Campe + Co. Wins PRSA Paragon Award of Excellence
This one is personal on many levels. The first award I won in my career was from the Maryland Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). I was working for an agency in Baltimore named Cornerstone. I don’t even remember who the client was anymore, but we won an award for best “electronic newsletter.” Yes, that’s how long ago it was. I remember the night well. I was a little nervous. And I was overwhelmed by the number of accomplished professionals in the room.
A few more awards and decades later, now as the founder of Campe + Co., I accepted a Paragon Award of Excellence in the Grassroots Marketing category, recognizing our work for The Vel Phillips Legacy Initiative Task Force through Boys & Girls Clubs of Dane County. With a budget of zero dollars, a steadfast vision, and a team of exceptionally talented leaders I’m grateful to work with and call friends, we crafted an identity, told a story, earned positive attention, rallied our supporters, and achieved our goal. I’m happy to say the story isn’t over yet, but that’s another blog post for another day.
Last night, I soaked up the energy of the Milwaukee communications community at the PRSA Wisconsin Paragon Awards celebration. We celebrated the outstanding, critical work of Meagan Johnson, Mariah Riddlesprigger, Nydia Mauras-Jones, and the Milwaukee Diaper Mission. We heard an inspiring and downright sweet address from Dorothy Thomas Black Award winner Karren Jeske, APR. I cheered for so many agencies and brands I admire and enjoy partnering with on occasion: Athena Communications, BVK/Serve, Hoffman York, Laughlin Constable, Nelson Schmidt, VISIT Milwaukee, and the Wisconsin Center District – to name a few.
It’s not lost on me that the first award I won in my career was from the same organization that kindly recognized my work for the first time as an entrepreneur and small business owner. One thing that hasn’t changed is the importance of a professional community and the need for lifelong learning. We all need each other, even if we are competitors. We need to learn with and from one another. Thank you Dave Racine of Punch PR, PRSA Wisconsin President Angela Hersil, APR, and the entire Board of Directors for sharing your time and talents to keep this community connected and growing.