PR practitioners pay props to their peeps

THE Public Relations Society of America Hawaii Chapter awarded luminary work by its members last night and McNeil Wilson Communications Inc. came away with its third consecutive Best of Show award, among 15 total for the night.

The firm and 12 others received Koa Anvil and Koa Hammer Awards, as well as awards of excellence in dozens of categories, in a ceremony at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa.

PRSA Hawaii called it a record year, with more than 90 entries and 44 total awards presented for public relations programs and tactics, or individual tools.

"We are fortunate to have such a great pool of talent in our state," said Nancy Daniels, PRSA Hawaii chapter president, in a statement.

She also serves as public relations manager for Outrigger Enterprises Group.

The chapter stages monthly professional workshops to "unify, strengthen and advance" the profession.

The chapter annually presents individual awards, one for a veteran practitioner, another, for a relative newcomer.

This year, both awardees are named Melissa.

Melissa Chang, marketing manager for Aloha Tower Marketplace, was named the Gregg W. Perry Public Relations Professional of the Year. The award is presented to an exemplary practitioner ... who has made a major contribution to the profession, according to the PRSA Hawaii Web site.

Chang is an 18-year PR veteran, who is active in the local PRSA chapter and also serves as the Western District secretary for chapters in Hawaii, Arizona, California, Colorado and Nevada.

Melissa Malahoff-Kamei, a senior account executive at Communications-Pacific Inc. was presented with the Hokupa'a Award, named after the North Star. It is symbolic of a guiding force that provides leadership to peers and is presented to a PR person with two to five years' experience.

Malahoff-Kamei serves on the boards of Ad 2 Honolulu, the American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific and on the PRSA board of directors as the communications chairwoman, meaning she got to write the news release about all the winners, herself included.

McNeil Wilson's Best of Show award, its fourth in five years, was presented for its work on the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau "Aloha Swing" campaign.

Communications-Pacific Inc. was the next big winner with a total of 5 awards. Firms winning three awards included Becker Communications Inc.; Kona-based Current Events; Olomana Marketing and Stryker, Weiner & Yokota Public Relations Inc.

Two awards each were presented to Alexander & Baldwin Inc.; Chaminade University; Hawaiian Electric Co.; the Limtiaco Co. and Pineapple Tweed.

The complete list of Koa Anvil, Koa Hammer and excellence award winners was to be posted today on the chapter Web site.

KOA ANVIL WINNERS

On the Net:
» www.prsahawaii.com

These are the 2006 PRSA Koa Anvil and Koa Hammer winners. The complete list of winners and additional awards will be posted today on the PRSA Web site: www.prsahawaii.com:
Entry: Launch of Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages
Company: Starr Dods, Communications Pacific for Hawaiian Telcom
Entry: Kona Blue Water Farms, LLC
Company: The Limtiaco Co.
Entry: "Fall in Love with Kauai" Press Trip
Company: McNeil Wilson Communications on behalf of the Kauai Visitors Bureau
Entry: Kokua For Katrina
Company: Carissa Tourtelot & Jackie Smythe, Communications Pacific
Entry: Sea Life Park - Baby Wholphin
Company: McNeil Wilson Communications on behalf of Sea Life Park by Dolphin Discovery
Entry: Substitute Teacher Funding Campaign
Company: McNeil Wilson Communications
Entry: Aloha Swing
Company: McNeil Wilson Communications on behalf of Hawaii Visitors & Convention Bureau
Entry: Malama Maui
Company: Maui Visitors Bureau
Entry: Pasha Hawaii Transport Lines/Inaugural Voyage event
Company: Jennifer Pang, Communications Pacific for The Pasha Group
Entry: See the Light, Make the Change Campaign
Company: Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) Team, Hawaiian Electric Co., Inc.
Koa Hammer Winners
Entry: Battleship Missouri Memorial's "End of the World War II" 60th Anniversary Brochure Program
Company: McNeil Wilson Communications on behalf of the USS Missouri Memorial Association
Entry: Six Daughters, One Dream
Company: Sara Platte, APR, and Kapono Ryan, Chaminade University
Entry: Biotech Benefits Everyone
Company: Becker Communications, Inc. on behalf of Hawaii Crop Improvement Association
Entry: Kona Village Resort Flea Theatre Coconut Certificates
Company: Current Events
Entry: Sea Life Park Baby Wholphin Announcement
Company: McNeil Wilson Communications on behalf of Sea Life Park by Dolphin Discovery
Entry: Polynesian Cultural Center's 13th Annual World Fireknife Competition
Company: McNeil Wilson Communications on behalf of the Polynesian Cultural Center
Entry: Alexander & Baldwin Foundation 2004 Review of Giving
Company: Alexander & Baldwin
Entry: Po'okela 2005
Company: Alexander & Baldwin
Entry: Maryknoll Capital Campaign Folder & DVD
Company: Alan Tang, Olomana Marketing
Entry: "Contributions of Tourism" Brochure
Company: McNeil Wilson Communications on behalf of the Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association
Entry: Smaller Learning Community Brochures - James Campbell High School
Company: Bryan Honda and Tracy Ching, Stryker Weiner & Yokota Public Relations, Inc.
Entry: Vanpool Hawaii Driver's Guide
Company: McNeil Wilson Communications on behalf of Vanpool Hawaii

Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Bulletin. Call 529-4747, fax 529-4750 or write to Erika Engle, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 7-210, Honolulu, HI 96813. She can also be reached at: eengle@starbulletin.com