34TH ANNUAL GRAND EXCALIBUR AWARD

Presented by Comcast

Congratulations to the CKP Group!

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One outstanding public relations team received the 34th Annual Grand Excalibur Award, an engraved steel sword symbolizing that the highest standards in the public relations profession have been achieved. 

CEO COMMUNICATOR OF THE YEAR AWARD
CHIEF ART ACEVEDO, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

Presented by Kroger

Art Acevedo, chief of the Houston Police Department (HPD), will be named the 2019 CEO Communicator of the Year Award winner at this year’s 34th Annual Excalibur Awards Gala on June 27 at the Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria. The award honors the outstanding performance of a Houston area chief executive officer in his or her role as chief communicator. 

Chief Acevedo was sworn-in as chief of the HPD on Nov. 30, 2016. He leads a department of 5,200 sworn law enforcement officers and 1,200 civilian support personnel with an annual general fund budget of $825 million in the fourth largest city in the United States.

Chief Acevedo believes good communication is vital for a successful community and steadily works to strengthen the bond between the community and its police department. A proponent of community policing, Chief Acevedo refers to the proven practice as “Relational Policing,” an opportunity to forge a relationship with each citizen an officer comes in contact with.  

The first Hispanic to lead the HPD, Acevedo brings a unique understanding to the concerns of the diverse communities in the City of Houston. Born in Cuba, he was four years old when he migrated to the United States with his family in 1968. Acevedo grew up in California and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration from the University of La Verne in California. Acevedo began his law enforcement career in 1986 as field patrol officer in East Los Angeles with the California Highway Patrol. He rose through the ranks and was named chief of the California Highway Patrol in 2005.  Acevedo most recently served nine years as chief of the Austin Police Department.

Chief Acevedo holds various leadership positions with the Major Cities Chiefs Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He is married to Tanya Born Acevedo and is the father of Melissa, Matthew and Jake.

LEGACY AWARD
SALLY MATHIS RAMSAY, PAST PRESIDENT (2006)

Presented by PRSA Houston

Sally Mathis Ramsay, senior vice president at Pierpont Communications and 2006 chapter past president, will be named the 2019 Legacy Award winner at this year’s 34th Annual Excalibur Awards Gala at the Royal Sonesta Houston Galleria. The award honors a professional for outstanding lifetime achievement in the field of public relations. An award-winning communicator, admired mentor and proud LSU graduate, Ramsay has contributed to the development and growth of countless organizations over her career. She currently serves Pierpont’s public relations clients with nearly three decades of strategic communication experience. 

Ramsay joined PRSA Houston in 1985 and served on the board continuously from 2003 to 2015. She was named the PRSA Houston 2006 Public Relations Professional of the Year, a true testament to the outstanding service she dedicated to the chapter and the empowering example she set for her peers and mentees. She has been the university ambassador and advisor to the Stephen F. Austin PRSSA Chapter for many years and continues to meet with the students on a regular basis. Throughout the years, Ramsay’s commitment to her clients – and her profession – have not gone unnoticed. She’s garnered numerous awards for her innovative and successful campaigns in the areas of financial and professional services, healthcare, non-profit and retail. 

PUBLIC RELATIONS PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD

Presented by PRSA Houston

Congratulations, Priscilla Tinsley (Past President, 2008)!

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The Public Relations Professional of the Year Award recognizes an established practitioner for exceptional leadership and professional accomplishments during 2018, as well as career achievements. All PR professionals who had been in full-time practice for more than three years (began full-time practice prior to Jan. 1, 2016) were eligible.