PRSA Thoroughbred Chapter announces 2025 Communicator of the Year, Communications Excellence Awards
News Release by Dan Koett | Honoree Tributes by Holly Wiemers | Highlights Video by Michele Hill
The PRSA Thoroughbred Chapter is pleased to announce that Anita Spreitzer, vice president of Paws 4 the Cause, has been named its 2025 Communicator of the Year. The award recognizes a Central Kentucky community member who is not a public relations professional but has demonstrated exceptional communication skills to inform, inspire and make a meaningful impact.
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​​The Communicator of the Year Award is part of the PRSA Thoroughbred Chapter’s annual recognition program celebrating excellence in communications across Central and Eastern Kentucky.
In addition to Spreitzer, this year's honorees are:
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Susan Lancho, Senior Manager, External and Government Affairs, Kentucky American Water: Career Achievement Award, recognizing a PRSA Thoroughbred Chapter member (current or within the past five years) with more than 15 years of experience who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence.
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Ryan Clark, Communications Director, University of Kentucky College of Health Sciences: Communications Impact Award, recognizing an outstanding mid-career professional with five to 15 years of communications experience.
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Crystal Sicard, then Public Relations Coordinator, New Vista (currently Executive Advisor, Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services): Rising Star Award, honoring an emerging professional with two to five years in a PR or communications role who has demonstrated initiative and creativity.
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A’Mya Kendrick, Graphic Design Associate, Eastern Kentucky University’s Center for Student Involvement, and PRSSA member: Outstanding Student Award, recognizing a college student actively engaged in public relations through academic or extracurricular involvement.
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The 2025 honorees were recognized at the chapter’s annual awards dinner Nov. 13 at Carson’s at Andover in Lexington.
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See full tributes to our honorees below.
2025 Thoroughbred Communicator of the Year makes the news!
On the Air: WLEX-TV
Watch segment here.
Thoroughbred Chapter President Katie Neal, ACC joined our friends at WLEX-TV bright and early Nov. 12 to celebrate this year’s PRSA Thoroughbred Chapter Award honorees! Special thanks to WLEX-TV for the warm welcome.
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Among this year’s honorees is Anita Spreitzer, vice president of Paws 4 the Cause, who was named the 2025 Communicator of the Year for her incredible advocacy and compassion for animals across Kentucky.
On the Air: FOX 56 News
Watch segment here.
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Chapter President Katie Neal, ACC also appeared on FOX 56 News Nov. 12, this time joined by Anita Spreitzer, our 2025 Communicator of the Year! We appreciate our friends at FOX 56 for spotlighting this year’s honorees.
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​The chapter celebrated Anita and fellow award recipients Susan Lancho (Kentucky American Water), Ryan Clark (University of Kentucky), Crystal S. (formerly of New Vista) and A’Mya Kendrick (Eastern Kentucky University) at an awards dinner Nov. 13 at Carson’s at Andover.
2025 Communicator of the Year Award: ANITA SPREITZER
This award recognizes someone who is not a PR professional but is an exceptional communicator in their own right.
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ANITA SPREITZER'S communication is born from a deeply personal and heartfelt mission to give a voice to the voiceless. In her role as vice president and general manager of Paws 4 the Cause, she has demonstrated exceptional communication by elevating a local problem into a statewide call to action. Her recent communication efforts have focused on the critical issue of animal overpopulation, which has forced many rescues, including her own, to operate at maximum capacity.
Rather than simply communicating her organization's internal challenges, Spreitzer has used her platform to push for stronger animal shelter laws and increased state funding, extending her efforts to support public shelters, rescues and animal advocacy groups across the Commonwealth. This creative and strategic shift from a reactive stance to a proactive campaign for systemic change has positively impacted the broader community by bringing much-needed attention to a pressing and heartbreaking issue that affects every county in the state.
Her efforts are also helping fund a $50,000 renovation project would allow Paws 4 the Cause to offer much-needed, affordable spay and neuter services, as well as general veterinary care to local pet owners and other rescue organizations.
Spreitzer is regularly featured on local television, generating consistent broadcast and online coverage that brings critical awareness to the issues facing the animal welfare community.
Spreitzer is a visionary animal advocate who understands that effective PR is intrinsically linked to programmatic innovation. Her particular brand of success stems from her deep sense of caring and personal commitment to justice for those unable to speak for themselves.
2025 Career Achievement Award: SUSAN LANCHO
The Career Achievement Award recognizes a Thoroughbred Chapter member (current or within the past five years) with more than 15 years of experience who has demonstrated a commitment to excellence.
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SUSAN LANCHO has excelled at building and maintaining positive relationships with the community. Lancho has been the face of the Kentucky American Water in numerous public forums and has consistently worked to resolve community concerns proactively. Notable achievements include leading the contentious and public battle over a water supply issue facing Central Kentucky in the mid-2000s as well as an effort by the City of Lexington to execute a municipal takeover of Kentucky American Water.
