The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research (IALR) Marketing and Communications team earned five Gold Awards from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Blue Ridge Chapter’s 2025 Summit Awards. The awards recognize outstanding communication efforts in the Blue Ridge region, including Danville, Roanoke, Blacksburg and the surrounding area.
These honors recognize outstanding work across the following categories: newsletter, writing, multimedia, annual report and multipage publications.
“Recognition is always an honor, and recognition received from fellow professional communication peers is especially rewarding,” said Allison Moore, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, IALR. “Thank you to the Blue Ridge Chapter of PRSA and thank you, most of all, to my amazing team of highly talented and dedicated individuals.”
Annual Report Receives Two Gold Awards
IALR’s 2024 Annual Report earned Gold Awards in the multi page publications category and the annual report category. The digital version recorded nearly 700 views, a strong average read time and consistent download activity. The report showcased IALR’s role as a proven, trusted partner across different focus areas, including applied research, workforce training, conference services, economic development and more.
“Truly a team effort, “A Proven Partner” was the theme of the 2024 annual report, reflecting IALR’s mission to drive economic transformation across Southern Virginia through partnerships. This annual report tells a comprehensive story—highlighting IALR’s key focus areas, strategic initiatives, and measurable achievements, all presented in an impactful visual format,” said Daniel Dalton, Graphic and Multimedia Specialist II.
Podcast Wins Gold in Multimedia Category
The Inside IALR podcast earned a Gold Award in the multimedia category. The podcast recorded 2,110 downloads during the award period and produced multiple episodes that exceeded 75 plays soon after release.
The podcast also continues to accumulate downloads well after the initial publishing window. This long tail pattern is intentional, as episodes are designed to be evergreen, drive ongoing engagement and enhance IALR’s website with durable, high quality content.
“With 61 episodes published to date, our goal for Inside IALR remains the same: to provide an in depth look at economic transformation in action, both within IALR and through the work of our many great partners. It’s super fun using this show to shine a spotlight on the talented people and impactful organizations that are making a difference in Southern Virginia and beyond,” Caleb Ayers, Senior Content Manager, said.
Newsletter Earns Two Gold Awards
IALR’s monthly newsletter, IALR at a Glance, received Gold Awards in the magazines/newsletter and writing categories. Throughout 2025, the newsletter maintained strong engagement, with open rates regularly above 30 percent and click rates consistently meeting or exceeding expected benchmarks. These performance indicators show sustained interest in the organization’s updates on workforce development, research initiatives and regional programs.
The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research serves Virginia as a regional catalyst for economic transformation with applied research, advanced learning, manufacturing advancement, conference center services and economic development efforts. IALR’s major footprint focuses on Southern Virginia, including the counties of Patrick, Henry, Franklin, Pittsylvania, Halifax and Mecklenburg, and the cities of Martinsville and Danville.
(Left to right) Daniel Dalton, Graphic & Multimedia Specialist II, and Caleb Ayers, Senior Content Manager, pose with their five gold Summit Awards from the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. They won for the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research’s newsletter, podcast and annual report.
(Left to right) The Marketing & Communications team of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research won the following Summit Awards from the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (left to right): gold in writing for the newsletter, gold in magazines/newsletters for the newsletter, gold in multipage publications for the 2024 annual report, gold in multimedia for the podcast and gold in annual reports for the 2024 annual report.
(Left to right) The Marketing & Communications team of the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research pose with their five gold Summit Awards. The group includes (left to right) Savannah Callahan, Marketing Coordinator; Cassidy Pruitt, Marketing Strategist; Daniel Dalton, Graphic & Multimedia Specialist II; Caleb Ayers, Senior Content Manager; Allison Moore, Senior Director, Marketing and Communications; and Cassie Jones, Assistant Director, Manufacturing Advancement Marketing and Communications.
