Gio Benitez of ABC to Keynote ICON 2024; Nomination Process for the 2025 Board Begins

Gio Benitez, co-anchor of “Good Morning America” Saturday and Sunday, will be a keynote speaker at ICON 2024, being held Oct. 15-17 at the Anaheim Marriott in Anaheim, Calif.

Benitez is also a transportation correspondent for ABC News based in New York. He covers aviation, space, railroads and the auto industry across all ABC News programs and platforms, including “20/20,” “Good Morning America,” “Nightline,” “World News Tonight with David Muir,” ABC News Live and ABC News Radio.

Benitez has covered a wide range of stories for the network, including the Pulse nightclub shooting, El Chapo’s underground escape from a Mexican prison and the Boston Marathon bombing.

He has a long history of breaking exclusive investigative stories as part of the “GMA Investigates” series, some of which have led to important safety recalls. 

Visit the PRSA website for more information on ICON 2024.

Nomination Process for the 2025 Board Commences

The application process is underway — as of March 18 — for the 2025 Board of Directors.

PRSA is seeking candidates to fill three officer positions, five district director positions and one director-at-large position.

Officer (one-year term)

• Chair-elect
• Treasurer
• Secretary

Director (two-year term)

• East Central District
• Mid-Atlantic District 
• Northeast District 
• Tri-State District 
• Western District 

The duties and responsibilities of board members include providing fiscal oversight, helping guide and oversee PRSA’s strategic vision and goals, enhancing membership growth, and serving as representatives of the organization.

Applications are due April 30.

Please visit the PRSA website to apply. 

PRSA Reveals 2024 Anvil Award Finalists

PRSA has announced the finalists for the 2024 Bronze and Silver Anvil Awards.

Entries were received across 89 categories and included agencies Finn Partners, FleishmanHillard, Ketchum and Padilla, as well as such leading brands as Planned Parenthood, Delta, United Airlines, Aflac, McDonald’s, 7-Eleven and The Library of Congress.

Entries are analyzed and peer-reviewed as part of the judging process. The judges are assembled from experts across the communications community, including C-suite executives, academics and senior-level practitioners. 

Visit the PRSA website to see the list of finalists.

The winners will be announced during a live ceremony on May 9 at the Edison Ballroom in New York City.

PRSSA Names 2024-2025 President

Milagros Orcoyen was elected as PRSSA's first president from the Latin American Chapters. She will lead the volunteer student committee members beginning their one-year term on June 1.

A senior at the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa (UADE) studying public relations and institutional communications, Orcoyen joined PRSSA as a freshman when she served as the events coordinator at her local Chapter and as the conference coordinator for their first-ever District Conference. 

Katie Thomas, APR, Elected PRSSA 2024-2026 National Professional Adviser

Katie Thomas, APR, will serve as the National Professional Adviser for 2024-2026.

In this role, Thomas will, among other duties, offer best practice guidance on Chapter operations, help Chapters discover and connect with Professional Advisers, and assist in the professional development of Chapter members.

Thomas has held various positions with Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, where she is currently senior manager of population health marketing. She is also a lecturer at the Ohio State University in the School of Communication.

Thomas’ extensive experience with PRSSA and PRSA began in college at Otterbein University and has included serving as chair of the PRSA Young Professional Mentor Program and president of PRSA’s Central Ohio Chapter. 

Outgoing National Professional Adviser Michael Cherenson, APR, Fellow PRSA, will complete his term on May 31, and Thomas will begin her two-year term on June 1.