PRSA Inland Empire Chapter Celebrates Region’s PR Professionals at 59th Polaris Awards Gala
Posted by Graham24 on Nov. 15, 2024 / Subscribe 0
The Public Relations Society of America Inland Empire Chapter (PRSA-IE) honored area public relations professionals at its annual Polaris Awards Gala held Friday, Nov. 8, at the Life Arts Center in Riverside.
The Polaris Awards represent the best in the industry within the Inland Empire. The 81 entries (a 28% increase over last year) were judged by the PRSA Sierra Nevada Chapter, who selected the top projects that successfully incorporate sound research, planning, implementation and evaluation. Based on final scoring, entries could receive a Polaris Award (score of 90 or higher) or a Capella Award (score of 75-89 points). The highest scoring entry received the coveted Best in Show award.
California Baptist University, was awarded Best in Show for its "A CBU Christmas" production. The university ushers in the Christmas season with a special performance in which over 400 students and faculty perform. Prior to 2023, "A CBU Christmas" had never sold out. But in 2023, the marketing and communication team (shown), in collaboration with Westbound Communications, developed a fully integrated campaign that resulted in phenomenal engagement with target audiences and three sold-out performances. They even came in under budget. There will be a fourth performance in 2024 to accommodate demand for the event.
Inland Empire PR and communications professionals, representing the following organizations, received 19 Polaris awards and 21 Capella awards: California Baptist University, County of Riverside Executive Office, DeGrave Communications, Eastern Municipal Water District, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, Harvey Mudd College, IEHP Foundation, Kleinfelder Construction Services, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda University (School of Pharmacy), Loma Linda University Faculty Medical Group, Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda University School of Medicine, OPR Communications, Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, Riverside County District Attorney's Office, Riverside County Office of Economic Development, Riverside County Office of Education, Riverside County Transportation Commission, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, San Bernardino County Employees' Retirement Association, Visit Greater Palm Springs and Westbound Communications.
Two Aaron Norris Spirit of PR Awards were presented: PRSA-IE past president and Inland Empire Community Foundation Marketing and Communications Director Charee Gillins received the award for an individual, and Eastern Municipal Water District Public and Governmental Affairs received the team/organization award. Haley Munson, water efficiency coordinator for Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District, received the inaugural Young Professional of the Year Award.
Also recognized at the Gala were the Chapter's two recipients of the 2024 Rising Star Scholarship: Riverside City College graduate Joannah Clemente (shown right) and California State University, San Bernardino graduate Ramtin Ranjpour. The $1,000 scholarship recognizes the outstanding academic achievement of an undergraduate or graduate student seeking a degree in a public relations or communications.
Clemente, who was joined at the Gala by her parents, said, "I want to thank the PRSA-IE committee for believing in me and investing in my future. This scholarship gives me the confidence to keep pushing myself and exploring how I can merge my passion for storytelling with the strategic side of PR."
Supporting the 2024 Polaris Awards were Clubs Sponsor Westbound Communications; Dessert Sponsor Inland Empire Community Foundation; Table Sponsors Western Riverside Council of Governments, Harvey Mudd College, Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District and California Baptist University; and Friend of PRSA Sponsors Precision Services Group, Liselle DeGrave with DeGrave Communications, Mary Ann Pearson, PhD, APR, and KMC Social Impact Strategies.
The Public Relations Society of America (www.prsa.org), headquartered in New York City, is the world's largest professional organization for public relations professionals. With nearly 20,000 members, organized into 117 chapters nationwide, members represent business and industry, counseling firms, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The PRSA Inland Empire Chapter, founded in 1965, is the premier public relations organization for Riverside and San Bernardino counties and serves more than 120 members across the region by providing professional development and networking opportunities.
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