Pepperpots Individual Achievement Awards

HomePepperpots Individual Achievement Awards

The PRSA Philadelphia Individual Achievement Awards honor extraordinary people for excellence in public relations. The awards represent commitments to education and the advancement of the profession, as well as writing, community service, and the professional promise of students striving to join the industry. Click on each award title below to read more about the criteria and the extraordinary people they honor.

There is never any fee to enter the Individual Achievement Awards. The winners of the awards are selected by a small committee made up of PRSA Philadelphia Chapter Leadership.

DeAnn White Award for Excellence in Community Service

Theresa Spencer
The African American Museum in Philadelphia

Theresa Spencer is a dynamic and compassionate leader whose dedication to community service has consistently made a positive impact on the lives of others. Through her role as Director of Marketing at the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP), she has elevated the museum’s mission of celebrating and preserving African American culture while fostering meaningful connections within the Philadelphia community. Her commitment to community service goes beyond her professional duties, as she continually seeks opportunities to uplift and empower those around her.

Anthony Fulginiti Award for Commitment to Education

Adam Dvorin
AKCG - Public Relations Counselors

Adam Dvorin is a PR legend in Philadelphia, and he is deeply committed to mentoring and raising up the next generation of PR Practitioners. Over his 30 year career in communications - which began as a journalist and eventually led him to become a prominent agency leader, Adam has dedicated himself to teaching others effective, ethical and results-driven methods of being a good PR counselor. Beyond his work in his agency roles, Adam also is an adjunct faculty member at Temple University, where he mentors students and teaches the esteemed capstone PR course. He has served in this role for several years.

Frank X. Long Award for Excellence in Writing

Cathy McVey
Visit Philadelphia

No one knows the voice of Philadelphia better than Cathy McVey. Because in many ways, she IS the voice of Philadelphia. A born-and-raised Philadelphian who has served in various marketing and communications roles at Visit Philly for more than 20 years, Cathy has the uncanny ability to capture the character of this incredible city and translate it into text that captures your attention and inspires you to feel something. In her current role overseeing the website, social media and creative marketing teams, Cathy’s fingerprints are on practically every written message that goes out into the world on behalf of Visit Philadelphia.

Maxine Elkin Award for Distinguished Service

Blair Cardinal
President, PRSA Philadelphia

Blair Cardinal has a true passion for our members and for ensuring a bright future for the Chapter. Over the last two years as president, Blair has rebuilt a strong, impactful board ... personally spearheaded several of the chapter's signature events ... revived and modernized the esteemed PR Institute ... and lead by example with a deep commitment of providing value and long-term strategy for the chapter. Blair cares, and she is genuine. Her service to the chapter and its members deserves to be recognized and memorialized.

President's Award

Robyn Reed Frenze
Chameleon Communications, LLC

Robyn Reed Frenze has be incredibly supportive and insightful. She has never hesitated to roll up her sleeves when the real work needs to be done. Robyn is a master at creating financial models, from relaunching the PR Institute to analyzing trends in Pepperpot entries over the last five years, and from ensure benefits for our members to supporting all of the chapter's programming. As Blair Cardinal said "I'm thankful for your comforting smile, which often calmed me during hectic events." Robyn has help make the Chapter better than how she found it.

Anne Sceia Klein Award for Professional Promise

Samantha Deeney
Rowan University

As a student at Rowan University, Sam excels as a leader, event planner, and liaison between working professionals and club members. Throughout the past two academic years, Sam helped plan seven panels featuring guest speakers and working professionals on several topics, including resumes, networking, and agency/in-house positions. She contributed to several successful major events including an Induction Brunch of new members in December 2023 and a Spring Gala event in April 2024. She also contributes to our monthly newsletters by writing pieces that highlight the ongoing trends in public relations. As Firm Director, Sam led our chapter to receive its first nationally competitive Teahan Award for Outstanding Firm from PRSSA in 14 years. Her impeccable attention to detail places her in the top 5% of our college majors.

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Anthony Fulginiti Award for Commitment to Education

In 1976, Professor Tony Fulginiti took his passion for public relations and established a PRSSA chapter at Rowan University. He saw this as an opportunity for public relations students to learn and grow in a professional setting and for Rowan to make a name for itself in the PR world. Forty years later, the Rowan PRSSA chapter is one of the most successful chapters in the nation. The Anthony Fulginiti Award was established to honor a public relations professional who shares Tony’s commitment to the future of our profession. The award honors a person who excels in education, either through their mentoring/teaching, their efforts to help shape the careers of future PR professionals or their contributions to PRSSA.

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Maxine Elkin Award for Distinguished Service

The late Maxine Elkin was well known in Philadelphia as a public relations professional who also served as a great asset to the Philadelphia PRSA chapter. The Maxine Elkin Award honors someone with Maxine’s passion for public relations, particularly in the field of media relations, through leadership, professionalism and integrity in the field of public relations, and shares a commitment to the advancement of the profession

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Frank X. Long Award for Excellence in Writing

Frank Long passed away after a stellar 50-year career that ran the public relations gamut. Frank’s true passion was writing with creativity, style and flair. The Frank X. Long Award, created in 2000, honors a public relations professional who practices and professes Frank’s passion and honors excellence in writing and creativity.

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DeAnn White Award for Excellence in Community Service

DeAnn White’s short career was filled with accomplishments that take many a lifetime to achieve. When she tragically passed away in the summer of 2000 at the age of 25, she was public relations manager for the New Jersey State Aquarium. Though she was busy building her PR career, DeAnn still managed to find time to volunteer her PR talent to the Multiple Sclerosis Society and St. Mary’s Home for Children Living with AIDS. She also created a family outreach project called Sister II Sister.

The DeAnn White Award was established in 2000 to acknowledge the work of a Philadelphia PRSA member who utilizes thier public relations expertise in the field of community service and volunteerism.

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Anne Sceia Klein Award for Professional Promise - PRSSA

The Anne Sceia Klein Award for Professional Promise recognizes a college junior or senior who is a member of a PRSSA chapter affiliated with Philadelphia PRSA, and has demonstrated his or her dedication to advancing himself or herself in the field of public relations. Interested students should provide: a one-page resume; a 350-word essay on how you plan to pursue your career in public relations and what contributions you hope to make to the profession; one academic or professional reference letter; and a copy of your transcript.

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