Have you ever wondered who is behind the scenes and shaping the reputations of your favorite brands and organizations? Meet Nepherterra Best, Latoya Evans, and Wynona Redmond, three Black professionals who run the show in the world of public relations in honor of Black History Month. Every month, not just during Black History Month, it is essential to celebrate and honor the achievements of Black professionals in every industry, including public relations.
Nepherterra Best is an award-winning public relations professional with over 20 years of experience. She is the founder and Chief Communications Officer of Pride Public Relations, a full-service PR agency based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Pride PR has an impressive clientele, which includes Walmart and Wells Fargo Bank. Best is also the Vice-President of Integrated Communications at CMRignite, the nation’s largest minority-owned marketing and social impact agency. Along with agency work, Best founded NewsReleaseNow.com, a press release distribution platform and media pitching service for entrepreneurs, small businesses, and nonprofits. Her achievements have led her to win many awards; she has been recognized as a Charlotte Business Journal 2017 ‘40 Under 40 Honoree,’ the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce Young Professional Entrepreneur Award, and the League Young Professionals Leadership Award. Nepherterra Best exemplifies Black excellence and visionary leadership in the dynamic world of PR.
Latoya Evans is the founding principal and chief communications officer of LEPR Agency, a successful 7-figure public relations agency specializing in crisis communications and proactive media relations affiliated with the renowned Edelman Public Relations- the world’s largest PR firm. Her agency boasts an impressive clientele, spanning professions and fields, and includes notable, high-profile figures such as the family of George Floyd, Joe Biden, Andrew Yang, Michael Blommberg, Big Sean and more, as well as corporations including Twitter and Coca-Cola. Evans has had a long and diverse professional journey across multiple communications-related spheres. In college, her first company offered writing consulting services that worked with magazines such as Glamour and People Magazine. Transitioning into the realm of public relations, Evans quickly rose to prominence as a C-suite leader working with brands including Cisco, Compass Group, Bank of America, Walmart, and IBM, before funding her own Agency in 2017.
Wynona Redmond is president and founder of Wyn-Win Communications and is president emeritus of NBPRS. She has dedicated more than 20 years to her passion for helping organizations connect to their communities and audiences. Redmond has also received countless awards for her professional work as a communications and community engagement strategist, including the ‘Target Market News PR Executive of the Year’ and the ‘National Association of Black Journalists Pat Tobin Media Professional Award.’ In response to being the selected recipient of the 2018 Patricia L. Tobin Award, Remind says, “Like Pat, I treasure the relationships I’ve had with NABJ and the National Black Public Relations Society professionals; All of us working to make our communities and students stronger.” Alongside those major achievements, Redmond has also served on several corporate and institutional boards and committees.
Black History Month was created by Carter G. Woodson, a founder of the Association for the Study of African American History, “to encourage Black Americans to become more interested in their own history and heritage.” (Associated Press) Today, we reflect on PR professionals who have honored their culture and thrived in the workforce – teaching us all Best shows us how to found a PR agency and work with a large clientele, Evans teaches us how to handle profile cases, and Redmond demonstrates achievement and connections.
National Black Public Relations Society: https://careers.nbprs.org/
Associated Press: https://www.voanews.com/a/february-is-black-history-month-in-the-us/7466915.html