University of Miami Professor Dr. Donn Tilson to receive lifetime achievement award and business leader Arthur H. Hertz to be recognized for contributions to Miami-Dade County MIAMI, Sept. 9
MIAMI, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- The Public Relations Society of America
(PRSA) Miami Chapter will honor Dr. Donn James Tilson, Ph.D., APR, PRSA Fellow
and Associate Professor of Public Relations at the University of Miami with
the 2008 Bill Adams PRSA Lifetime Achievement Award and Arthur H. Hertz,
Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Wometco Enterprises, Inc.,
with the Royal Palm Award for making significant contributions to Miami-Dade
County. These awards are presented to individuals who exemplify exceptional
leadership and contributions to the public relations profession, the
community, and education. Both Tilson and Hertz will be honored during the
2008 Ev Clay / PRSA Miami Endowment Luncheon held on Friday, September 26 at
the Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne.
Tilson, an associate professor at UM's School of Communication, is
director of the School's Consortium for International Studies in Religion,
Communication and Culture and participating faculty member of UM's Institute
for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies. Prior to joining the university, he
served as a public relations manager for BellSouth for 16 years, directing the
company's charitable contributions and educational relations programs in
Florida. In 1999 he was inducted as a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the
Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, one of the oldest Orders of Chivalry in the
world. Tilson has served as an advisor to UM's Public Relations Student
Society of America chapter, chaired PRSA's Professional Interest International
Section and was instrumental in starting and then administering the Ev Clay /
PRSA Miami Endowment Fund for its first 10 years. Tilson is a member of the
Iron Arrow Honor Society, the highest honor bestowed by the University of
Miami.
Hertz leads Wometco Enterprises, a private company that owns Marine
exhibition Corporation, the owner/operator of the Miami Seaquarium(R) and
Wometco de Puerto Rico, Inc. the owner/operator of Baskin Robbins(R) ice cream
parlors and Dunkin' Donuts(R) franchises in Puerto Rico. Hertz serves on
numerous community professional organizations and foundations including
Mitchell Wolfson Sr. Foundation, University of Miami Board of Trustees,
Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Florida Tourism Commission, National
Audubon Society and several others. Hertz is a University of Miami graduate
and is a member of the Iron Arrow Honor Society. Hertz is an active
participant in numerous charitable causes throughout the South Florida
community including Jackson Memorial Hospital Foundation, YMCA and the
Diabetes Research Institute Foundation, to name a few. Past winners of the
Royal Palm Award include Aida Levitan, Jorge Plasencia, Michael Aller, Bryan
Norcross and more.
PRSA's Miami Chapter operates the Ev Clay/PRSA Miami Chapter Endowment
Fund, Inc., the largest scholarship fund in the nation operated by a PRSA
chapter. The endowment funds annual scholarships to outstanding students with
a public relations interest. Over the years, the chapter has awarded $106,600
to 72 students. The 2008 scholarship recipients will also be honored during
the upcoming luncheon. They are Lindsey Gresham and Nicholas Allen from the
University of Miami; Lourdes Duarte and Anaisabel Garcia from Florida
International University; Denisha Richardson and Tyrone Hall from Florida
Memorial University; Tiffany Huertas and Gabriel Rios from Miami Dade College.
About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)
The Public Relations Society of America, based in New York City, is the
world's largest organization for public relations professionals. The Society
has nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into
more than 100 Chapters nationwide, 19 professional interest sections and
affinity groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms,
independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals,
schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public
Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has nearly 300 Chapters at
colleges and universities throughout the United States.
About the PRSA Miami Chapter
With more than 200 local members, the Miami chapter provides professional
development and networking opportunities to area South Florida communications
professionals. Learn more at www.prsamiami.org
For event information, or to purchase a table, please contact Mary-Angie
Salva Ramirez at (305) 807-8855 or mramirez@fmuniv.edu.
SOURCE PRSA Miami Chapter
