrant community—and for everything you do to lift one another up. I can’t wait to see what we continue to accomplish together this year!

With gratitude,
Colleen Lerro Gallagher
WWPR President

Washington Women in Public Relations Announces 2024 Woman of The Year Winner

WWPR's 2024 Woman of the Year Finalists

Washington, D.C., Oct. 7, 2024 – On Friday, October 4, 2024, Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) recognized Aba Blankson, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer for the NAACP as its 2024 Woman of the Year. Established in 1990, the Woman of the Year program recognizes individuals who have raised the bar in the communications field and raised the bar for the future of the profession.

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. In her role 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.

Debbi Jarvis, a news reporter turned groundbreaking corporate communicator, and Linda Roth, Chief Communications Officer at World Central Kitchen, were also honored and recognized for their achievements. Kate Perrin, longtime WWPR supporter who is responsible for chairing the first ever Women of the Year (WOY) awards committee, formally presented the award.

“We are excited to name Aba Blankson as WWPR’s 2024 Woman of the Year and celebrate her remarkable achievements and contributions,” said Chelsea Echavarria, President of WWPR. “WWPR is also proud to recognize our other two incredible finalists—Linda and Debbi. Their leadership, dedication, and impact have made a lasting difference in our industry and in the community.”


The Woman of the Year honoree was announced at a luncheon held at The Salamander in Washington, D.C.

The event featured a keynote address from Sumi Somaskanda, Chief Presenter for the BBC, sponsored by AARP. Sumi has served as a senior news anchor and correspondent at DW News (Deutsche Welle), Germany’s international broadcaster. She has also reported in Germany for various international publications, including The Atlantic, Foreign Policy, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Global Post, Newsweek, PRI, and USA Today. 

Her address highlighted her experience and expertise as a reporter, writer, and editor and important insights around today’s communications landscape. The event also highlighted WWPR’s commitment to serving the DC-area community with funds raised for the organization’s pro bono client, Running Start, a DC based nonpartisan nonprofit that trains young women to run for political office.


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 X, formerly Twitter, @WWPR and on Instagram @WWPRDC.

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