Mickey G. Nall, APR, Fellow PRSA Receives the 2018 David Ferguson Award

NEW YORK -- The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) and PRSA Educators Academy has awarded Mickey Nall, APR, Fellow PRSA, with its 2018 PRSA David Ferguson Award. The award recognizes a PRSA member and practitioner who has made outstanding contributions to public relations education. The award was presented at the PRSA Educator’s Academy “Super Saturday” evening reception directly preceding the PRSA 2018 International Conference in Austin, Texas.

Past PRSA presidents and CEOs Judy Phair, APR, Fellow PRSA and Del Galloway, APR, Fellow PRSA, endorsed Nall as a “passionate and outspoken advocate of the importance of PRSA support for this process and its value in ensuring the best education possible for the future leaders of our profession.” By prioritizing working on behalf of public relations students, he continues to be a “vital link between the worlds of academe and ‘the practice.’” Just as the late David Ferguson, APR, Fellow PRSA did, Nall consistently recognizes the importance of public relations education to the profession.

Nall now serves as the professional-in-residence in the Public Relations Department of the University of Florida, teaching courses on campaigns, strategic management and integrated communication. As a 1982 graduate of the University of West Florida, and a master’s graduate in mass communications from the University of Florida, he was named Alumnus of Distinction in 2009. He is also a past chair of the University of Florida Public Relations Advisory Council, College of Journalism and Communication.

Nall has been a public relations agency professional for more than 30 years serving most of his time with Ogilvy in its Washington D.C. and New York offices before joining the Atlanta office as a managing director. He spent more than 20 years focusing on strategic communications for a variety of corporate and nonprofit clients, including The Coca-Cola Co., U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, Darden Specialty Restaurant Group, AAA and United Way of America. During his time with Ogilvy he has been in a position to contribute greatly to public relations education and devote an outstanding amount of service and commitment.

As a dedicated leader, professional, mentor, guest speaker, student scholarship advocate, lecturer and more, Nall’s service has not gone unnoticed. Nall has served as the co-chair of the PRSA’s Educational Affairs Committee overseeing the Certification of Education in Public Relations credentialing process for U.S. and international colleges and universities, was appointed a trustee to the Commission for Public Relations Education representing PRSA and served as the 2013 National PRSA Chair and CEO. An accredited public relations leader (APR 1986), he was inducted into PRSA’s College of Fellows in 2008, and in 2011 he was inducted into PRSA Georgia’s Order of the Phoenix and Georgia Public Relations Hall of Fame. He was the first public relations executive in residence at the School of Journalism & Communications, University of Oregon in 2011 and delivered the 14th annual Koten Lecture at The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations in 2014. He has also won numerous industry awards, including the prestigious Silver Anvil award.

About the Public Relations Society of America
PRSA is the nation’s largest professional organization serving the communications community. The organization’s mission is to make communications professionals smarter, better prepared and more connected through all stages of their career. PRSA achieves this by offering its members thought leadership, innovative lifelong learning opportunities to help them develop new skills, enhance their credibility and connect with a strong network of professionals. The organization sets the standards of professional excellence and ethical conduct for the public relations industry. PRSA collectively represents more than 30,000 members consisting of communications professionals spanning every industry sector nationwide and college and university students who encompass the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Learn more about PRSA at www.prsa.org.

For additional information, contact: Melissa D. Dodd, Ph.D., APR, PRSA Educators Academy Section Chair (Melissa.dodd@ucf.edu, #407-823-4539)