Clarion Award Judges & Requirements

Danette Baker

Danette Baker is director of communications for the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. Her role focuses on the strategic development of communication initiatives for the president and Institutional Advancement and contributing to efforts that elevate the institutional profile for TTHUSC. Danette is active in the AWC Lubbock Professional Chapter and currently serves as its historian. She has served as president of the chapter and of the PRSA West Texas chapter. She also maintains a freelance communication business, offering writing, editing and proofreading services and is an adjunct instructor in the College of Media & Communications at Texas Tech University. Danette was a contributor to the TTUHSC Institutional Advancement team’s 2017 Clarion Awardee for a comprehensive fundraising campaign.

Peggy Flemming

A Clarion Award winner herself, Peggy Fleming has worked mainly in the financial services industry for over 35 years in various capacities such as technical writer, communication director, and social media manager . Recently retired, she volunteers her skills to community organizations. She’s a blogger and 2023 co-chair of the AWC Clarion Awards.

Peggy earned her BA in Journalism from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa where she belonged to the student chapter of Women in Communications, Inc. (now AWC). While working as a technical writer at The Principal Financial Group, Peggy helped to found a local chapter of the Society for Technical Communications. Returning to AWC in 2007, she has served in many board positions including Chapter President, National Board of Directors, and Secretary of the AWC Advancement Fund.

Roberta Kelly

Roberta Kelly holds undergraduate degrees in animal science, biology and journalism and a master’s degree in veterinary science. She is a Professor Emerita in The Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University, where she taught writing in communication, reporting and science writing courses since 1985. She also taught science writing at the University of Idaho as part of two National Science Federation grants. She directed the core beginning writing course and supervised the Peer Mentor Program in the Murrow College. Kelly twice served as president of the Pacific Northwest Association of Journalism Educators and serves on its Board. She was twice journalism program head at WSU. Kelly also served six years as assistant dean of undergraduate studies for the Murrow College, and from 1999 until her retirement this year she advised the award-winning WSU Pullman student chapter of AWC. She is a member of the WSU President’s Teaching Academy and a 2015 Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year. Kelly currently freelance edits and tutors.

Pat Meads

Pat Meads has been a member of AWC since 1976 – in the Twin Cities chapter in Minnesota, then the Kansas City chapter, and now as an Independent member. She spent 39 years in Sales Promotion, Advertising, Marketing and Event Planning in Minneapolis and Kansas City. Pat is now retired but stays active in communications through volunteer activities with non-profits in Kansas City. Pat is a former AWC national board member and currently serves on the AWC Clarion committee. She is the treasurer of the AWC Advancement Fund board of directors. This is Pat’s 19th year as a Clarion judge.

Wendy Morlan

Wendy Morlan began membership in Women in Communications Inc (WICI), now the Association of Women in Communications in the early 1990s. She served as President of her local chapter in Springfield, Missouri. Wendy was a National Board Member during the 100^th Anniversary that was celebrated in Seattle, Washington. A graduate of Ringling School of Art and Design, she earned a BFA in Commercial Illustration and Advertising Design. Wendy worked as a graphic designer for a multi-state restaurant corporation, a utility company, and then a statewide electric cooperative as graphics supervisor and print production manager. She is currently a district library director in Kansas where she has worked for over 14 years.

Linda Strelluf

Linda Strelluf has been engaged in the study and practice of oral, written, and visual media for more than thirty-two years. Following this passion, she received a BA in Speech from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and earned a master’s degree in both Film and Literature from Baker University.

In 2018 Strelluf was awarded the rank of Professor Emerita at Avila University, where she taught a variety of media, communication, popular culture, and public relation’s classes. During her 18 years at Avila, her students won more than 150 local, regional, national, and international awards.

Before coming to Avila, Strelluf was a high school English, communication and theatre teacher, a company agent for Starlight Theatre, worked on promotions for a national theatre chain, lectured on how to overcome audience anxiety, and conducted seminars on how to access creativity. In 1986, Strelluf founded a small company and in 1998, affiliated with Country Sampler Group.

