San Antonio PRSA Announces Del Oro Award Winners.

SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America announces its Del Oro Awards winners.

The Del Oro Awards Program recognizes the best in public relations work in the San Antonio area, and the awards are presented at the PRSA -- San Antonio annual awards banquet. The awards program consists of three categories: Del Oro, La Plata, and El Bronce. The Del Oro Awards recognize leading public relations practitioners. The La Plata Awards are San Antonio's highest awards for superior public relations campaigns. The El Bronce awards achievement in public relations tactics.

The Del Oro individual gold awards are presented to public relations professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the profession. The winners are as follows:

The Tex Taylor Lifetime Achievement Award -- presented to an individual in recognition of achievement and outstanding leadership in the field of public relations -- is awarded to Robert G. "Bob" McCullough, APR. This Port Arthur native graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism with a master's degree in 1972 and joined the Air Force at Randolph Field, emerging three years later to begin a three-decade career as a public relations professional in San Antonio. This career took him from City Public Service to SeaWorld of Texas back to CPS Energy where he is now the director of corporate communications for the nation's largest municipally-owned energy company.

McCullough played a key role in communicating CPS Energy's fuel diversification program in the face of skyrocketing fuel prices brought on by the 1970s Arab oil embargo. Later, he helped engineer the 1988 opening of SeaWorld of Texas, which attracted its millionth visitor in only 72 days. He is an accredited member of PRSA and retired from Air Force Reserve public affairs with the rank of colonel.

His present responsibilities at CPS Energy include public relations, local government relations, consumer advertising, public safety awareness, Web site development, energy education and employee communications programs.

The PR Professional of the Year -- presented to a professional who represents the best in public relations in 2004 -- is awarded to Pascual Gonzalez.

Pascual Gonzalez left the classroom 25 years ago, but he never stopped teaching. Combined with communications savvy, that passion for education has led Gonzalez to the top of his field. "When I covered education, I always said he was the Michael Jordan of school PR people," said Ed Tijerina, of the San Antonio Express-News. "The reference may be a little dated now, but Pascual still is the best in the business and still shows everybody else how that job should be done."

Gonzales is executive director of communications for the Northside Independent School District in San Antonio. He began his career as a teacher. In 1980, Bonnie Ellison tapped him as assistant director of communications. Twenty-five years later, he is highly respected by the local media and is often called on by local universities and associations to speak on media relations topics. He has successfully led two bond campaigns resulting in more than $1 billion in bonds since 1998, which equates to 10 new schools and 14 others now or soon-to-be under construction.

Responsible for both internal and external communications, Gonzalez packs his days with crisis communications, strategic planning and coordination of bond issues and special events. He calls on his instructional background to break down complex school issues for members of the media and colleagues.

Gonzales earned his bachelor's degree in English and journalism from Texas State University (formerly Southwest Texas State University). He earned his master's degree in educational management and leadership from Our Lady of the Lake University and a certificate of completion for general studies from the University of Madrid in Spain

The Community Service Award -- presented to a public relations professional who has given exceptional time and talents to community service activities -- is awarded to Roland Ruiz. As director of public and community relations for St. Philip's College, he has advanced the interests of the college through effective internal and external communications programs including a highly successful 100th anniversary observance.

Despite a busy schedule on campus, Ruiz has made time to use his PR expertise for the benefit of worthwhile community endeavors, such as serving as chair of the local March of Dimes communications committee. Because the March of Dimes does not have a full-time PR professional on staff, Roland has stepped in on a weekly basis to guide the staff on PR-related issues. He has also mobilized the committee of volunteer professionals to assist in staging March of Dimes educational and fundraising events.

In addition, Roland is a well-known citizen of Castroville and has been an active member of the Medina Valley School Board for a number of years. As a father of eight wonderful children, he is keenly interested in educational opportunities for students.

Bob McCullough adds, "I had the good fortune of working closely with Mr. Ruiz during the formative years of SeaWorld of Texas. He was an invaluable member of our PR team, and he quickly earned a reputation for solid performance and professionalism. He is an outstanding representative of the public relations profession!"

The Horizon Award -- presented to a "rising star" chapter member who has been in the profession less than five years -- is awarded to Melissa Vela-Williamson. For about a year and a half, Vela-Williamson has been the recruitment and public relations coordinator for Big Brothers/Big Sisters -- Alamo Area. Her work in this short time period is a major factor of the success of the agency's volunteer recruitment efforts. Last year, the agency served 1,600 children, and for every child, there is a volunteer. She coordinated the agency's media partnership with WOAI, including the weekly "Jen's Kids" segments and a phone-a-thon. The phone-a-thon generated more volunteer inquiries from this one-time event than the agency normally receives in a month.

She has completely revitalized the public relations efforts of Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The number of media stories has dramatically increased and there has been an unprecedented high level of community awareness of the program. In addition, Melissa and her husband are a "Big Couple" to a nine-year-old "Little Brother."

She has found her calling as she finds it extremely rewarding and truly a blessing to promote an organization that focuses on the most vulnerable segment of our population -- children. Her leadership skills, sense of initiative, and passion have significantly impacted the organization's work. Vela-Williamson has also worked with a local PR agency focusing on several high profile clients.

Last year, the San Antonio Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America presented more than 20 awards for outstanding public relations campaigns, tactics and individual leadership. The Del Oro winners represented non-profit organizations, local agencies, health care professionals, military groups, religious groups and independent public relations consultants.

The Public Relations Society of America is the world's largest organization for PR professionals. Its nearly 20,000 members, organized into 116 chapters, represent business and industry, technology, counseling firms, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. Chartered in 1947, PRSA's primary objectives are to advance the standards of the PR profession and to provide members with professional development opportunities through continuing education programs, information exchange forums and research projects conducted on the national and local levels. The San Antonio PRSA has more than 100 members. www.prsanantonio.com