The Public Relations Society of America's (PRSA) Central Pennsylvania Chapter recently announced 23 award-winning projects by public relations professionals and organizations in central Pennsylvania. The PRSA also announced the winner of the Nonprofit Communicator of the Year.

Professionals were permitted to enter one or more materials into 22 categories for the awards program. Volunteers from the San Antonio Chapter of PRSA judged the entries and considered research, planning, execution and results of each project in their scoring out of 100 points.

The awards offer two levels of recognition. Keystone Awards recognize outstanding achievements in public relations, marked by excellent results, thorough planning, game-changing ideas and creativity. These awards score 85 points or more. Silver Keystone Awards are for entries that demonstrate excellent planning and outcomes, scoring between 70 and 84 points.

The 2021 Nonprofit Communicator of the Year was Steven Martinez, executive director of the York County SPCA. Martinez joined the SPCA in 2019 and led the creation of the Adopters Welcome program, which sought to eliminate barriers for would-be adopters. This initiative led to higher adoption rates and better relationships between the staff members, volunteers and community. Martinez also created the Community Cat Initiative, which releases free-roaming, outdoor cats back into the community after they are trapped and neutered. More than 2,200 cats went through the process from 2018 through 2021. Martinez also led the charge in educating the community about the benefits of the new initiative.

The 2022 Keystone Award Winners are Deeter Gallaher Group on behalf of McClure Company: "McClure Company Change Management Communications Project," in the Special Events and Observances category; Deeter Gallaher Group on behalf of Karns Foods: "The Karns Beef Program Launch," Overall Public Relations Program; Domani Wealth: "Domani Wealth Website," Website; Geisinger: "Internal Communications Center of Excellence Strategy," Internal Communications; Geisinger: "Shopper Shuttle," News Release/Public Service Announcement; Geisinger: "Heart Attack Center," Media Relations/Media Placement; Landis Communities: "Spanish Language Materials for Rental Housing in Lancaster," Multicultural Communications; LM Gnazzo Promotion Strategies and Nell McCormack Abom Communications on behalf of PA Dairymen's Association: "PA Dairymen's Farm Show 2022," Media Relations/Media Placement; LM Gnazzo Promotion Strategies and Nell McCormack Abom Communications on behalf of The Peyton Walker Foundation with a project of the same name, Media Relations/Media Placement; Milton Hershey School: "Poverty Talks," Digital Public Relations; PR Works on behalf of the Pennsylvania Library Association: "Preparing Librarians for Media Interview Success," Media Relations/Media Placement; and The Giant Company: "Return of the Bees/The Giant Company Pollinator Week," Special Events and Observances.

The Silver Keystone Award winners are Geisinger: "My Code," Media Relations/Media Placement category; Geisinger: "COVID Press Conference," News Release/Public Service Announcement; Highmark: "Free Market Health," Overall Public Relations Program; LM Gnazzo Promotion Strategies and Nell McCormack Abom Communications on behalf of Harrisburg Academy: "Harrisburg Academy Ukrainian Relief Project," Special Events and Observances; Pennsylvania Bar Association: "Bar News DEI Feature," Magazines and Periodicals; Pennsylvania Bar Association: "Bar News AI Feature," Written Communications Piece; Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission: "#CallUtilitiesNow Campaign," Overall Public Relations Program; PR Works on behalf of IEC: "Amplifying an Electrical Trade Association's Brand," Corporate Branding; The Giant Company: "The Giant Grocery Grab," Special Events and Observances; The GIANT Company: "The GIANT Volunteer Challenge," Internal Communications; and The GIANT Company: "The Giant Company Impact Report," Annual Report.

This year's award ceremony and luncheon were held on Nov. 15 at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg. Una Martone, president and CEO of Leadership Harrisburg Area, gave the keynote address, "Unlocking the Power of Gratitude."

To learn more about the featured projects and find pictures from the event, visit http://www.prsa.org or http://www.facebook.com/CPPRSA or search for "PRSA Central PA" on LinkedIn.