10th Annual Del Oro Awards
PRSA San Antonio hosted a banquet on May 3 at the DoubleTree Airport Hotel to recognize winners of the chapter’s tenth annual Del Oro Awards dinner and PRSA’s 65th anniversary. Univision’s beautiful and talented “Despierta San Antonio” host Cristina Blackwell served as the mistress of ceremonies. The chapter presented 26 trophies or awards in the La Plata division for PR campaigns and the El Bronce division for PR tactics. New to the program was the introduction of the “Best of Show” awards given to the practitioners or teams with the highest scoring La Plata entry and the highest scoring El Bronce entry and the Chapter’s Board Member of the Year award. Four practitioners received Del Oro Awards for outstanding individual achievement in public relations. See the Full Report (below)
Del Oro Awards for Individual Excellence
Tex Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award:
Christie L. Goodman, APR, Intercultural Development Research Association
Christie L. Goodman, APR, has been the communications manager for the Intercultural Development Research Association since 1995. She designs and implements communications strategies and coordinates material development, web sites and an award-winning podcast series. Goodman has a bachelor’s degree in advertising and minors in sociology and art from Texas Tech University. She is accredited in public relations.
Previously, Goodman worked with two non-profit interreligious organizations on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where she served as associate editor of a national magazine and led media training for staff. In addition, Ms. Goodman has provided pro-bono and low-cost PR services to small religious advocacy and community‑based organizations.
Among her awards is the national first-place Bronze Anvil for speechwriting from PRSA and the Del Oro Community Service Award from PRSA San Antonio in 2007. She has served on the PRSA San Antonio board of directors for 16 years, including serving as chapter president in 2003 when she helped establish the PRSA San Antonio Del Oro Awards program. As accreditation chair, she designed and led the chapter’s PR Insights series of seminars. She also serves on the board of the March of Dimes San Antonio chapter.
Public Relations Professional of the Year Award:
Mary Ullmann Japhet, San Antonio Sports
Mary Ullmann Japhet has served as San Antonio Sports’ Associate Executive Director/External Affairs since 2001. Her more than 25 years of experience in television news, advertising, video production and public relations have helped San Antonio Sports become one of the nation’s most highly respected sports commissions.
A former anchor and reporter for KENS 5 in San Antonio, Mary’s career also includes work in Los Angeles as a reporter and producer for E! Entertainment Network and others. She was director of advertising for the U.S. Olympic Festival-’93, followed by positions with a local ad agency and founding a video production company.
Today, Mary oversees San Antonio Sports’ public relations and marketing functions and is its frequent spokesperson. She is Vice-Chair of the Mayor’s Fitness Council, and on the boards of the San Antonio Area Foundation’s Women and Girls Development Fund, Trinity University’s Spurs Sorority Foundation and is the alumni sponsor for the Trinity’s Class of 2013.
Community Service Award:
Javier A. Flores, City of San Antonio
Javier A. Flores is currently a Public Information Officer for the City of San Antonio in the Communications and Public Affairs Department. Javier has spent the last 10 years working in the fields of public relations, marketing, special event planning and media for agencies including The Cartel Group, inHOUSE Public Relations, the San Antonio Association of Hispanic Journalists and Spring Garden Flower Shop. He also spent two years he also spent as a reporter for Conexion – a weekly bilingual publication of the San Antonio Express-News.
Javier has serviced many clients throughout his career, including the U.S. Army, Church's Chicken, Dr. Pepper/Cadburry Schweppes, JCPenney, Allstate, AstraZeneca, American Express Open, Ultimate Fighting Championship, The Alameda National Center for Latino Arts and Culture, My Loteria by CristinaSosa Noriega, News 4 WOAI, among others. Javier considers one of the highlights of his career to be working with CNN's Soledad O'Brien and her producers on a feature profile on his client Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch for O'Brien's "Latino in America" series.
A San Antonio native, Javier is a graduate of Our Lady of the Lake University where he received a B.A. in English and Art. He was recently honored by OLLU with the University’s 2011 Outstanding Alumni Rising Star Award.
Horizon Award:
Krystal L. Jones, San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau
As media relations manager for the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau, Krystal Jones is responsible for promoting San Antonio, concentrating on media in the arts and culture, meetings and convention and LGBT genres. She has a diverse professional background – including corporate and agency experience.
Krystal has been a member of PRSA since 2006 and is PRSA San Antonio’s 2012 Vice President of Programs. She also served as the 2011 Byline editor and the PRSA Central Ohio’s Flash editor.
Krystal earned a master’s degree in public relations from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and communication studies from Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio. In her spare time, Krystal can be found attempting to tame her rambunctious dog, exploring San Antonio and planning her next travel adventure.
Board Member of the Year Award:
Robert Sheldon, APR, Creative Communications Consultants, Inc.
