The 2024 PRMuseum NextGen Awards
Recognizing the next generation of PR leaders and pacesetters
We are proud to announce the recipients of the inaugural PRMuseum NextGen Awards. The PRMuseum records and studies public relations' history to inspire its future. Its NextGen Awards personify the best of both.
Each recipient shares the same resolute character that allowed trailblazers in PR’s “Hidden History” to overcome obstacles of birth and circumstance. Our honorees have already achieved a great deal in their relatively young public relations careers and show promise of being among the next generation of the profession’s leaders and trailblazers.
The winners and their mentors
Each recipient will receive one year of mentorship from an industry leader.
Stacey Arévalo, Account Director at Fenton, recipient of the Wilma Mankiller Resolute Character Award, will be mentored by Bill Imada, founder of IW Group.
The daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, Stacey Arévalo was an English as a Second Language student when she started school in the U.S. but quickly moved into honors classes in high school. Determined to attend college, she navigated the application process on her own and, in her first semester, commuted two hours each way to school, taking three trains and a campus shuttle. Losing financial aid after her first year, she worked as an executive assistant during the day and attended community college night classes for six years until she had sufficient credits to enter California State University, graduating with a double bachelor’s degree in Central American Studies and Journalism.
Stacey built Fenton Language Services, which now offers multilingual capabilities in 19 languages. She has been a critical force in defining and creating cultural competency from the ground up. She pushes for cultural authenticity in multilingual content, ensuring that all elements, from visual to linguistic, reflect the nuances of the communities she and her team serve. Stacey led the firm’s first bilingual communications capacity-building program for underserved communities throughout California, training dozens of organizers and executive staff on communications strategy, media relations, and messaging in English and Spanish.
Bill Imada is founder, chairman and chief connectivity officer of IW Group, a minority-owned and operated advertising, marketing and communications agency focusing on the growing multicultural markets. For more than 25 years, Bill has represented some of the top domestic and global companies, including American Airlines, The Coca-Cola Company, Fox, General Motors, Godiva Chocolatier, Lexus, McDonald's, Nissan North America, Pacific Gas & Electric Company, Southern California Edison, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc., Verizon, Walt Disney Imagineering, Warner Bros. Pictures, Walmart Stores, Westfield Malls and many others. His areas of expertise include advertising, branding, multicultural communications, marketing, crises management, partnership marketing and public relations.
Bill is active in the community and serves on more than seven boards and advisory councils. His board service includes the Advertising Educational Foundation, Asia Society Southern California, California Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce, Center for Asian American Media, Coalition for Asian Pacifics in Entertainment, LAGRANT Foundation and PBS National. Bill also co-founded the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund (APIASF) more than ten years ago and established the Asian/Pacific Islander American Chamber of Commerce & Entrepreneurship (ACE), an organization that is based in Washington, D.C. three years ago. His efforts were recognized by The White House and he was invited to meet President Barack Obama with 12 other Asian/Pacific Islander American leaders. Later, Bill was appointed to the President's Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders by President Obama.
Bill is also a trainer and mentor, and serves on the advisory councils for California State University, Northridge; University of Florida (Gainesville, FL), Western Connecticut State University. When time permits, he also teaches courses in advertising, marketing, public relations, fundraising, and crisis management.
Liz Fernandez, Director of Brand Communications for McDonald’s, recipient of the Inez Kaiser Creativity Award will be mentored by Jano Cabrera, Chief Communications Officer of General Mills.
Liz Frenandez’s father was born in the Philippines and adopted by a Mexican American family, and her mother has Anglo-European roots. From a young age, Liz was assumed to be Hispanic despite her Asian heritage, and she quickly had to learn to take control of her identity. As she started her career in the early 2010s, she found that her last name could quickly lead to her being pigeonholed or tokenized. Over the years, she has been asked to explain Hispanic traditions, translate Spanish materials, or join meetings as an “Subject Matter Expert” on the Hispanic audience. Once called “ethnically ambiguous,” she views her lived experience as an asset that makes her a more dynamic, inclusive and empathetic leader.
