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IALR Communications Team Wins Five Gold Awards at 2026 PRSA Summit Awards

IALR Communications Team Wins Five Gold Awards at 2026 PRSA Summit Awards

DANVILLE, Va. — The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) Marketing and Communications team earned five Gold Awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Blue Ridge Chapter’s 2026 Summit Awards. The awards recognize outstanding communication efforts in the Blue Ridge region, including Danville, Roanoke, Blacksburg and the surrounding area.

These honors recognize outstanding work across the following categories: newsletter, writing, multimedia, annual report and multipage publications.

“Recognition is always an honor, and recognition received from fellow professional communication peers is especially rewarding,” said Allison Moore, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, IALR. “Thank you to the Blue Ridge Chapter of PRSA and thank you, most of all, to my amazing team and our highly talented content creators, Caleb Ayers and Daniel Dalton.”

Six people post for a photo while holding five awards.

L-R: Savannah Callahan, Cassidy Pruitt, DBA, Daniel Dalton, Caleb Ayers, Allison Moore, Cassie Jones

Annual Report Receives Two Gold Awards

IALR’s 2024 Annual Report earned Gold Awards in the multi‑page publications category and the annual report category. The digital version recorded nearly 700 views, a strong average read time and consistent download activity. The report showcased IALR’s role as a proven, trusted partner across different focus areas, including applied research, workforce training, conference services, economic development and more.

“Truly a team effort, “A Proven Partner” was the theme of the 2024 annual report, reflecting IALR’s mission to drive economic transformation across Southern Virginia through partnerships. This annual report tells a comprehensive story—highlighting IALR’s key focus areas, strategic initiatives, and measurable achievements, all presented in an impactful visual format.” – Daniel Dalton, Graphic and Multimedia Specialist II

View the Award-Winning 2024 Annual Report 

Podcast Wins Gold in Multimedia Category

The Inside IALR podcast earned a Gold Award in the multimedia category. The podcast recorded 2,110 downloads during the award period and produced multiple episodes that exceeded 75 plays soon after release.

The podcast also continues to accumulate downloads well after the initial publishing window. This long‑tail pattern is intentional, as episodes are designed to be evergreen, drive ongoing engagement and enhance IALR’s website with durable, high‑quality content.

 

“With 61 episodes published to date, our goal for Inside IALR remains the same: to provide an in‑depth look at economic transformation in action, both within IALR and through the work of our many great partners. It’s super fun using this show to shine a spotlight on the talented people and impactful organizations that are making a difference in Southern Virginia and beyond.” – Caleb Ayers, Senior Content Manager

Listen to the Award-Winning Podcast 

Newsletter Earns Two Gold Awards

IALR’s monthly newsletter, IALR at a Glance, received Gold Awards in the magazines/newsletter and writing categories. Throughout 2025, the newsletter maintained strong engagement, with open rates regularly above 30 percent and click rates consistently meeting or exceeding expected benchmarks. These performance indicators show sustained interest in the organization’s updates on workforce development, research initiatives and regional programs.

Subscribe to the Award Winning Newsletter

About IALR 

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves Virginia as a regional catalyst for economic transformation with applied research, advanced learning, manufacturing advancement, conference center services and economic development efforts. IALR’s major footprint focuses within Southern Virginia, including the counties of Patrick, Henry, Franklin, Pittsylvania, Halifax and Mecklenburg along with the cities of Martinsville and Danville. 

IALR Communications Team Wins Four PRSA Awards

IALR Communications Team Wins Four PRSA Awards

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) Public Relations and Communications team recently earned four awards – three gold and one silver – from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Blue Ridge Chapter’s 2024 Summit Awards. The Awards recognize outstanding communication efforts in the Blue Ridge region, including Danville, Roanoke, Blacksburg and the surrounding area.

“It is an honor to be recognized among the region’s top communications professionals. I am especially grateful for the award-winning efforts of such exceptional team members, Caleb and Daniel, and for the transformative work our IALR colleagues perform that we are fortunate to promote.” – Allison Moore, Senior Director, PR & Communications

Annual Report – Silver Award (One-time Publication, Multiple Pages)

IALR’s Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report received a silver award in the One-time Publication, Multiple Pages category. The Communications team successfully produced a professional, engaging report by the early calendar year with updated visuals, fresh photography and straightforward, informative content.

