FWISD Superintendent Walter Dansby to be honored as “Communicator of the Year” at third annual Worthy Awards

FWISD Superintendent Walter Dansby will receive the Communicator of the Year Award from the Greater Fort Worth Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America at the third annual Worthy Awards dinner on Thursday, May 29, at the Fort Worth Club.

In addition to the Communicator of the Year Award, GFW-PRSA plans to present around two dozen awards to area public relations and communications professionals for strategic communications programs and campaigns, including Best of Show. The evening begins with a cocktail reception at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7, followed by the awards presentation. Individual tickets are $75 and tables of 10 are available for $600 at http://www.worthyawards.com.

A keystone of the Worthy Awards, the Communicator of the Year Award is presented to a leader outside the public relations profession who exemplifies open, effective communication.

A committee selected Dansby as Communicator of the Year in large part due to the instrumental leadership he provided in two major FWISD initiatives last year — the implementation of a new strategic plan and a $489.9 million Capital Improvement Program (bond campaign). Both have the potential to impact the district for years and required extensive strategic communications planning and guided implementation.

Dansby’s nominators referenced last year’s bond initiative and his herculean efforts to educate the public about the district’s needs and engage the community in meaningful discussion. His actions to ensure success for Fort Worth’s students by drawing support for the bond election reflect his approach to community engagement at all levels.

As one nominator said, “Everyone who knows Mr. Dansby knows his engagement and enthusiasm are not something he turns on just to get a bond passed. He leads daily as one who is knowledgeable and passionate about educating all the children of Fort Worth.”

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Other notable Community of the Year award winners are Mayor Betsy Price, who was honored for her open style of communication and community engagement in 2013, and former Councilman Joel Burns, who received the inaugural award.

The Worthy Awards were created in 2012 to celebrate the region’s best in public relations and communications. The program is sponsored by the Fort Worth Business Press, J.O., AECOM in association with Dikita, Tarrant County College, Glen E. Ellman Photography, Crown Printed Products & Services, Ware & Associates, Ratio Digital Media, TCU School of Strategic Communication and Lockheed Martin.

For more information about the Worthy Awards or for ticket information for the gala, visit http://www.worthyawards.com.