The Inc Blog

Roswell Inc has been awarded the prestigious 1st place Bronze Anvil Award for its 2018 Annual Report through the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the nation’s largest professional organization serving the communications community.

For more than 45 years, PRSA’s Bronze Anvil Awards have recognized the best of the best in public relations tactics — the use of social media, video, blogs, podcasts, annual reports, digital newsletters, websites – that contribute to the success of overall public relations programs or campaigns.

The 2019 Bronze Anvil Awards program drew a total of 525 entries from across the country. Of those, only one project was selected as the Bronze Anvil Award winner in each of the competition’s 33 categories. Roswell Inc received the Bronze Anvil Award in the Annual Reports category.

“The Bronze Anvil is one of the most coveted awards in the entire public relations industry, which makes receiving this award an incredible honor—and, of course, extremely exciting for our team,” said Carisa Turner, APR, director of communications and public relations for Roswell Inc. “Our annual report is one of the main ways we tell our story and showcase our impact on building a strong, vibrant business community here in Roswell, and we are thrilled that our work has garnered national recognition in this way.”

Bronze Anvil judging is performed across the United States by teams of PRSA members and others with expertise in the specific categories. Judging is focused on four areas—1) strategic planning and content, 2) creativity and quality, 3) technical excellence, and 4) results achieved through the communications project.

For more information, visit prsa.org.

Roswell Inc was named a four-time Gold Winner by the 2019 Hermes Creative Awards. The international awards competition honors creative professionals involved in the concept, writing and design of traditional materials, marketing and communication programs, and emerging technologies.

In the 2019 Hermes Awards program, more than 6,000 entries were submitted in 200 categories.

Roswell Inc was recognized with wins in the following areas:

• Gold Award: Roswell Inc 2017 Annual Report
• Gold Award: Roswell Inc 2018 Annual Report
• Gold Award: About Roswell Inc Video (Nonprofit category)
• Gold Award: About Roswell Inc Video (Corporate Image category)

Roswell Inc also received three honorable mention awards for its State of the City Logo, State of the City Brand and Design, and Roswell Craft Beer Magazine Ad.

“It’s incredibly exciting for our team to be recognized for its creativity, design and innovation,” said Carisa Turner, APR, director of communications and public relations for Roswell Inc. “We are thrilled to receive these awards and are proud to represent Roswell on the national stage through this awards program.”

The Hermes Creative Awards program is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals (AMCP). The international organization consists of several thousand creative professionals. AMCP oversees awards and recognition programs, provides judges, and rewards outstanding achievement and service to the profession. The Hermes Awards program has been in existence for more than 20 years.

For more information, visit hermesawards.com.

Roswell Inc’s director of communications, Carisa Turner, APR, has been recognized as one of PRSA Georgia’s Forty Under 40 public relations and communications professionals for 2019.

PRSA Georgia is the second largest chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the nation’s largest professional organization serving the communications community.

In its inaugural year, PRSA Georgia’s Forty Under 40 program honors emerging leaders within the public relations and communications industry who excel in their field while also giving back to their industry and community.

Turner, along with the other Forty Under 40 recipients, was recognized during an awards celebration on April 25 at Emory University’s Miller-Ward House.

Forty Under 40 honorees were nominated by their peers and selected by a committee of former PRSA Georgia Chapter presidents. To be considered for the list, individuals had to be under the age of 40 (as of May 1, 2019), employed in a communications role with a Georgia-based company, and hold at least one corporate or civic leadership position.

The Forty Under 40 program is open to both PRSA Georgia members and non-members.

PRSA’s mission is to make communications professionals smarter, better prepared and more connected through all stages of their career. PRSA’s membership collectively represents more than 30,000 members comprising communications professionals spanning every industry sector nationwide and college and university students who encompass the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

To learn more about PRSA Georgia or the Forty Under 40 program, visit prsageorgia.org.

Congratulations to one of our Community Connectors, Catherine Storey of Synovus Bank, for receiving the “Donald D. Howard Heart of the Community Award” for 2018. Started in 2015, this award is given out annually to a Synovus employee who exemplifies giving back to the local community with passion and dedication.

A Roswell resident, Catherine is actively involved in the community, both through her involvement with Roswell Inc as well as numerous other nonprofit and civic organizations in Roswell and throughout North Fulton.

As one of our Connectors, Catherine attends ribbon cuttings, networking events, and is regularly involved with helping businesses connect with one another. She is a wonderful extension of our team out in the community, and we are proud to celebrate her exciting accomplishment!

A new name has been announced for the governing organization and board of directors that oversees both Roswell’s tourism program, Visit Roswell, and Roswell’s economic development program, Roswell Inc. The new name—Roswell Economic Development and Tourism, Inc.—was announced at the organization’s board meeting on July 18, 2018, and replaces the previous name, Historic Roswell Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors, effective immediately.

The organization will continue to operate the public presence of both the tourism and economic development programs under their respective brand names, Visit Roswell and Roswell Inc.

“Changing our name allows our organization to better and more fully reflect our scope of work while also making our mission clearer to those with whom we do business,” said Ken Davis, board of directors president for Roswell Economic Development and Tourism, Inc.

During the same meeting, the board of directors voted to update the organization’s by-laws, which will allow the creation of two new advisory committees—one for tourism and one for economic development. These committees will allow board members with interest in either or both areas to specifically support tourism or economic development initiatives.

