Caron Blanton

The Southern Public Relations Federation, known as the southeast’s premier organization for public relations professionals, inducted Caron K. Blanton into the Southern Public Relations Hall of Fame Monday, Sept. 11. Blanton has spent more than 25 years serving and bringing honor to the profession at the regional and national level.

SPRF, a 850-member organization representing public relations professionals from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi, applauded Blanton’s extraordinary accomplishments during its annual conference at the Embassy Suites, Huntsville, Alabama.

Amongst her many accomplishments, Blanton holds a national credential, the accreditation in public relations. The APR is overseen and managed by the Universal Accreditation Board, a select group of PR professionals representing the corporate, military and educational sectors from nine large market organizations across the U.S.

SPRF immediate past president, Lisa Darnell, APR, presented the award.

“I first met Caron when she was our UAB representative. I had many questions about the UAB, all of which she patiently answered. The work with the UAB can be quite involved, but Caron’s dedication to our profession was clear as she served as our representative, working to ensure that APR – Accreditation in Public Relations – continued to support the best practices in public relations,” Darnell said. “Caron represents the high standards and what it means to be the best in this field. She is a professional we all aspire to be and emulate.”

An exemplar of the SPRF Code of Ethics, Blanton has served as a past president of the Public Relations Association of Mississippi—Central Chapter and a past president of the PRAM state chapter. She served SPRF in a number of positions, including serving as president in 2013.

Over her more than 25-year career, she has served however and whenever she was called and needed. As a result, her work has touched and continues to touch many lives. She serves as an active member of the Council of Leaders, offering assistance and mentorship to current SPRF Presidents.

As evidenced by earning numerous awards throughout her career, Blanton’s peers offered statements like this in her nomination letter.  

“None of the positions of leadership has been a ceremonial role where Caron handed the hard work over to others. Her ability to plan projects and see them through is legendary. Put her in charge of an event, and she’ll whip up what she calls a “flow of show” that’s as detailed as a military invasion.” 

Though Blanton recently retired from educational public relations, she has remained active in the field of communications by taking a position as senior communications specialist for Entergy. Her Entergy nomination gave these accolades.

“It’s a given {that} not even a hurricane will keep her from committing her whole self to this latest endeavor.”

One of the esteemed Hall of Fame judges said,

“It's thrilling to see practitioners wildly excel in the PR industry as Caron has. But what's more important is seeing the impact she's had on the PR profession by sharing her knowledge with her colleagues and uncovering ways to better serve those around her. I'm certain Caron is the type of person one would want by their side no matter the situation they're experiencing, whether communicating with difficult audiences, managing a crisis or even traveling the world. The legacy Caron is writing will likely resound for eternity within PR and in the hearts of those who follow her lead.”