PRSA Hampton Roads Announces 2003 Pinnacle Award Winners

The Hampton Roads Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) announced its 2003 winners for the PRSA Pinnacle Awards, a program designed to recognize the best public relations practices and tactics in the Hampton Roads region.

The Pinnacle Awards recognizes winners in two main categories: Public Relations Tactics, which includes newsletters, brochures, annual reports, audio-visual and interactive communications; and Public Relations Practices including crisis communications, special events, media relations campaigns and community awareness campaigns. Entries were judged on factors such as research, planning, quality, creativity, technical excellence and results.

Best in Show:

• Leave a Legacy, Hampton Roads for its "Write a Will Week in Hampton Roads"

In the Tactics categories, the winners are:

• Newsletters - City of Norfolk Public Utilities for its "About U" newsletter
• Brochure - Nauticus for its 2003 Lighthouse Circle Solicitation
• Annual Report - Tidewater Builders Association
• Audio-Visual/Interactive - Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau for its Online Pressroom

Receiving Honorable Mentions in the Tactics categories are:

• Newsletters - Virginia Natural Gas for its "Connection" newsletter
• Brochure - Norfolk Foundation for its "Guide to Giving"
• Annual Report - Nauticus

In the Practices categories, the winners are:

• Crisis Response - Norfolk State University for "Weathering Hurricane Isabel"
• Media Relations - Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau for "All Kinds of Fun Anytime in Virginia Beach."
• Community Awareness - Virginia Marine Science Museum for "Ocean in Motion"
• Special Events - Leave a Legacy, Hampton Roads for its "Write a Will Week in Hampton Roads"

Receiving Honorable Mentions in the Practices categories are:

• Media Relations - Virginia Marine Science Museum for its "Grossology" campaign
• Media Relations - Bateaux New York/Spirit Cruises for "Europe in America"
• Community Awareness - City of Virginia Beach for its Decal Transition Public Information campaign
• Community Awareness - United Jewish Federation of Tidewater for its Simcha campaign

Professional of the Year, which recognizes chapter members for outstanding achievement in public relations.:

• Becky Lawson, APR, OPO Special Projects Manager, LifeNet

Becky Lawson, APR LifeNet Professional of the Year

Judy Baker, APR Leave a Legacy Best in Show

Pinnacle Award winners, from left: Alice Scanlan, APR, and Joan Barns, Virginia Marine Science Museum; Judy Baker, APR, Leave A Legacy; Heidi Ketler, Tidewater Builders Association; Linc Smith, APR, Chapter President; Jennie Burge, Nauticus; Hester Waterfield, Virginia Beach Convention and Visitor Development; Sharon Hoggard, Norfolk State University; Peg Nelson, City of Norfolk Public Utilities

Honorable Mention, from left: Mindy Hughes, APR, Hughes Communications & Consulting; Nancy Smith, APR, Virginia Natural Gas; Beth Redwood; Sally Hartman, APR, The Norfolk Foundation; Diane Roche, APR, City of Virginia Beach; Linc Smith, APR, Chapter President; Jennie Burge, Nauticus; Brian Fair, Goldman and Associates; Deidre Prentace, Nauticus