We are so proud of the ongoing public relations work throughout our Central Pennsylvania community – please join us in celebrating these achievements with photos available below. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please let us know.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Maggi Barton – 717-654-8889, chapteradministrator@prsacp.org
Central PA PRSA Celebrates Award-Winning Projects,
Honors Leuschner Award Recipient for Excellence in Public Relations
HARRISBURG, Pa. (November 20, 2023) — The Central Pennsylvania chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) celebrated the outstanding achievements of public relations and communications professionals at the annual Keystone Awards ceremony and luncheon.
The event brought together over 50 industry experts celebrating 30 awards given for excellence in public relations from local professionals in the field at the National Civil War Museum on November 14. Rebecca Hanlon, president and co-founder of Our York Media, served as the emcee for the Keystone Award ceremony and luncheon also featuring a keynote address from Gavin Lichtenstein, Director of Digital Partnerships for Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. A link to photos from the event is available here.
“The Central PA PRSA Keystone Awards Program welcomes local communications professionals to challenge their work for judging and celebrate the creative campaigns, best practices and successes from communications projects over the past year,” said Dr. Tom Boyle, APR, President of Central PA PRSA. “We congratulate all the winners for their outstanding achievements of local communications professionals and their impactful projects. Their dedication and innovative approaches have set a high standard for the industry, inspiring others to strive for excellence in Central Pennsylvania and beyond.”
Professionals can enter one or more awards among 22 categories for this awards program. Highly experienced professionals from the New Mexico 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 recognize 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 demonstrate excellent planning and outcomes, achieving 70 points and above.
Twenty-nine award-winning projects were recognized across 14 local organizations:
- Deeter Gallaher Group LLC earned two awards: A Keystone Award for the media relations entry “Out of the Ashes: Josh Kesler Offers a Path to Rebuild the Broad Street Market” and a Silver Keystone Award in the written communications category for their “Strategic Consulting Partners Op-Ed: 7 Workplace Trends” entry.
- Geisinger earned three awards: A Keystone Award for their Marketing Communications entry “Name Image Likeness with Penn State,” a Silver Keystone Award for “Geisinger Behavioral Health Center Danville Project Announcement” in the media placement/relations category and another Silver Keystone Award for their work during heart month in the overall public relations campaign category.
- Glatfelter Insurance earned two awards: A Keystone Award for their “VFIX Website Redesign” entry in the website category and a Silver Keystone for their “Agency Rebrand” project in the corporate branding category.
- LM Gnazzo Promotion Strategies and Nell McCormack Abom Communications earned two awards: A Keystone Award for their work to celebrate PA Dairymen’s 70th Birthday in the media relations/placement category and another Keystone Award for their “Renewal Cares” project on behalf of their client Renewal by Andersen of Central Pain the overall public relations campaign category.
- Millersville University of Pennsylvania earned three awards: A Keystone Award for their entry “Reviewing the Review” in the magazines/periodicals category, another Keystone Award for their “Rats on Campus” entry in the news release/public service announcement category and one Silver Keystone Award for “The Catch” in the written communications category.
- PA Turnpike Commission earned one award: A Silver Keystone Award for their “Sustainability Report” in the annual report category.
- Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission earned three awards: For their #SaveInPA Energy Shopping Awareness Campaign, the PUC earned A Keystone Award in the media relations/media placement category, another Keystone Award in the news release/public service announcement category and one Silver Keystone Award for the overall public relations program category.
- PRWorks, Inc. earned three awards: A Keystone Award for their entry “Solving the EMS Crisis in Northwest Lancaster County” in the overall public relations campaign category, a Silver Keystone Award for their entry “Safe Monroe” in the corporate branding category and another Silver Keystone Award for their entry “Advocating for PA’s Community Colleges” in the special events/observances category.
- Susquehanna University PRSSA earned one award: A Keystone Award in the student category for their entry “Bee a Match Organ Donation.”
- The Giant Company earned three awards: A Keystone Award for their entry “The GIANT Company & PA Friends of Ag Immersion Lab” in the special events and observances category, a Silver Keystone for their “Annual Business Meeting Food Boxing Event” in the community relations category and a Silver Keystone Award for their “Volunteerism Program” in the corporate branding category.
- The M.S. Hershey Foundation earned one award: A Silver Keystone Award for their entry “The Legacy Newsletter” in the newsletter category.
- WellSpan Health earned three awards: A Keystone Award for recruitment marketing efforts in the marketing communications category, another Keystone Award for their “Minimum Wage” entry in the overall public relations campaign category and one Silver Keystone in for their “JoinWellSpan.org” in the website category.
- Willow Valley Communities earned two awards: One Keystone award for their entry “Willow Magazine” in the magazines/periodicals category and one Silver Keystone Award in for their “Mosaic press conference” in the media relations/placement category.
The chapter also presented the prestigious Leuschner Award, in honor of the late Frederick E. Leuschner, APR, PRSA Fellow, to Linda Burkley, APR. Burkley is a full-time lecturer in public relations at Susquehanna University and President of Ardis Communications, who was given the award for her outstanding contributions to the public relations profession. With an impressive track record, Burkley has received numerous awards and has previously served as President of the Central PA PRSA Chapter and chaired numerous PRSA committees for both the Central PA and Pittsburgh PRSA chapters.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Burkley has been instrumental in guiding students to success. As the faculty advisor for Susquehanna’s PRSSA Chapter, she has led students to win multiple Keystone Awards, consecutive state titles and a national first-place award. Burkley’s dedication extends to her work with WQSU, the university’s student-run radio station, where she provides guidance on public relations and promotion.
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 Twitter pages.
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.
About Central PA PRSA: The chapter was formed in 1959 and is one of the oldest chapters in the country. Its 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.
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