12 DC-area female communicators will be recognized on June 22, 2022 at the 12^th 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

Small & Boutique Category

• Nimra Haroon, Senior Strategist, Mission Partners
• Cailin Jason, Senior Account Supervisor, Hager Sharp
• Kathleen Petty, Managing Supervisor, The Reis Group

Government & Non-Profit Organization Category

• Lauren Poteat, Director of Communications, DC Councilmember Brooke Pinto-Ward 2
• Charmaine Riley, Communications Director, A/B Partners
• 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: 

• Sukhi Sahni, Senior Vice President, Head of Brand, DEI, Technology and Innovation Communications at Wells Fargo
• KayAnn Schoeneman, President at Curley Company
• Danielle Veira, Founder and CEO at Minerva’s Legacy Consulting Group, LLC 
• Susan Waldman, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Meals on Wheels America

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.