This long-standing battle was a multi-faceted challenge involving the Public Service Commission, the city government and public opinion. Lancho’s leadership in this area was critical, showcasing her ability to navigate complex political and regulatory landscapes. She spearheaded a strategic public relations campaign that highlighted the company's value, its commitment to infrastructure investment, and its role as a reliable partner, effectively countering the city's arguments and maintaining public support. This narrative countered the city's arguments leading to a city-introduced referendum being defeated by the voting citizens of Lexington.
Lancho excels at developing and executing long-term communication strategies that align with the company's business objectives. This isn't just about putting out press releases; it's about crafting a consistent, compelling narrative that positions Kentucky American Water as a leading utility and an essential community partner.
Throughout her career, Lancho has mobilized the company's most valuable resource: its employees. Lancho has led and coordinated various volunteer initiatives, encouraging staff to become active participants in community life. By fostering a culture of civic engagement, she has not only strengthened the company's bond with the community but also enhanced employee morale and pride.
2025 Communications Impact Award: RYAN CLARK
The Communications Impact Award recognizes an outstanding mid-career professional with five to 15 years of communications experience.
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As communications director, RYAN CLARK shares the great stories of the University of Kentucky’s College of Health Sciences, the audiences of which are diverse, and can include prospective students, faculty, staff, current students, alumni, and even retired donors.
Because these audiences have different likes and dislikes, there are many different communication avenues, including the web, social media, video, a magazine, newsletters, a podcast and traditional media. Thus, Clark decided the best philosophy was to create as much content as possible — and to creatively repurpose content so CHS can showcase stories across all media. It means constant work.
In five-plus years, he has doubled the amount of content the college produces. That also means cultivating relationships with all audiences to make sure they bring story ideas to him. Each day, he shares new content to showcase the great classes, people and research being completed in the college in a timely manner to bring the most attention to those featured.
Clark has totally transformed the way the college markets itself over the last five-plus years. It has a podcast now, a better magazine, a busy TikTok and YouTube channel. Every day, the college showcases its students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. Since Clark joined the team, CHS has published more than 1,200 stories detailing the great things that are done within the college. Many of those were repurposed into television, newspaper or magazine stories, ensuring that audiences around the country can see its efforts. In 2024, he had an amazing year, publishing more than 120 stories, winning seven regional and national awards.
2025 Rising Start Award: CRYSTAL SICARD
The Rising Star Award honors an emerging professional with two to five years in a PR or communications role who has demonstrated initiative and creativity.
What set CRYSTAL SICARD apart as the leading candidate for the Rising Star Award is her ability to quickly make an impact while bringing creativity, strategy, and dedication to every project. Her career journey, starting in TV news, then selling cars, followed by public relations at the Kentucky Department of Education, and now in the nonprofit sector at New Vista, has given her a unique perspective on communications. Each experience taught her valuable skills, from storytelling and audience engagement to building relationships and executing strategic campaigns, all of which she brings to her work today.
Over the past year, she led several high-impact initiatives that combined creativity with community engagement. She coordinated ribbon-cutting events for New Vista’s Behavioral Health Urgent Care and the new Danville office, managing press releases, media interviews and event promotion. These events increased local awareness of critical behavioral health services and strengthened New Vista’s connection with the communities it serves.
In addition, she created a media landing page and developed targeted marketing campaigns to highlight New Vista’s programs and services. Sicard also created internal documents such as social media guidelines. These efforts included community spotlights, client success stories and educational content on buses and at gas stations, resulting in higher engagement, expanded reach and increased inquiries from individuals seeking support.
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Note: Sicard is currently serving as executive advisor for the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services.
2025 Student of the Year: A'MYA KENDRICK
The Student of the Year Award recognizes a college student actively engaged in public relations through academic or extracurricular involvement.
A'MYA KENDRICK has a natural talent for spotting communication gaps and transforming them into opportunities for clarity and connection. In her role as a graphic design associate for Eastern Kentucky University’s Center for Student Involvement, she not only designed materials but also immersed herself in internal communication strategy.
During the recent Kentucky legislative session that addressed university DEI efforts, Kendrick identified a critical problem: student workers were unsure how to articulate the EKU center's purpose, often using inconsistent language. Recognizing that a unified message was essential for inclusivity and credibility, she took the initiative to create a concise "pitch" document. This resource clearly outlined the center's mission, vision, and the intentional use of inclusive terms like "all students."
In addition to her work with the Center for Student Involvement, Kendrick has demonstrated her skill in implementing strategic communications by publishing over two dozen stories in her role as a student writer for EKU's Communication and Brand Management office.
Kendrick’s record of achievement as EKU PRSSA chapter president is exceptional. She is the first president in the chapter's history to lead it to a national PRSA award. When she joined in Spring 2023, membership stood at just five students. By Fall 2024, through her vision and relentless drive, she increased membership fivefold, introducing 15 new members in her first semester as president. Her innovative tiered membership model (offering both paid and unpaid options) made PRSSA accessible to all students, resulting in today's thriving roster of 20 paid and 15 unpaid members. For this growth EKU presented her with the registered student organization officer of the year in Spring 2025.