2023 Winners

Congratulations to our 2023 honorees! 

Best of Show

• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: McDougall Communications with the Contact Lens Institute for “A Clear Vision: Helping Optometrists See Tomorrow”
• Corporate PRism Award: The Martin Group for “The Student Transportation of America’s 2022 Holiday Giving Event”

Rising Star Award

Carlet Cleare, Press Officer, City of Rochester

As 2023’s Rising Star honoree, Carlet Cleare is a shining example of dedication, leadership, and commitment to continual learning. After a decade as a reporter for WXXI and 13WHAM, Carlet pivoted to the other side of the industry—the public relations and communications. Since 2019, she has served as the City’s Associate Digital Communications Assistant and now as Press Officer. Thanks to her multifaceted skillset, the City of Rochester is sharing its story in our community and beyond including throughout the challenging COVID-19 pandemic. Congrats, Carlet!

Sharleen M. Bruse Award

Patrizia Corvaia, Internal Communications Manager, Highland Hospital

As 2023’s Sharleen M. Bruse Award honoree, Patrizia Corvaia exemplifies the high level of professional experience and the spirit of mentorship and service that this award celebrates. She’s been a steward of stories across roles in communications and news and now serves as internal communications manager at URMC’s Highland Hospital. From the way Patty approaches community service, you can tell she sees it as her duty to help those around her—her children, her fellow community members and others. Her ongoing and valuable support of PRSA Rochester is just one example. Through years of volunteering and board leadership, notably leadership roles in the APR and Ethics Committees, her work has nurtured the success of her fellow Rochester PR professionals and will inspire the next generation. Congrats, Patty!   

Program Awards

Community Relations

• Corporate Award of Excellence: Dixon Schwabl + Company for the “Community Bank Lives Up to Its Name with Good Neighbor Day”

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• Corporate Award of Excellence: Dixon Schwabl + Company for Goodwill of the Finger Lakes Improves Access to Vision Care in the City of Rochester
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: Pittsford Central School District for the "I am Pittsford Schools” DEI Campaign

Events and Observances

• Corporate Award of Excellence: Tipping Point Communications for the “National Women’s Hall of Fame Groundbreaking”
• Corporate PRism Award: The Martin Group for “Student Transportation of America’s 2022 Holiday Giving Event”
• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: Break the Ice Media for “Cayuga County Celebrates Harriet Tubman’s 200th Birthday”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: Rochester Institute of Technology – University Communications for RIT Hosts 2022 Baja SAE Rochester Collegiate Design & Off-Road Race

Global Communications

• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: McDougall Communications with the World Council of Optometry for the “World Council of Optometry and Alcon Dry Eye Disease Education Initiative”

Integrated Communications

• Corporate Award of Excellence: LáLew Public Relations for “Connecting Innovators Around the World Through Agriculture”
• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: University of Rochester Medical Center for “Revolutionizing the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Integrated Campaign”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: McDougall Communications with the Contact Lens Institute for “A Clear Vision: Helping Optometrists See Tomorrow”

Internal Communications

• Corporate Award of Excellence: Dixon Schwabl + Company for “The Pike Company Acquires Central New York Construction Firms”
• Not-for-Profit PRism: University of Rochester Medical Center for “Uniting UR Medicine: One Patient. One Record. One Team.”

Marketing

• Corporate Award of Excellence: Manning & Napier for “Personal Trust Services Campaign”

Reputation/Brand Management

• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: McDougall Communications with the Contact Lens Institute for “A Clear Vision: Helping Optometrists See Tomorrow”

Element Awards

Advertorial

• Corporate Award of Excellence: The Martin Group for “Student Transportation of America Tackles Recruitment with Community Support”
• Corporate PRism Award: McDougall Communications with CooperVision for “Showcasing Insights from CooperVision's 2022 Best Practices”

Annual Report

• Corporate Award of Excellence: Dixon Schwabl & Company for “Banking with a Purpose: Community’s 2021 Community Report”
• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: ESL Federal Credit Union for the “2021 ESL in the Community Report: Showing What it Means to Belong to Something Bigger”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: McDougall Communications with Healthix for the “2022-2023 Impact Report”

Blogs/Blogger Campaigns

• Corporate Award of Excellence: The Martin Group for “Fashion Outlets of Niagara Falls' 2022 Back-to-School Influencer Campaign”
• Corporate PRism Award: RE:Build Optimation with C47 Film Associates and ThomasNet for “A Tale of 2 Blogs – a $21,000,000 Story”

Creative Tactic

• Corporate PRism Award: Dixon Schwabl + Company for “MMB + CO. Evolve Their Look”

Direct Mail/Direct Response

• Corporate PRism Award: McDougall Communications with LumenPro for the “LumenPro Veterinary Welcome Kit”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester for “Encore: Concerts & Events Brochure”
  
  

