KNOXVILLE — Kelly Mainor, a senior in public relations at the University of Tennessee, has won top honors in the Dwayne Summar Essay Contest.
Kelly Mainor and Dwayne SummarDwayne Summar presented the award to Mainor at UT’s Public Relations Day event in November.
The writing award, started in 2004, is named for Summar, long-time public relations professional and an alumnus of UT’s journalism and electronic media program. Now a resident of Albany, Ga., Summar is the only UT alumnus to have served as national president of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). In 1994, Summar received the college’s first Donald G. Hileman Distinguished Alumni Award.
This year’s theme was “Public Relations Leadership.” Entrants were asked to write about why leadership is important, personal qualities that leaders exhibit and how they are honing their own leadership skills.
Mainor received $1,000 and a plaque. Her essay will be published in FORUM, the Public Relations Student Society of America’s national publication.
“I am honored to receive an award named for Mr. Summar,” said Mainor, of Mascot. “Getting to meet him and hear him speak at Public Relations Day made the award even more special.”
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Contacts:
April Moore, (865) 974-0463, amoore9@utk.edu
Amy Blakely, (865) 974-5034, amy.blakely@tennessee.edu