Reflecting on excellence in public relations at the Gem City Awards

As president of PRSA Dayton , I had the immense pleasure of celebrating the remarkable achievements in public relations at the Gem City Awards banquet, presented by CareSource . Held on May 22, 2024, at the Dayton Children’s Inspiration Center in Tech Town, this event highlighted the incredible talent in public relations across the Miami Valley.

The evening was filled with joy and pride as we honored the hard work and creativity of our community. Witnessing the heartfelt reactions of our awardees was truly inspiring. Taking a moment to pause and celebrate these achievements reminds us of the impact our work has on the community and the profession. It’s easy to get caught up in the fast-paced world of PR, but recognizing our successes helps recharge our creative energies and strengthens our bonds with colleagues.

I'm so grateful to our 2024 Board of Directors who put so much time and energy into making the event a success. Bryan Suddith , Ksenia Mayakova , Stacy Porter, APR , Steven Solomon , Claudine Bennett , Kristen Bowser, APR , Michelle Mundt Crawley , Holly Allen , Neej Mescher, APR , Joshua McGee , Leah M. , Jocelyn Hodson, APR and Kailey Smolinski .

Highlights of the evening included awarding Best in Show to Bob Sadowski, APR from myCUmortgage for the “2023 myCUmortgage Partner Conference,” which brought together credit unions from across the country for an event filled with insights and networking.

We also recognized four outstanding individuals for their contributions:

Richard L. Hairston, APR , Communications Coordinator at Premier Health, as Young Professional of the Year. Each year the PRSA Dayton chapter recognizes a young, talented PR professional?who is clearly?a future leaders in our industry.?The Young Professional Award is given to a PR professional with less than three years of experience who is already experiencing shining moments.?

Crystal Allen , CEO at Boys & Girls Club of Dayton as Newsmaker of the Year. This award was created to honor?a Dayton area person who is not a professional communicator but who has frequently been in the news because of their role in advancing our community in a positive way.?

Hannah P. , Managing Editor at the Dayton Business Journal, as Media Friend of the Year. This award honors local media professionals who have been a friend to PRSA and the clients of PR professionals in the Dayton area.

Sheri Sword, VP of Communications at the Better Business Bureau, as Communicator of the Year. Each year, the Dayton Chapter PRSA presents an award to the Communications Professional of the Year, an individual who has demonstrated communications excellence and community service over a long career. Some refer to this award as the Smitty Award, an homage? to the late Rex Smith, a highly regarded public relations practitioner in Dayton for more than 40 years and a former chapter member.

This year’s award winners included exceptional projects judged by a PRSA chapter outside of our district.

Gem City PR award winners included:

• Dayton Children's Hospital "Compass – Conjoined Twins Edition"
• Dayton Children's Hospital "When to be Concerned Blog Series"
• Dayton Children’s Hospital “Mental Health Groundbreaking"
• muCUmortgage “2023 myCUmortgage Partner Event”
• Dayton Children’s Hospital “On Our Sleeves Creating Connections Calendar”
• Dayton Children’s Hospital “Mental Health Campaign”
• Dayton Children’s Hospital “Focus News Weekly Recap”
• City of Beavercreek “Spring House Park”
• Solvita “12 Days of Giving”
• Solvita “Announcement Event”
• Dayton Children’s Hospital “On Our Sleeves Creating Connections Calendar”
• Dayton Children’s Hospital “Mental Health Campaign”
• Dayton Children’s Hospital “Focus News Weekly Recap”

Award of Merit winners included:

• Dayton Children’s “Connected – Separation of Pedro and Augusto”
• Dayton Children’s “Well Being Wednesday”
• The Dayton Foundation “We Help You Help Others”
• Kenny Consulting – “City of Dayton’s Recovery Plan”
• myCUmortgage “Mort the Mortgage Mentor’s Blog”
• The Ohlmann Group “Wright-Patt Credit Union Annual Report”
• The Ohlmann Group “Area Agency on Aging Annual Report”

A heartfelt thank you to our sponsors, including CareSource, TriComB2B (acquired by Luxid) , Kenny Consulting Group, Montgomery County Veterans Service Commission, Preservation Society, Dayton Children's Hospital and Minuteman Press .

For more details and photos from the event, visit the PRSA Dayton Facebook page. Nominations for next year’s awards will open in January 2025.

Celebrating these achievements reminds us of the power and influence of our work. Here’s to another year of public relations excellence in Dayton and the Miami Valley!