South Florida Leaders Honored by Public Relations Society of America During Annual Luncheon on September 26
University of Miami Professor Dr. Donn Tilson to receive lifetime achievement award and business leader Arthur H. Hertz to be recognized for contributions to Miami-Dade County
August 20, 2008 - Miami, Florida – Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Miami Chapter will honor Dr. Donn James Tilson, Ph.D., APR, PRSA Fellow and Associate Professor of Public Relations at the University of Miami with the 2008 Bill Adams PRSA Lifetime Achievement Award and Arthur H. Hertz, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Wometco Enterprises, Inc., with the Royal Palm Award for making significant contributions to Miami-Dade County.
These awards are presented to South Florida individuals who exemplify exceptional leadership and contributions to the public relations profession, the community, and education. Both Tilson and Hertz will be honored during the 2008 Ev Clay / PRSA Miami Endowment Luncheon held on Friday, September 26 at the Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne.
Tilson, an associate professor at UM’s School of Communication, is director of the School’s Consortium for International Studies in Religion, Communication and Culture and participating faculty member of UM's Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies. Prior to joining the university, he served as a public relations manager for BellSouth for 16 years, directing the company's charitable contributions and educational relations programs in Florida.
In 1999 he was inducted as a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, one of the oldest Orders of Chivalry in the world. Tilson has served as an advisor to UM’s Public Relations Student Society of America chapter, chaired PRSA’s Professional Interest International Section and was instrumental in starting and then administering the Ev Clay / PRSA Miami Endowment Fund for its first 10 years. Tilson is a member of the Iron Arrow Honor Society, the highest honor bestowed by the University of Miami.
Hertz leads Wometco Enterprises, a private company that owns Marine exhibition Corporation, the owner/operator of the Miami Seaquarium® and Wometco de Puerto Rico, Inc. the owner/operator of Baskin Robbins® ice cream parlors and Dunkin’ Donuts® franchises in Puerto Rico. Hertz serves on numerous community professional organizations and foundations including Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Foundation, University of Miami Board of Trustees, Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Florida Tourism Commission, National Audubon Society and several others.
Hertz is a University of Miami graduate and is a member of the Iron Arrow Honor Society. Hertz is an active participant in numerous charitable causes throughout the South Florida community including Jackson Memorial Hospital Foundation, YMCA and the Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, to name a few.
Past winners of the Royal Palm Award include Aida Levitan, Jorge Plasencia, Michael Aller, Bryan Norcross and more.
PRSA’s Miami Chapter operates the Ev Clay/PRSA Miami Chapter Endowment Fund, Inc., the largest scholarship fund in the nation operated by a PRSA chapter. The endowment funds annual scholarships to outstanding students with a public relations interest. Over the years, the chapter has awarded $106,600 to 72 students.
The 2008 scholarship recipients will also be honored during the upcoming luncheon. They are Lindsey Gresham and Nicholas Allen from the University of Miami; Lourdes Duarte and Anaisabel Garcia from Florida International University; Denisha Richardson and Tyrone Hall from Florida Memorial University; Tiffany Huertas and Gabriel Rios from Miami Dade College.
About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
The Public Relations Society of America, based in New York City, is the world's largest organization for public relations professionals. The Society has nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into more than 100 Chapters nationwide, 19 professional interest sections and affinity groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has nearly 300 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
About the PRSA Miami Chapter
With more than 250 local members, the Miami chapter provides professional development and networking opportunities to area South Florida communications professionals. Learn more at www.prsamiami.org
For event information, or to purchase a table, please contact Mary-Angie Salva Ramirez at (305) 807-8855 or mramirez@fmuniv.edu.
Media Contact:
Mary-Angie Salva Ramirez
305-807-8855
mramirez@fmuniv.edu
http://www.fmuniv.edu/
