Banner Awards
Nominations for the 2024 Banner awards have closed.
Stay tuned as we announce this year’s winners and be sure to join us to celebrate at Banner Brunch on May 4, 2024!
Every year since 1973, Women Communicators of Austin has awarded top communicators with Banner Awards at Banner Brunch, one of the most anticipated events of the year. Nominations come from WCA members and industry professionals across Central Texas.
Take a look at past honorees to see the varied and distinguished group:
Banner Awards Overview:
Outstanding Austin Communicator Award
This award recognizes Austin-area communicators who have made an impact with their body of work. Emphasis is on professional achievement, promotion of the field of communications, and community service.
Since 1973, recipients have included: Elizabeth Christian, Judy Maggio, “Cactus” Pryor, Ann Richards, Evan Smith, Heather Ladage, Kerry Tate, Quita Culpepper, and Sarah Weddington.
Liz Carpenter Lifetime Achievement Award
Created in 1993 and named for author and WCA member Liz Carpenter, this award recognizes communicators who have reached the highest levels of personal and professional achievement over a lifetime.
Past recipients include: Michael Barnes, Carol Thompson, Liz Carpenter, Dr. Inez Jeffery, and Mary Beth Rogers. Emphasis is placed on a lifetime of leadership, outstanding achievement, and promotion of the field of communications.
Gene Barnwell Waugh Mentor Award
This award recognizes those who have given selflessly to others, providing advice, support, and wisdom. The selection committee looks for a person who has served as a committed mentor over an extended period, particularly to other communications professionals.
Past winners of this award include: Lee Moczygemba, Jane Baxter Lynn, Jenny Magic, Cathy Bonner, Dara Quackenbush, Lynn Segall, Patti DeNucci, and Laura Tuma.
Anne Durrum Robinson Creative Initiative Award
This award honors a professional communicator who has taken a project/idea to fruition in a new or successful way. Past winners created measurable impact and showed creative initiative in the development of ideas or programs that improve their business, an organization where they volunteer, the field of communications or women’s issues.
The award is named after WCA member Anne Durrum Robinson, a consultant who worked with companies to help them cultivate innovation at the executive level. Past winners included: Anne Lasseigne Tiedt, Andrea Schulle, Amy Hufford, Samantha Furry, Ilene Haddad and Rachel Clemens.
Gladys Whitley Hearst Outstanding Member
For members only.
Named for a founding member of the Women Communicators of Austin and former two-time Theta Sigma Phi National President, this award recognizes an individual who has advanced WCA through outstanding service and personal and professional achievement. Not only are the recipients of this award dedicated to the success of WCA, they are respected leaders in the field of communications and people who best represent the most desirable qualities of our membership.
Past winners of this award include Patti DeNucci, Pam Baggett (Johnson), and Christina Walsh.
Leadership Award
For members only.
The Leadership Award recognizes a WCA member who has gone above and beyond in leadership to the organization. This award is given for years of outstanding service and is intended to honor those who have made lasting and fundamental impact over time.
There have only been seven winners of this award (Anne Lasseigne Tiedt, Christina Walsh, Pam Baggett, Amy Hufford, Cory Leahy, Lisa Maxwell and Julie Tereshchuk). These winners in general have: spent five or more years on the board, chaired many committees, continued to work on projects even after spending time on the board and have innovated repeatedly over time.
An award may not be given if the Awards Committee deems there are no qualified nominees, based on the nomination package.