The Ron Council Mentorship Award

The Ron Council Mentorship Award was established in 2015 by the Alabama chapter to recognize members who demonstrate the commitment to professionalism and mentoring that Ron exemplified. Ron was an active member of the chapter at the time of his death in 2014. He had served as chapter president and in other leadership roles.

Ron was the consummate public relations master, advertising professional, serial entrepreneur and innovator. He believed in the importance of mentoring students and young professionals. Among his many professional endeavors over the decades, he founded and ran Advertising & Art Council, was the Director of the Office of Public Information for Birmingham-Southern College and retired as Director of Communications for the North Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church. Ron and his family later founded Metro Monitor, a Birmingham-based media monitoring company.

Ron’s son, Bryan, continues as president of Metro Monitor and is an active member of the Alabama PRSA chapter.

Nominations for the 2026 Ron Council Membership Award will open in November 2026.

2018 Joy Carter, APR

2017 Philip Poole, APR

2016 Betsy Emmons, APR

2015 Michael Sznajderman, APR

2014 Teri Henley, APR