PRSA Georgia awarded the 2014 Chapter Awards at the Annual Awards Celebration on November 6, 2014.
Distinguished PR Award
This award recognizes a prominent Georgian outside of the public relations practice who has made an outstanding contribution to Georgia’s regional, national and/or international image or reputation through the use of good public relations practices and principles.
Doug Shipman
CEO, National Center for Civil and Human Rights
Doug Shipman is chief executive officer of the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, which opened in Atlanta in June 2014. He has led the organization since the project’s inception in 2005. Prior to his work with the Center, Doug was a principal in the Atlanta office of the Boston Consulting Group where he also worked in the New York and Mumbai offices.
He serves on the Emory Alumni Association board and the University of Georgia Board of Visitors.
Doug has been honored with multiple “40 Under 40” designations: the Atlanta Business Chronicle (2008), Georgia Trend (2009) and the New Leaders Council (2010). For the past four years, the Atlanta Business Chronicle has named him one of the “100 Most Influential Atlantans.” He has been a guest lecturer at several institutions including Bard College, Duke University, Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He has been featured in numerous publications and broadcasts including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNN and TEDxAtlanta.
Doug has an extensive educational background in issues of race, ethnicity and gender including the relationship between economics and poverty, the history of American minority groups and religion as applied in social movements including the American Civil Rights movement, the Indian Independence Movement and the Buddhist Environmental Movement in Southeast Asia.
Doug holds a master’s degree in public policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, a master’s degree in theological studies from the Harvard Divinity School and a bachelor’s degree with high honors from Emory University.
Luminary Star Award
This award for achievement in public relations recognizes a Chapter member with 13 – 19 years of experience who has demonstrated significant leadership and made contributions to the profession of public relations through work experience, Chapter involvement and community activities.
Elyse Hammett, APR
Vice President, Public Relations, Phase 3 Marketing & Communications
With 20 years of public relations and marketing experience, Elyse Hammett, APR, serves as vice president of public relations
for Phase 3 Marketing & Communications – a comprehensive, end-to-end marketing, PR, print and logistics service provider. She joined the firm in October 2012 as a result of Phase 3’s purchase of EOS Marketing & Communications, where Elyse served as executive vice president of PR.
Elyse’s notable client roster includes AT&T, Centex Homes, Feld Entertainment, HD Supply and Troutman Sanders. Prior to agency life, Elyse honed her public relations skills in positions of increasing scope and responsibility at Emory Healthcare and BellSouth.
Elyse earned her accreditation in public relations in 2001 and has since coached more than 80 candidates through the accreditation process. She has won numerous awards, including accolades from the American Hospital Marketing Association, the Public Relations Society of America, Computerworld, CIO Magazine and the National Telecom Marketing Association.
An active community member alongside her husband of 24 years, Marc, Elyse volunteers for the Atlanta Ballet, the Peachtree Heights Civic Association and Glenn Memorial United Methodist Church. She recently fell in love with the color purple in honor of her daughter, Leah, who is a dance major at Texas Christian University – go Horned Frogs!
George Goodwin Award
This award recognizes a Chapter member for significant contributions to the community through volunteer service in civic, cultural, charitable, educational and/or religious work. This work is not part of the recipient’s full-time professional position.
Jenny Lynn Anderson, APR
JLA Public Relations
Jenny Lynn Anderson, APR, owns JLA Public Relations in Statesboro, Ga. She has served in various communications roles throughout her 29-year career including directing public relations for Statesboro’s Willingway Hospital and the Georgia World Congress Center. She is the author of “Room 939: 15 Minutes of Horror, 20 Years of Healing,” an inspiring book about how she survived a robbery and brutal sexual assault in an Atlanta hotel while on a business trip. A resilient survivor and empathetic advocate, Jenny Lynn is a national speaker whose message of courage, faith and healing has been shared with thousands.
In 2014, Inc.com featured her as one of “6 Everyday, Entrepreneurial Heroes You Should Know About.” In 2011, the Statesboro community honored her with its Deen Day Smith Service to Mankind award.
Jenny Lynn holds a bachelor’s degree in communication arts from Georgia Southern College.
Shining Star Award
This award for achievement in public relations recognizes a Chapter member with six to 12 years of experience who has demonstrated significant leadership and made contributions to the profession of public relations through work experience, Chapter involvement and community activities.
Jasmine Hoffman, APR
Director of Communications, Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University
Jasmine Hoffman, MBA, APR, is director of communications for Emory University’s Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, where she oversees branding, communications, public relations, digital marketing and print publications. Prior to joining Emory, Jasmine served as public relations manager for the University of Pittsburgh’s $2 billion fundraising campaign.
Jasmine has received numerous awards for her work from the Public Relations Society of America, the International Association of Business Communicators, and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. She frequently guest lectures about social media and digital communications for organizations such as the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy, the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
Jasmine has been a member of PRSA since 2005 and currently serves as the board liaison to the College Relations Committee. Her service to the Georgia Chapter also includes co-chairing the College Relations Committee and participating on the Nominating Committee.
Jasmine earned an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh’s Katz Graduate School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Alabama. She earned accreditation in public relations in 2010.
Rising Star Award
This award for achievement in public relations recognizes a Chapter member with five years or less experience who has demonstrated significant leadership and made contributions to the profession of public relations through work experience, Chapter involvement and community activities.
Lindsay Cameron
Communications Specialist, Extended Stay Brands (Staybridge Suites® & Candelwood Suites®), IHG
Lindsay Cameron is communications specialist, Extended Stay Brands (Staybridge Suites® & Candlewood Suites®), for IHG. She leads all public relations activity for the Extended Stay brands within traditional and social media in the Americas region. This includes executing PR programs to generate brand awareness, promoting new hotel openings and crisis communications. She has held previous positions at IHG including PR specialist, Holiday Inn® Portfolio of Brands, and corporate communications coordinator.
Lindsay co-chairs the College Relations Committee, the Chapter’s largest, which is responsible for the Real World Conference. Previously, Lindsay led the Committee’s Professional Relations Team for two years. With Lindsay’s direction, the team exceeded its 2013 sponsorship goal and garnered record-breaking sponsorship contributions in 2014. In addition, Lindsay co-chaired the Young Professionals Special Interest Group for two years and helped create the Young Professionals LinkedIn page.