Now is your chance to recognize your fellow public relations practitioners!
Our chapter gives two local awards: The Pinnacle Award for lifetime achievement in the field of public relations and The Vista Award for outstanding use of public relations in supporting the citizens of El Paso county.

Click the links below for information about both awards, the nomination criteria and nomination process.
Nominations for both awards should be submitted to Janet Stevens, awards chair.

• Lifetime Achievement Award - The Pinnacle Award
• Community Leader Award - The Vista Award
• Caught in the Act Award​

Do you have a program or campaign that you would like to submit for a national PRSA award? The Silver (and Bronze) Anvil Awards starts here:
Start Your Entry
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Awards Committee Opportunity: If you're interested in participating in the Awards Committee, contact Janet Stevens, awards chair.

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Samantha Briggs wins Caught in the Act award

Samantha Briggs, director of communication for Widefield School District 3, is being recognized Wednesday by the Pikes Peak Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for “extraordinary public relations performance.”
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Briggs is receiving a “Caught in the Act” award, which acknowledges exceptional professionals in the execution of day-to-day public relations duties, at the chapter’s luncheon Wednesday in Colorado Springs.
After the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., Briggs recognized that local parents and students had concerns about school safety and needed information and reassurance.
So, she took the initiative to plan, coordinate and promote a school safety town hall with KOAA News 5, local school districts and local law enforcement, according to the association.

Hosted by KOAA-TV and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, the March 12 “School Threats: a Community Action Plan” event attracted an in-person audience of 200 and was live-streamed to thousands of online participants.

Briggs was nominated by Allison Cortez, who works as Academy School District 20’s communications director, who said, “Sam was proactive in recognizing a communication need and finding a unique way to meet it by leveraging the power of her communications network, relationships and contacts.”

Following the town hall, smaller events have been held at schools and in local communities, allowing each school and school district to build off of that event’s momentum and lessons.

Briggs has worked for Widefield School District 3 for five years. Prior to that, she spent eight years as a television reporter and anchor for TV news stations, including KREX in Grand Junction and KRDO in Colorado Springs.

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Caught in the Act award goes to Colorado Springs Airport Marketing

The Colorado Springs Airport Marketing & Communications Team has been recognized by the Pikes Peak Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) for extraordinary public relations performance.
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The team was presented a “Caught in the Act” Award, which acknowledges exceptional professionalism in the execution of day-to-day public relations duties, at the chapter’s May
luncheon.

The Colorado Springs Airport Marketing & Communications Team was recognized for passenger, staff and public communications during and after a fire that closed the airport on April 16. Led by Colorado Springs Airport Marketing & Communications Manager Aidan Ryan, the team also includes Sydney Kozel, Mary Beth Burichin, Jennifer Harwig, Vicki Doyle and Ivette Rentas.

The team reacted quickly to keep audiences educated and informed on issues including safety, schedule changes and relocated airline operations. “Aidan and her team did exactly what public relations professionals are trained to do in a crisis,” said PRSA Western District Chair Patrice Lehermeier, APR, who nominated the team for the recognition. “As a result, passengers were able to more easily adapt their schedules and airport staff was able to concentrate on re-establishing operations.”
The fire, which is still under investigation, began late in the evening April 16, closing the airport and cancelling all flights. Partial operations resumed in the early morning April 18.

“The team’s response to this event helped one of our city’s most significant resources continue to provide the experience passengers expect and ensured that any potentially negative economic impact was limited,” said Lehermeier.

​The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the nation’s largest professional organization serving the communications community with a mission to make communications professionals smarter, better prepared and more connected through all stages of their career. PRSA membership collectively represents more than 30,000 communications professionals spanning every industry sector nationwide and college and university students. The Pikes Peak Chapter serves public relations professionals in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Woodland Park and the surrounding area

Colorado Springs Airport Marketing & Communications Manager Aidan Ryan, along with her team - Sydney Kozel, Mary Beth Burichin, Jennifer Harwig, Vicki Doyle and Ivette Rentas, accepts the Caught in the Act award, presented by current Pikes Peak PRSA Chapter President Christy McGee, APR.

Caught in the Act award goes to Cary Vogrin, UCHealth

The Pikes Peak Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) announced at its March luncheon that UCHealth Media Relations Specialist Cary Vogrin has been recognized for extraordinary public relations performance.

Vogrin was the first 2018 recipient of the Chapter’s “Caught in the Act” award, which acknowledges exceptional professionals in the execution of day-to- day public relations duties. She will accept her award at the Chapter’s next meeting on April 18.

Nominated by Pikes Peak PRSA President Christy McGee, APR, and El Paso County Sheriff's Office Public Information Officer Jackie Kirby, Vogrin was recognized for her demonstration of team work, professionalism, dedication and collaboration with multiple agencies as she handled public relations for a Feb. 5 incident in which one civilian and three El Paso County deputy sheriffs were shot and one of the deputies lost his life.

According to Kirby, Vogrin handled myriad details for providing fast and accurate information to the media, including setting up an “incident command” room, coordinating a press conference and handling media contacts while the victims were hospitalized.

“I don’t know what I would have done without her calm demeanor, her organization and her support during this tragic event,” said Kirby, who was the main spokesperson for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office during the incident. “She is a true professional with compassion to match.”

Vogrin has worked for UCHealth as a media relations specialist for the past three years. She spent the majority of her career in journalism, working as both a writer and editor at newspapers in Iowa, California and Colorado. She is involved in a number of volunteer activities and serves on the board of Westside CARES.

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) is the nation’s largest professional organization serving the communications community with a mission to “make communications professionals smarter, better prepared and more connected through all stages of their career.” PRSA membership collectively represents more than 30,000 communications professionals spanning every industry sector nationwide and college and university students who comprise the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). The Pikes Peak Chapter serves public relations professionals in Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Woodland Park and the surrounding area. 

UCHealth Media Relations Specialist Cary Vogrin accepts the Caught in the Act award, presented by Pikes Peak Chapter President Christy McGee, APR.