Celebrating Excellence: Highlights from the 2025 Cincinnati PRSA Chapter Banquet
Posted on Dec. 5, 2025 / Subscribe 0
Those who attended the 2025 Cincinnati PRSA Chapter Banquet in November celebrated the very best of our region’s communicators and their impactful storytelling, strategic leadership, and creative brilliance. Cincinnati PR pros continue to shine brightly on both a local and national stage.
Celebrating Impact
We celebrated two leaders whose influence extends far beyond their organizations with the chapter’s highest honors, and recognized our chapter's newest APRs and a rising star.
Werner VonderHaar Bogart Award - Jill E. Dunne
This year’s WVB Award, which is our chapter’s most prestigious honor for sustained service, was awarded to Jill E. Dunne, a PR visionary whose leadership has shaped organizations from the Cincinnati Art Museum to Cincinnati Metro, and now her own firm, Said and Dunne. Her work has brought Cincinnati national attention and strengthened the cultural fabric of our region.
Presidents’ Award - Richard Graeter
The 2025 Presidents’ Award was presented to Richard Graeter, President & CEO of Graeter’s Ice Cream, recognizing his mastery of brand storytelling and his role in elevating Cincinnati’s reputation nationwide. From Oprah’s Favorite Things to national media coverage, Richard exemplifies how strategic communication can transform a beloved local brand into a cultural icon.
Recognizing Accreditation Excellence
Worldwide, only about 5,000 practitioners hold the prestigious Accredited in Public Relations (APR) credential. Learn how our chapter can support you in earning your accreditation. In Cincinnati, we proudly added five newly Accredited PR professionals to our roster:
- Bailey Wallingford
- Kristen Gallagher
- Sydney Murray
- Lexi McCoy
- Kelly Cantwell
Investing in the Next Generation
Brooke Jones, University of Cincinnati student and emerging PR leader, was recognized as this year’s PRSSA Diversity Scholarship recipient.
Showcasing the Best
The Blacksmith Awards remain the most prestigious recognition for public relations excellence in Greater Cincinnati—judged against national standards and requiring top-tier strategy, creativity, execution, and measurable impact. This year, nearly 70% of entries earned finalist status, which is a testament to the exceptional quality of work happening across our region. Congratulations to these finalists!
Campaign Categories:
Community Relations
- Blacksmith Award; Best New Entry: RRight Now Communications for Cincinnati Public Schools: Enrollment Community Engagement
- Award of Excellence: Cincinnati Metro for BRT Public Engagement
Crisis Communications
- Blacksmith Award: Great Parks of Hamilton County for Great Parks Sharon Lake
- Award of Excellence: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for CrowdStrike Response
Events & Observances of More than Seven Days
- Blacksmith Award: UC Health for Nature as Medicine Program Employee Launch
- Award of Excellence: Scooter Media for meetNKY Partners with Local Organizations and Cities to Bridge Back Business
Events & Observances of Seven Days or Fewer
- Blacksmith Award: Kenton County Public Library for A Century in the Making: Latonia Branch Grand Opening
- Award of Excellence: Pomme Communications for Sam Adams Cincinnati Taproom 513 Day Celebration
Integrated Communications
- Blacksmith Award; Best in Show: Great Parks of Hamilton County for Great Parks Park Passport
- Award of Excellence: Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services for Increasing Awareness and Engagement for John Romer Advocacy Award
Marketing
- Blacksmith Award: Kenton County Public Library for A Century in the Making: Latonia Branch Grand Opening
- Award of Excellence: Cincinnati Metro for Don’t BLINK and Drive
- Award of Excellence: UC Health for Take Care of You – Mammograms During Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Most Effective Campaign on a Shoestring Budget (≤ $5,000)
- Award of Excellence: Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati for 2025 Welcome Home Program
Tactics Categories:
Media Relations
- Blacksmith Award: UC Health for Sophie Carrigill Returns to Visit Her Care Team
- Award of Excellence: Scooter Media for Ovation is Open
Feature Stories
- Award of Excellence: Pomme Communications for All in Together: Construction Safety Week 2025
Nontraditional Tactics
- Blacksmith Award: Pomme Communications for Aglamesis Brothers’ National Ice Cream Day Poster Contest
Printed Publications
- Award of Excellence: University of Cincinnati Carl H. Lindner College of Business for Portfolio Magazine
Videos
- Blacksmith Award: UC Health for Demystifying Clinical Trials with Clinical Trial Quick Takes
Best Webcast or Podcast
- Award of Excellence: Pomme Communications for Ride Cincinnati Podcast
PRSSA or Student Tactic
- Blacksmith Award: Kenton County Public Library for TANK Bus vs. Bike
Single Social Media Channel
- Blacksmith: Scooter Media for Elevating Engagement and Driving Results: How Scooter Media Transformed Our Agency’s TikTok
- Award of Excellence: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for Instagram Story Stickers
Multi-Channel Social Media
- Blacksmith Award; Best in Show: Vehr Communications for Ohio Renaissance Festival Social Media Content Strategy
- Award of Excellence: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for Friday Feature
- Award of Excellence: Kenton County Public Library for National Library Card Sign-Up Month
- Award of Excellence: RRight Now Communications for 513Relief Bus: Driving Awareness Through Social Media
- Award of Excellence: UC Health for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
Best Use of AI
- Blacksmith Award: Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities Services for AI to revitalize its annual advocacy award program
Team and Individual Honors
We also celebrated outstanding contributions from organizations and rising stars. Each honoree represents the gold standard in public relations leadership and excellence:
- Best Small In-House Team: Kenton County Public Library
- Small/Mid-Size Agency of the Year: Pomme Communications
- Large Agency of the Year: Scooter Media
- Educator of the Year: Phillip Arceneaux, Miami University
- PRSSA Student of the Year: Sam Addino, UC
- New PR Professional of the Year: Chase Prather, Scooter Media
- PR Professional of the Year: Gina Stegner, Kenton County Public Library
Special Thanks
We thank our event emcee, Lauren Minor of WCPO-TV, who brought warmth and energy to the event.
A big thank you to the mighty engine behind the banquet: the Blacksmith Awards Committee, led by co-chairs Lexi McCoy and Gina Stegner, along with Courtney Russell, Helen Tracey-Noren, Shara Clark, and Ainsley MacDougal. Their months of planning brought this unforgettable evening to life. And special thanks to our chapter business manager, Jennifer Bornemann and our Cincinnati PRSA Chapter Leadership Team.
Thank You to Our 2025 Sponsors
These organizations helped make this celebration possible:
- Platinum Sponsor: Scooter Media
- Gold Sponsor: Vehr Communications
- Silver Sponsors: Pomme Communications and P&G
Next Year, You Belong Here
If you’re a PR professional in Greater Cincinnati, there’s no better time to get involved.
The Blacksmith Awards aren’t just trophies. They are career milestones, résumé-building achievements, and community-wide recognition for the strategy, creativity, and heart you bring to your work every day.
If this year’s banquet inspired you, we’d love to welcome you into Cincinnati PRSA!
Cincinnati PRSA is growing, evolving, and connecting more than ever before. PR isn’t just a profession. It’s a shared commitment to elevate the stories, organizations, and people that make our region shine. We hope you’ll join us in 2026.
Congratulations again to all our 2025 honorees! We can’t wait to see what you create next.
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