
NEWS
PRCA Montgomery members can submit their company and professional news to info@prcamontgomery.org for publication here and on PRCA Montgomery's social media!
October and November Updates
A Letter From the President

Christie Aitken
President
PRCA Montgomery
PRCA Montgomery colleagues,
Now is the time to knock out your PRCA Montgomery membership renewal to access all your PRCA Montgomery membership affords, and an immediate example of that is Medallion Awards!
You’ll hear a lot about Medallion award winners in the awards recognitions below, and membership is the first step to joining those ranks. The PRCA Medallion Awards portal opened November 1 with an early bird entry window closing on January 7 and a final deadline of January 31. We all know how busy the new year can be, and knocking out your renewal now takes one more thing off your January plate. Don’t delay, renew today! https://www.prcamontgomery.org/join
Also, big (and ridiculously fun!) announcements are coming for the approaching holiday season, so stay tuned to our social media platforms to get involved!
We are sponsoring a family in partnership with The Community Coalition, a local non-profit, as well as our December PRCA Montgomery social and installation of 2024 officers.
If you’ve been around PRCA Montgomery for any length of time, you know that making a difference and having an amazing time doing it is very “us” – and you don’t want to miss a moment. Stay tuned for more details on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn in the weeks to come!
Next, we want to honor our individual and chapter award winners for PRSA, PRCA, and SPRF!
Many congratulations go to Past President Troy Johnson’s 2022 Board of Directors as well as each of these members for their hard work during 2022. You’ve represented your organizations, PRCA Montgomery, and yourselves with such excellence, as always. Well done, PRCA Montgomery! (Scroll to the end of the newsletter for the official listing of all award recipients.)
We’ve done a lot of organizational building in 2023, all with the future of PRCA Montgomery in mind, and 2024 will surpass even what we’ve done here as a result.
Your 2023 Board of Directors has worked diligently to create a pathway of growth for PRCA Montgomery, and I will forever remember them as phenomenal leaders with hearts for the growth of our industry as well as our members. Thank you, Board of Directors. Truly.
To our members, there may be only two months left in this year, but it continues to be my deepest honor to serve as your President. As always, if I can ever be of help to you personally or professionally, I’m just an email away and would value the chance to connect.
In service,
Christie Aitken
President, PRCA Montgomery
November Chapter Meeting

Kalonji A. Gilchrist will join us as our speaker at our November meeting, and we are so excited! Register now and join us for lunch on November 14 at the Alfa Insurance HQ.
Kalonji is the Founder & Executive Director of 21 Dreams Arts & Culture, a nonprofit membership organization committed to advancing creative and cultural arts in Montgomery. In addition to guiding the creative vision for 21 Dreams, he is also the owner of KHARI Creative, LLC, a boutique film company offering video production services for audience development, public engagement, original content, and cinema-ready documentaries.
Don’t miss this meeting - and definitely bring a friend! It’s the last official meeting of the year, and it’s going to be a great one!
PRCA Stars are Shining!
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Congratulations to Our PRCA Montgomery Award Recipients!
PUBLIC RELATIONS SOCIETY OF AMERICA
PRSA College of Fellows Class of 2023 - Lori Quiller, APR, PRSA Fellow
PUBLIC RELATIONS COUNCIL OF ALABAMA
2022 CHAPTER AWARDS
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1st Place – Projects - Christie Aitken, 2022 President-Elect
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1st Place – Community Service, Mikala McCurry, ARP, 2022 VP Community Service
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2nd Place – Communications, Leisa Johnson, 2022 VP Communications
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2nd Place – Membership, 2022 Board of Directors
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2nd Place – Accreditation, Lori Quiller, APR, 2022 VP of Ethics and Accreditation
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2nd Place – PR Education, Ebony Horton, 2022 VP of Students
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3rd Place – Chapter Management, Troy Johnson, 2022 President
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3rd Place – Programs, Lynn Cox, 2022 VP of Programs
MEMBER AWARDS
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2022 PRCA Philip R. Forrest, Jr. Professional Achievement Award Winner – Kristi Gates, APR
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Medallion Award – Down to Earth Media Kit – Mary J. Wilson, APR; Caleb Hicks
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Medallion Award – Down to Earth 6-Part Brochure – Mary J. Wilson, APR; Caleb Hicks
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Medallion Award – Down to Earth Campaign – Mary J. Wilson, APR; Caleb Hicks
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Award of Excellence – Down to Earth Day Kickoff – Mary J. Wilson, APR; Caleb Hicks
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Award of Excellence – Down to Earth Logos and Banners – Mary J. Wilson, APR; Caleb Hicks
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Award of Excellence – Down to Earth Day Media Competition – Mary J. Wilson, APR; Caleb Hicks
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Award of Merit – AIDB Ag Center Article and Video – Mary J. Wilson, APR
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Award of Merit – Outstanding Young Farm Family Videos – Mary J. Wilson, APR
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Award of Merit – Sweet Grown Alabama Specialty Crop Videos – Mary J. Wilson, APR
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Award of Merit – Simply Southern TV Annual Report – Mary J. Wilson, APR
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Medallion Award – Recruiting the Next Generation of Cross-Culturally Competent Airmen – Mikala McCurry, APR
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Judge’s Choice Award – Recruiting the Next Generation of Cross-Culturally Competent Airmen – Mikala McCurry, APR
SOUTHERN PUBLIC RELATIONS FEDERATION
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Best of Show Tier 1: Long Term // Integrated Communications – Down to Earth Campaign – Mary J. Wilson, APR; Caleb Hicks
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Lantern Award Tier 1: Long Term // Media Relations for Down to Earth Day Media Competition – Mary J. Wilson, APR; Caleb Hicks
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Lantern Award Tier 1: Long Term // Integrated Communications for Down to Earth Campaign – Mary J. Wilson, APR; Caleb Hicks
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Award of Merit Tier 1: Long Term // Special Events for Down to Earth Day Kickoff – Mary J. Wilson, APR; Caleb Hicks
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Award of Merit Tier 1: Long Term // Marketing for Sweet Grown Alabama Specialty Crop Videos – Mary J. Wilson, APR
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Award of Merit Tier 3: Tactical Materials // Audio & Video for Outstanding Young Farm Family Videos – Mary J. Wilson, APR
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Best of Show Tier 2: Short term campaign // Community Relations & Public Service –Recruiting the Next Generation of Cross-Culturally Competent Airmen – Mikala McCurry, APR
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Lantern Award Tier 2: Short term campaign // Community Relations & Public Service –Recruiting the Next Generation of Cross-Culturally Competent Airmen – Mikala McCurry, APR
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2023 Senior Practitioner – Meghan Cochrane
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2023 Senior Practitioner – Laura Hicks
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2023 Young Practitioner – Mikala McCurry, APR
Congratulations to ALL! We are so very proud of you.