Media & Social Media Awards Judging Committee

Chair:
April White, CEO & Founder
Trust Relations Williams, Arizona, United States

Trust Relations’ CEO, April White, founded the agency she wished existed after working for many legacy PR firms, which won a gold Stevie® Award for "Woman-Run Workplace of the Year–More than 10 Employees" in 2024. An official TEDx speaker, White also won a silver Stevie® Award for “Maverick of the Year–Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations in ‘23 and a gold Stevie® Award for Most Innovative Woman of the Year–Advertising, Marketing & Public Relations in ‘22.

April worked with Fortune 100 brands at the biggest agencies in the U.S. but, after nearly 20 years in the industry, didn’t love what she saw at these legacy firms. So, she set out to change the way PR is done by ditching spin and embracing evidence — and reinventing the traditional PR agency model in the process. In the past six years, April has made a name for herself as an industry visionary who isn’t afraid to do things differently, and isn’t afraid to tell it like it is.

As a result, Trust Relations has been a PR industry disruptor since 2019. The agency doesn’t believe in spin. It doesn’t believe in arbitrary retainer fees. And it doesn’t believe in visibility for vanity’s sake. Instead, the firm offers strategic support at competitive rates that map back to clients’ goals and key differentiators. This outcome-focused approach offers brands more than awareness. It delivers congruent positioning, proof points, and thought leadership tactics that generate a synergistic feedback loop to amplify brand equity and build trust.

Trust Relations is a direct reflection of April’s fervent belief that brand trust, just as trust in people, is built through congruency. The more a brand does what it says, the more people believe and trust it. That’s why Trust Relations uses a logic equation-powered approach to develop strategic messaging that carefully evaluates brand narratives against their actual proof points and evidence.

The former award-winning newspaper reporter has experience not only with marquee brands including MasterCard Worldwide, MetLife International, Sotheby’s International Realty, Hyatt, Rosetta Stone, Petco, American Standard, The Dannon Company, YellowTail Wines, Sealed Air, and eMusic, but also with startups including Optilogic, Beekeeper, Softomotive (acquired by Microsoft), NEXT Trucking, and Suzy.

April received her B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from Iowa State University and continued studying integrated communications at Columbia University’s master’s program in Strategic Communications in New York City.

Committee:

Denise Blasevick, CEO
The S3 Agency, Boonton, New Jersey, United States
Denise Blasevick is CEO and Founding Partner of S3 McMillan, a brand-through-demand creative agency, since 2001. An inductee in the Advertising Hall of Fame of New Jersey, she has great passion for creativity, tai chi, cats, and most importantly her beloved son and husband.



Deborah Drummond, President
Deb Drummond/ Mission Accepted Media, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Deborah Drummond is the Founder of Mission Accepted Media. She’s been recognized in SUCCESS magazine 48 times for Top Performance achievements. Her recent project, the 262 Women Movement, showcases thousands on her international stages & publications with media impressions in the millions, even before the Project’s upcoming television debut.
 

Debbie Gilbert, CEO
Viva Business Group, South Chard, County, United Kingdom     
Debbie is an award-winning businesswoman, author, podcast host, and founder of The Best Businesswomen Awards. With over 27 years of experience supporting entrepreneurs, she runs Viva Business Support, a marketing and events agency helping small businesses grow. Passionate about empowering women, Debbie is a sought-after speaker, mentor, and advocate for female entrepreneurship.

Kyle Kim-Hays, Chief Marketing Officer Oblige AI
San Francisco, California, United States
Kyle Kim-Hays is equal parts innovative marketing storyteller and software engineer, with executive level experience at both global enterprise companies (Microsoft, Warner Bros., Verizon) and at start-up entrepreneurial companies (with multiple successful exits). An AI pioneer, he holds an MBA from the mighty University of Southern California.

 

Catharine Montgomery, Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Better Together Agency, Washington, District of Columbia, United States
Catharine Montgomery, Founder and CEO of Better Together Agency, leads a Black woman-founded, AI-forward communications firm advancing equity through strategic storytelling. A recognized thought leader on AI bias, she's earned prestigious awards, including Ragan’s Top Women in Communications Award and the Social Impact Award, and PRNEWS Top Women Innovators recognition.
 

Anthea Morris, Director
Better2Know, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, United Kingdom
Anthea is the Director and Co-Founder of Better2Know, the world's leading private provider of sexual health testing services. She has helped other female entrepreneurs from Europe, Africa and Australia to grow their businesses.

Lelani Prévost, Senior Director, Product Content
ServiceNow, San Francisco, California, United States
Lelani leads strategic content initiatives, drives innovation in product documentation, and mentors emerging talent. She specializes in storytelling with data to communicate content impact to stakeholders. In addition, her global team has won several industry awards in technical communication, reflecting their commitment to clarity, excellence, and user-focused content.