The Diversity Action Alliance (DAA), a coalition of public relations and communications leaders, announced this year’s G.E.M.S. at an honoree ceremony hosted by Omnicom PR Group in New York City. The prestigious honor, ‘Growth in Equity as a Measure of Sustainability’ (G.E.M.S.), recognized 50 Public Relations and Communication leaders from across the U.S. who are elevating leadership, innovation, and excellence in communication, significantly contributing to the industry and who identify as racially or ethnically diverse.
The Top Five Honorees include:
- Kelli Hammersmith, Chief Communications Officer, Advantage Solutions
- Nisa Horwitz, Senior Vice President, Zeno Group
- Claudine Moore, Managing Director, Allison Worldwide
- Arielle Patrick, Chief Communications Officer, Ariel Investments
- Jeff Wilson, APR, Vice President of Social Impact, Padilla
Adding to the night’s prestige, seven Industry Legends were honored for enduring contributions to the profession and unwavering advocacy for underrepresented groups:
- Dr. Rochelle Ford, RTillery Communications
- Bill Imada, IW Group
- Andrew McCaskill, LinkedIn
- Soon Mee Kim, Omnicom CCN
- Torod Neptune, Medtronic
- Patrice Tanaka, Joyful Planet
- Dr. Natalie Tindall, University of Texas Austin
The ceremony started with a moving opening address from DAA Board Chair Soon Mee Kim, who poignantly redefined ‘DEI’:
- Defend against Exclusion and Ignorance
- Develop Emotional Intelligence
- Drive Economic Impact
- Deliver Excellence and Innovation
- Definitely Earned It
Programming commenced with an engaging fireside chat between Chris Foster, CEO of Omnicom PR Group, and Doug Melville, CEO of Jodie AI, discussing their career journeys, and emerging business and communications trends.
In a private pre-ceremony Town Hall, DAA unveiled the results of its Equity and Inclusion Survey: Voices of Impact, highlighting the evolving workplace experiences of people of color. Panelists Sabrina Browne, Citibank; Jen Cho, Creator Deck; Denise Penagos, Egami Group; and Eric Winkfield, M Booth, shared expert reflections in a lively panel moderated by Lauren Strayhorn of Notedd. Researchscape International and Notedd sponsored the programming and report.
Further driving the conversation, the Alliance Roundtable assembled leading trade and advocacy organization leaders to glean expert perspectives, insights and solutions based on theindustry’s latest developments regarding equity, representation, inclusion. A report of the findings will be issued in a publication authored by researchers from Howard University and the University of Texas at Austin.
“This year’s G.E.M.S. honorees are shaping the future of communications, breaking barriers and setting new standards for industry leadership and recognition,” said Carmella Glover, President of the DAA. “Their work and presence exemplify the benefits of commitment to equity and belonging that we at the DAA champion every day.”
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