The Chapter’s inaugural Board Member of the Year award went to Robert Sheldon, APR, Creative Communications Consultants, Inc. for his continuous contributions to the chapter and to the Marilyn Potts Endowment fund. Bob served as the chapter’s endowment chair last year and helped PRSA reach its goal of $25,000 for the Marilyn Potts Endowment fund. Last year, Bob also helped establish PRSA’s scholarship criteria committee and coordinated the process of awarding the fund’s first scholarships.
El Bronce Awards and Certificates of Merit and Excellence for
Outstanding Public Relations Tactics
EL BRONCE AWARDS
Awards of Merit
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: 2011 National Convention Media Guide
Creative Civilizations
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce: The Voice of Hispanic Business in America Editorial Op-Ed Column
Creative Civilizations
Por Vida Facebook Video Contest
Security Service Federal Credit Union
Awards of Excellence
Broadcaster
Pam Maris, Vincent McDonald, Ed Flores, Barbara Burris, Frank Jimenez, Michael Freberg & Mark Hill, CPS Energy
Luminaria – Arts Come to Light Media Guide
Creative Civilizations
"Do You Want Fries with That?"
San Antonio Public Library Public Relations & Graphics
The Illusion of the Artificial
Will Sansom, UT Health Science Center San Antonio
UT Medicine San Antonio - Promoting the Practice
Elizabeth Allen, Sheila Hotchkin, Rosanne Fohn & Will Sansom
UT Health Science Center San Antonio
Organ Donation Broadcaster Story
Sarah Mills & Pam Maris, CPS Energy
CPS Energy Works for You Show on TVSA
Albert Cantu, John Moreno, Gary Chavez & Rudy Guerrero
CPS Energy
“Best of Show” Award
“The Illusion of the Artificial” news release
Will Sansom
UT Health Science Center
La Plata Awards and Certificates of Merit and Excellence for
Outstanding Public Relations Campaigns
Awards of Merit
Tobin Center for the Performing Arts - Groundbreaking Ceremony
Creative Civilizations
CPS Energy Savers Program Makes it Easier for Customers to Save Energy, Money Campaign
CPS Energy
Communicating Safety as a Top Priority Internal Communications Campaign
CPS Energy
Celebrating National Library Week, Facebook-Style
The University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries
Awards of Excellence
Volunteer Recruitment Campaign - Thanksgiving 2011
Jerry Arellano & Marsha Wiltz, Christian Senior Services
"Food 4 SA” Campaign
Security Service Federal Credit Union Corporate Communications Team
CPS Energy Shows Greater Appreciation for its Military Veterans
Sam Taylor, CPS Energy
Luminaria 2011 - Arts Come to Light
Creative Civilizations
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2011 National Convention
Creative Civilizations
AccessAbility Fest 2011
Michelle Richard, iTAC with AccessAbility Fest 2011 Committee
South Texas Research Facility Dedication
Tina Luther & Jacquelyn Pfeiffer
UT Health Science Center San Antonio
Best Places for Military Retirement: Second Careers
USAA with Fleishman-Hillard
Be One in a Million
San Antonio Public Library Public Relations,
Scholastic, San Antonio Public Library Foundation
U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 2011 Media Relations Campaign
Creative Civilizations
High impact, high profile: Building a reputation on business success
Pierpont Communications
2011 Luminaria Social Media Campaign
Creative Civilizations
“Best of Show” Award
“CPS Energy Shows Greater Appreciation for its Military Veterans”
Sam Taylor
CPS Energy
Volunteers and Sponsors
Del Oro Planning Committee
Rebecca M. Villarreal, Del Oro Program Chair
Christi Fish, Judging Chair
Laura Hernandez Aplin, Banquet Chair
Laura Waldrum - Banquet Chair Assistant
Melissa Sorola, Fundraising Chair
Abbey Forney, President
Melissa Vela-Williamson, President-Elect
Stephanie Finleon, Treasurer
Randy Escamilla, APR, VP of Public Relations
Monica Faulkenbery, APR, Accreditation Chair
Sonia Quirino Canales, Byline Editor
Carmina Reyes, CVENT Manager
Master of Ceremonies
Cristina Blackwell, Univision “Despierta San Antonio”
Judging for the La Plata and El Bronce Awards
Bluegrass PRSA chapter, Louisville, Kentucky
Selection Panel for Del Oro Individual Awards
Nancy Arispe
Stephen Chavez
Patricia Constantin
Kay Floyd, APR
Pascual Gonzalez
Christie Goodman, APR
Paige Ramsey-Palmer, APR
John Worthington
*Please note that the individuals listed above did not judge every category, as appropriate.
GOLD
H-E-B
San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau
SILVER
CPS Energy
San Antonio Sports
The Law Offices of Charles Japhet
Time Warner Cable – San Antonio
BRONZE
iTAC
Security Service Federal Credit Union
IN-KIND
Creer-Believe
Greg Harrison Photography
David Sanchez with Studio D Graphic Designs
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