PRSA Sierra Nevada celebrates public relations and communications excellence with 2025 Silver Spike Awards

The Sierra Nevada Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) honored six individuals, 18 Silver Spike Awards, and several other accolades during its 2025 Silver Spikes award dinner on Oct. 23, 2025 at The Depot in Reno, Nev.

The Silver Spike Awards celebrate excellence in the local public relations and communications industry. Public relations and marketing professionals submit their work for evaluation by an out-of-market PRSA chapter. Submissions are judged on a 100-point scale, with top scores earning a Silver Spike, Bronze Spike or Award of Excellence.

In 2025, the Sierra Nevada Chapter of PRSA received 64 submissions. Of these, a remarkable 47 were recognized for their outstanding research, well-defined goals and objectives, effective execution, and measurable results.

In addition to recognizing professional projects, the Sierra Nevada Chapter honored individuals based on community nominations. A selection committee, composed of industry professionals and community leaders, reviewed nominations and finalized award recipients.

“The Silver Spike Awards are a way to honor the incredible achievements of our local public relations community, and learn from one another to continuously improve our craft,” said Kathie Taylor, APR, 2025 PRSA Sierra Nevada Chapter president. “The number of awards this year are a testament to the hard work of northern Nevada’s practitioners, and the impact their communications work has had.” 

Below is the complete list of awards presented at the 2025 Silver Spike Awards:

Individual Award Winners

• Lifetime Achievement Posthumous Award: Dr. Michael Todd Felts, APR
• Public Relations Hall of Fame: Kathie Taylor, APR, In Plain Sight Marketing LLC
• Gold Spike Community Member: John Trent, University of Nevada, Reno
• Mark Twain Community Service: Kurt Hoge, Reno Type
• Mark Curtis Jr. Chapter Member of the Year: Renee Plain, In Plain Sight Marketing LLC
• Outstanding New Practitioner: Hannah Reizenstein, The Ferraro Group

Best of Show
This is the highest-scoring entry.

• RAD Strategies, Inc.
  Imagine: A Musical Collaboration with Jeremy Renner

Silver Spike Award Recipients
These recipients received a score of 90+.

• Argentum Partners
  Special Events & Observances, 1 or 2 days
  Virginia City’s Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry

   Desert Research Institute

  Content Marketing
  IRP Brochure

• Desert Research Institute
  Content Marketing
  SAR 2025 Vol. 1- Printed Report and Storymap
• IC Media Strategy
  Media Relations – Paid: Online, Print, Digital and Other Channels
  NNPH Sexual Health Clinic Campaign
• In Plain Sight Marketing LLC
  Overall Campaign
  Boots and Bling – Austin’s House
• KPS3
  Media Relations – Earned: Online, Print, Expert Positioning
  Carson City to Canada Quest: A Trailblazing Travel Campaign
• KPS3
  Multicultural Communications
  Block the Pox
• KPS3
  Overall Campaign
  A Winter’s Charm
• RAD Strategies Inc.
  Emergency or Crisis Programs
  Hot August Nights Uses Social Media To Overcome A Crisis
• RAD Strategies, Inc.
  Community Relations
  Imagine: A Musical Collaboration with Jeremy Renner
• Renown Health
  Overall Campaign
  Transforming a Local Challenge Into a National Campaign
• Travel Nevada
  Special Events & Observances, 1 or 2 days
  Chicago Spaces Out In Nevada
• Travel Nevada
  Media Relations – Owned: Social Media
  From Out There to Everywhere
• Travel Nevada
  Public Affairs
  Tourism Means More
• Travel Nevada
  Media Relations – Paid: Online, Print, Digital and Other Channels
  Travelzoo + Travel Nevada Shine a Spotlight on Elko
• Travel Nevada
  Media Relations – Earned: Online, Print, Expert Positioning
  Unearthing the Unexpected
• Visit Reno Tahoe
  Overall Campaign
  Reno Tahoe Creator Camp
• The Gattuso Coalition
  Special Events & Observances, 3 or more days
  The Great Reno Balloon Race 2024

Bronze Spike Award Recipients
These recipients received a score between 84-89.

