Trisch L. Smith, Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Edelman, to be honored with the 2024 Paladin Award

New York, NY – June 26, 2024 –The PRSA Foundation, an independent, 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to advancing diversity and inclusion within the communications profession, announced today that the 2024 Paladin Award will be presented to Trisch L. Smith, Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Edelman.

Diversity and equity champion, communications counselor, and public relations veteran are just a few words used to describe Trisch L. Smith. During her tenure with Edelman, the world’s leading global communications marketing agency, Smith has managed stakeholder outreach, strategic positioning, crisis and reputation management campaigns for a host of companies seeking to engage a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including Starbucks, Unilever, HP, Toyota, United Way of America, Prudential and Walmart, among several others.

For a decade, Smith led the firm’s award-winning Multicultural client practice helping a wide range of clients to protect, promote and evolve their brands and effectively engage diverse thought leaders, consumers and other stakeholders. She continues to provide senior strategic counsel around DEI and multicultural communications.

In 2015, Smith was appointed to serve as the U.S. Managing Director of Diversity and Inclusion, and in fall 2018 she was named Edelman’s first Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. In this role, Smith leads diversity, equity and inclusion strategic planning and programming which includes education, partnerships, cultural transformation, and recruitment efforts to ensure Edelman’s global workforce reflects the increasingly diverse marketplace. Through her ongoing work and committed career, she actively strives to ensure an equitable and inclusive workplace for colleagues around the world.

The Paladin Awards are the PRSA Foundation’s signature event with proceeds from the evening going to grants and scholarships designed to help jump-start the careers of promising students from diverse backgrounds. The annual event, which will take place on the evening of September 5 in Chicago at the Westin Michigan Avenue Chicago, honors communications leaders who have made a significant and measurable impact on the advancement of diversity and inclusion in the public relations sector.

“I am delighted the PRSA Foundation will recognize Trisch L. Smith at our upcoming Paladin Awards ceremony in Chicago,” said Antonio Crane, president, PRSA Foundation. “Trisch continues to be a major influencer in the DEI space, and her leadership and voice supports our foundation’s focus to increase inclusion and diversity in our nation’s PR industry.”

Previous recipients of the Paladin Award have included Andy Polansky, Soon Mee Kim, Torod Neptune, Lou Capozzi, Patrice Tanaka, Mike Fernandez, Charlotte Otto, Harris Diamond, Daniel J. Edelman, Harold Burson, Jon Iwata, Marcia Silverman and John Graham.

This year’s Paladin Awards is chaired by PRSA Foundation trustee Thomas Bennett, Senior Vice President at FleishmanHillard.

Tickets to the Paladin Awards, as well as sponsorship packages can be purchased at: https://prsa.networkforgood.com/events/69805-2024-paladin-awards

For more information about attending, sponsoring or covering the PRSA Foundation Paladin Awards Ceremony, contact Susan Belanich at susan.belanich@prsa.org or212-460-1442.

About the PRSA Foundation

The PRSA Foundation, an independent, 501(c)(3) charity, supports outreach todiversestudents to attract them to PR and make them better prepared to contribute to the profession, and to society, when they enter the workforce through partnerships with leading universities and professional organizations. For more information regarding the PRSA Foundation, its activities and its full board of trustees, visit www.prsafoundation.org.

# # #