Jessica Breazeale of Wesson received top honor this year from the Pine Belt Chapter of the Public Relations Association of Mississippi (PRAM) -- the 2024 Bud Kirkpatrick Practitioner of the Year Award.
“It’s hard to believe someone from a small town was selected for such a huge, prestigious honor,” Breazeale said. “I couldn’t be more thrilled. This award did not come easy. I’ve been in public relations for nearly 20 years. I’ve seen everything go from print to digital, which meant I have had to adapt to ensure my efforts are effective. Public relations isn’t easy, especially working from a small town.”
Breazeale has owned and operated Jessica Breazeale Consulting (JBConsulting), a marketing firm, since 2017 at Wesson.
The Bud Kirkpatrick Practitioner of the Year Award recognizes achievements in
the field of public relations and service to PRAM. The annual recipient must have practiced in the field for at least five years, contributed to the success of PRAM and/or Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF) and realized success in the practice or teaching public relations.
The Kirkpatrick Award honors the former public relations director at The University of
Southern Mississippi for 30 years and a founding PRAM member. Kirkpatrick's career spans more than four decades with inductions into six halls of fame.
Breazeale teaches public speaking and journalism at Co-Lin on its Wesson campus and has served on the PRAM Board as professional development chair for the last five years. She won the Best in Show in 2019 on “Summer Safety Campaign” for her work at Georgia Pacific.
Breazeale has received numerous SPRF and PRAM awards -- the 2021 Senior Practitioner Award, 2021 Award of Excellence, and 2021 Award of Merit from SPRF; and the Spark Award 2019 and Spark Award for Summer Safety Campaign from PRAM. She earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public relations at the University of Southern Mississippi.
Breazeale earned her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) in 2019 -- a designation
of the Universal Accreditation Board (UAB) to public relations practitioners who exhibit an exemplary standard of character in a general fitness for their profession. It demonstrates a high level of competence in the practice of public relations over a prescribed period of time after successfully passing written and oral examinations. The credential evidences dedication to development and growth in the public relations profession.
Breazeale accepted her latest award with Callie Hodge of Madison, JB Consulting’s spring intern, who was hired as a part-time employee. Hodge is a public relations major at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) in Hattiesburg. She was an intern at WDAM news station before interning with Breazeale.
“The internship has been such a great opportunity for me to grow in the field of public relations,” Hodge said. “JB Consulting truly wants the best for its clients. I have learned so much from this experience.”
Comments