HOUSTON, July 7, 2006 - The Public Relations Society of America Houston Chapter presented its first "CEO Communicator of the Year" award to Harris County Judge Robert Eckels and Houston Mayor Bill White at its 2006 Excalibur Awards Event, held recently at the Petroleum Club.

Both Judge Eckels and Mayor White were on hand to receive the award in person from Julian Read, chairman of the West Region for GCI Corp., which sponsored the award for the chapter. In presenting the award, Read said, "Often it is up to the CEO to be the top communicator in an organization. This award recognizes an outstanding example of how the actions by leaders can communicate passion, urgency and change the image of the city." Judge Eckels, a Republican who heads county government serving approximately 4 million people, and Mayor White, the Democratic Mayor of the City of Houston, worked together to receive evacuees from New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina and then again to communicate the urgency of leaving the area when Hurricane Rita loomed three weeks later.

Mike Breslin, APR, general manager of Hill & Knowlton, Galleria area, the presenting sponsor, presented the Grand Excalibur to Ronda Wendler of Texas Medical Center News, who was the unanimous selection of the judging PRSA Georgia Chapter for the top award in Houston public relations. Breslin also presented PRSA President Sally Ramsay of northwest Houston, Pierpont Communications, Galleria area, with the PR Professional of the Year Award. Ramsay presented Erin Blatzer, public relations manager of Houston Museum of Natural Science, with the Young Professional of the Year Award. She also provided a tribute/roast for her former boss Graham Painter, APR, of Sterling Bank (northwest Houston) who won the 2006 Legacy Award at the young age of 58. Ramsay had worked with Painter at the former Houston Lighting & Power Company.

And speaking of winners.the Silent Auction benefiting the Public Relations Foundation of Houston raised over $6,000 to be used for education. Susan Schmaeling, APR, Susan Schmaeling Marketing and Public Relations, West University, and her committee of volunteers organized the auction which exceeded last year's total by roughly 20%.

Event chairs were Marianne Pillar of GolinHarris (Galleria area) and Kristin Pacheco of Sullivan Group Productions (Spring Branch). The complete winner's list is available at http://www.prsahouston.org/en/art/?405

Sponsors included Presenting Sponsor Hill & Knowlton, CEO Communicator of the Year Presenter GCI Group, King's Court Sponsors Business Wire, Burson-Marsteller, CenterPoint Energy and Shell; Knights of the Round Table: Anadarko Petroleum, Fleishman Hilliard, JHHTF Communications Division, Lopez Negrete, Pierpont Communications, Sterling Bank, University of Houston, Vollmer Public Relations and the Houston Museum of Natural Science/Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau. In-Kind Sponsors included A&E-The Graphics Complex, Catch the Moment Photography, GolinHarris, Graphique Advertising & Interactive Design, Staging Solutions and Sullivan Group Productions.

Founded in 1950, the Houston chapter of the Public Relations Society of America is one of the nation's largest and most active PRSA chapters, providing professional development activities, networking opportunities and career resources for more than 450 members. For more information, visit www.houstoncpa.org.