Celebrating Excellence: Highlights from the 2025 Gold Pick Awards

The 2025 Gold Pick Awards brought together Colorado’s public relations community for an unforgettable evening honoring the very best in strategic communications. Featuring innovative campaigns and impactful storytelling, this year’s winners showcased exceptional creativity, expertise, and results across our industry.

The evening’s program was brought to life by an inspiring lineup of presenters and special guests. We were honored to welcome Mark McIntosh as this year’s emcee. A longtime Denver media personality, motivational speaker, columnist, and author of four books, Mark is also the founder of Victory Productions, a Denver-based nonprofit dedicated to encouraging others to achieve goals and overcome challenges.

In 2024, Mark received a life-saving kidney transplant. Today, he serves as chair of the 2026 Denver Transplant Games Host Committee, helping to bring thousands of transplant recipients, living donors, donor families, caregivers, and supporters together from across the country. The Games honor the legacy of donors, raise awareness about the importance of organ donation, and promote healthy living after transplant.

Paul Raab, Managing Partner of Linhart PR, set the celebratory tone for the night with his opening comments. We were delighted to have Marcus Weaver, Executive Director of Lower the Barrier Colorado and founder of the social enterprise People’s Pickles, present the Outstanding Business Leader Award and Russ Pecoraro, Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Guest Experience at Butterfly Pavilion present the Sharon Linhart PR Person of the Year award.

Students from the CU and CSU PRSSA chapters kindly volunteered their time and helped present awards throughout the night. Special thanks to Kierra Vanevenhoven, CSU PRSSA Chapter President; Hannah Kijner, CU PRSSA Chapter President; and PRSSA students Ella Howe, Miguel Alvarado Arguijo, and Keteyia Thomas for their contributions in making the event a success.

Congratulations again to all of our winners—and thank you to everyone who entered, attended, and helped make this year’s Gold Pick Awards a night to remember. For the full program, click here. We look forward to seeing you at Summit 2025 on October 10 (speakers to be announced soon)!

2025 Special Award Winners

Swede Johnson Lifetime Achievement Award

Doug Hock, APR

Doug Hock, APR, worked as a public relations professional in the Denver area for over 30 years. An active member of PRSA Colorado, he was Chapter President in 1998 and later served a two-year term as a chapter delegate to the annual leadership assembly. Doug worked in a variety of organizations, providing media relations, internal communications and crisis communications expertise. He also worked on the agency side of the business as an account executive and a freelance consultant. The majority of his career was spent in natural resources, working as media relations counsel and spokesman for Newmont Mining Corporation and EnCana Oil & Gas (USA). In 2012, he received the Distinguished Achievement Award in Public Affairs from the Western Energy Alliance, a trade association of oil and gas exploration and production companies operating in the Western states. Outside of his professional work, Doug served as a board member and chair of several area nonprofits, including the Denver Children’s Home, Florence Crittenton Services of Colorado and Metro Caring.

Doug is a graduate of Drake University with a BA in News/Editorial Journalism. He and his wife, Jenny, have two grown sons and a granddaughter.

Although Doug was unable to attend the ceremony in person, he shared this message for the occasion.

Outstanding Business Leader - Rosalind "Bee" Harris

Publisher, Denver Urban Spectrum

Joe Fuentes Rookie of the Year - Walker Shumock-Bailey

Metro Denver and Marketing Coordinator, A Little Help

Jane Dvorak Mentor of the Year - Jason Evans

Communications Manager, FlatironsDragados

Sharon Linhart PR Person of the Year - Jennifer Quermann

Director of Communications and Marketing, Butterfly Pavilion

Ayers Chapter Service Award - Jake Kasowski

Managing Supervisor, FleishmanHillard

2025 Gold Pick Award Winners

Grand Gold Pick Award

• Metropolitan State University of Denver – Simulating the Future of Healthcare

Gold Pick Awards

• Integrated Communications – Consumer Services
  BOK Financial – Moving Forward in a Changing World: BOK Financial 2025 Market Outlook
• Events and Observances – Seven or Fewer Days Government
  CIG Public Relations – Child Passenger Safety Week Mobile Car Seat Checks
• Public Service – Government
  City of Boulder – Sand Creek Massacre Historical Storytelling Collaboration
• Public Affairs
  Philosophy Communication – Advocating for Colorado Produce Growers: A Strategic Public Affairs Campaign
• Integrated Communications – Consumer Products
  SchroderHaus Marketing Communications – Justin’s Outdoor Play to Apres Campaign
• Influencer Marketing – Macro-Influencers
  SchroderHaus Marketing Communications – Stirring Excitement Through Influencer Partnerships for Wallaby
• Influencer Marketing – Macro-Influencers
  SchroderHaus Marketing Communications – Campaign 8A: Justin’s Halloween Spooky Movie Night
• Most Effective Campaign on a Shoestring Budget
  City of Boulder – Sand Creek Massacre Historical Storytelling Collaboration
• Best Agency – Boutique/Small
  SideCar Public Relations – Crafting the Narrative Behind the Skyline

