FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Linda Burkley, APR, chapteradministrator@prsacp.org
PRSA Central PA Celebrates 31 Award-Winning Projects,
Honors Leuschner Award Recipient for Excellence in Public Relations
Harrisburg, Pa. (Jan. 16, 2025) –
The Central Pennsylvania chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) celebrated the outstanding achievements of professionals at the annual Keystone Awards ceremony and luncheon. With 32 awards given, 15 organizations were honored for their achievements across 15 varying communications categories and one individual was recognized for excellence in public relations.
The event brought together 50 industry experts to celebrate the exceptional work of local professionals. Dawn Keefer, General Manager of Susquehanna University’s WQSU, served as the emcee for the event.
“Our Keystone Awards Program celebrates the stories we tell and the impact we make as communications and public relations professionals,” said Maggi Barton, President of PRSA Central PA. “At large, the program invites local communicators to push the boundaries of their creativity, find the best ways to successfully connect with audiences, share their innovative campaigns, and reflect on the impactful narratives they’ve crafted over the past year. We applaud all the winners for their exceptional achievements and the powerful stories they helped bring to life.”
Professionals have the opportunity to enter one or more of the 22 categories for this awards program. Highly experienced professionals from the Hampton Roads chapter of PRSA judged the entries and considered research, planning, execution and results of each project in their scoring out of 100 points. The Keystone Awards Program includes two levels of recognition:
- Keystone Awards recognizing the outstanding achievements in public relations, marked by excellent results, thorough planning, game-changing ideas and creativity with more than 85 total points.
- Silver Keystone Awards demonstrating excellent planning and outcomes, achieving 70 points and above.
Thirty-one award-winning projects were recognized across 15 local organizations:
- Deeter Gallaher Group LLC earned two awards. A Keystone for their entry “Female Founders: 5 Steps to Reaching Unimagined Potential” in the “Written Communications Piece” category and a Silver Keystone Keystone for their entry “Giving Wellness Health and Fitness Challenge press event” in the “Special Events and Observances” category.
- Diakon earned one Silver Keystone Keystone for their entry “DiaKINDNESS Customer Service Training” in the “Internal Communications” category.
- Geisinger earned eight awards. A Keystone for their entry “Geisinger Medical Center Expansion project” in the “Media Relations/Media Placement” category, a Keystone for their entry “Applaud Her Campaign” in the “Internal Communications” category, a Keystone for their entry “Geisinger Joins Risant Health” in the “Corporate Branding” category, a Keystone for their entry “Nursing Scholars Program” in the “Internal Communications” category, a Silver Keystone for their entry “Geisinger’s Name Image Likeness (NIL) partnership with Penn State athletics” in the “Marketing Communications Program” category, a Silver Keystone for their entry “Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center (GWV) Expansion Project” in the “Overall Public Relations Program” category, and a Silver Keystone Keystone for their entry “Chief Nursing Email Blog Series” in the “Internal Communications” category.
- Gift of Life Donor Program earned one Silver Keystone Keystone for their entry “College Challenge: Students Save Lives” in the “Community Relations” category.
- Godfrey earned one Silver Keystone Keystone for their entry “Johnson Controls at AHR Expo” in the “Media Relations/Media Placement” category.
- Hershey Cubs earned one Silver Keystone Keystone for their entry “Why Hershey?” by a student worker in the “Student Project” category.
- Milton Hershey School earned three awards. A Keystone for their entry “2022-23 Brown & Gold Annual Report” in the “Annual Report” category and a Silver Keystone for their entry “Milton Hershey School—2023-24 Op-Ed Strategy” in the “Written Communications Piece” category.
- Millersville University earned one Silver Keystone Keystone for their entry “Millersville University’s TikTok Strategy” in the “Digital Public Relations” category.
- Nell McCormack Abom Communications earned two awards. First, a Keystone Award in the “Media Relations/Media Placement” category for their entry “Dauphin County CASA Giving Tree.” The same entry earned them a Silver Keystone in the “Special Events and Observances” category.
- Pennsylvania Department of Education earned one Silver Keystone Keystone for their entry “You’ve Got a Friend in PA Pep Talk Phone Line Illustrations” in the “Creative Communications” category.
- PRworks earned three awards. A Keystone for their entry “Something Old, Something New: New Site for a Wedding Venue” in the “Website” category, a Silver Keystone for their entry “Amplifying the Patient Voice for Advanced Therapies” in the “Digital Public Relations” category, and a Silver Keystone for their entry “AAA Central Penn” in the “Media Relations/Media Placement” category.
- Schreiber Center for Pediatric Development earned one Silver Keystone Keystone for their entry “Independent Activities of Daily Living program impact video” in the “Video Communications” category.
- Susquehanna University PRSSA earned one Silver Keystone Keystone for their entry “Race to Donate Organ Donation” in the “Student Project” category.
- The GIANT Company earned a Keystone for their entry “The GIANT Company Announces Intent to Sell Ready to Drink Cocktails in Pennsylvania” in the “Media Relations/Media Placement” category.
- The GIANT Company & LM Gnazzo Promotion Strategies earned one Keystone for their entry “PA DAIRYMEN’S ASSOCIATION Unveil Signature Milkshake Salted Caramel for 2024 PA Farm Show to Celebrate GIANT’S 100th Anniversary” in the “Special Events and Observances” category.
- WellSpan Health earned four awards. A Keystone for their entry “Heart Month Earned Media Campaign” in the “Media Relations/Media Placement” category, a Keystone for their entry “WellSpan Recruitment Communications & Marketing Results” in the “Digital Public Relations” category, a Silver Keystone for their entry “You have us” Breast Cancer Awareness Earned Media Campaign in the “Media Relations/Media Placement” category, and a Silver Keystone for the “Black Men in White Coats” entry in the “Multicultural Communications Program” category.
The chapter also presented the prestigious Leuschner Award, in honor of the late Frederick E. Leuschner, APR, PRSA Fellow, to Molly McGowan, APR. McGowan has been a leader in the Central PA PRSA Chapter for over a decade and a champion for public relations throughout her career. She works for Phoenix Contact USA, where she develops integrated communications plans, creates content for different audiences, and handles media outreach as Senior Media Services Specialist. Before joining Phoenix Contact, she held several education and communications positions at the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board. Molly started her career as a radio announcer and sports reporter. Throughout the years as a resident of Dauphin County, she has volunteered for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, BSA New Birth of Freedom Council, Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, and the United Way, among many others.
To learn more about this excellent public relations work and find pictures from the event, visit the Central PA chapter of PRSA’s website along with Facebook and Instagram pages.
About Central PA PRSA: The chapter was formed in 1959 and is one of the oldest chapters in the country. With 115 members strong, membership represents a diverse group of professionals at all stages of their careers, including practitioners in corporate, government, nonprofit, education, health care and association industries with a common desire for professional public relations practice and to continue education and the advancement of the profession. For more information, visit www.PRSACP.org.
About PRSA: The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the nation’s largest professional organization serving the communications community with a mission to “make communications professionals smarter, better prepared and more connected through all stages of their career.” Membership collectively represents more than 30,000 members comprised of communications professionals spanning every industry sector nationwide and college and university students who encompass the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). For more information, visit www.PRSA.org.