In less than a year at McDonald’s, Liz has Liz developed “fan-forward” communications strategies that helped the brand earn its way into culture and ultimately drive guest counts. WcDonald’s, Hamburglar’s Getaway Tour and McDonald’s All-American Games are only a small sampling of recent work that has come to life under Liz’s leadership. Beyond her day job, Liz embodies the mantra, “lift while you climb.” She has offered her time and expertise to young professionals through mentorship opportunities with Year Up, The LAGRANT Foundation, Marcus Graham Project, and more. Since serving as the Director of Programming for the Beth Wood Chapter of PRSSA at Indiana University Bloomington, Liz has also maintained ties to PRSSA chapters across the country, most recently speaking to up-and-coming PR professionals at the University of Florida.
Jano Cabrera is a triathlete in the world of communications, combining a senior background in politics, global consulting and in-house corporate relations. He has held senior strategic and operational roles in both the private and public sectors. In 2021, he was inducted into the PR Hall of Fame. He has been repeatedly named among the most influential leaders in Public Relations today by PR Week in their annual Power List. Prior to joining General Mills to serve as Chief Communications Officer, Jano served as Senior Vice President of Corporate Relations for the McDonald’s Corporation where he led global media relations, financial communications, brand reputation, consumer engagement and internal communications for the 9th most globally recognized brand. Prior to that, Jano served as Worldwide Vice President of Burson Cohn and Wolfe, the third largest global strategic communications firm. Before turning to corporate consulting, Jano volunteered to travel to Baghdad, Iraq in 2005 to serve as a National Democratic Institute advisor to the transitional national assembly as they developed their constitution and later as an election observer during their historic elections. Jano also spent a decade working in politics. He headed communications for various Presidential campaigns, worked in the White House and started his political career as a legislative aide on Capitol Hill and a federal budget analyst at a Washington DC think tank.
Daniel Hernández Marerro, Associate Vice President of Precision, recipient of the Fernando Valverde Lara Leadership Award, will be mentored by Sally Susman, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of Pfizer.
Daniel Hernández Marerro was born and raised in Puerto Rico to parents of few means but an abiding belief in
education as a path to a better life. That belief – and the resolve of a mother who took multiple jobs to fund his education – took Daniel all the way to Cornell University. But as an only child, leaving the close-knit community of his island for the isolation and cold of upstate New York was challenging, especially at first when he had to balance homesickness with demanding studies. But he pushed through, graduating with a BA in Government with minors in International Relations, History, and Law and Society.
Following graduation, Daniel was in Puerto Rico when Hurricane Maria devastated the island. Keenly that little outside aid helped deal with the catastrophic devastation, he resolved to influence decisions impacting his homeland, particularly in how people in power see Hispanic and Latino communities. He moved back to NY and eventually to DC where he worked on the Biden campaign’s fundraising team, writing the highest performing SMS fundraising message in campaign history, raising $3.4M.
At Precision for just three years, Daniel started the Spanish Language and Hispanic Cultures Specialty, assembling six colleagues across different teams – digital, creative, paid media, data. Under his leadership, the team has successfully executed campaigns that have significantly expanded client reach and impact among Hispanic audiences.
Sally Susman is Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Pfizer. She is vice chair of the Pfizer Foundation and co-chair of Pfizer’s Political Action Committee.
Sally leads engagement with all of Pfizer’s external stakeholders overseeing communications, corporate responsibility, global policy, government relations, investor relations and patient advocacy. Before joining Pfizer in 2007, Sally held several senior communications and government relations roles at Estée Lauder Companies and the American Express Company. Earlier in her career, she spent eight years in government service focused on international trade issues.
Sally serves on the board of UL Solutions, a global leader in applied safety science, and as co-chair of the board of The International Rescue Committee. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Monique Soriano-Foreman, Account Supervisor, Corporate Affairs at Burson, recipient of the Irene Hirano Inouye Trailblazer Award, will be mentored by Bea Perez, Global Chief Communications, Sustainability & Strategic Partnerships Officer of The Coca-Cola company.
