I am truly grateful to the nominating committee and PRPLI for recognizing my hard work and dedication to the community.

It’s been a long and challenging road. Let me tell you a little bit about myself.

For starters, I put myself through college. I had no assistance from my family and was told to get a job as a secretary. Although secretarial jobs are good, I didn’t see that in my future. I wanted something more.

So, I worked full-time and went to school at night. The only school I could afford was CUNY Hunter College. The state and private universities were out of reach for me.

During my last semester at Hunter, I landed a job at Ogilvy & Mather/PR and Clairol in the PR department. I worked at both.

After graduating in 1984, Ogilvy & Mather PR hired me full-time. After that, I worked at Hill, Holliday/PR, and Ruder Finn/PR. In addition to that, I worked at two large non-profit organizations in the city as the director of PR and Fund Development.

While working at the non-profit organizations, I felt compelled to get my master’s degree, and in 1991, I received my degree in public administration from Baruch College in NYC.

In March 1992, a few months after graduation and pregnant with my first child, I started HJMT Public Relations Inc. out of my one-bedroom apartment. My firm grew, and eventually, we rented office space in Long Beach, Westbury, and then Melville, Long Island. My firm grew to nearly 25 staff members, and client revenues exceeded $1.5M.

In 2006, I had visionary foresight that led me to recognize the future integration of social media into the public relations field. I was an early adopter and a trailblazer, authoring the book “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Social Media,” published in 2009. That same year, I founded the Social Media Association (we used to meet at diners around Long Island, and then, I decided to make a formal organization with a 501c3 status, bylaws, and a board of directors).

That same year, I started my NY Lifestyle Blog, http://www.HilaryTopper.com, and my podcast, Hilary Topper on Air.

In 2011, I noticed a trend in wearable technology and became an original Google Glass Explorer, creating the popular YouTube series “Glasslandia,” the first Google Glass reality show on YouTube. That same year, I started writing. After that, I formed another company, HJMT Media Co., LLC, that housed my blogs and podcasts.

During a social media association meeting, I saw Jeff Morosoff and asked him if there were any adjunct teaching positions. He told me that he was starting up a master’s program in public relations, and in 2014, I was hired by Hofstra to teach digital marketing and public relations at Hofstra University; at the end of 2019, I wrote my second book, “Branding in a Digital World.” The book was revised and republished in 2023 with new information, including AI and public relations, among other topics.

Today, my blogs have more than 50,000 unique visitors, and my podcasts have more than 200,000 listeners. I have also written numerous articles for public relations trade journals and mainstream media on public relations and social media marketing.

In 2022, I wrote a memoir/self-help book titled “From Couch Potato to Endurance Athlete—a Portrait of a Non-Athletic Triathlete.” I wanted to change my life, and once I did, I wanted to show others how they could change their lives, too. I’ve been on tour the last two years around the country, talking at bookstores, running shops, and even cycling shops. My goal is to motivate people to get off the couch and do something outside their wheelhouse.

Currently, I am working on my fourth book to be published this year.

Hilary is a social media fitness influencer who works for various clients in the health and fitness realm. In addition, Hilary is a USA Triathlon Coach, a USMS Swim Coach, and a RRCA Running Coach. She has a swim team, a run team, and a triathlon team.