KC’s area public relations professionals acknowledge best teams and projects
DECEMBER 9, 2022 – KANSAS CITY, MO -- The Greater Kansas City chapter of the Public Relations Society of America recognized the area’s best practitioners and their projects with its annual PRISM awards.
Each year, the chapter pays tribute to Kansas City’s talented public relations and communications professionals and teams along with their outstanding programs, campaigns and materials.
The purpose of both national and chapter affiliates of PRSA is to support the professional development and career advancement for current members, prospective professionals, and students from surrounding colleges and universities.
The 2022 winners are:
Chapter Awards
2022 Best in Show
Sturges Word Communications
Bill Delay Award for Distinguished Service
Norita Taylor, APR
Roger Yarrington PR Pro of the Year Award
Lea-Ann Germinder, APR, Fellow
PR Teams of the Year
Agency – Barkley PR
In-House – Park University
Other categories and winners for programs and tactical entries can be found on the 2022 GKC-PRSA PRISM website.
Thank you to our PRISM sponsors:
H&R Block, Saint Luke’s Health System, Germinder & Associates and Sturges Word Communications.
The Greater Kansas City PRSA chapter is a chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. PRSA is the nation’s largest professional organization serving the communications community. The organization’s mission is to make communications professionals smarter, better prepared and more connected through all stages of their career. PRSA achieves this by offering its members thought leadership, innovative lifelong learning opportunities to help them develop new skills, enhance their credibility and connect with a strong network of professionals. The organization sets the standards of professional excellence and ethical conduct for the public relations industry. PRSA collectively represents more than 30,000 members consisting of communications professionals spanning every industry sector nationwide and college and university students who encompass the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Learn more about PRSA at www.prsa.org.
Inez Y. Kaiser GKC-PRSA 2023 Memorial Scholarship Fund Open
Celebrating 75 Years; Fund To Award Three National Scholarships
(Kansas City, MO – December 1, 2022) -- As the celebration of PRSA’s 75th anniversary year concludes in early 2023, the Greater Kansas City Public Relations Society of America Chapter (GKC-PRSA) today announced the 2023 Inez Y. Kaiser GKC-PRSA Memorial Scholarship Fund portal is open for national applications. The deadline is April 14, 2023.
Inez Y. Kaiser was a Kansas City pioneer, entrepreneur, and public relations business owner but she had a national reputation. She was the first Black woman in the nation to own a public relations firm with national clients. Her cookbook, “Soul Food Cookery,” that she promoted nationwide is in the Smithsonian Institute’sNational Museum of African American Art & Culture. In 1966, she was the first Black woman to join the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). And she was counselor to two presidents. She won many awards for her work.
“My mother accomplished so much, but she was humble. She would be quietly thrilled that in two years, six students have been awarded scholarships, and now three more scholarships are open to students nationwide,” said Rick Kaiser, Vice Chair of the Inez Y. Kaiser GKC-PRSA Memorial Fund Advisory Committee.
Sirah Diallo, University of Texas at Austin, Ladazhia Taylor, University of Kansas, and MyAun Boyd, Evangel University were awarded scholarships in 2022. The inaugural 2023 scholars were Michael Lewis, University of Central Missouri, Kori Brown, Pittsburg State, and Naomi Madu, University of Kansas.
To demonstrate the national reach of Inez Kaiser, PRSA celebrated her during the 75th anniversary year. First, she was featured in PRSA’s limited edition coffee table book, “People, Places and Moments in Public Relations History.” The organization featured her image with other PR legends including Ivy Lee, Edward Bernays, C.T. Hews and Mable Flanley at the organization’s 75th Anniversary Opening Gala held November 13 in Grapevine, Texas.
“The GKC-PRSA chapter is thrilled to see Inez Kaiser honored by our national organization. We are very proud to celebrate her legacy with the scholarship and look forward to naming the recipients next spring,” said Bridget Koan, GKC-PRSA Chapter President.
Inez Y. Kaiser GKC-PRSA Memorial Fund Co-Founder and Advisory Committee Chair Lea-Ann Germinder, APR Fellow PRSA outlined the criteria for the award is a demonstration of Inez Kaiser’s commitment toleadership, public relations excellence, and community volunteerism.
Additional Background on Inez Kaiser
Inez Kaiser was born in Kansas City, Kansas in 1918. She graduated from Pittsburg State University, was an educator first but became a businesswoman and public relations professional of many other firsts. In 1957, she founded Inez Kaiser & Associates. In 1963, she was the first Black woman to establish a national public relations firm with national clients in a Commerce bank building in downtown Kansas City – unheard for a Black woman at the time. She soon had an impressive roster of local (e.g., Commerce Bank, J.E DunnConstruction, Hallmark) and national (e.g., Lever Brothers, Burger King, Sears) clients.
It was her passionate commitment to volunteerism that defined her. She established the Jackson County Chapter of the LINKS of which Vice President Kamala Harris is a prominent national member. She was an advisor to Presidents Nixon and Ford to help Black businesswomen but crossed the political aisle when as her son says, “she voted for Obama.”
Additional Background on GKC-PRSA
The Greater Kansas City PRSA chapter is a community of public relations and communications professionals across the Kansas City area, from recent college graduates to leaders of some of the largest firms, agencies, and non-profits. Our members represent nearly every practice area and professional and academic setting within the public relations field. In addition, we support students from across the Midwest who are members of their campus Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) chapters. We hold virtual and in-person events to enhance our professional growth. Our chapter also boasts signature events, such as our annual PRISM Awards gala honoring the year’s best in communications excellence. At GKC-PRSA our mission is to be the professional resource and advocate for Kansas City’s Communications professionals.