Editorial/Op-Ed Columns

• Corporate Award of Excellence: Dixon Schwabl + Company for “Quick timing and best practices landed a PRDaily pitch about the Bills”
• Corporate PRism Award: LáLew Public Relations for the “Guest Editorial: How brands can commemorate cultural holidays respectfully”
• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: Dixon Schwabl + Company for “So Much More Than a Store: Growth of the Organization and Employees at the Heart of It All”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: The Martin Group for “WGU: Teacher Training Needs a New Playbook”

Feature Stories

• Corporate PRism Award: The Martin Group for the “Greenlight Networks' Cheektowaga ‘Walk and Talk’”
• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: The Martin Group for “PaintCare Brings Innovate Paint Recycling Program to Rochester”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: University of Rochester for “Rockin’ and Rollin’ at the Palestra”

Media Relations

• Corporate Award of Excellence: The Martin Group for “Greenlight Networks' Strategic Expansion Across the Empire State”
• Corporate PRism Award: LáLew Public Relations for the “Mural of Harriet Tubman seen by millions through earned media mentions”
• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: Rochester Institute of Technology – University Communications for “Leading the James Webb Space Telescope’s Biggest Program”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: Dixon Schwabl + Company for “Media invited to play Oak Hill Country Club one year out from 2023 PGA Championship”

Magazines

• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: University of Rochester for “University of Rochester's Buzz magazine”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester for “Eastman Notes: Alumni Magazine”

Newsletters

• Corporate Award of Excellence: Dixon Schwabl + Company for “Change Happens When Provoked”
• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: University of Rochester Medical Center for “The Levy Letter: Department e-Newsletter Helps Unify URMC Department of Medicine”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: Rochester Institute of Technology’s Division of Diversity and Inclusion for the “Division of Diversity and Inclusion's Monthly Newsletter”

Online Videos/Video Programs

• Corporate PRism Award: Tipping Point Communications for “The Strong National Museum's Play Ball Gala Video”
• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: ESL Federal Credit Union for “Flip’s Story – ESL Belong to Something Bigger Brand Story”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: Rochester Institute of Technology – University Communications for RIT Produces Video for Baja SAE Rochester Event & Beyond!

Photography

• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: Dixon Schwabl + Company for the PGA Championship Trophy Takes a Field Trip and Meets Josh Allen

Press Conferences

• Corporate PRism Award: Black Button Distilling for “The Spirit of Rochester: Black Button Distilling Announces Major Move and Expansion”
• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: McDougall Communications with the Golisano Institute for “Business for Golisano Institute for Business & Entrepreneurship”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: “St. John Fisher University for It’s St. John Fisher University Starting July 1”

Press Kits/Media Kits

• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: Break the Ice Media for “Gore Place: Historic Estate Utilizes Modern Day PR Tactics”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: University of Rochester for the “Adam Frank Media Kit”

Publications

• Corporate Award of Excellence: Tipping Point Communications for “St. Ann's Community – We Hear You”
• Corporate PRism Award: McDougall Communications with CooperVision for “Sharing the Impact of Biofinity Toric Multifocal”
• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: Pittsford Central School District for “Pittsford Schools Calendar of Events”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: McDougall Communications with the Contact Lens Institute for “Remarkable Resilience Report”

Research/Evaluation

• Corporate PRism Award: McDougall Communications with the Contact Lens Institute for “Uncovering Eye Care Insights: The See Tomorrow Initiative”

Social Media

• Corporate Award of Excellence: LáLew Public Relations for its “Social media campaign brings over 3,000 visitors to Teen Empowerment’s Clarissa Uprooted Exhibit”
• Corporate PRism Award: Break the Ice Media for “Social Media-Driven Influencer Campaign Garners Awareness for del Lago Resort & Casino”
• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: University of Rochester Medical Center for “Athlete’s Triumphant Return is a Home Run for UR Medicine”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: The Strong Museum for “National Toy Hall of Fame”

Speeches

• Corporate PRism Award: Tipping Point Communications for “Negotiation Skills: Get what you deserve”

Website

• Not-for-Profit Award of Excellence: Northeast College of Health Sciences for “A New NortheastCollege.edu”
• Not-for-Profit PRism Award: Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester for “Eastman School of Music Centennial Website”

Student Category: Digital and Social Media

• Student PRism Award: Jessica D'Amico, Ali Short and Michaela Meleca of St. John Fisher University for Lavery Library's Diversity Fest

Student Category: Evaluation

• Student PRism Award: Jessica D'Amico, Ali Short and Michaela Meleca of St. John Fisher University for Lavery Library's Diversity Fest

Student Category: Insights and Analysis

• Student Award of Excellence: Nicole Smith of St. John Fisher University for “More Than Just A Library: How Insights & Analysis Supported our Campaign with a DEI Focus”
• Student PRism Award: Portia Wojton of SUNY Brockport for “Period Poverty”

Student Category: Integrated Communications

• Student Award of Excellence: Jessica D'Amico, Ali Short and Michaela Meleca of St. John Fisher University for “Lavery Library's Diversity Fest”
• Student PRism Award: Nicole Smith of St. John Fisher University for “More Than Just A Library: How Insights & Analysis Supported our Campaign with a DEI Focus”