About the chapter of distinction awards

The Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) wishes to promote continuous improvement in the function, outreach, and benefits to members and communities stemming from the activities of our member chapters.  The Chapter of Distinction Awards allow our member organizations to annually evaluate their own activities as well as make plans to measure progress in these areas.

Submissions will be accepted July 1-August 15, 2026. Learn more or submit an entry.

Who’s eligible?

All local SPRF chapters are eligible and submitted works must be completed between January 1 and December 31.

Overview

SPRF’s Chapters of Distinction awards allow chapters to compete in and win awards in four individual achievement categories. Each chapter may choose to compete in any or all of the following.

• Accreditation and Education
• Communications (promoting public relations externally and internally)
• Membership
• Programs and Projects

This competition allows chapters to use best practices in public relations planning by setting objectives in each area, developing a clear strategy and underlying tactics to achieve those objectives, and measuring success by objective. A Chapter of Distinction will be honored in each category, as well as an Honorable Mention.

Entries must be formatted in the four-step process: Research, Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation. Entries can consist of up to eight pages double-spaced with the appropriate accompanying materials.

Judging

Judges for these awards will come from PRSA chapters located outside of the SPRF states.

Accreditation and Education

Explain ways in which your chapter educated members on or facilitated members towards Accreditation in Public Relations or advanced the profession of public relations through educational or training programs/events.

• Event details (e.g., educational programs, study groups, mentoring initiatives, meetings/events to improve public relations professionalism and standards of current and future practitioners, etc.)
• Goal/objectives
• Target audience
• Please explain how you achieved your goal(s) by describing:
  • Execution/tactics
  • Promotional materials used (documentation of use required)
  • Education/Mentoring Activities
    • For the professional
    • For the student
    • For a targeted audience
  • Results attained (may include number of members earning Accreditation or number of members in study group, or those studying individually for Accreditation, or change accomplished by campaign)

Communications

Collateral materials and/or websites produced and distributed exclusively for the chapter. This category is designed to assess the chapter’s efforts to promote the image, professionalism and general awareness of the public relations profession within its local area.

Describe your chapter’s use of communication materials for any or all of the following areas:

• Regular communication with members
• Event or meeting promotions and announcements
• Communication with non-members (e.g., business community, future members/students, other non-profit organizations, etc.)
• Self-promotion
• Other (press releases, etc.)
• Describe impact of external publicity

Membership

State your chapter's membership goals as they relate to:

• Recruitment
• Retention
• Involvement

How did you achieve these goals including (but not limited to) the following activities:

• Projects/Programs
• Volunteerism
• Member feedback
• Chapter operations

Describe in detail the results of your membership activities, including membership numbers at the beginning, and membership numbers at the end of the competition period.

Programs and Projects

Describe two of your most successful programs and projects for members, non-members, or both. For each program, please explain how you achieved your goal(s) by describing:

• Overall program/project goal
• Event/program details
• Target audience
• Method of promotion
• Average attendance
• Feedback mechanism
• Impact and Results (were goals achieved?)

At the conclusion of judging, the overall Chapter of Distinction will be recognized as the Jamie Palmer Chapter of the Year, and the individual who led the chapter during the awards’ eligibility period is named SPRF President of the Year.

List of 2020 CODA Winners
List of 2019 CODA Winners

• 2020: PRCA North Alabama / Kristen Pepper, President
  
  
• 2019: PRCA North Alabama / Kristen Pepper, President
  
  
• 2018: PRCA Mobile / Jennifer Ekman, President
  
  
• 2017: PRCA Mobile / Renie Baya Kennemer, President
  
  
• 2016: PRCA Mobile / Sabrina Alexander, APR, President
  
  
• 2015: PRCA North Alabama / Leah Gradl, President
  
  
• 2014: PRCA North Alabama / Abby Guasti, APR, President
  
  
• 2013: PRCA Mobile / Amanda Gonzales, President
  
  
• 2012: PRCA Mobile / Penny Hatcher, President
  
  
• 2011: PRCA Mobile / Leslie Schraeder, President
  
  
• 2010: PRCA Mobile / Lindsay Hutchisson, President
  
  
• 2009: PRCA Mobile / Susan Rak-Blanchard, President

ABOUT JAMIE PALMER
Jamie Palmer, APR, is a longtime member of SPRF who has lived in all four member states, as well as the Middle East, Argentina, and now Colombia. Palmer was in the charter group of Senior Practitioners in 1990 and served as the SPRF President in 1991. In 1995, she received SPRF’s highest individual honor, the Professional Achievement Award. She is a founding member of SPRF’s Council of Leaders. Palmer has a bachelor’s degree in public relations from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s in public relations/advertising from the University of Alabama. She has worked in the agency, nonprofit and corporate sectors and has taught public relations writing, management, and campaigns.