“Growing Impact” was not only the theme of the 2023 annual report but also the visual representation of IALR’s mission to transform Southern Virginia. Our annual reports are not traditional with large amounts of text and financial information, but a comprehensive story of IALR’s focus areas, activities and achievements.” – Daniel Dalton, Graphic and Multimedia Specialist II

Inside IALR Podcast – Two Gold Awards (Shared Media: Social Media Streaming and Campaigns: Community Partnerships)

The “Inside IALR” podcast earned two gold awards—one for Shared Media: Social Media Streaming and another for Campaigns: Community Partnerships. The podcast, hosted and produced by Caleb Ayers (Communications Content Manager) and Daniel Dalton (Graphic and Multimedia Specialist II), released 27 episodes and achieved 1,639 total downloads during the award period. Episodes offer a behind-the-scenes view of IALR’s impact and various community partnerships.

“The IALR podcast is our way of giving an inside, behind-the-scenes, and more in-depth view of all the unique programs, people and partnerships that drive our impact.” – Caleb Ayers, Communications Content Manager

IALR at a Glance Newsletter – Gold Award (Writing)

IALR’s monthly “IALR at a Glance” newsletter was awarded gold in the Writing category. The newsletter’s compelling stories and targeted promotional campaigns resulted in a 20% growth in subscribers within one year, surpassing its original goal. The consistent open rate of over 30% indicates strong audience engagement and content relevance.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) Public Relations and Communications team: Daniel Dalton, Allison Moore, and Caleb Ayers.

 

IALR Team Wins Gold in PRSA Summit Awards

IALR Team Wins Gold in PRSA Summit Awards

L-R: Allison Moore and Daniel Dalton of IALR’s PR and Communications team accepted three gold Summit Awards and one special COVID Response Award from the PRSA Blue Ridge Chapter.

IALR’s Public Relations and Communications team won several awards at the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Blue Ridge Chapter Summit Awards. The 2021 Industrial Hemp Summit won Gold for Special Events, two days or shorter. The 2020 Annual Report received a Gold award for best Annual Report, and the Monthly Newsletter received Gold for best Newsletter for External Audiences. The Monthly Newsletter also won the COVID Response Award, a new category added to recognize the “tremendous work done by communications professionals during the response to the pandemic.”

“Telling the story of IALR’s work and regional impact has always been an honor, especially considering the high-quality and innovative programs, research, services and facilities that are championed day in and day out by such tireless and exceptional staff,” said Allison Moore, manager of public relations and communications for IALR. “Thank you to the PRSA Blue Ridge Chapter for the incredible honor of winning three Gold Summit Awards, including the seventh consecutive one for our monthly newsletter, which also received the special COVID Response Award this year.”

Two of the winning entries may be viewed at www.ialr.org/newsletters and www.ialr.org/annual-reports.

The Summit Awards are open to all professional public relations practitioners and students in the Blue Ridge Chapter area, which includes Central, Southern and Southwest Virginia. The competition was decided by a panel of judges from the Agricultural Relations Council chapter of PRSA.

IALR Wins Four Gold Blue Ridge PRSA Summit Awards

IALR Wins Four Gold Blue Ridge PRSA Summit Awards

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research’s (IALR) Public Relations and Communications team won four Gold Summit Awards from the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The 2020 Blue Ridge Chapter Summit Awards event was held virtually and winners were announced via video. Out of the 12 tactic categories awarded, Communications Manager Allison Moore and Graphic and Multimedia Specialist Daniel Dalton earned the highest award of gold in the four categories of Annual Report, Newsletter, Website and Video.

The IALR newsletter, which is produced monthly in print and electronic format to summarize the activities and accomplishments of the organization’s five divisions, won gold for the sixth consecutive year. The newsletters can be viewed at www.ialr.org/newsletters.The goal of IALR’s 2019 Annual Report was to create a compelling and engaging product with emphasis placed on a more effective and efficient distribution. The main focus was on reducing cost and time spent on distribution while still effectively reaching the target audience through expanded electronic formats. The award-winning annual report can be viewed here: www.ialr.org/annual-reports.

The new Great Opportunities in Technology and Engineering Careers (GO TEC) website, developed and launched with oversight by IALR, who serves as the fiscal agent, provides a hub for communications efforts with links from promotional merchandise, literature and social media for the GO TEC program. The website can be viewed at www.gotecva.org.

IALR’s analytical chemistry lab has become a leader in Virginia’s growing hemp industry, but the department recognized there was confusion about why discrepancies existed in test results from different labs. IALR led crafting of a video series, including an introductory video summarizing the six main causes for lab-to-lab testing discrepancies as well as follow-up videos that focused on each of the six causes to help alleviate the concerns.

The Summit awards are open to all professional public relations practitioners and students and the material must be produced by or for an organization based in the Blue Ridge Chapter area. The entries are reviewed and decided by a panel of judges from the Agricultural Relations Council Chapter of PRSA.

The Public Relations Society of America Blue Ridge Chapter is a professional association serving Central and Southwest Virginia public relations practitioners. Founded in 1992, the chapter strives to bring together professionals to enhance the practice, provide an exchange of experiences and ideals, and promote professional development.