WVB Award Winner 2018

Cincinnati PRSA would like to extend the heartiest of CONGRATULATIONS! to Jonathan Kissell, APR, this year's Werner-VonderHaar-Bogart Award winner. Often considered a lifetime achievement award, the WVB Award is the highest honor offered by the Cincinnati Chapter of PRSA. It recognizes a public relations professional who has made significant contributions in four key areas: the community, chapter, profession and PRSA.

Jonathan was honored at the 2018 Blacksmith Awards ceremony on Thursday, November 15.

Jonathan is an award-winning public relations professional, with communications experience in corporate, nonprofit and educational settings. He has served Cincinnati PRSA since 2007, and in pretty much every role imaginable: president, ethics director, finance director, membership director and new professionals chair.

In addition to his role as customer experience manager at Rumpke Waste & Recycling -- a newly-created role in which he leads Rumpke's digital communications team -- Jonathan is a part-time faculty member at Miami University. He currently teaches a capstone course in the Department of Media, Journalism and Film, during which students prepare full-scale communications plans for nonprofit organizations.

He is most proud of his accomplishments with the EB Hope Foundation, for which he serves as president. Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB) is a rare genetic skin disease characterized by extremely fragile skin and recurrent blisters that result from minor friction. Two of Jonathan's nephews suffer from the disease. His family started the EB Hope Foundation to raise awareness and funds to support EB patients and their families.

Even with all his professional and personal commitments, Jonathan was gracious enough to answer a few questions about his career for Cincinnati PRSA. See what he had to say in our PR Visions article, Spotlight on a Super Star: An Interview with WVB Award Winner, Jonathan Kissell, APR.