Hicksville, NY (May 1, 2017) – The Public Relations Professionals of Long Island (PRPLI) will honor five outstanding professionals and two scholarship winners at its 27th annual Awards Gala on Tuesday, May 9, 2017 at Westbury Manor on Jericho Turnpike in Westbury, NY. PRPLI is the premier organization for public relations, marketing, and communications practitioners. Recognized as one of the most prestigious award programs on Long Island, the Gala helps support the organization’s mission to provide a platform for its members to network, learn, mentor, and advance in their careers. Proceeds of the event also benefit PRPLI student scholarships.

The Gala celebrates the outstanding accomplishments of media and public relations professionals by awarding a lifetime achievement award, by honoring an outstanding member of the media, and recognizing a rising star and mentor in the public relations industry. Each year, the Awards Gala recognizes Long Island leaders who have successfully promoted the region through special events, best public relations campaigns; journalists who pay particular attention to Long Island issues and values; the local public relations industry; and exceptional college students majoring in public relations.

“PRPLI is thrilled to honor such an impressive group of communications professionals from Long Island. These individuals have impacted the development of robust communications between clients and their publics as well as bringing news to the community at large,” said Kali Chan, president of Public Relations Professionals of Long Island and director of media relations for Adelphi University. “The honorees serve as an example of the great talent we have on Long Island and reflect PRPLI’s core strength of helping people move their career forward.”

PRPLI would like to thank this year’s gala platinum sponsors: Adelphi University, Castagna Realty Co., Inc., and Hofstra University.

The 2017 PRPLI Award Honorees are:

Outstanding Mentor:  Ellen Tashie Frisina, Associate Professor, Hofstra University

Prior to joining Hofstra University, Ellen was a reporter and editor for several Long Island-based newspapers for many years. After working as a journalist covering the arts, politics and education, she moved into the world of public relations, and was Director of Public Relations for a New York-based hospital for 16 years. In 1998, she joined the full-time faculty of Hofstra University, her alma mater, and began a career of teaching, advising and mentoring college students.  In her 19 years at Hofstra, she has mentored hundreds of students, and is most proud of the network she has created to launch the careers of PR pros in all disciplines of the field.

Jack Rettaliata Lifetime Achievement: Kevin Ryan, President, Kevin Ryan Public Relations, Inc.

Kevin’s career in public relations spans 30 years and can be best defined by an impressive roster of clients he has worked with through the years. Some have included Simon Property Group, The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company, the Village of Hempstead and a myriad of local developers and business owners. His expertise and success in handling the media, combined with a keen understanding of the local business and political landscape, has led to a continual flow of organizations and individuals who seek him for public relations counsel. A founding member of the Public Relations Professionals of Long Island, Kevin served for two years as the organization’s president from 1993-1995. He is also an alumni of LIBN’s 40/40 Club and has been recognized by Newsday as “someone to watch” in the PR industry.

Long Island Achievement: Randi Shubin Dresner, President and Chief Executive Officer, Island Harvest

Since 2001 Randi has worked at Island Harvest to raise awareness of the problem of chronic hunger on Long Island and under her leadership has helped increase income by more than 250 percent. Her knowledge on all issues related to hunger has established her as the “go- to” source for the national, local and regional media, government officials and the region’s thought leaders. Randi has been an adjunct faculty member at CW Post, LI University and currently Molloy College since 1990. She is a member of the Suffolk County Food Policy Council, and was appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo to serve on the Farmingdale State College Council in 2013. Randi was awarded an honorary doctorate of law degree from St Joseph’s College. Long Island Business News, Vision Long Island, Senator Kemp Hannon and Assemblyman Thomas MeKevitt have recognized Randi’s work with various awards through the years.

Outstanding Media: Joe Dowd, Editor and Columnist, Long Island Business News

Joe Dowd, is a 35-year veteran as a reporter, columnist and editor.  Joe started his newspaper career as a cop reporter in Rochester, and served stints as a city editor, bureau chief and assistant managing editor at several newspapers in upstate New York and Scranton, PA. Joe has won seven first-place writing and investigative awards during his career, and includes five involving the coverage of the fire service and the aftermath of 9/11. He returned to Long Island six years ago and was the founding editor of the Plainview Patch, where he covered many major Island-wide stories and breaking news.

Rising Star: Carley Weinstein, Social Media Manager, Hofstra University

In her role at Hofstra, Carley manages all of the university’s flagship and admission social media accounts. She is responsible for Hofstra’s social media strategy, content creation, execution and analytics. Carley also produces multimedia content and assists departments across campus with their own social media. Carley received a bachelor of science in public relations from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University in December 2014, where she was a Newhouse Scholar, president of the Syracuse Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), and a recipient of The Public Relations Department Chair Award for Leadership.

 

The gala awards also recognize students who won the annual PRPLI scholarship award.  Scholarship recipients must have a permanent residency on Long Island or attend a college on Long Island; must have a minimum 3.0 grade-point average; is currently studying public relations, communications or marketing; and must have completed an internship. This year’s winners are Emily Elefonte and Vincent Frazzetto.

Emily Elefonte, Senior at Adelphi University

During her time at Adelphi she has been involved in organizations such as the Delta Gamma sorority, the campus newspaper, The Delphian, and also a chapter of the Odyssey Online publication. She also worked in Adelphi University’s Office of University Communications and Marketing, solidifying her passion for public relations.  In the summer of 2016, Emily landed her first professional internship as a marketing and communications intern for The Women’s Fund of Long Island, and is currently a corporate communications intern at Viacom in New York City.

Vincent Frazzetto, Senior at Hofstra University

Vincent enjoys utilizing his diverse background in graphic design, writing and integrated media studies in an effort to accommodate the changing landscape of communication.  As an intern with Zimmerman/Edelson, Inc., he had the opportunity to work on the ground floor of strategic communication campaigns and learned the value of developing a following for a grassroots movement. Vincent hopes to use his wide variety of interests in sports, politics, tech and food in combination with his technical skills throughout his professional career.

For more information on tickets, sponsorships and journal ads, visit prpli.org or contact Gala co-chairs Donna Rivera-Downey at riverad@gsnc.org, or Rachael Risinger at rachael.risinger.tqil@statefarm.com.

About PRPLI: Public Relations Professionals of Long Island (PRPLI) is a regional trade association that provides members with the opportunity to network, learn and advance in their careers. Founded in 1990, PRPLI is the premier organization for individuals working in public relations, publicity, media relations, marketing, corporate communications, advertising, event planning, government relations and community affairs. PRPLI members include PR practitioners from the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, as well as independent communicators.