Kamehameha Schools Communications Group and ʻĀina Pauahi teams take home six awards, including Best of Show at PRSA

Teamwork makes the dream work. Accepting the Best of Show award is the team from Olomana Loomis along with Kamehameha Schools commercial real estate and communications representatives, Pualani Hao KSK'80, Mae Nishimura and Aron Dote.

Aug. 2, 2023

The Communications Group and ʻĀīna Pauahi teams (Commercial Real Estate and Community & ʻĀina Resiliency) walked away with six awards, including the top award – Best of Show – at this year’s Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) – Hawaiʻi Chapter Koa Anvil Awards held at the Halekulani.

Established in 1983, the Koa Anvil Awards captures and celebrates the four rings of excellence for which the Koa Anvil competition is judged: research, planning, execution, and evaluation. It is a competition to develop better plans, use creativity to produce better results and increase professional skills to produce the best public relations programs and tools that keep the professional motivated and moving forward.

The awards were:

Best of Show: honors the public relations campaign that received the highest score in the Anvil category
- Our Kakaʻako Honolulu Night Market Relaunch
  Category: Events and Observances: Associations/Non-Profit Organizations
Koa Anvil Award
- Our Kakaʻako Honolulu Night Market Relaunch
  Category: Events and Observances (7 days or fewer)
Koa Hammer Award
- “Look to the Source: Nānā i ke Kumu” Video Series and Premiere Launch
  Category: External Video Programs
Koa Anvil Awards of Excellence
- Punalu‘u Stream Restoration
  Category: Community Relations (Associations/Non-profits)
- Windward Mall Partners with Cultural Organizations to Host Second Annual Bon Dance Festival
  Category: Events and Observances (7 Days or Fewer)
- Perpetuating Hawaiian culture, language and local small businesses at SALT at Our Kakaʻako
  Category: Integrated Communications: Consumer Services

“We are deeply honored to be recognized by the local and national Communication and Public Relations community,” said Aron Dote, strategic communications manager. “These awards are a testament to our approach by grounding ourselves in kuana ‘ike Hawai‘i and finding success commercially, socially, and organizationally. The teams worked diligently and received six awards, including PRSA Hawai’i’s highest honors, for organizing the "Return of Honolulu Night Market." Their dedication showcases our commitment to vibrant, resilient, and thriving communities.”

Strategic Communications Senior Consultant Crystal Kua KSK’81 led the Punaluʻu Stream Restoration Project communications. The award resulted from collaboration across Kamehameha Schools business units: Community and ʻĀina Resiliency, Community and Government Relations, Facilities Development and Support Division, and Communications. Along with Kua, the Project Team included Jason Jeremiah KSK’00, Todd Gray, Brandi Beaudet, Jesse Frey, Mahana Keakealani, Jon Tulchin, Māhealani Matsuzaki KSK’86 and Kau‘i Burgess. Communications support included Andrea Oka KSK’86, Andreas Arvman, Mark Milligan and Raymond Poon.

"This award supports the importance of building pilina with communities to ensure projects are completed in alignment with our organizational values. This acknowledgment humbles us," said Kua, senior consultant of Strategic Communications.

It takes a Kaiāulu. Accepting the Koa Anvil Award of Excellence for Community Relations are Crystal Kua, Andrea Oka, and Mark Milligan (far right) of Kamehameha Schools Communications Group and Todd Gray of Community and ʻĀina Resiliency.