Virginia Professional Communicators

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VPC names Sande Snead as its 2026 Communicator of Achievement

VPC names Sande Snead as its 2026 Communicator of Achievement

in Blog, Contests & Awards, News

RICHMOND, Va., May 13, 2026 — Sande Snead, president of SS Communications LLC and a Richmond-based strategic communicator, has received the Virginia Professional Communicators’ 2026 Communicator of Achievement Award. She was honored at the organization’s Spring Conference on April 18 in Richmond. Sande Snead, 2026 Communicator of Achievement While conference...

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VPC Honors Katherine O’Donnell as 2026 Newsmaker of the Year

VPC Honors Katherine O’Donnell as 2026 Newsmaker of the Year

in Blog, News

RICHMOND, Va., April 30, 2026 — When Katherine O’Donnell graduated from the University of Richmond in 1999, she didn’t realize that tourism could be a career. Today she serves as President & CEO of Richmond Region Tourism. For O’Donnell’s successes in making the Richmond Region a top visitor destination and promoting its profile across the globe, Virginia...

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Inside the Campaign to Free Evan Gershkovich: A Communications Strategy That Sustained Global Attention

Inside the Campaign to Free Evan Gershkovich: A Communications Strategy That Sustained Global Attention

in Blog, News

2026 Spring Conference Recap By Cynthia Price For 491 days, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was wrongfully detained by Russia — and a global communications campaign worked relentlessly to ensure the world didn’t forget. Ashley Huston, a former Dow Jones communications executive, shared an inside look at that effort during the Virginia Professional...

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2026 Communications Contest State-Level Results

2026 Communications Contest State-Level Results

in Blog, Contests & Awards, News

By Sunni Brown, Contest Chair Virginia Professional Communicators celebrated the winners of the state-level 2026 communications contest on April 18 at its annual Spring Conference, held at the University of Richmond. The NFPW National Communications Contest is a two-tiered contest recognizing outstanding work by communicators from various fields, including members...

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Walking the path of liberty

Walking the path of liberty

in Blog, News

By Diane S. Thieke, 2nd VP of Communications More than 25 members traced the footsteps of the American Revolution on Saturday, December 6, at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture. We were very fortunate to have two incredible guides sharing their expertise.  Front: VPC co-presidents Cora Perkins and Tracy Perkins. Back row: Beth Wiltshire, Harvey Bakari,...

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NFPW National Conference Explores the Next Frontier

NFPW National Conference Explores the Next Frontier

in Blog, News

A ‘Golden’ moment for VPC winners at NFPW Conference By Deana Ricks “The Next Frontier” was the theme for the 2025 NFPW Conference in Golden, Colo., September 11-13. Attendees were inspired by speakers, break-out sessions, award ceremonies and friendly camaraderie to move forward into the next frontier the future holds for us. As we embraced the...

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