Two South Florida Leaders to be Honored By Public Relations Society of America During Annual Luncheon October 1

MIAMI, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire/ --

The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Miami Chapter, will honor longtime healthcare communication professional Jo Baxter, APR, corporate vice president of marketing and public relations, Baptist Health South Florida, with the 2010 Bill Adams PRSA Lifetime Achievement Award and Don Browne, president, Telemundo, with the PRSA Royal Palm Award for making significant contributions to Miami-Dade County.

These awards are presented to individuals who exemplify exceptional leadership and contributions to the public relations profession and the community. Both Baxter and Browne will be honored during the 23^rd Annual Ev Clay/PRSA Miami Endowment Luncheon, to be held on Friday, October 1, at the Miami Shores Country Club, 10000 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami Shores. Visit www.prsamiami.org to make reservations and purchase tickets. Tickets are $50 for members, $30 for students, $65 for guests and $500 per table of 10. A reception and silent auction will begin at 11:30 a.m., followed by the luncheon and awards presentation from 12:15 to 2 p.m. Sponsors of the event include presenting sponsor, Baptist Health South Florida, gold level sponsors: PR Newswire and Business Newswire, and silver level sponsor, Marketwire.

Baxter has demonstrated excellence in corporate communications for more than three decades. She began her career as a writer for a Nebraska newspaper and then moved to Miami to work in marketing for the American Heart Association. Since joining Baptist Health in 1978, Baxter has executed award-winning communication campaigns for the ever-expanding healthcare organization. For her role in the field, she received the prestigious Jack Bondurant Award from the Florida Society of Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing. In addition to her current role, she is dedicated to her community. She serves on the board of the Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment and the Open Door Clinic. Baxter was formerly president of the Florida Society of Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing (FSHPRM) and is an active member with both FSHPRM and PRSA.

Browne has always kept community service at the forefront of his career – service to the broadcast and news community, his local communities, and the U.S. Hispanic television audience. Under his leadership, Telemundo has become the second-largest producer of Spanish language content in the world. As president of Telemundo, Browne has set in motion numerous initiatives that have further solidified the network's mission as well as established Telemundo as a leading corporate citizen of South Florida, generating economic growth to the area. Telemundo has invested millions of dollars to create Telemundo Studios, providing hundreds of jobs to talented Hispanics. He is the visionary behind the creation of Taller Telemundo, an innovative partnership with Miami Dade College aimed to discover, recruit and train future writers and actors. He is co-founder and board member of the Women of Tomorrow Mentor and Scholarship Program for at-risk high school girls. Browne is also the recipient of the 2004 Ida B. Wells Award for his commitment to promoting diversity in the workplace.

PRSA's Miami Chapter operates the Ev Clay/PRSA Miami Chapter Endowment Fund, Inc., the largest scholarship fund in the nation operated by a PRSA chapter. The endowment funds annual scholarships to outstanding students with a public relations interest. Over the past 25 years, the chapter has awarded almost $130,000 to deserving students. The 2010 scholarship recipients will also be honored during the upcoming luncheon. They are Amanda Lee and Angelina Soares from Florida International University; Nicole Bailey and Chantale Stewart from Florida Memorial University; Felix Rodriguez and Tamara Walker from Miami Dade College; and Maya Buten and Taylor Pearson of the University of Miami. Each will receive a $1,500 scholarship.

About PRSA Miami Chapter

With more than 200 local members, PRSA Miami provides professional development and networking opportunities to South Florida communications professionals. The chapter boasts one of the largest PRSA scholarship funds in the nation. To learn more about membership benefits and upcoming events, visit www.prsamiami.org.

About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

The Public Relations Society of America, headquartered in New York City, is the world's largest organization for public relations professionals, with nearly 32,000 professional and student members. PRSA's diverse membership represents business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has 303 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States, and one Chapter in Argentina.

SOURCE Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)