Whitaker named "Rising Star"

LaTonya Whitaker was presented the 2008 Rising Star Award from the Virginia Chapter of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPSVA) at the association’s annual conference Feb. 17 in Charlottesville, Va. The award is given to a marketing professional with less than five years experience in the A/E/C industry who has a demonstrated commitment to the field and industry, and who has shown an aptitude for leadership through their intense involvement and contributions.

Whitaker has been a marketing coordinator at the Richmond, VA, office of Hankins & Anderson for less than two years. Since joining the firm in April 2007, she has assumed several responsibilities both at the firm and in SMPSVA, including serving as coordinator for RichmondVirginia Commonwealth University. region meetings of the Chapter. As the Public Relations Director for SMPSVA, Whitaker revamped the Chapter materials and program flyers, and initiated the organization’s foray into social media. She is a 2005 graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University.

“Our Chapter is fortunate to benefit from the energy of many of our ‘younger’ members and competition for the Rising Star Award was tough this year,” said SMPSVA immediate past president Cindy Allen of DJG, Inc. “Among them, LaTonya is a definite stand-out. Her firm and our Chapter are lucky to have her talent; and I predict on her current course, she can rise as far as she likes in the AEC industry.”

SMPS Virginia is the definitive resource for marketing and sales of professional architecture, engineering and construction services for the built and natural environment in the Commonwealth. The Chapter currently has more than 100 members from firms from Roanoke to Charlottesville to Virginia Beach. For more information, visit www.smpsva.org.

Advertising Students Collect Ad Awards

Winners Move on to Regional Competition

Every year, VCU’s undergraduate advertising students enter their work into top creative advertising competitions. The students have been garnering increasingly more recognition in recent years, receiving acknowledgment from some of the top student competitions.

This semester alone, students have won a total of 17 Addy Awards, including Best of Show and four Gold and 12 Silver awards. The work originated as a class assignment in Assistant Professor Bridget Camden’s senior-level classes.

Next, the award-winning students will compete against the local winners of the American Advertising Federation District 3 ADDY winners from Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. All entries that receive gold and silver ADDY awards on the district level compete for national recognition, the third and final tier.

Previously, VCU’s advertising students have also been recognized by the New York One Show, the annual Richmond Show and in publications such as CMYK magazine, the top trend-setting advertising publication in the country.