The 2025 Patrick Jackson Award: Capt. Brook DeWalt, M.A., APR+M, Fellow PRSA

Capt. Brook DeWalt, M.A., APR+M, Fellow PRSA — the 2025 Patrick Jackson Award recipient — has spent nearly four decades strengthening PRSA through extraordinary service, mentorship and leadership across the organization.

In this Q&A, he reflects on what first drew him to PRSA, how he stayed engaged while deployed around the world and why “service” has remained the through line of his career.

Your time with PRSA has included active participation in 10 local Chapters and seven Professional Interest Sections. What first inspired you to get involved with PRSA, and what has kept you motivated throughout the years?

My involvement with PRSA began in 1987, starting with my first interactions with PRSSA while attending Arizona State University in Tempe, Ariz. I immediately connected with like-minded students who looked forward to directing our professional efforts.

Once I graduated from ASU’s Walter Cronkite School, in 1989, I morphed from PRSSA over to PRSA and the local Phoenix Chapter. They were welcoming and let me be involved from the get-go. This is where I co-chaired the Professional Development Committee as my first leadership role within PRSA. I was happy in Phoenix and would have stayed for the long haul if it were not for my transition into the Navy. 

I also realized that, in my somewhat unique situation and moving often, I wouldn’t be as fully connected as I’d like. I found the value of the Professional Interest Sections — a great way to bring together those interested in common sectors of public communication from across the globe, rather than dealing with the bounds of geography.

Having both Chapter and Section options to enhance my membership has made PRSA a wonderful resource and sounding board as I’ve served around the globe. The professional advice that’s gained, the personal friendships formed… you can’t replace it. PRSA is a motivation engine for me!  

Your sustained involvement in PRSA is especially impressive given your active military deployments around the world. How did you manage to stay so engaged while balancing those responsibilities? 

First and foremost, you need to value professional development. I believe in the concept of lifelong learning, regardless of where you are in your career timeline. If you believe in professional development, then you’ll find ways of doing so. There are plenty of avenues to learn and grow, even if you’re moving a lot like those of us in the military. That’s where PRSA Professional Interest Sections shine. 

Section membership has allowed me to stay engaged from pretty much anywhere in the world — stateside, Japan, Korea, Cuba, Pakistan, Afghanistan, the Middle East and throughout Europe. I even in high operational tempo and stressful environments, if I could find a window of time to safely break away and connect online with Section counterparts, it was valuable. I could ask advice, offer my own input to other issues being addressed online, join a webinar and so on. 

But there’s more than this professional value. These Section connections also offered mental health value — the ability to connect with other communication professionals and talk about more traditional issues that were not tied to the “in your face” daily stressors of deployed military life, hazardous duty assignments, and so on. 

Being engaged has allowed me to offer unique experiences including in crisis communication and international diplomacy. But at the same time, I was able to stay connected and learn from my Section counterparts. 

I circle back to where I started — value and prioritize professional development. Find ways to stay engaged; it will help you and everyone around you in the long run.  

What lessons on resilience and adaptability have you carried from your experiences, and how do you pass those along to other communicators and new professionals? 

Remind yourself as often as you need to that resiliency and adaptability are excellent traits and remain flexible! Roll with the punches. Not everything is going to go as planned. That’s OK! Always be thinking ahead. Have additional courses of action already thought about and in your hip pocket. How can you wire yourself to be more resilient/adaptable? Take the hard jobs and always try to anticipate a variety of “what if’s.” 

Stay connected with others in your field. Ask about and read up on “lessons learned.” Never, ever take yourself too seriously! Be willing to listen and learn from others. And, be involved! I often encourage new professionals and students to find mentors and get involved in professional associations to grow your networks. Oh, and take selfies with all the great people you get to hang with! You’ll appreciate it later! 

You’ve been recognized as PRSA’s PR Professional of the Year and have earned more than 60 national communication awards. How does receiving the Patrick Jackson Award compare with some of your other honors? 

Being recognized with the 2025 Patrick Jackson Award for Distinguished Service to PRSA is a unique and high honor. 

Prior recognitions are all meaningful in their own way, and represent work deemed as superior at these given periods of time. I remain honored for these recognitions. But, the Patrick Jackson Award is indeed special. 

It’s named after an icon of our profession. Patrick Jackson pushed for us in public relations to strive to be better, to be on the forefront. Patrick Jackson served so many, so well, that it is clear why this award bears his name.

This award is about service over one’s career. That’s the key word: service. I joined PRSSA in 1987, and PRSA soon thereafter in 1989. Over these last nearly 40 years, I have done so because I get a kick out of serving with so many likeminded professionals. I serve because I try to provide value where I can. Plus, I learn more myself, and I’m better for it. My staff and my superiors also benefit from it. 

You held a retirement celebration at ICON. After years of service, leadership and recognition, what’s still on your professional “to-do” list? 

For 30 years, I’ve been serving the nation while learning and sharing. It has been a wonderful adventure. This chapter has closed, but it’s only another chapter. There is more to be written — more service, more learning. I’ve gained a lot, and I’ll pass that along.

There will be more great people to work with, although I haven’t decided on the specifics just yet. Teach? Consult? Business? I’m sure PRSA will be involved in whatever the chapter brings!