Banner Brunch 2025
Saturday, May 3, Austin Central Library
Be curious(er).
Curiosity is at the heart of communication – and let’s face it, we’re all feeling a bit mad these days. What better excuse to stop time for a little while and come together in celebration of our signature WCA event: Banner Brunch.
Join us at the Central Library in downtown Austin on Saturday, May 3rd from 10am-1pm as we eat, drink, and be madly merry in honor of central Texas communicators. We’ll mix, mingle, and hand out awards and scholarships when not furiously (but quietly) outbidding one another at the silent auction. Don’t feel obligated to wear a waistcoat, but your most dashing hat is, as always, encouraged. The spirit of Julie Tereshchuk endures at the WCA, through the scholarship named after her and in every fabulous hat worn.
Agenda
9:30-10:30am — Registration
10am — Buffet Opens
11am — Program Begins
Noon — Auction Closes
12:30(ish) Program Concludes
12:30-1:30 — Auction Pick Up
Tickets on sale now!
The Julie Tereshchuk Scholarship is made possible by the generosity of Julie’s husband, Trevor Richards,
via The Richards and Tereshchuk Giving Fund.
Meet our 2025 Banner Award Winners
Liz Carpenter Lifetime
Achievement Award
Christy Carpenter
About Christy
Christy Carpenter, Liz Carpenter’s daughter & biographer, has extensive experience in media as EVP & COO of the Paley Center for Media in NYC, Vice Chair of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and board member of Austin PBS and KCET (LA). She also has several decades of experience as a cable TV, trade association, and marketing executive.
Her documentary, created with Abby Ginzberg, called Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter, premiered at SXSW in March 2024 to much acclaim. Since SXSW, the film has been an official selection of nine other festivals, winning awards from two.
On making this doc, Christy said, “This was a chance to give people an understanding of the full spectrum of her (Liz Carpenter’s) career through the women’s movement. Some people are not even that aware how active she was, and certainly didn’t know about the journalist period, so this is giving a multi-dimensional story of a woman who had an impact all along the way, from the very beginning up until the end and our goal is to inspire people to go on and shake things up in whatever way they want to shake them up.”
Outstanding Austin
Communicator Award
Debra Davis
Debra Davis Productions
About Debra
Emmy Award Winning and Grammy Nominated, Debra Davis is a storyteller who creates engaging television series, live streams, live music events, award shows, branded content, events, corporate entertainment, and meetings. As founder of Debra Davis Productions, she leads a full-service production company whose highly experienced management, creative, and technical teams include the most innovative and accomplished leaders in the industry.
Debra Davis Productions has been an industry leader, producing and transmitting live streams to a global audience for some of the world’s largest live events including Coachella, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, and Bonnaroo, just to name a few.
Throughout her decades-long career, Debra Davis has perfected managing every aspect of a production from initial conceptualization to final execution. Austin based, Debra Davis is a two-time Austin Chronicle Austin Music Industry Hall of Fame nominee, a voting member of the Recording Academy (Grammys), member of Producers Guild of America, a certified HUB business, and a dog mom.
Anne Durrum Robinson
Creative Initiative Award
Nancy Thompson
Mothers For Democracy
About Nancy
Nancy Thompson’s visionary project began with a solitary act of protest—a handwritten sign opposing Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s policies—and quickly evolved into a groundbreaking movement that reimagined political activism. As the founder of Mothers For Democracy, Nancy harnessed the power of personal storytelling and grassroots mobilization to spark change in Texas and beyond.
Her creative achievement lies in transforming a single, emotionally charged moment into multi-faceted campaigns across multiple organizations that span strategic communications, multimedia storytelling, and civic education that has evolved and grown since its inception in August 2021. The movement she began has transcended state boundaries and become a vocal and influential presence in national politics, actively educating the public and advocating for policies that prioritize the well-being of families and children.
Gene Barnwell Waugh
Mentor Award
Dr. Judy Oskam
Texas State University
About Judy
Dr. Judy Oskam is professor and director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Texas State University. She has served as Director since 2012 and works to provide faculty with the support and resources they need to impact student success. Judy teaches undergraduate classes in public relations and media communications and a graduate class about creative problem solving. The School of Journalism and Mass Communication is one of the largest, ACEJMC accredited programs in the nation with more than 2,000 undergraduate students majoring in Advertising, Digital Media Innovation, Electronic Media, Journalism, Mass Communication and Public Relations. Before joining Texas State University, Oskam was an associate professor at Texas Tech University.
