Honoring the 2025 PRSA Individual Award Recipients; Announcing FutureCon

PRSA will present five individual awards during ICON 2025 in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 28-30, honoring members who have distinguished themselves in service to the organization and made a difference in the PR profession.

Gold Anvil Award

Grace T. Leong, MBA, APR

CEO

HUNTER

Outstanding Educator Award

Hilary Fussell Sisco, Ph.D., APR

Professor of Public Relations

Quinnipiac University

Patrick Jackson Award

Capt. Brook DeWalt, MA, APR+M, Fellow PRSA 

Director

American Forces Network

D. Parke Gibson Award

William Patrick McSweeney, APR,
Fellow PRSA 

Managing Director

McSweeney Public Relations LLC 

PR Professional of the Year 

Dominic K. Hawkins, II 

Vice President of Communications 

NAACP

Please visit the PRSA Newsroom for more information on this year’s recipients.

PRSA Unveils FutureCon Lineup

PRSA has finalized the speaker roster for FutureCon, a three-day virtual summit scheduled for Nov. 5-7 that will examine the forces reshaping public relations and communications. 

The inaugural event aims to assist professionals in navigating challenges such as the rise of artificial intelligence, the spread of disinformation, changing approaches to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and new strategies for building trust and safeguarding reputation. 

Among the featured speakers are Fred Cook, director of the USC Center for Public Relations; Jonathan Heit, co-founder and global CEO of Allison Worldwide; Barby K. Siegel, global CEO of Zeno Group; Teneshia Jackson Warner, founder and CEO of EGAMI Group; Stephanie Roberts, chief communications officer at Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems; and Melissa Waggener Zorkin, global CEO and founder of We Communications. 

Programming will combine roundtable discussions, keynote panels and breakout sessions. Day one will open with conversations on issues such as multigenerational workforces, technology tools and storytelling. Day two will feature a keynote panel with senior executives discussing the future of PR, followed by sessions on AI, misinformation and DEI. The final day will focus on reputation management, employee communications and reimagining PR in the age of AI.

“FutureCon is designed to equip communicators at every level with the tools, insights and strategies to thrive in the next era of PR and communications,” said PRSA CEO Matt Marcial, CAE. “This inaugural summit brings together voices who are not only observing industry change but also leading it.”

PRSA Strengthens Leadership Team

PRSA has completed two senior appointments to bolster operations and business growth. 

Amber Shaverdi Huston, CAE, joined the organization on Sept. 2 as chief operating officer. 

She previously served as executive director of the National Association for Campus Activities and COO of Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity & Foundation.

Huston holds degrees from Pittsburg State University and The George Washington University, along with the Certified Association Executive designation. 

On Sept. 15, Alexandre Bouché became vice president of business development & alliances, tasked with advancing growth initiatives, partnerships and revenue diversification. He was most recently managing director of global development & engagement at the International City/County Management Association and earlier held senior roles at SHRM. 

Bouché earned an Executive MBA from Georgetown, a master’s in instructional design from GWU and a bachelor’s in chemical engineering from the Institute of Chemical Engineering in Moscow. 

Save the Dates for Member Mondays

Member Mondays, hosted by 2025 Chair Ray Day, APR, Stagwell vice chair and Allison Worldwide executive chair, are open forums that provide valuable opportunities for information sharing and professional connection. 

Held on the second Monday of each month, the sessions are open to both members and nonmembers and explore timely and relevant topics shaping the communications profession. 

The fourth Monday of every month is for PRSA leaders (Chapters, Districts and Sections), focusing on best practices and organizational updates.

Find previous episodes and sign up for upcoming sessions here.