Monique Soraino-Foreman’s father had to leave home because of immigration issues so she was raised by a single mother. As a Hispanic woman, she faced obstacles on her journey to self-identity. She wasn’t Dominican enough, because she didn’t speak fluent Spanish, but she wasn’t American, because of the color of her skin. She felt as though she never truly belonged to any culture and, without realizing it, she started to build walls, afraid of connecting with people for fear they wouldn’t see her as a member of their community.
But she was determined to break the cycle of what her family believed was possible. She earned two Bachelor’s degrees cum laude in both Mass Communication and Psychology from the University of South Florida. And she earned an MS in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from New York University, while working as an intern at two small PR agencies during the summers of 2017 to 2019.
Joining Burson after graduation, she has led award-winning PR teams that build integrated marketing plans for national accounts. And she has become a leader of the agency’s Employee Resource Groups, championing promotion and development opportunities for Burson employees nationwide and advising the agency’s People team on how to recruit and retain diverse talent. She is also a member of the Burson Polycultural team that helps clients improve inclusivity, representation, and impact across the intersectionality of race, gender, religion and more.
Beatriz “Bea” Perez is Senior Vice President and Chief Communications, Sustainability and Strategic Partnerships Officer for The Coca-Cola Company.
Perez oversees a diverse portfolio and manages networked teams that lead and support the company’s business objectives. This includes commitments to global leadership in the areas of environmental, social and governance (ESG). Perez leads global external and internal communications, including digital media strategy for company-owned channels; global brand public relations; financial communications; and leadership communications.
Her roles included serving as chief marketing officer for Coca-Cola North America, where she built brands and developed key relationships, including with American Idol and NASCAR. Perez was named as the company’s first chief sustainability officer in 2011. Her team went on to become the driving force behind the company’s World Without Waste program. Her team also developed and led global commitments to advance water stewardship and women’s economic empowerment, among other key ESG goals.
Numerous organizations have recognized her commitment and accomplishments: Perez has been recognized as a “Conservation Trailblazer” by The Trust for Public Land; the Association of Latino Professionals for America named her to its “50 Most Powerful Latinas” ranking in 2017, 2018 and 2019; she was on Hispanic Executive magazine’s list of top ten leaders; she was featured as one of the “25 Most Powerful Latinas” on CNN and People en Español; she is a member of the American Advertising Hall of Fame, the Sports Business Journal’s Hall of Fame and the PR Week Hall of Fame; and PRovoke (formerly The Holmes Report) has listed her as a member of the Influence 100 for communicators since 2017.
Perez is a committed advocate for community engagement, serving on various boards. She is chair of The Coca-Cola Foundation, the company’s global philanthropic arm. She serves in leadership positions for several not-for-profit organizations, including the board of trustees of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. She is a public director for Primerica and W.W. Grainger, Inc. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland.
And Zach Tarvin, Creative Technology Director of Golin, recipient of the Bayard Rustin Change Agent Award, will be mentored by Torod Neptune, Chief Communications Officer of Medtronic.
Zach Tarvin initially joined Golin as a writing intern in the agency’s creative department. After building expertise crafting engaging social content and innovative mobile concepts, he took on more leadership responsibilities as a senior creative, where he identified digital opportunities for renowned brands like McDonald’s, Walmart, Unilever, and PepsiCo, enabling them to tell better stories through creative applications of technology. As the agency’s Creative Technologist, Zach inspires account teams and clients to challenge the status quo and apply digital technologies to tell client stories. He conceived, created, and implemented the agency’s first AI-powered voice skills for use in PR, including a voice-powered job application called Apply Thru for the agency’s McDonald’s client.
He is a key accessibility ambassador, ensuring audiences can enjoy digital content and experiences equally. He inspires people across his digital team and in Golin’s employee resource groups – specifically GO ALL OUT for members of the LGBTQIA+ community and “Thrive” for people with disabilities or invisible illnesses, in both of which he personally identifies. He has led dozens of immersive training sessions on AI for Golin’s headquarters office, designed prototypes of emerging technologies for clients, and provided one-on-one mentorship to countless colleagues. Zach takes the initiative to find solutions, often before problems are even identified or occur. His willingness to explore uncharted territory exemplifies his resilience and determination.
