Past President of  New Orleans PRSA Receives National Award Audubon Nature Institute Wins Silver Anvil for "Penguin Homecoming" NEW YORK (July 23, 2007) – Audubon Nature Institute’s Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is the recipient of this year’s prestigious Silver Anvil Award, sponsored by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). The Silver Anvil, which recognizes outstanding achievement in strategic public relations planning and implementation, was presented during the Silver Anvil Awards Evening held June 14 in New York City. Audubon Aquarium received the 2007 Silver Anvil Award for its Penguin Homecoming campaign in the Special Events and Observances category. Audubon teamed with FedEx to bring the aquarium’s 19 penguins and two sea otters home to New Orleans following their nine-month stay at California’s Monterey Bay Aquarium following Hurricane Katrina. Present to receive the award in New York was Melissa Lee, APR, spokeswoman for the Aquarium of the Americas and past president of the New Orleans Chapter of PRSA.   "The return of the penguins and otters to New Orleans symbolized a step toward normalcy that New Orleans had not experienced in many months," said Karyn Noles Bewley, the Aquarium’s Managing Director. "Not only are these beloved animals home at last, their return heralded the reopening of the Aquarium, reuniting local residents and tourists with a familiar, and much-loved family attraction in the city. Our partners at FedEx literally went above-and-beyond the call of duty to charter their jet and bring our animals home in such grand style. Their generosity will not be forgotten." "The PRSA Silver Anvil Awards are the highest watermark of success for any public relations practitioner," said Sherry Goldman, 2007 PRSA Silver Anvil Awards chair and president, Goldman Communications Group, Inc. "We congratulate Audubon Aquarium of the Americas for their public relations program that incorporated measurable and sound research, planning, execution and evaluation. This program contributes to the best practices of our industry."The Silver Anvil Awards has grown in scope and stature since its inception in 1946. The Silver Anvils are awarded to programs in 54 categories. In the 60 years since the inception of the program, more than 1,000 organizations have received Silver Anvils for excellence in strategic public relations planning and implementation.About Audubon Aquarium of the Americas Audubon Aquarium of the Americas is a facility of the New Orleans-based not-for-profit Audubon Nature Institute which operates a family of nature-themed parks and attractions including Audubon Zoo, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, Entergy IMAX® Theatre, Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, and more. Its 10th facility, Audubon Insectarium, is scheduled to open in 2008. About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) The Public Relations Society of America (www.prsa.org), headquartered in New York City, is the world's largest organization for public relations professionals with more than 31,000 professional and student members. PRSA is organized into 109 Chapters nationwide and 20 Professional Interest Sections and Affinity Groups, which represent business and industry, counseling firms, independent practitioners, military, government, associations, hospitals, schools, professional services firms and nonprofit organizations. The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) has 285 Chapters at colleges and universities throughout the United States. ###