Dr. Oskam supports professional development for faculty and students. An award-winning educator, she is passionate about providing opportunities for students and faculty to experience the changing media industry beyond the classroom. Under her leadership, the school has established education abroad and study-in-America programs to: the UK/Europe, Spain, Japan, Scotland, New York, Washington and California. She is also working to offer a program in Querétaro, Mexico. Oskam is an Honorary Professor of International Studies.
Gene Barnwell Waugh Mentor Award
Genevieve “Vivvi” Britton
Precision AQ
About Vivvi
Vivvi is a strategic communications leader specializing in healthcare and medtech, with expertise in public relations. She has worked with more than 40 pharmaceutical, medical device, and diagnostics brands, shaping industry narratives, building reputations, and driving tangible results.
Vivvi has served on the WCA board several times, but she found her niche in fall 2024 as the Peer Mentor Chair. Since taking on the role, she has worked diligently to revitalize the program and bring meaningful support to our members and community. Furthermore, she was instrumental in developing and launching a pilot program to welcome non-members to be mentees, a move that has significantly fueled the program’s growth. She also co-hosts Careers Over Coffee North, a monthly meetup for women in communications to connect, collaborate, and grow.
Leadership Award
Amy Carr
Amy Carr Communications
About Amy
Amy Carr is a communications strategist and solopreneur who specializes in partnering with mission-driven organizations to transform their marketing and communication strategy. As the founder of Amy Carr Communications, she specializes in developing customized, integrated strategies that create meaningful and measurable impact. Her distinctive approach combines strategic planning with a coaching mindset, enabling clients to navigate complex communication landscapes and achieve breakthrough results in engagement, visibility and organizational growth.
As a longtime member of Women Communicators of Austin, Amy has served in a variety of roles for the organization, including president, VP/membership, VP/professional development, VP/programs and secretary. She was recognized with the Gladys Whitney Hearst Outstanding Chapter Member Award in 2005 and the President’s Award in 1999. Before WCA rebranded, she represented the organization on the national board for four years. She has also received awards from Girl Scouts of Central Texas for her volunteer work at the troop, service unit, and council levels.
Gladys Whitley Hearst Outstanding Member
Caitlyn Macaluso
FVF Law
About Caitlyn
Caitlyn Macaluso is a marketing strategist, storyteller, and project manager with a passion for crafting compelling narratives and driving impactful brand strategies. As the Marketing Director at FVF Law, she develops and executes marketing initiatives that align with the firm’s core values of education, compassion, transparency, and advocacy. With a background in content creation, branding, and strategic communications, Caitlyn thrives at the intersection of creativity and organization, ensuring that every project she manages is both engaging and effective.
Caitlyn is also deeply committed to community service and dedicates her time to organizations like The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, Austin Humane Society, and Girls Empowerment Network. She has served on the board of WCA as VP of Communications, VP of Banner Brunch, and VP of Operations/Secretary.
Driven by a belief in the power of storytelling and service, Caitlyn strives to make an impact both professionally and within her community.
President’s Award
Roberta Coffin
Scripta Communications
About Roberta
Roberta Coffin, who began her career in opinion research and the study of opinion formation, is a content creator with a strong emphasis on strategy and demand generation. After nearly a decade of account executive roles in public relations and advertising, she founded Scripta Communication, a boutique agency serving clients related to housing, construction and real estate. Today, Roberta continues to provide marketing communications, public outreach and copywriting services.
Long involved in professional, industry and community organizations, Roberta is passionate about equity, education and mentoring. Almost as soon as she moved to Austin in the summer of 2016, Roberta joined WCA. Over the past eight years, she has served on Get Smart and Banner Brunch committees, as well as co-vice president of development, marketing communications liaison for the Peer Mentoring program, communications vice president and treasurer.
2025 Scholarship Winners
The Julie Tereshchuk Scholarship
Khanh Nguyen
The Jo Caldwell Meyer Scholarship
Marisela Perez Maita
THANK YOU TO OUR 2025 EVENT SPONSORS!
Thank you so much to this year’s Banner Brunch sponsors and partners! If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor or partner for future events, please contact development@wcaustin.org.
Premium Sponsors
Supporting Sponsors
REACH OUT TO BE A RAFFLE OR AUCTION DONOR!
Nominate
Recognize the outstanding Austin communicators, distinguished lifetime achievements, and amazing mentors in the Austin community.
Apply
Currently pursuing an education in the field of communications? Apply to be considered for our scholarships (deadlines apply each year).
Volunteer
Assist with the selection for awards and scholarships, organize the event, and ensure guests have a fantastic time at Banner Brunch.
Sponsor & Donate
Place your organization at the forefront of one of Austin’s most celebrated communications events. Sponsor, donate, or contribute raffle items!