Torod Neptune is Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer and a member of the Medtronic Executive Committee. He is responsible for Corporate Marketing, Corporate Communications, and Corporate Brand, and oversees the Medtronic Foundation and Medtronic’s social business enterprise, Medtronic LABS, a health systems innovator developing community-based, tech-enabled products and services for underserved patients globally.
Experienced at helping some of the world’s most respected companies establish leadership at the intersection of business strategy, public policy, and corporate reputation, Torod is a respected counselor on creating stakeholder value, building performance-driven cultures, and maintaining trust amid complex global societal change.
Most recently he served as Worldwide Group Vice President and Global Chief Communications Officer with Hong Kong-based Lenovo Group, the parent company of Motorola Mobility, and the world’s leading manufacturer of personal computers, smartphones, and wearable devices. Prior to Lenovo, Torod served in roles with increasing responsibility with Verizon Communications, including within each of its primary operating units, Verizon Consumer (Wireless), Verizon Business (Enterprise), and Verizon Telecommunications (Entertainment), ultimately serving as Corporate Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs.
Torod spent 15 years working both on Capitol Hill and at some of the world’s largest consulting firms advising CEOs, c-suite leaders, and boards, and he previously served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Marketing and Communications at Bank of America.
He serves on a variety of academic, charitable, and civic organization boards of directors including The LAGRANT Foundation, the Arthur W. Page Society, the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Journalism and Communications, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Hussmann School of Media and Journalism. In 2022, Torod was named to the top 50 PR executives list by PRWeek, 100 most influential in-house communicators by PRovoke Media, and Most Influential Black Executives in Corporate America by Savoy Magazine.
Torod earned a BA in Government and International Affairs from the University of South Carolina, and an MS in Communications Management from Syracuse University.
Judges
Entries were assessed by a panel of seasoned public relations leaders of diverse backgrounds and experience. The judges looked for evidence that entrants have the same character as trailblazers in PR’s Hidden History and show high potential of being among the industry’s next generation of leaders and pacesetters. The judges were particularly attentive to evidence that entrants overcame obstacles in their personal or professional lives to achieve their current position.
Steve Barrett oversees content operations across Haymarket Media’s flagship business titles PRWeek and Campaign US. Before entering journalism, he was sales and marketing director of digital media agency Brand New Media, whose clients included HJHeinz and Barr Soft Drinks.
Steve Barrett, Vice President and Editorial Director, Haymarket Media U.S.
Christina Chan is a distinguished leader in the biotechnology industry, renowned for her contributions to scientific innovation and corporate strategy. As Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Communications and Citizenship at Regeneron, she spearheads initiatives that promote transparency, community engagement, and the advancement of healthcare solutions worldwide.
Christina Chan, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Regeneron
Ray Day is known for his strategic leadership and innovative approaches to corporate communication. As the former Chief Communications Officer of Ford Motor Company, he played a pivotal role in shaping the company's public image and navigating through various challenges in the automotive industry.
Ray Day, Vice Chair, Stagwell
Carmella Glover, currently serving as President and CEO of the Diversity Action Alliance (DAA) and Vice President at Page, has a background in Chemical Engineering and a focus on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) consulting. She also teaches courses on DE&I and Strategic Communication at Georgetown University and Baruch College.
Carmella Glover, President and CEO, Diversity Action Alliance
As president of the PR Council, Kim Sample helps the leaders of 140 member agencies work smarter to grow talent, revenue and profits and elevate the PR profession overall. Kim was previously the founder/CEO of Emanate, an international marketing communications agency, which PR WEEK named Agency of the Year and CRAIN’S Best Places to Work in NYC.
Kim Sample, President, PR Council
Barby K. Siegel is the chief executive officer of the global integrated communications agency Zeno Group with operations across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. In 2020, Siegel launched Act Together, a series of initiatives to urgently advance a more equitable and inclusive workforce and bring more people of color to the agency and profession.
Barby K. Siegel, Global CEO, Zeno
Shelley Spector is co-founder and president of the Museum of Public Relations, the world’s only museum serving the Communications industry. In 1991 she founded PR firm Spector & Associates, which has represented many of the world’s biggest brands and has won more than 50 industry awards. In 2022 Spector received the the Page Society's Distinguished Service Award.