Strelluf was elected to the Board of Directors of the Association for Women in Communication. She served for three years, as the board liaison to 36 colleges, and the Chair of the Clarion Committee. Strelluf has been a Clarion judge for the past fifteen years. She has also served on the advisory board for St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, as a judge for the Stevie Awards, and as an advisor to student members of the International Association of Business Communicators.

In all aspects of her life Strelluf continues to explore her fascination with all forms of creative expression and media with her latest project in 2019, White Dog Studio.

Cathy Wetter

Cathy Wetter is a Lead Associate for Booz Allen Hamilton with 15 years’ experience consulting for the federal government, primarily focusing on identifying strategic communication methods and tools for her clients. As a business consultant, Cathy serves as the Communication Liaison for the Pacific Northwest on one of the most significant government contracts, valued at $750 million, with the Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Healthcare Records Modernization. She is a staff writer for the internal news source and provides technical writing expertise in creating After Action Reports, Standard Operating Procedures, templates, and stakeholder plans for the region.

Outside of work, Cathy is passionate about diversity and inclusion initiatives and serves as Board-at-Large for the Association for Women in Communications Seattle professional chapter. She is responsible for developing and executing a strategic slate of programs and events that provide value and increase the local chapter’s public awareness. She also is on the board at her alma mater, dedicating time to helping black, indigenous, and person of color (BIPOC) college students transition into the workplace with the Christopher Newport Multicultural Alumni Chapter.

She lives outside of Seattle with her husband of 11 years, Marc, and five-year-old son, Cameron. Cathy attended Christopher Newport University, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies, and West Virginia University for a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications.

Lois Elder

Lois owns a Pittsburgh-based advertising agency.  Her award-winning video and audio production skills are a testament to her work as a media and creative professional.  Lois attributes her success to her mantra – “ Relationships Matter.”  She loves to gather information for a given project, study and organize details, analyze needs and opportunities, and craft programs that create success and growth.  And, she especially enjoys identifying the right designers and production facilities to create the best product possible, all within budget.  Her clients range from small local retailers, B to B, to national retailers; from CEOs, politicians and government leaders to medical and religious leaders, to the hard-workers who are the backbone of the service sector.

A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Lois served on Alumni Council, was president of Alumnae Association, and has served on many broadcast and media association boards as an active participant and leader.  She is a volunteer for the National Association of Lay Ministers, the Diocese of Pittsburgh, and was key in establishing the award-winning television ministry for the Catholic Church.

Lisa Nalewak

Lisa Nalewak has over 20 years of experience as a Marketing Communications professional. She has held senior positions with start-ups and established companies in the publishing, consumer electronics and Internet services industries. Her expertise in creative, copywriting, branding, integrated marketing strategies and consumer behavior has enabled her to successfully deploy profitable MarComm initiatives for established companies and to position her start-up companies for successful acquisition. Lisa is the Vice President of Marketing for SavvyCard, a consumer engagement and digital marketing platform she co-founded in 2010. You can read more about Lisa and her accomplishments as well as follow her on social media by visiting her SavvyCard at www.savvycard.com/lisa

Kandice Mollitiam

Kandice Mollitiam has spent her communications career in a variety of roles, focusing on organization communication, print and multimedia storytelling, and teaching composition. She earned her bachelor’s of science in print journalism and master’s of art in writing from Missouri State University in 2009 and 2013, respectively. Between her studies and while working toward her master’s, she worked at daily newspapers serving as a copy editor and page designer as well as co-creating a local magazine for parents in her area. Upon graduation, she became an English composition adjunct instructor and marketing communications manager. She left marketing communications in 2016 to further pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. From 2019-2021, she was introduced to AWC as its account administrator before leaving the Midwest for the Emerald Coast in northwest Florida. She continues to work in communications, including print design and reporting contract work, teaching composition courses, and managing growing companies.