Szpekowski honored for communications

Pat Szpekowski, APR, president of PR Strategies & Communications, Inc./PMS advertising, Inc. in Elgin, has received recognition from the National Federation of Press Women and the Illinois Woman's Press Association, an affiliate of NFPW in their recent 2020 communications contests.

Szpekowski received four awards from the Illinois Woman's Press Association, including first place in the electronic newsletter category for writing the "Connections" newsletter distributed to O'Hare International Airport concessionaires and employees; second place for the stories of "Diocese Marks 75 years of Cursillo" published in the Observer, the weekly newspaper of the Catholic Diocese of Rockford and "O'Hare 21" on the redevelopment of O'Hare International Airport published in the Air Chicago Magazine distributed at O'Hare and Midway International Airports; and third place for a personality profile on the founder of the not for profit "Rags of Honor" published in Air Chicago Magazine.

The first place story on the "Connections" newsletter received Honorable Mention national recognition from the National Federation of Press Women.

The IWPA contest is named for Mate E. Palmer, the ninth IWPA president, who served from 1907 to 1909. Upon her death in 1939, the IWPA established a writing contest in her memory. Celebrating 135 years, IWPA is dedicated to professional excellence and the highest ethical standards in the communications field, and to the rights and responsibilities of the First Amendment.