Shelley Spector, Co-founder and CEO, PRMuseum
Oscar Suris, currently the Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer at Duke Energy, has a distinguished career in corporate communications with previous leadership roles at Wells Fargo and Ford. During his career, he has gained invaluable insights into strategic communications, reputation management, and leadership within the industry.
Oscar Suris, Senior Vice President and Chief Communications Officer, Duke Energy
Dr. Chuck Wallington, a seasoned public relations professional, has a wealth of experience from his long tenure at the strategic communications firm MullenLowe U.S., where he serves as President. Dr. Wallington provides deep insights into integrated marketing, strategic communications, and leadership in the PR industry.
Chuck Wallington, Ph.D., Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, Cone Health
Teneshia Jackson Warner, CEO of EGAMI Group, is a dynamic leader and award-winning multicultural marketing expert with a passion for driving impactful campaigns. Jackson Warner offers invaluable guidance on innovative marketing strategies, entrepreneurship, and championing diversity and inclusion in the industry.
Teneshia Jackson Warner, Founder and CEO, EGAMI Group
About the Award
The Museum of Public Relations, in partnership with PRWeek, launched a new award program to recognize young public relations professionals who personify the character of trailblazers in the field and whose contributions were often overlooked because of their gender, the color of their skin, their sexual orientation, or other factors that caused them to be marginalized. But what really made these pioneers different was their resolute character—their refusal to let circumstances define their success.
PRMuseum NextGen Awards are open to public relations people with less than 15 years’ experience—whether at an agency, company, non-profit, government agency, or other institution—and sponsored by their immediate supervisor or another senior person in their organization. Recipients of the PRMuseum NextGen Awards demonstrate the same character, with a record of achievement in the face of personal obstacles and adversity. And just like these trailblazers, they show high potential to be among the industry’s future leaders and pacesetters. Winners are not necessarily of the same backgrounds as those for whom their award is named.
The first awards are named after trailblazers in PR’s "Hidden History” who had those characteristics. Pioneers such as Inez Kaiser who was the first African American woman to own and operate a PR agency, Bayard Rustin, a gay Black man who organized the first civil rights March on Washington, Irene Hirano Inouye who had a long career in philanthropy and social activism, Fernando Valverde Lara, who is said to have been the “father of public relations” in Puerto Rico, and Wilma Mankiller, who was the first woman elected Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation and became a relentless advocate for improved education, healthcare, and housing services.
Inez Kaiser, a pioneering public relations professional from Kansas, broke barriers as the first African American woman to own a PR firm in the United States. Her remarkable career spanned over five decades, leaving a lasting legacy of advocacy, innovation, and leadership in the field.
Inez Kaiser
(1919–2016)
Fernando Valverde Lara is widely considered “the father of public relations” in Puerto Rico. He was an early pioneer in the field and the first practitioner in Puerto Rico to obtain accreditation from the Public Relations Society of America, which later admitted him to its College of Fellows. In 1997, the Association of Public Relations of Puerto Rico launched the Fernando Valverde Award to recognize a practitioner or non-profit that excelled in supporting community improvements.
Fernando Valverde Lara
(1935–2020)
Bayard Rustin was a pivotal figure in the American civil rights movement, known for his expertise in nonviolent protest tactics and organizational skills. He played a crucial role in the organization of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.
Bayard Rustin
(1912–1987)
Wilma Mankiller was a groundbreaking leader and the first female Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation, known for her advocacy for Native American rights and community development. Her legacy encompasses significant strides in healthcare, education, and tribal sovereignty, inspiring generations with her resilience and commitment to social progress.
Wilma Mankiller
(1945–2010)
Irene Hirano Inouye was a prominent leader in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, serving as the founding president of the U.S.-Japan Council and the CEO of the Japanese American National Museum. She dedicated her life to promoting cultural understanding, social justice, and collaboration between Japan and the United States, leaving a lasting impact on both nations.
Irene Hirano Inouye
(1948–2020)
Recognition event
October as part of PRWeek’s 40 under 40 Awards
The NextGen Awards will be presented during PRWeek’s “40 Under 40” program on October 23 at the Edison Rooftop in New York City.
