Pat Szpekowski wins awards from press association

Pat Szpekowski, APR, president of PR Strategies & Communications, a full service advertising agency and public relations firm in Elgin, was awarded several recognitions, including one first place, two-third place and an honorable mention in the Illinois Woman's Press Association 2016 communications contest.

She achieved first place in the PR materials category for a brochure created for Aquatic Therapy and Wellness LLC in Algonquin. The judge's comments included recognition for use of color, graphics, photos and easy understandable copy.

Two third-place honors were awarded in the writing categories. The first recognized Szpekowski's "Season of Giving" story which was published in the winter edition of Air Chicago Magazine, the quarterly publication of the Chicago Department of Aviation. Szpekowski has been a freelance writer for Air Chicago since 2014. The judge recognized the inviting voice and conciseness of the story.

The second third-place was in the personality category for a story on George and Jo Ann Lazansky, members of St. Margaret Mary Church in Algonquin, which was published in The Observer, the weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Rockford. The couple were among 153 passengers who were held hostage on TWA Flight 847 in 1985.

The honorable mention was awarded for two religious category stories published in the Forever Family section of The Observer: "True Love" about the founding of the John Paul II Renewal Center in the Diocese of Rockford by Jeff Galush and Jack Rigert of St. Charles, and "The Blended Bunch", a profile about Lee and Jan Cremer of Crystal Lake who developed a program to help couples in a second marriage achieve success with the added pressures of combined families. The judge's remarks noted the well-established context and clear arc for both stories.

Szpekowski has been an Observer Correspondent for the past seven years.

"I feel very privileged to have received these awards from the Illinois Woman's Press Association," Szpekowski said, "in my dual role as a freelance writer and public relations professional."

The first-place entry from the IWPA communication contest has been forwarded to the National Federation of Press Women Communications Contest for further judging.

The national competition recognizes excellence in communications and covers a wide range of categories in print, radio, and electronic media, books, photography, advertising, public relations, and websites.

Szpekowski is an author, whose essay was published in The Anthology of the Illinois Woman's Press Association. She has been a member of the IWPA and NFPW for the past 20 years.

IWPA is the state affiliate of NFPW, an organization that offers networking and professional development. It is dedicated to professional excellence and the highest ethical standards in the communications field, and to the rights and responsibilities of the First Amendment.

For more information, contact Pat Szpekowski at (847) 468-0210.