Winning Component Awards – Gold Pick

• Digital Platforms - Metropolitan State University of Denver – The Early Bird
• Social Media – Colorado State University – The Big Stink: How CSU Made a Flower Go Viral
• Feature Stories – Metropolitan State University of Denver – Simulating the Future of Healthcare
• Feature Stories – Metropolitan State University of Denver  –  College and Happiness
• Feature Stories – Metropolitan State University of Denver  –  Growing Cannabis Industry Leaders
• Podcasts – Colorado State University – Colorado State University's The Next 150 Podcast With President Amy Parsons
• Websites – Barefoot Public Relations – Denver Public Schools Foundation Website Redesign
• Websites – Metropolitan State University of Denver – The Early Bird
• Media Relations – Consumer Products Non-Packaged Goods – Linhart Public Relations – From Wall Street to the Cattle Ranch: How Linhart PR and Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. Used Authentic Rancher Storytelling to Showcase the Beef Industry’s Positive Impact
• Media Relations – Business to Business – Jumel Communications – A Mile High Media Change: The Acquisition of 5280
• Media Relations – Business to Business – SideCar Public Relations – Setting the Stage and Building Buzz for Colorado’s Largest Modular Housing Project
• Media Relations – Consumer Services – SideCar Public Relations – Carving a Path for Indoor Ski Slopes With SNÖBAHN’s Ribbon Shredding Ceremony
• Media Relations – Consumer Products Non-Packaged Goods – Linhart Public Relations – Advancing Hearing Education Among Older Adults to Support Healthy Aging

Silver Pick Awards

• Integrated Communications – Associations/Nonprofits/Educational Institutions
  CIG Public Relations – Look Ma, No Hands! Educating Colorado Drivers on New Hands-Free Law
• Reputation and Brand Management – Business
  Kodiak Building Partners & Keeton Public Relations – Flipping Expectations: How Kodiak Became Known for Building Materials, Not Pancakes
• Multicultural Public Relations
  BOK Financial – BOK Financial Hispanic Financial Literacy Campaign
• Influencer Marketing – Macro-Influencers
  SchroderHaus Marketing Communications – Justin's Driving Purchase Consideration with Influencers
• Community Relations - Government
  City of Boulder– Sand Creek Massacre Historical Storytelling Collaboration
• Best Agency – Boutique/Small
  SchroderHaus Marketing Communications

Winning Component Awards – Silver Pick

• Digital Platforms – Barefoot Public Relations – Gates Family Foundation Nonprofit Capital Projects Guide
• Annual Reports – SideCar Public Relations – 2024 Corporate Social Responsibility Report
• Social Media – Prim + Co – Bringing Brunch to Life: How Morning Story Served Up Engagement on Social
• Social Media – SchroderHaus Marketing Communications – Heating Up Excitement for Clipper Tea
• Feature Stories – CU Boulder Department of Strategic Relations & Communications – Mountain Chickadees Have Remarkable Memories. A New Study Explains Why
• Media Relations – Business to Business – SchroderHaus Marketing Communications – Leveraging Environmental Transparency and Accountability With Horizon Organic and Wallaby
• Media Relations – Consumer Services – Linhart Public Relations – Elevating Oakwood Homes Through Strategic Media Outreach and Community-Driven Storytelling
• Media Relations – Associations/Nonprofits/Educational Institutions – SideCar Public Relations – Elevating DENVER WALLS From a First-Year Festival Into a Can’t-Miss Cultural Experience
• Media Relations – Associations/Nonprofits/Educational Institutions – ETPR – The Power of Presence: Rewriting the Code’s Year of PR-Driven Growth
• Media Relations – Consumer Products Packaged Goods – Linhart Public Relations – Linhart PR Serves Up Prime National Media Coverage for Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner. with Culinary Experts and Flavorful Storytelling
• Media Relations – Consumer Products Packaged Goods – Linhart Public Relations – Delivering Mouthwatering Media Results for a Premium Chocolate Brand Without an Affiliate Marketing Program
• Media Relations – Consumer Products Packaged Goods – Root Marketing & PR – Turning the Tables: How Root Helped Beloved Restaurants Beat Seasonality