Sanita Dhillon Announced as First winner of the Susan Francis Prize in Public Relations

CALGARY, Nov. 29, 2012 /CNW/ - Sanita Dhillon, Calgary, is the first winner of the $1,000 Susan Francis Prize in Public Relations, awarded annually to a public relations student in his/her final year of a public relations/communications program at Mount Royal University, University of Calgary or SAIT Polytechnic.

The Prize was established by the Francis family and Canadian Public Relations Society (Calgary) to honour the memory of the late Susan Francis, APR, who dedicated her life and career to implementing communications programs for causes about which she was passionate.

With a focus on communications planning, candidates submitted a project proposal that would make the world a better place and would reflect issues such as gender equality, the environment, political action, and crisis communications.

Dhillon is a fourth year student at the University of Calgary in the Bachelor of Arts Co-Op in Communication Studies, and for the past four years has been committed to the goals of the University of Calgary's Women's Resource Centre (WRC) that promotes equality and builds community.   As a volunteer, she co-ordinated educational workshops such as Pathways to Healing-Recovering from Abusive Intimate Relationships.  She initiated and co-ordinated leaders events where she invited female community leaders to inspire young women to recognize their leadership potential despite life challenges.  Currently, as the Centre's Co-op student, she manages social media, assists in coordinating a mentorship program, supports volunteer projects, and will be executing communications for an upcoming conference.

"Sanita is a valuable member of the WRC team; the impact she has had on women's lives on campus and in the community is immense," said Nanako Furuyama, co-ordinator of the Centre. "Her good judgment and mature outlook have led her to develop a strategy that has gone a long way to making life on the campus better for many women."

In addition to her studies and activities at the university, Dhillon recently completed a co-op placement as a communications and marketing assistant with the Calgary Airport Authority where she assisted with internal communications, wrote news articles for intranet websites and worked on projects such as the Stampede, a 20^th anniversary celebration and the United Way Plane Pull. During her term, she developed and executed a communications plan to promote the Aviation Calgary Expo 2012 to employees of the Airport Authority.

The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is a uniquely Canadian association of public relations professionals. For over 50 years, CPRS Calgary has represented some of the most talented communications professionals in Canada's energy capital.

The Susan Francis Prize in Public Relations is managed by the Communications + Public Relations Foundation. The Foundation promotes the advancement of communications and public relations as vital functions in society, is dedicated to the public interest, and is committed to increasing public knowledge and awareness of the role of communications and public relations in daily life. The Foundation accepts individual and corporate contributions towards research and educational initiatives nationwide.

For more information about the Foundation and its public relations educational initiatives, contact Barbara Sheffield, Executive Director, Communications + Public Relations Foundation, Suite 1515, 73 Widdicombe Hill Blvd., Toronto, Ontario, M9R 4B3, or phone [phone], or e-mail [email protected].

SOURCE: Communications + Public Relations Foundation

Media contacts:

Janice Robertson, President, CPRS (Calgary)
[phone]
[email protected]

or

Barbara Sheffield, APR, FCPRS, Executive Director
Communications + Public Relations Foundation
[phone]
[email protected]