PRWeek Tabs Elise Mitchell As ‘PR Professional of The Year’

Elise Mitchell launched Mitchell Communications Group in 1995. It has 75 full-time employees with 20 project employees in 14 states.

Mitchell Communications Group CEO Elise Mitchell has been recognized as 2013 Agency PR Professional of the Year during a recent PRWeek Awards ceremony. It is one of the top honors in the public relations field.

Mitchell, who founded the firm in 1995, was recently named CEO of Dentsu Public Relations Network. Mitchell Communications Group is now part of the Dentsu Network, after being acquired by the global agency in December.

“I’m deeply honored to be recognized by PRWeek and our industry in this way,” Mitchell said. “This award truly reflects the tireless contributions of the entire Mitchell team. It’s been an exhilarating ride, and I look forward to our future as a part of the Dentsu Network.”

PR Agency Professional of the Year is awarded to someone who shows “outstanding personal achievement on the agency side of the business, within the period covered by this year’s awards, as well as career achievements to date.”

This is far from the first award for Mitchell or Mitchell Communications Group. The firm, headquartered in Fayetteville, was recognized as 2012 Holmes Report Small Agency of the Year, the 2011 PRWeek Small Agency of the Year, has twice been listed as one of the Inc. 500/5000 Fastest Growing Companies. Mitchell has twice been named as one of the Women Presidents’ Organization’s 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned/ Led Companies in North America.

Mitchell’s client list includes Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, Procter & Gamble, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt Transport Inc., Southwestern Energy and others.

Over the past 15 years, Mitchell has expanded Mitchell Communications Group’s capabilities and established a team of communications experts across the country, serving clients in the retail, food, travel and tourism, energy and transportation sectors. Under her leadership, the agency has grown exponentially – more than 500 percent over the past five years to become a Top 50 national PR firm.

Today the firm has 74 full-time employees, plus a network of 30 project workers in 16 different states. In 2008 the company had 13 employees with $2.1 million in revenue and by the time of the sale to Dentsu, Mitchell had grown revenue to $13.8 million.