JWC Goes 4-for-4 at The Bernays Awards
We are honored to have received four Edward L. Bernays Awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter.
Laura Walcher of JWC also received The Eva Irving Community Service Award.
PRSA SD/IC’s annual awards program recognizes the industry’s best public relations tactics, campaigns and professionals.
The JWC team received two Silver Mark of Excellence awards for “Events & Observances Seven Days or Fewer” and “Community Relations” and two Bronze Mark of Merit awards for “Editorials/Op-Ed Columns” and “Feature Stories”:
Projects included:
Silver Bernays Award Mark of Excellence: Marriott International’s Downtown Los Angeles Launch Event
For real estate development clients, Williams & Dame Associates and American Life, JWC produced a “launch” event for the dual-construction of two Marriott hotels (Residence Inn and Courtyard by Marriott) in downtown L.A.
Silver Bernays Award Mark of Excellence: SD County Childhood Obesity Initiative’s “5-2-1-0 Every Day!” Messaging Campaign
Planned and implemented the Childhood Obesity Initiative’s “5-2-1-0 Every Day!: Healthy Habits for Healthy Communities” messaging campaign that included community outreach, video design and production, event coordination, outreach materials, and messaging.
Bronze Bernays Award Mark of Merit: Tapestry Resorts’ Club Cala de Palmas
Secured a feature story in Developments magazine, a trade publication targeting the timeshare/hospitality industry, positioning Tapestry Resorts and its executives as experts in the vacation ownership industry, with a strong track record of success in turning highly undesirable properties into thriving ones.
Bronze Bernays Award Mark of Merit: San Diego Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk (Lung Cancer Alliance)
To build awareness of lung cancer – an oft forgotten/“invisible” cancer that has the highest mortality rate – JWC secured a placement on the editorial page of San Diego’s only major daily newspaper, U-T San Diego, prior to the San Diego Breath of Hope Lung Cancer Walk.
The Eva Irving Community Service Award, presented to Laura Walcher, is given to a public relations professional whose volunteer efforts for nonprofit, philanthropic or public service organizations embody the traditions of volunteerism.
Walcher started her own one-woman public relations agency in 1974, at a time when San Diego could claim only a handful of PR firms. Her dedicated service to longtime clients such as Bazaar del Mundo, the architectural firm of Homer Delawie and the Chicago Bros. enterprises brought continued success to her agency. In 1989, Walcher merged with The Capener Company, forming one of San Diego’s largest and most diversified public relations and advertising agencies, before retiring from partnership and principal in 1997.
Walcher has shown great dedication to the community through her probono work with nonprofits, including the National Conflict Resolution Center (NCRC), the San Diego Council on Literacy, the Burn Institute, the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith and the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce. She is past-president of the San Diego Press Club and currently sits on its board of directors.
Her efforts were also recognized in 2002 when she received both PRSA SD/IC’s Otto Bos Lifetime Achievement Award and the San Diego Press Club’s Andy Mace Award for outstanding contributions in public relations.
Today, she continues her work as principal public relations counsel at JWC.
