Pattie Yu (‘77 Journalism ‘81 and Organizational Communication) was inducted earlier this month into the National Capital Public Relations Hall of Fame at the 50th anniversary of PRSA-NCC’s Annual Thoth Awards Gala at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. As is vintage Yu, she surprised the 225 attendees with a graphic recorder capturing her speech in illustration and graphics while she spoke about finding “ikigai,” the reason for being. Yu was introduced by fellow Journalism Terp, John Seng, himself an inductee of the Hall of Fame.
PRSA-NCC started the National Capital Public Relations Hall of Fame in 1999 by inducting 50 leaders with significant accomplishments in the public relations field as part of the chapter’s 50th Anniversary celebration. The Hall of Fame members hold more than a thousand awards, distinctions, honorary degrees, advisory positions, charity board seats, and Who’s Who citations among them. Also inducted was Martha Boudreau, a recognized leader in the global communications industry. Boudreau’s work has spanned multiple arenas, from Fortune 100 companies and top-tier trade associations, to foreign embassies and U.S. government agencies with deep expertise in issues management, coalition building, corporate reputation and crisis communications. Currently, she is the executive vice president and chief communications and marketing officer for AARP.
“The PRSA-NCC board of directors joins me in congratulating both outstanding inductees on their lifelong achievements in PR, while also giving back to cultivate the future success of professionals in communications, and inspiring them to excel,” said Lauren Lawson-Zilai, 2018 National Capital Hall of Fame Chair and PRSA-NCC vice president. “Both inductees are role models due to their contributions to our profession, their ongoing support of colleagues in our industry and their local communities, their innovative and cutting edge campaigns on behalf of their clients, and their enduring impact on the PR sector.”
Criteria for induction in the PRSA-NCC Public Relations Hall of Fame includes 30 or more years of distinguished accomplishments, visionary leadership, mentoring, commitment to the profession, positive and significant impacts on the industry, and contributions to the local public relations community. Inductees must have worked in the Washington, D.C. area for at least 10 years.
Yu is a nationally recognized communications counselor who built health and social issues practices at leading global PR agencies Porter/Novelli and Fleishman Hillard before launching an independent firm, theYucrew. She has created national award-winning campaigns, spearheaded diversity, team building and staff trainings for nonprofits, foundations, professional societies and corporations. She has been equally dedicated to mentoring students here at the University of Maryland at College Park and returns to campus every year for career conferences and portfolio critiques of communication students. She also mentors students at other area universities and professionals and volunteers for causes close to her heart often championing vulnerable populations. She is perhaps best known for creating partnerships that have advanced critical causes and pressing social and health issues of our time.
Yu is a past winner of Washington Women in Public Relations’ Woman of the Year and was earlier named one of the nation’s top minority leaders in PR. “Pattie Yu builds and nurtures – tirelessly and passionately,” said Stephenie Fu, senior policy advisor at the USDA. “She is a superb professional leader who has won over clients and staff alike by creating award-winning campaigns and spearheading diversity, team building and staff trainings while putting her heart and soul into everything she accomplishes and devoting times to care for others from new graduates to young or second career professionals.”
(Photo Credit: Pattie Yu)