On Wednesday, December 6th, PRSA Media Predicts encapsulated their theme and vision of Unity and Purpose by recognizing renowned superstar publicist Yvette Noel-Schure and both new and established communications professionals on the PRSA Silicon Valley Board! It was an evening of old and new friends reflecting on the role and impact of media in 2023 and gave attendees the wonderful experience of networking with driven, passionate communications professionals.

The evening’s guest of honor, Yvette Noel-Schure, has and continues to impact the entertainment, music, and communications industries through her presence in media and her incredible ability to capture and create a story of her own and her clients. Many may know her as Beyoncé’s publicist among many other well-known artists who she has represented, but our attendees had the privilege of getting to know her as the influential woman who came from the small island of Grenada and transformed her passion for words and writing into intentionally powerful stories echoing purposeful messages in the media realm. PRSA Silicon Valley awarded Yvette Noel-Schure the “2023 Unity and Purpose Presidential Award” to which Rochelle Nadhiri said “I look at you, Dr. Schure, and I see who I want to be.” Using her position of influence in the media, Yvette embodies unity and purpose in everything she does, reminding women that they “do not need to decide between motherhood or their career,” and that all her accomplishments are a culmination of the support and inspiration she has received from her family. That evening, the audience listened with tears and admiration to Yvette’s personal anecdotes and reflections. Yvette Noel-Schure is authentically driven with purpose in every story she tells, whether it is her own or the clients she leads, and strives to diversify and unify the media industry with the platform that she has.

The ceremonial portion of the awards began with Gerard Corbett presenting David Vossbrink with an award for being inducted into the College of Fellows. The evening continued with Jeremiah Lineberger, a graduate student at San Jose State University, being recognized as Young Professional of the Year. He first attended Media Predicts last year as a student volunteer and has now returned as a key volunteer within the Chapter. After receiving this award, Jeremiah stated that he “…definitely wants to be an inspiration to college students and the younger generation,” as he makes his first strides in his career and continues to look for new ways to reach back and support students looking to make their own mark on the communications industry. Next, Camille Clark and Alannah McDermott both received the 2023 Board Member of the Year Award for their outstanding leadership, mentorship qualities and service within PRSA Silicon Valley throughout the year, along with working alongside the Board and Media Predicts planning team to create an unforgettable experience for this highly attended event.

Past Diversity and Multicultural scholarship recipients were also in attendance, including Elisabeth Perez, recent graduate of San Jose State University who majored in Public Relations and minored in Technical Writing, who said that “receiving the scholarship was one of the proudest moments of my early career.” She emphasized the impact it had on her to be recognized by an organization that truly values diversity and inclusivity – Elisabeth’s father is Mexican and her mother is Guatemalan, leaving her feeling “twice blessed over like it’s not just (her) award, but theirs as well.”

It is clear that personal stories and sincere story-tellers are what connect an audience to a message. Yvette molds and fashions her clients’ stories to have global impact while also sharing her own story and influencing those in the very room she is in, and she’s not done yet. That is what Yvette will continue to do and what PRSA Silicon Valley hopes to instill in the rising professionals who aspire to be publicists, journalists, and storytellers. Everyone has a story to tell, so tell it well!

100% of the proceeds from Media Predicts went to our Diversity and Multicultural Scholarship fund – which awards diverse and talented students making a mark in the communications industry – allowing us to increase the amount of students recognized in the 2024 program. 

The scholarship is only made possible by the generous donations of many communications leaders, agencies and organizations in and around the Bay Area. Please consider donating to the fund so that we can continue to award more incredible students in years to come. If you are interested in supporting, please visit the link here and select “PRSA Silicon Valley Diversity and Multicultural Scholarship Fund” from the drop-down menu. We thank you for your investment into a more diverse and inclusive communications industry!

Applications for the 2024 Diversity and Multicultural Scholarship program open in February.

To learn more about what the media panelists said and for a full list of both event and student sponsors, check out this other blog story: https://www.prsa-sv.org/news/media-predicts-celebrates-mentorship-community.

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Kayla Cordill, the writer of this story which highlights the awards portion of Media Predicts, has volunteered at PRSA Silicon Valley Media Predicts for two years in a row. She is a student at San Jose State University studying Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing set to graduate in Spring 2024.

Gabriel Schrag is an experienced, Bay Area-based video producer and video strategist. He edited this sizzle reel following his on-site videography support at Media Predicts 2023.

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