The board also voted on new members and renewed several current members. All board members serve three-year terms. The list of 2018-2019 board members is included below; new board members are indicated with an asterisk (*):

• Don Howard, Former Chairman and Regional CEO of Synovus—Chairman
• Ken Davis, Renasant Bank—President
• Lonnie Mimms, Mimms Enterprises —Vice President
• Jeff Petrea, Georgia Power—Vice President
• Bill Hardman, Southeast Tourism Society—Vice President
• Nancy Tolbert-Yilmaz, Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance—Treasurer
• Zach Henderson, A.I.A., Inc.—Honorary Chairman Emeritus
• Anita Farley, Georgia Ensemble Theatre*
• Alex Kaufman, Kaufman & Forman, P.C.
• Alex Paulson, Randall-Paulson Architects
• Branch Sinkule, Kimberly-Clark*
• Brendan Walsh, Lehigh Homes & Development
• Chris Nelson, Chattahoochee Nature Center
• Christina DeVictor, Roswell Collective
• Dave Schmit, Schmit + Associates
• Kevin Bryant, Canton Place Development*
• Kevin Head, Roswell First Baptist Church*
• John Davidson, GM Innovation Center*
• Jon-Paul Croom, WellStar North Fulton Hospital*
• Juliette Johnson, Roswell Historical Society
• Mark Goodman, Gas South
• Michael Curling, New Kent Capital
• Mike Hampton, Choate Construction
• Pat Rains, Gate City Brewing*
• Ron Buckley, Brixmor Property Group*
• Ryan Pernice, RO Hospitality
• Sunny Bailey, Naylor Hall*

“We have enjoyed a strong partnership with the City of Roswell since 1991 and are excited about the ways in which these changes will allow us to continue to grow and expand our work in the coming years,” said Davis.  

Roswell Inc’s director of public relations and communications, Carisa Turner, has received her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) through the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)—the nation’s largest professional association for public relations and communications professionals.

Of PRSA’s 30,000 members across the country, only 15% have achieved their APR.

Created in 1964, the APR is an internationally ranked accreditation program for established PR professionals, which allows them to certify professional expertise and reflect a high standard of public relations principles and ethics.

“The APR process strengthened my understanding of the essential and foundational role public relations plays in public life and made me a stronger advocate for the strategic, research-based, outcome-driven, and ethical practice of the profession,” said Carisa Turner. “I am incredibly grateful for all the support I received during this process.”

To become accredited, candidates are evaluated on their mastery of the following public relations concepts and areas of practice: 1) Research, Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Programs; 2) Applying Ethics and Law; 3) Managing Issues and Crisis Communications; 4) Understanding Communication Models, Theories, and History of the Profession; 5) Leading the Public Relations Function; and 6) Managing Relationships.

This is accomplished through both a formal panel presentation showcasing expertise and previous work experience as well as a computer-based exam. Candidates that pass both components are awarded the APR designation, which must be maintained through continued professional development.

“Carisa is a valuable part of our team, and we’re proud that she has achieved such a prestigious distinction in her industry,” said Steve Stroud, executive director of Roswell Inc. “Her accreditation not only establishes her as a leader within the PR world, but adds significant value, credibility and strength to our organization—both now and as we grow in the future.”

The APR designation is formally awarded by the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB), which is a partnership between nine of the major public relations organizations. PRSA is one of the members and serves as the administrator of the program.

For more information about the APR, visit praccreditation.org.

Roswell Inc’s business development and outreach coordinator, Debra Ewing, graduated last month from the Georgia Academy for Economic Development, a four-month program through the State of Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs.

Created in 1993, the Academy provides training in the basics of economic and community development, plus specialized segments on business recruitment and retention, tourism product development, downtown development, planning, and other essentials for community success. In addition, the curriculum features specific leadership skills such as consensus building, ethics in public service, collaborative leadership and other segments needed for effective community leadership in economic development

“Going through this program helped me outline and better understand the important aspects of economic development,” Ewing said. “Cities and counties don’t experience isolated problems when it comes to economic development. One of the great things this program instilled in all of us was the value of collaboration – that when we work together, we become stronger as a region and more competitive on a national and international scale.”

Since its inception, the Academy has provided training for thousands of professional and non-professional economic developers around the state, and since 1998 the Academy has been offered annually in all twelve regions of the state.

“One of the goals for the multi-day regional Academies is to encourage multi-county cooperation,” says Corinne Thornton, Director of the Georgia Academy for Economic Development.  “Many times, the participants discover the issues facing their community are the same as those facing other communities in their region, and can then combine limited resources to address the issue.”

This year’s class participants represented a number of professional and non-professional economic development fields, including elected officials, public servants, business leaders, educators, and social service providers from ten counties in Region 3 Georgia. The Academy provided each of the graduates an opportunity to gain a unique understanding of the complexities of economic and community development on the local, regional, and state levels.

Ewing joins 10 other Academy graduates from Fulton County this year: Chandra Farley, Emily Giordano, Robert Ross, Dawn Price, Robert Hughes, Sara Saxner, Lauren Price, Trudy Smith, Hattie Portis-Jones, and Bianca Howard.

Get to know the faces of Roswell’s economic development organization.

To learn more, check out the one-on-one interviews below.