This morning, I had the good fortune to attend the NAFE (National Association For Female Executives) 2011 Women of Excellence Awards. Elise Mitchell, CEO of Mitchell Communications Group, was among the 11 winners and she merits much congratulations.
Much attention is always paid to the advancements women make up the executive ladder. IBM's recent appointment of Virginia Rometty to CEO was specifically cited as a shining example. There's obviously room for more women to occupy the top chair at many organizations, including PR agencies, but events like this one certainly validate the progress that has been made.
Similarly, today's gathering underscores how far PR has come. As Elise pointed out in her comments after receiving the award, when a communications professional receives an honor from an esteemed group that works within the broad business community – other recipients included Kraft Foods CEO Irene Rosenfeld and Marilyn Johnson, VP of market development at IBM – it's something in which the entire PR industry can take pride.