• Argentum Partners
  Overall Campaign
  Inside These Doors
• Desert Research Institute
  Audio, Video, Webcasts, etc.
  Arkstorm Sierra Front
• Desert Research Institute
  Content Marketing
  Books and Bots Logo
• East Public Relations
  Overall Campaign
  First 5 Nevada
• Good Giant
  Media Relations – Earned: Online, Print, Expert Positioning
  2024 Barracuda Championship
• Good Giant
  Media Relations – Earned: Online, Print, Expert Positioning
  2024 Reno Rodeo
• Good Giant
  Media Relations – Earned: Online, Print, Expert Positioning
  Reno Tahoe Indoor Track Launch
• In Plain Sight Marketing LLC
  Special Events & Observances, 1 or 2 days
  Boots and Bling – Austin’s House
• KNVC Carson City Community Media
  Content Marketing
  KNVC Local Content and Services Report to the Community
• KPS3
  Media Relations – Owned: Social Media
  Dairy Paradise
• Palmer Consulting
  Audio, Video, Webcasts, etc.
  Livin’ Rancho Cucamonga
• Renown Health
  Audio, Video, Webcasts, etc.
  Second Chance Through ECMO
• Renown Health
  Content Marketing
  The William N Pennington Cancer Institute Annual Report
• University of Nevada, Reno
  Media Relations – Earned: Online, Print, Expert Positioning
  University of Nevada, Reno Wildlife Experts Guide

Award of Excellence Recipients
These recipients received a score between 78-83.

• Argentum Partners
  Special Events & Observances, 3 or more days
  Reno Air Show
• Desert Research Institute
  Audio, Video, Webcasts, etc.
  Written in the Trees
• IC Media Strategy
  Multicultural Communications
  NNPH Sexual Health Clinic Campaign
• In Plain Sight Marketing LLC
  Overall Campaign
  Carson Valley Meats
• In Plain Sight Marketing LLC
  New/Emerging Technology
  Carson Valley Meats
• In Plain Sight Marketing LLC
  Overall Campaign
  Roper’s HVAC Fan Drive
• MJT Consulting, LLC
  Audio, Video, Webcasts, etc.
  Respect the Cone: My family needs me home
• Northern Nevada Public Health
  Multicultural Communications
  Northern Nevada Public Health’s 5210 Healthy Washoe Lotería
• Northern Nevada Public Health
  Multicultural Communications
  NNPH – Food Business Resource Fair
• Renown Health
  Overall Campaign
  Beyond The Ribbon-Cutting – Building Momentum for the Conrad Breast Center Launch
• Renown Health
  Internal Communications
  Inspiring Employee Survey Engagement
• Travel Nevada
  Overall Campaign
  The Space to Be
• University of Nevada, Reno
  Media Relations – Owned: Social Media
  Grads of the Pack
• Visit Reno Tahoe
  Media Relations – Earned: Online, Print, Expert Positioning
  Buzzfeed Reno Tahoe Feature Story
• Washoe County, Communications Division
  Issues Management
  Washoe County Reclaims the Narrative on Homelessness

The 2025 Silver Spike Awards ceremony was made possible with generous support from Renown Health; Argentum Partners; Northern Nevada Health System; In Plain Sight Marketing LLC; MJT Consulting, LLC; The Ferraro Group; East Public Relations; KPS3; University of Nevada, Reno; Reno Type; Mike Higdon’s Storytelling Studio; and Dani’s Design Co.

Connect with the Sierra Nevada PRSA chapter on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn. For more information, visit prsasierra.org.

The Sierra Nevada Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) consists of public relations practitioners from Northern Nevada, Lake Tahoe and the surrounding area. The Chapter is active in professional development for its members and community-service service programs for organizations without formal public relations departments. It maintains a close working relationship with the Theodore E. Conover Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at the University of Nevada, Reno, helping the student organization toward a number of regional and national awards, including the prestigious Bateman Case Study championship.

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