Sheryl Battles Receives PRSA’s D. Parke Gibson Award

NEW YORK – The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) has awarded Sheryl Battles with its D. Parke Gibson Award, which recognizes a PR professional who has helped expand awareness of public relations with multicultural communities. The award was presented at the PRSA 2018 International Conference on October 8th in Austin, Texas.

Mrs. Battles is currently Vice President, Global Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement for Pitney Bowes Inc. In this role she is focused on the critical intersection of diversity, inclusion, engagement and business results.  She combines her extensive communications expertise, deep understanding of the company’s strategy for delivering value to its global markets, and her passion for leveraging diversity, inclusion and engagement to help drive business and individual success. She leads the company’s strategies and storytelling related to these areas, provides strategic counsel to the CHRO and the senior team, and is part of the company’s Senior Communications Council. 

She is a seasoned professional that has held a range of increasing responsibilities within corporate communications at the Company including speech writing for 3 previous CEOs, investor communications, media relations, internal publishing and community relations/strategic investments. Pitney Bowes has recognized her exceptional contributions with several awards, including the company’s highest employee honor – the Walter H. Wheeler, Jr. Award. She is a three-time winner of the Pitney Bowes One Standard Excellence Award for outstanding team accomplishments.

Sheryl is one of the professionals featured in the new book “Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership” designed to help communications leaders and professionals better understand the challenges faced by minorities in the field. 

She has received numerous professional and community honors a sampling of which includes: 100 Most Influential Blacks in Connecticut 2018; Diversity Global Magazine’s 2017 Influential Woman in Global Diversity; Savoy Magazine’s 2016 Top Influential Women in Corporate America (& 2012); and, the national “Donald H. McGannon Award” from the National Urban League.. 

Within the public relations industry Mrs. Battles is on the Board of Trustees of the PRSA Foundation; a member and Co-Chair of the Arthur W. Page Society’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and ColorComm. And, in the diversity and inclusion practice she is a member of: The Chief Diversity Officers Board of i4cp.

Within the community she serves on the Board of Directors of the Stamford Center for the Arts; Person-To-Person; and Greenwich Hospital.  She is President of the Fairfield County (CT) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated; and a member of the Stamford-Norwalk Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., the Fairfield County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, the Stanford University Alumni Association; and, the Stanford University National Black Alumni Association. 

She and husband Curt, Chief Advisor of New Canaan Advisors, and their daughter Kendall attend the First Presbyterian Church of Stamford where both parents have served as Elders.

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.

Media Contact:

Rod Granger

Director, Content & Integrated Communications

PRSA

rod.granger@prsa.org