Celebrating PRSA’s Inaugural Women of Impact
October 2026
Leadership in communications takes many forms. It can mean guiding an organization through a crisis, earning trust across a workforce, finding new ways to tell a brand’s story or creating opportunities for the next generation of professionals.
The professionals recognized in PRSA’s inaugural Strategies & Tactics Women of Impact Awards demonstrate that breadth of influence across agencies, corporations, nonprofits, government, higher education, sports and travel.
Honored on Aug. 6 at the Women of Impact Summit & Awards in Chicago, the recipients represent different career stages, specialties and paths into the profession. Their work reflects not only individual achievement but also the larger responsibilities of communications leaders: to provide sound counsel, act with integrity, adapt thoughtfully to emerging technology and help others advance.
The awards followed a morning of conversations about leadership and the future of communications, including artificial intelligence, measurement, sports and entertainment, and the ways professionals can extend their influence beyond a job title.
As PRSA Chair Heide Harrell, MA, APR, noted, leadership is measured not only by what professionals achieve but also by the people they “inspire, mentor and empower.”
Download our PDF (here) that introduces the 2026 recipients and highlights the work, ideas, and commitments shaping their contributions to the profession.
