Presidents Award

The Presidents Award is the highest honor PRSA Cincinnati Chapter can bestow on a non-public relations professional. The award honors a Cincinnatian who doesn't work in the public relations profession, but who uses PR essentials - strategy, storytelling and brand building - to bring positive awareness and build the positive reputation of the City of Cincinnati.

View all previous Presidents Award winners here.

Presidents Award 2023

PRSA Cincinnati Chapter is thrilled to announce that Candace McGraw, CEO of CVG Airport, is the recipient of the 2023 Presidents Award. The award honors a Cincinnatian who doesn't work in the public relations profession, but who uses PR essentials - strategy, storytelling and brand building - to bring positive awareness and build a positive reputation of the City of Cincinnati.

Candace is a highly experienced aviation professional, boasting over three decades of operational and legal expertise. Under her leadership, the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) has flourished, earning recognition as the "Best Regional Airport in North America" by Skytrax for eight consecutive years since 2011. Candace's team has successfully positioned the airport for future success by navigating the challenges of a once-in-a-generation pandemic, expanding and renovating the terminal, diversifying revenues through various means, and enhancing international passenger air service. CVG has become a central hub for e-commerce in the United States, hosting Amazon Air's largest cargo operation globally and DHL's second-largest Global Super Hub for the Americas.

Candace's influence extends beyond CVG; she's a prominent figure in the airport industry, serving as the incoming Chair of the World Board of Airports Council International and holding positions on two U.S. Department of Transportation boards. Additionally, she's actively engaged in various local and state boards, including the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber, and Kentucky Community and Technical College System, among others. Her educational background includes a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law and bachelor's and master's degrees from Duquesne University.

Please join us in celebrating Candace at Cincinnati PRSA's Chapter Banquet, presented by Vehr Communications on Thursday, November 16 from 6:30 PM-9:30 PM at The Phoenix.