Quite Worthy
top left: Dr. Amiso George, TCU Schieffer School of Journalism; top right: Sandra Brodnicki, APR, Brodnicki Public Relations; Christie Mosley-Eckler,
Heather Reynolds, Catholic Charities Fort Worth; Gigi Westerman, APR, Strategic
Image; above left: Claire Bloxom, Concussion; Joan Hunter, Fort Worth Transportation Authority;
Rene Murphy, Concussion; above right: J.D. Angle (accepting Communicator of the Year on behalf of City Councilman Joel
Burns), Bob Ray Sanders; below from left: Scott Kossuth, Liz Heck; Kalyn Baldwin, Yolanda Walker, Cash America; Pam and
Bill Lawrence, Lawrence and Associates; bottom from left: Lisa Albert, Holly Ellman, Carolyn Bobo, Chris Smith; Rita Parsons, Jahnae Stout
Got to, got to, got to get awaaay
Summertime literati packed two Fort Worth launch parties — June 16 at Blue Mesa and June 30 at Barnes & Noble — for “Getaway Girlz,” a rowdy beach-and-murder-and-fuzzy-handcuffs read penned by Johnell Kelley and
Robbyn Hill. Writing as Joan Rylen, the friends since childhood chronicle
(embellish!) their vacation escapades in this first book in a series. Bob Ray
Sanders provided an enthusiastic toast at Blue Mesa, and several SPJers made
one or both venues, including Janet Neff, Kay Pirtle, Donna Darovich, Eddye
Gallagher and Mike Cochran.
clockwise fom due left: Robbyn Hill, Johnell Kelley, Bob Ray Sanders, Beth Zimmerman, Mary Perez, Donna
Darovich, Mike Cochran, Eddye Gallagher, Jon Weist, Janet Neff, Laura Weist,
Johnie Hobdy (Johnell’s mom)
PRSA local update IV: Sandra Brodnicki, APR, and Gigi Westerman, APR, took Best of Show, and Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns was named Communicator of the Year in the first Worthy Awards, announced May
31. Brodnicki and Westerman won for a campaign they developed for Catholic
Charities Fort Worth’s financial education program, rebranded “Money School.” Burns was honored for his “willingness to expose his personal story and become a national spokesperson for
victims of bullying,” the Star-Telegram’s Bob Ray Sanders said in presenting the award. In addition to Brodnicki and Westerman, Worthys
went to the Balcom Agency; Bill Lawrence, Lawrence and Associates; Chris Smith, Smith Communications; Concussion; the Fort Worth ISD; the Fort Worth Museum of
Science and History; GCG Marketing; J.O.; Margaret Ritsch, APR; the Trinity River Authority of Texas; and TCU Vitals. J.O., Balcom,
Lawrence and Associates, FWISD and Concussion also took home Awards of
Excellence and/or Awards of Achievement, as did the University of North Texas,
Cash America, the Mansfield ISD and Hillwood Properties. Amiso George, APR, and Julie O’Neil, both at TCU, and UTA’s Communication Department were recognized in an academic division, Dr. George
for the newly published “Case Studies in Crisis Communication: International Perspectives on Hits and
Misses” and her leadership for the student-led Vitals, and O’Neil for her review of white papers and books on PR research, measurement and
evaluation.
