NEW YORK (Feb. 4, 2010) — The
PRSA Foundation will honor a long-time public relations industry leader at its annual Paladin Dinner on Thursday, March 18, at the W Union Square Hotel in New York City.
“The PRSA Foundation Paladin Dinner was created to honor champions — industry leaders who have been advocates for our profession,” said
Debbie Mason, APR, Fellow PRSA, president of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees. “A paladin was a heroic champion, a determined advocate of a noble cause in medieval times, and the PRSA Foundation is pleased to honor a true advocate for public relations,
Marcia Silverman, chair of
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.”
“Marcia Silverman has spent her entire career as a champion for our profession, not only by leading one of the industry’s outstanding global agencies, but also by personally demonstrating to corporate, government and civic leaders the significant role public relations plays,” said Mason.
Last year’s sold-out event brought together leaders from across the industry for what attendees said was a unique opportunity for renewing old friendships and meeting new colleagues. In attendance were leaders from
PRSA and the
PRSA Foundation,
Arthur W. Page Society, The Wisemen, the
Council of PR Firms, the
Institute for Public Relations, many major PR agencies and leading corporations, including IBM and Lockheed Martin. Fleishman-Hillard Chairman John Graham was the 2009 recipient.
Silverman is chair and a 29-year veteran of Ogilvy PR. She was previously global CEO and was the company’s first president of the Americas. As the former head of Ogilvy PR’s largest office in Washington, D.C., she has counseled and provided public relations expertise to numerous corporations, trade associations and government agencies.
PRWeek recognized Silverman’s contribution to the industry by profiling her as one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in PR” and as one of the “100 Most Influential PR Professionals” in the 20th century. She also was named PRWeek’s “2009 PR Professional of the Year” and one of Washington Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business.” In December 2009, she was named to the PRNews Hall of Fame.
Prior to Ogilvy PR, Silverman worked in the public relations division of J. Walter Thompson in New York City. During her tenure, she supported a variety of clients, including the National Consumers Federation of America and several major pharmaceutical companies. She has also worked for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), where she was deputy director of public affairs and later, director of women's activities.
Silverman has served as chair of the Council of PR Firms, and is on the board of directors of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund. Previously, she served on the board of the Women’s Campaign Fund. She currently chairs PRSA’s “The Business Case for PR” task force. She holds a graduate degree and a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
For information about the PRSA Foundation Paladin Dinner or the PRSA Foundation, contact
John Barone at (212) 460-1412.
Proceeds from the PRSA Foundation Paladin Dinner support the initiatives of the PRSA Foundation, which includes raising funds to support scholarships for public relations students, research projects that impact the practice of public relations, and initiatives that build greater understanding of the role of public relations among business and government leaders. Founded in 1990, the
PRSA Foundation is an independent charitable 501(c) (3) foundation, with offices in New York City (
www.prsafoundation.org).
