Orange Slices

On April 14, the RLF team was represented in full force at the 2011 Spinks Awards, an annual banquet hosted by the PRSA Tar Heel Chapter. It was a wonderful evening recognizing exceptional work our friends and PR industry colleagues produced in 2010.

This year’s event featured key note speaker Philip Tate, APR, who serves on the PRSA national board of directors as treasurer and is senior vice president at Luquire George Andrews in Charlotte, N.C. Tate gave an enlightening speech about seven key operational areas of which PRSA focuses its attention: advocacy, the business case for public relations, community, diversity and the three Es – education, ethics and excellence in society management.

In conclusion, Tate shared a quote from Abraham Lincoln, “Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.” We, at RLF, agree full-heartedly with these words of wisdom.

This year, the PRSA Tar Heel Chapter honored an iconic figure in local broadcasting. The chapter recognized Sandra Hughes for her work at WFMY News 2, Greensboro’s CBS affiliate, as a pioneer of broadcast journalism. As the first African American news anchor in the Triad, Hughes has left an indelible mark on the broadcasting industry after 38 years of service. She retired from the anchor desk in December.

The chapter also honors the ‘best of the best’ in public relations work from across the Triad region. For the third consecutive year, RLF won the chapter’s Outstanding PR Award. We received top honors this year for our work with the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. The campaign produced 192 million media impressions, and more than 200 media outlets and 3,000 spectators attended the Museum’s grand opening. After months of long hours and hard work, the RLF team is incredibly proud to receive this award for such a historic campaign.

Other winners of the night included: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina for Best Event and Pet Sitters International for Best Online Campaign/Element.

The Spinks awards are named in honor of the chapter’s founder, John Spinks, who founded the PRSA Tar Heel Chapter in 1981. Spinks established the PRSA Tar Heel Chapter to encourage professional development, networking and ethics for public relations, communications and marketing professionals across the Triad.

Last night, the RLF team attended the 2010 Spinks Awards Banquet, held at the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C. It was great to see friends and PR industry colleagues.

As the evening’s keynote speaker, Julia Hood, publishing director of PR Week and DMNews, talked about the PR industry’s challenges and the opportunities we should embrace.

The awards ceremony followed, honoring the successes of PR professionals in the Triad.

Account Executive Kathryn Cook accepted the Outstanding PR Award for RLF’s work on the Street Improvement Bonds. The award recognized RLF’s strategy and tactics in helping to recognize the importance of the bonds, leading to their approval in the general election. The bonds passed with nearly 59 percent of the vote – more than the any of the other four bond initiatives on the ballot.

Jennifer Seeley, a former RLF assistant account executive, was named 2009’s Rookie of the Year. She was recognized for her work at RLF and her contributions to the PR community, most recently as co-chair of the Spinks Awards Banquet.

RLF President and CEO Monty Hagler was recognized with the coveted Spinks Award for his unwavering service to PRSA and the public relations industry. Hagler has been an active leader in PRSA for more than a decade and has served numerous roles on the local, regional and national levels.

Other winners at the banquet included Denny Kelly of Bouvier Kelly, Teresa Loflin of High Point Museum and Live Oak Communications, Elon University’s student-run, full service communications agency.