Puget Sound Communications Leaders Named PRSA Women of Impact Finalists
Congratulations to PRSA Puget Sound’s Mary Deming Barber, APR, Fellow PRSA (left), and Jennifer Hawton, APR (right), for being named finalists for the 2026 PRSA Strategies & Tactics Women of Impact Awards!
About the Women of Impact Summit & Awards
The PRSA Strategies & Tactics Women of Impact Summit and Awards recognize PRSA Women Members whose leadership, results, and integrity elevate the communications profession.
Honorees will be recognized across multiple categories in two groupings:
- Sector Impact - spotlighting excellence within specific industry verticals.
- Leadership & Expertise Impact - honoring individuals for their distinctive contributions and achievements.
The awards ceremony and luncheon will take place on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at the Union League Club of Chicago in Chicago, IL.
Meet the Finalists
Mary Deming Barber, APR, Fellow PRSA (Mayor, City of Gig Harbor)
Mary brings more than 40 years of strategic communications expertise to her public service. A former PRSA national board member and recipient of the prestigious Patrick Jackson Award for Distinguished Service, she has successfully blended high-level campaign strategy with community leadership.
Mary’s career spans major public relations initiatives and civic governance, shaping public policy and community trust.
Jennifer Hawton, APR (Public Relations Manager, PEMCO Mutual Insurance)
Jennifer oversees corporate PR for the largest local personal-lines insurers in the Pacific Northwest. With deep expertise in storytelling, internal communications, and executive coaching, she has earned local and international recognition for her work.
Jennifer also educates the next generation of communicators as an adjunct faculty member at Gonzaga University’s School of Leadership Studies and has served as a PRSA Puget Sound Board Member since 2023.
Thank you both for your leadership, guidance, and representation of our chapter!
