WWPR announces Emerging Leaders Awards finalists
Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) announced finalists for its 16th Annual Emerging Leaders Awards (ELAs).
“The Emerging Leaders Awards continues to lift up DC’s brightest young PR professionals who are redefining excellence and shaping the future of our industry. We look forward to toasting to the 23 finalists and celebrating their incredible accomplishments.,” said Charmaine Riley, president, WWPR, and a former award recipient. Riley, in photo above, added that the Emerging Leaders Awards “is close to my heart both personally and professionally and remains a career highlight,”
The ELAs honor outstanding professionals (ages 25–35) who, states a release, “are making a remarkable impact early in their PR careers. This year, WWPR is proud to spotlight trailblazing young women throughout the DC area who are leveraging innovation, elevating critical narratives, and navigating the evolving communications landscape with relentless creativity and conviction.”
The 23 finalists are grouped into the following categories, Small/Boutique Agency, Mid-Size Agency, Large/Global Agency, Government, Non-Profit, Corporate, and Trade Association. One winner from each category will be named on Thursday, June 25, 6-8 PM, at the AT&T Forum, 601 New Jersey Avenue NW, during, states the release, an evening of networking, inspiration, and celebration.
This year’s finalists represent the top candidates in each of the seven categories as determined by a panel of judges. The 2026 ELA finalists are:
Small/Boutique Agency:
- Natalie Gonzalez, Account Director | Beekeeper Group
- Chelsea Dade, Founder | Communicate For Health Justice LLC (CFHJ)
- Mary Lieb, Director | Signal Group DC
Mid-Sized Agency:
- Amanda Finney, Vice President, Reputation Management | Avoq
- Elizabeth Brown, Associate Vice President | Precision
- Hannah Rosichan, Senior Managing Director | PLUS Communications
- Isabella Victorio, Strategic Communications Manager | Narrative Strategies
Large/Global Agency:
- Nia Page, Chief of Staff of National Geographic | National Geographic Content (Owned by the Walt Disney Company)
- Allison Beres, Vice President | Edelman
- Molly Mitzner, Vice President | Allison Worldwide
Government:
- Casey Bell, US Air Force Public Affairs Officer/Education with Industry Fellow | US Air Force/Google
- Brianna Klipp, Proposal Specialist | Cision US inc.
- Jasmine Washington-Price, Media Relations & Internal Communications Coordinator | Alexandria City Public Schools
Nonprofit:
- Aliza Bran, Director of Media Relations | International Spy Museum
- Paola Groom, VP, External Relations | AARP
- Melissa Toufanian, Managing Director | Navigator Research
- Ariana Perez, Manager of Public Relations | Children’s National Hospital
Corporate:
- Meaghan Delaney, Manager, Corporate Affairs | KPMG US
- Victoria Vinall, Senior Policy Communications Manager | Aurora Innovation
- Shannon Casey, PR Manager for AI & Machine Learning at AWS | Amazon
Trade Association:
- Dara Cohen, Senior Director, Strategic Communications & Media Relations | American Gaming Association
- Julie Hirschhorn, Manager, Public Relations | American Academy of Family Physicians
- Alexandria Kinsey, Digital Marketing and Communications Specialist | College of American Pathologists
Julia Krieger, Head of U.S. Public Affairs at Coinbase, will be the keynote speaker for this year’s event.
