D. Parke Gibson Award: W. Patrick McSweeney, APR, Fellow PRSA

W. Patrick McSweeney, APR, Fellow PRSA, managing director of McSweeney Public Relations LLC in Milwaukee, has built a distinguished career advancing inclusion and equity through authentic storytelling and strategic communication.

A longtime PRSA leader, he helped establish the Southeastern Wisconsin Chapter’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee and has served on the PRSA DEI Committee since 2020. PRSA presented him with the 2025 D. Parke Gibson Award during the Oct. 30 General Session at ICON 2025.

Here, McSweeney reflects on the personal experiences that shaped his lifelong advocacy. 

You’ve been a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion. Why is this work so important to you?

I guess I’ve been celebrating diversity my entire life without ever thinking about it. My mom and dad demonstrated that a person’s value isn’t measured by their height, weight, skin color, education, bank account or social status. 

My dad was born with achondroplastic dwarfism — and grew to only 4-feet-6 inches tall. My mom was short and was only 4-feet-10 inches tall. Being the shortest kid in the class meant being bullied or excluded from activities or groups. But my parents taught us how to creatively overcome what others saw as a handicap and make it into a superpower. 

Besides being vertically challenged, my youngest brother has an intellectual disability caused by complications at birth. That opened my eyes to seeing more discrimination and how people are identified and labeled as “other.” Finally, when he was 16, our younger son came out to my wife and me. It made me examine my core beliefs and spurred me to speak out for those being marginalized. 

What motivates me is that diversity is in America’s DNA — we are not and never were a homogeneous population. We have different backgrounds, skills, lived experiences and viewpoints. Those differences should be celebrated. They make organizations stronger and more effective. So, the pushback against Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is puzzling to me because it attempts to weaken or remove one of our country’s greatest strengths. 

What does receiving the D. Parke Gibson Award mean to you personally and professionally?

Receiving this is a huge honor that I never considered as a possibility. After receiving the congratulatory email, I called PRSA’s office to confirm it wasn’t a mistake or a prank. 

D. Parke Gibson was a pioneer, establishing the first Black-owned public relations firm in New York during the Mad Men era. He opened the eyes of businesses and brands on the importance and value of multicultural marketing, and he counseled corporate executives about Title VII, which prohibits employment discrimination. 

To be recognized by my peers and be part of the legacy that Gibson and past recipients have forged is a great honor. 

Looking back, what moments or milestones stand out as most influential in shaping your PR career?

What stands out is not the jobs, projects or the awards, it’s the people along the way who shaped me and my career. 

First, my family. My parents taught me to embrace and overcome challenges. The support of my wife, Jane, and my sons David and John, kept me grounded and reminded me of what’s important. As a person of faith, Jesus Christ, who modeled what a servant leader is. 

The kindness, courtesy and support of people who offered encouragement, advice or an opportunity cannot be overstated — Susan Milhoan, APR, Ed Albanesi, APR, Fellow PRSA, Del Galloway, APR, Fellow PRSA, Amy Rankin, APR, Jerry Hanks, APR, Leo Bottary, Evan Zeppos, APR and Tammy Belton-Davis, APR.

Debra Miller, APR, Fellow PRSA, set me on the road to this award. She agreed to chair our initial D&I committee nine years ago with the admonition, “We were going to do something important.”  

The people I’ve worked with on the national committee have showed me how to be a better ally and use my voice for equality and equity: Marsha Pitts-Phillips, APR, Rene Petties-Jones, Jaron Terry, APR, Fellow PRSA, Anita Ford Saunders, APR, Andrea Gils Monzón, Olga Mayoral Wilson, APR, Fellow PRSA, Raquel Rivera Torres, APR, Fellow PRSA, Kristelle Siarza Moon, APR, Michael Brown, Sr., Ph.D., Jeneen Garcia, Jorge D'Garay-Pallares, Gayle Saunders, APR, Kenrick Thomas, Laarni Rosca Dacanay, Noemi Lujan Perez, Luis Morales, APR, Fellow PRSA, Sabrina Browne, Shanita Baraka Akintonde, Terry Allen, Stephen Chavez, Ana Toro, APR, Fellow PRSA, Thomas Bennett III, Candee Wolf, APR, Fellow PRSA, and so many more.

Each of these has opened doors and possibilities I could never have imagined and I am grateful to them.

As you reflect on your years of service to PRSA, what has membership in the organization given you in return?

Membership has given me so much — from job opportunities and a worldwide network of PR pros who I can tap into, and hundreds of peers who are friends and mentors.

It has also provided an opportunity to watch and assist young professionals starting and then advancing in their careers. Interns who went on to have great careers include Christina Gales, APR, Alexa Hawkins, Christina Hovestadt, Liz Slobodian, APR, Anne-Clayton McCaul and Kelly Bermel.

PRSA is the most cost-effective continuing education for our industry. More importantly, it’s provided me with the experience to effect positive change, develop leadership skills through service on a committee, Chapter board and at regional and national levels, and along the way, sometimes get to meet and learn from legends like Edward R. Bernays, Patrick Jackson, Jim Lukaszewski and others.

Looking ahead, how do you see public relations playing a stronger role in advancing equity and representation in the years to come?

The future is bright, and what we’re seeing right now is a temporary dimming that cannot last. Our strength as a nation is our differences. Our national motto — E pluribus unum, “One Out of Many” — is the definition of diversity. 

Sidelining, subordinating or silencing individuals or groups of people might work in the short term. But it’s not a winning long-term strategy. 

As communicators, we’re often the conscience of our organizations. We’re tuned into identifying issues, inequities and opportunities both internally and externally. We’re the right people to address deficiencies and move our organizations forward by advancing fairness, equity and representation. And it’s the right thing to do.