Honoring Excellence: PRSA Welcomes the 2025 College of Fellows Class

Every fall, as PRSA members gather for ICON, another tradition unfolds — one that honors the profession’s past, present and future.

On the eve of ICON 2025 in Washington, D.C., nine practitioners will take their place among the College of Fellows, joining a community of leaders whose influence stretches across decades.

These Accredited PRSA members — each with at least 20 years of professional experience — were chosen through a rigorous process that asked them to showcase their impact, provide peer endorsements, and demonstrate how they’ve advanced the profession. Their applications were carefully reviewed by a committee of Fellows, with Kelly Davis, APR, Fellow PRSA, chair-elect of the College, overseeing this year’s selections.

The new inductees will be celebrated at a formal gathering on Oct. 27, from 6-9 p.m. at the Washington Hilton with the theme “Red, White, Blue & Fellows: Celebrating Monumental Achievement,” an evening that Vice Chair Jessica Graham, APR, Fellow PRSA, organized.

The story of the College of Fellows

Since its inception in 1989, the PRSA College of Fellows has established itself as the gold standard for public relations professionals, growing to over 700 members.

Although considered the “best of the best,” the College is not an honorary organization. Members actively participate in programs that enrich the profession and leave a lasting footprint on its body of knowledge, grounded in ethical practices and a dedication to service.

Whether mentoring future professionals, advising organizations, or navigating complex challenges, Fellows are recognized for their integrity and transparency, committed to doing what’s right even when it’s not easy.

The College of Fellows was born out of the Itasca Symposium — “The Architecture of Professional Progression” — where leaders, including Edward Bernays, Ann Barkelew, APR, Fellow PRSA, and Pat Jackson, APR, Fellow PRSA, gathered to envision ways to elevate the profession.

The first Fellows class consisted of all previous Gold Anvil recipients. Today, Gold Anvil honorees are automatically inducted, even without Accreditation. At the time of his death in 2020 at age 98, Harold Burson was the last surviving member of the 1989 inaugural class.

In an interview with Tony D’Angelo, APR, Fellow PRSA, who has served as chair of the College of Fellows and PRSA, Burson said, “I feel very indebted to PRSA because, when I joined in the late 1940s, [its] leaders took an interest in me and put me in very choice [volunteer] positions. I got to know people by volunteering to be on committees and task forces. If that had not happened, I would not have gotten on the track that I did.”

In 1990, the College welcomed the first group of Fellows who applied and were selected through the newly formalized process. Since then, the application has required candidates to reflect on their careers and articulate their most significant professional contributions — an exercise that many describe as energizing and affirming.

Applying allows applicants to reflect on their careers internally. Many feel reenergized as they examine different stages of their 20-year career and personal achievements, sharing the most meaningful moments of their professional journey. Their applications document the mark they have left on our profession and the knowledge base that forms the foundation for all public relations practitioners.

The tradition continues

Mentoring remains a cornerstone of the College. Each year at ICON, Fellows volunteer to staff one-on-one sessions, while throughout the year, they mentor professionals within their chapters and students at nearby universities.

Other ongoing tenets and programs of the College were reaffirmed and clarified in a new 2025-2027 strategic plan with the vision to “advance the public relations profession through leadership, advocacy, mentoring and lifelong learning, while enhancing the impact and visibility of the PRSA College of Fellows.”

The plan also supports the College’s mission: “To foster a community of public relations professionals dedicated to excellence, ethical practice, learning and the continuous understanding of and improvement of the profession.”

Specific strategic priorities centered on leadership and advocacy, connections and continued learning, and mentorship are outlined in the plan. Initiatives include:

• Good Fellows: a support program for applicants.
• Grants: new funding for students pursuing the Certificate in Principles of Public Relations.
• Voices for Tomorrow: recorded interviews with veteran Fellows cataloged on YouTube.
• Support for APR: strengthening the pipeline of Accreditation candidates.
• Year-round professional development: networking and learning opportunities for all members.

 These initiatives ensure the College continues to grow while reinforcing PRSA’s mission to foster excellence, ethics and lifelong learning.

For more information about the College of Fellows and how to apply, visit the PRSA website or email ronele@radstrategiesinc.com.

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 Congratulations to the 2025 Class of the College of Fellows:

• Dr. Kelly Bruhn, APR, Fellow PRSA, Associate Dean, School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Drake University
• Richard T. Chambers, APR, Fellow PRSA, Owner and President, Rick Chambers & Associates LLC
• Karen “KC” Crabtree, APR, Fellow PRSA, Principal, KC Crabtree Communications
• Natalie Ghidotti, APR, Fellow PRSA, CEO/Owner, Ghidotti Communications
• James L. Janicki, APR, Fellow PRSA, Chief Administrative Officer, Hillcrest Health & Living
• Grace T. Leong, MBA, APR, Fellow PRSA, CEO, HUNTER
• Iris E. Rivera Ortiz, APR, Fellow PRSA, President and CEO, Segmentos Public Relations
• Dawn Duplantier Robinette, MA, APR, Fellow PRSA, Tale to Tell Communications LLC
• Lauri-Ellen Smith, APR, Fellow PRSA, CAT 5 Crisis Communications Inc.