Helio Fred Garcia to Receive Diversity Action Alliance's 2026 Pat Ford Larger Than Life Impact Award
Sponsored by Burson, the award will be presented by CEO Corey duBrowa at G.E.M.S. Honors on September 16 in New York City
NEW YORK, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Diversity Action Alliance (DAA) today named Helio Fred Garcia as the 2026 recipient of the Pat Ford Larger Than Life Impact Award, recognizing his decades of counsel on ethical leadership, his sustained commitment to social justice through organizational service, and his industry contributions, which set the standard for responsible leadership and issues management. Corey duBrowa, CEO of Burson, will present the Burson-sponsored award at DAA's Annual G.E.M.S. Honors Reception on September 16 in New York City.
Established in 2025, the award honors influential allies who use their voice, platform, and social capital to advance equity and opportunity for underrepresented communicators. Recipients disrupt the status quo with purpose, push for progress with principle, and lead with unwavering conviction, courage, and integrity.
Its namesake and inaugural recipient, DAA founding chair Pat Ford, spent nearly three decades at Burson-Marsteller, including as worldwide vice chair and chief client officer. An employee and mentee of founder Harold Burson, Ford carried the legacy of mentorship and speaking truth to power forward through his own advocacy and leadership. Burson's sponsorship connects that history to the award's purpose: recognizing leaders who use their influence to advocate for opportunities for others, thereby diversifying and improving the profession.
Garcia, president of Logos Consulting Group and executive director of the Logos Institute for Crisis Management and Executive Leadership, has spent more than 45 years advising leaders, including Fortune 500 executives, on how to navigate crises, build trust, and lead responsibly. He brings that expertise to DAA's Inclusive Communications Leadership Certification program, helping communicators strengthen the judgment and courage needed to influence decisions at the highest levels.
His commitment to allyship extends beyond the profession. Garcia served for 15 years on the board of Freedom to Marry and has held leadership roles with the Interfaith Alliance Foundation and Religions for Peace, supporting marriage equality, religious pluralism, and interfaith cooperation.
"Fred has never treated giving his time and talent to this industry as an obligation. He shows up fully, challenges leaders to act with integrity and equips others to navigate the moments that test who we are," said Andrea Williams, director of strategy, communications, and research at the Diversity Action Alliance. "DAA President and CEO Carmella Glover first learned from Fred as his graduate student at NYU, and today, we both have the privilege of continuing to learn from him. He embodies the standard Pat Ford set: using your influence to serve a purpose larger than yourself."
G.E.M.S., which stands for Growth in Equity is a Measure of Sustainability, celebrates leaders whose richly intersectional perspectives, mentorship, and professional excellence elevate the profession and expand opportunity.
ABOUT DIVERSITY ACTION ALLIANCE
The Diversity Action Alliance (DAA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit coalition working toward a communications profession whose leaders reflect the full breadth of society and the markets it seeks to reach. Founded in 2019 and an independent nonprofit since 2025, DAA unites agency, corporate, and nonprofit leaders to track who reaches and remains in senior communications roles, open the networks, and define the standards through which leaders advance. Learn more at diversityactionalliance.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Carmella Glover
SOURCE Diversity Action Alliance
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