PR News, the go-to source for the communications and marketing community at corporations, agencies, and nonprofits, has named Kimberly A. Blackwell, PMM Agency chief executive officer, among the country’s “Top Women in PR”–those who have succeeded sometimes against the glass ceiling and other times against the grain.
The annual recognition salutes Blackwell, who is a Black Enterprise Leading Woman in Advertising and Marketing, for her accomplishments as one of the year’s most influential industry leaders in media, public relations, and communications.
“I am appreciative to PR News for the acknowledgment,” said Blackwell. “To be recognized among the industry’s leading executives is quite humbling. With too many to mention, gratitude must be shared among a community of supporters, as clients and colleagues have assisted in the growth, influence, and impact of PMM. Leading an organization now 17 years young, and with tremendous runway ahead, I realize daily that with success, significance must accompany. The opportunities we create must impact the differences we make for others.”
The 2017 list is comprised of executives who have made bold advances in managing crises, developing brand messages, protecting and building brand reputations, creating content for digital platforms and writing culture for their clients.
“Kim Blackwell has to be the sister Malcolm Gladwell was talking about when he coined the phrase ‘connector’ in The Tipping Point,” said Brickson Diamond, chief operating officer for The Executive Leadership Council, a network of the nation’s most influential African American executives and board chair for The Blackhouse Foundation. “She sees beyond the monikers of big player and small player, finding the connective tissues that unearth opportunity. Kim identifies the players and the opportunities, then gets the deal done, elevates the brand and delivers–again and again. Guaranteed. As a member of the Executive Leadership Council, we applaud Kim’s recognition as a top executive in brand management and public relations.”
All 2017 Top Women in PR honorees will be celebrated during a national awards presentation on Jan. 24, 2017, in New York City.