Receiving the public relations industry's Silver Anvil at a ceremony in New York are (from left) International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis client Louise Bannon, senior counselor Stephenie Fu, digital strategist Shannon Toher, and principal Pattie Yu of Potomac. Rhoda Baer
The Yu Crew, LLC, a Potomac-based public relations agency, walked away with some of the public relations industry’s and association’s top national awards last month. Its principal, Pattie Yu, has been a longtime resident of Potomac.
The virtual public relations firm was honored in New York for its work on launching the inaugural World Thrombosis Day for the International Society of Thrombosis and Haemostasis. That international campaign on blood clots earned a PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) Silver Anvil for Events and Observances Under Seven Days and a PRSA Award of Excellence for Public Service. The Silver Anvil is considered the icon, Oscar of best public relations practices.
Later that month, the campaign was recognized by the American Society of Association Executives as the 2015 Overall Gold Circle Award winner. In addition, the agency and client won the ASAE’s 2015 Gold Circle Award for Integrated Communications Campaign and ASAE’s 2015 Gold Circle Award for Media/Public Relations Campaign. For another client, Casualty Actuarial Society, theYucrew’s work earned an ASAE’s 2015 Gold Circle Merit Award.
Most recently, the agency’s digital strategist, Shannon Toher of Washington, D.C., was named one of Washington Women in Public Relations’ 2015 Emerging Leaders, recognized for the impact she has made on the communications industry.
The Yu Crew has a network of communications professionals around the country with creative designers and programmers, illustrators, media strategists, senior counselors and digital experts. The virtual agency celebrates its fourth year in business later this month.
Its principal, Yu, held senior leadership positions at some of the country’s largest public relations agencies before co-founding GYMR Public Relations which grew to be a top 10 independent PR agency. She was a partner at Fleishman-Hillard (FH), International in D.C. where she built the social marketing and health practices from the ground up.
Yu is a graduate of University of Maryland at College Park where she holds a B.S. in journalism and M.A. in communications and a certificate in journalism from New York University.