In addition to the Bronze and Silver Awards, the Bernays Awards feature multiple Special Awards:

Otto Bos Hall of Fame Award

In 2019, the Chapter founded the Otto Bos Hall of Fame Award which recognizes an experienced practitioner for lifetime achievement in the public relations arena. This special award recognizes leaders with significant accomplishments in the public relations field in our region.

This award, originally named the Otto Bos Lifetime Achievement Award, was created by the PR Club of San Diego and is named after the late Otto Bos, a press secretary and strategic confidant of former California Governor Pete Wilson. Bos was a San Diegan whose career achievements in public relations made a significant impact on the profession and served as a model for others.

All past Otto Bos Lifetime Achievement award winners are recognized as Otto Bos Hall of Fame inductees on the PRSA SD/IC website in perpetuity.

Deborah Baker PR Pro of the Year Award

This award recognizes an individual, who in the previous year, has achieved an outstanding public relations accomplishment in strategic planning, product or service introduction, issues management, advocacy, or crisis. It was initiated by the PR Club of San Diego as the PR Professional of the Year Award and came into the Mark of Excellence Awards structure after the merger of the two organizations.

In 2003 it was renamed the Deborah Baker PR Professional of the Year Award in honor of Deborah Baker, APR, who passed away just months after being selected to receive the honor in 2002. Baker was the director of communications for the Girl Scouts San Diego-Imperial Counties Council and was honored, among other things, for her work initiating “Operation Thin Mint” to send Girl Scout cookies to troops deployed overseas.

Eva Irving Community Service Award

This award recognizes a public relations professional whose volunteer efforts for nonprofit, philanthropic or public service organizations reflect the best traditions of volunteerism. It honors the memory of the late Eva Irving, a distinguished public relations practitioner whose career included countless hours of volunteer service on behalf of numerous community organizations.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) PR Pro of the Year 

The award recognizes a BIPOC, LGBTQ+ or public relations professional with a disability who used their platforms to call attention to issues affecting their communities, supported inclusive initiatives, and made contributions to initiate change within their field.

The Diogenes Award

The Diogenes Award is named after the ancient Greek philosopher who carried a lantern through the streets of Athens searching for an honest man. This award recognizes a local newsmaker who has demonstrated a remarkable and commendable understanding of the need for candor when dealing with the public and the news media, regardless of any potential negative outcome from the resulting publicity.

New PR Pro of the Year

The New Pro of the Year Award recognizes an exceptional public relations professional with five or fewer years of experience in the industry. This individual is strategically building their career through professional work, education and leadership (50 percent of activities documented), as well as advancing the public relations profession through volunteer service to the PRSA chapter (50 percent of activities).

PR Team of the Year

This award honors a public relations team - be it a PR/Communications agency, a corporation, a government organization, an educational institution, or a nonprofit organization -- that has demonstrated excellence and outstanding achievement in their work as evidenced by teamwork, results, and/or contributions to the field of public relations, their constituents, community, or society at large.

Submitting Your Entry
Special Awards should be emailed to the PRSA SD/IC Chapter at: prsasdic.adm@gmail.com.

Please note: If selected as a winner, all or a portion of the entry description or letter may be used in the script or audio-visual presentation at the Bernays Awards, included in the news release for the award winners or posted on the website as a case study of top honorees for 2026. Nominators may also be contacted for additional assistance with the script. Additionally, if you, as the nominator, would like to present the award, please include that with the submission. Otherwise, awards will be presented by last year’s winner or a chapter supporter, as deemed appropriate by the special awards committee.

Judging for Special Awards
Judging for each of the Special Awards is conducted by an elite panel of practitioners from PRSA SD/IC.

Deadline for Special Awards
Deadline for nominations is Friday, Sept. 18, 2026, at 5 p.m. PT

Entry fees are as follows for Special Awards: 

  • Otto Bos Hall of Fame – Free
  • Deborah Baker PR Pro of the Year – Free
  • Eva Irving Community Service Award – Free
  • Diogenes Award - Free
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) PR Pro of the Year - Free
  • New Pro of the Year - $80
  • PR Team of the Year - $100