“We live in a time when truth is being twisted, when myths move faster than facts, and when trust feels fragile,” warned Grace Leong in her acceptance remarks upon receiving the Gold Anvil, PRSA’s lifetime achievement award.
Urging PR professionals to “elevate truth above myth,” Grace cited President John F. Kennedy’s prophetic words: “The great enemy of truth is very often not the lie that is deliberate and dishonest, but the myth that is persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.”
“JFK’s words remind us that the greatest threat to truth isn’t the lies we can spot but the comforting myths we choose to believe. That’s our challenge—especially here in our nation’s Capital to use our voices not for spin, but for service; to bring clarity where there is confusion; to remind the world that truth told with empathy and integrity still has power.”
“May we continue to use this incredible profession to elevate the truth above the myth and ensure the next generation of communicators, particularly all the PRSSA students, carry that torch even higher,” Leong concluded.
Upon accepting the Gold Anvil at this month’s PRSA International Conference in Washington, D.C., Grace referred to herself the “luckiest woman in public relations.” She thanked her professors at the University of Delaware, her mentor Barbara Hunter, her partners at HUNTER, her husband and four children, and a “calling” that lets her use creative ideas, insights, words, and images to solve problems, overcome challenges, and bring people together.
Grace Leong, MBA, APR, Fellow PRSA, is the CEO of HUNTER, a leading integrated marketing communications firm with a footprint across North America and the U.K. Through her 36-year career, Leong has elevated the strategic role of PR for Fortune 100 companies and propelled HUNTER into one of the industry’s most respected consultancies. A 40-year PRSA/PRSSA member, she’s held leadership roles with the PRSA-NY board and the National Board of Directors and chaired the PRSA International Conference in 2004. Leong has also mentored hundreds of students through PRSSA, championed diversity initiatives, and received accolades such as the John W. Hill Lifetime Achievement Award and the Plank Center’s “Milestones in Mentoring” Award.
See Grace commenting on the “full circle” of her career in this short video clip from the ICON conference. Criteria and list of previous honorees, including her mentor — the late Barbara Hunter — who received the award in 1993.