Three board members from the Public Relations Society of America have presented White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs the “PR Professional of the Year” award. According to a release from MIke Smith Public Affairs, the White House meeting in the West Wing was facilitated by Smith, CEO and founder of MSBD and now Mike Smith Public Affairs. MSPA will leverage work Smith did on the campaign trail.
Mike Cherenson, Chair and CEO of PRSA, Bill Murray, president and COO, and Barbara Burfeind, president of the National Capital Chapter, met with Press Secretary Gibbs to acknowledge: his “groundbreaking use of Web 2.0 technologies, including blogs, social media sites and online video, to engage the electorate, especially younger voters” as Communications Director of the Obama campaign.
“I’d like to acknowledge the help of PRSA member Michael Smith, CEO of MSBD in Washington, D.C., for his incredible help in bringing about the invitation,” noted Arthur Yann, VP/PR at PRSA in a letter to PRSA board members. He worked on the Obama for President campaign’s communications effort, in press and advance, and on the Tech, Media & Telecomm program with now FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski.
Burfeind added in a note to Smith, longtime PRSA member and 25-year industry vet: “I wanted to thank you for your part in the recent PRSA's PR Professional of the Year award to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs,” which she attended as the PRSA National Capital Chapter president here.
Smith will speak at the PRSA International Conference to be held November 7-10 in San Diego on how the Obama campaign energized grassroots support.