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Kay Herring, a long-time communicator who has recently been writing for The Llano News, has been named winner of the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award for public relations professionals in the Seattle / Puget Sound area, her former residence.

The lifetime achievement award is given by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Puget Sound Chapter, one of the top 10 PRSA chapters in the 22,000-member national association.

The award recognizes Herring’s professional, community and volunteer accomplishments, especially her involvement in public relations education and mentoring in Washington state.

She also has provided public relations counseling, training, and strategic planning and implementation with many national and international firms during her career including The Boeing Company, Holland America Line, Westin Hotels, the trans Alaska pipeline and others.

In addition, she has held many PR positions at the organization’s local, regional and national levels. She also was a reporter and editor for two newspapers in Anchorage, where she lived before moving to Seattle and then Marble Falls.

Herring and her husband, Erik Peterson, are one of very few couples who are both accredited in public relations (APR) and designated PRSA Fellows in the 22,000-member national organization.

They moved to Marble Falls in 2007 but have continued their professional connections in the Puget Sound area since their move.

In Marble Falls, she has done volunteer public relations work for the Highland Lakes Service League, Hill Country Community Theater, Bluebonnet Chorale, the Blenders barbershop singers, and has provided PR counsel and implementation for local clients.

The lifetime award was presented Dec. 2 at the chapter’s Holiday Gala in Seattle.