*THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER. STAY TUNED FOR A NEW DATE COMING SOON!

Join the Memphis Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) as we honor our communicator of the year. This year the committee has selected James R. Downing, MD, president and chief executive officer of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, as its Communicator of the Year for 2022.

The award will be presented to Dr. Downing during PRSA’s monthly luncheon at the University Club of Memphis on Thursday, February 2, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Communicator of the Year Award reflects Dr. Downing's leadership of a $12.9 billion strategy to accelerate progress in the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases. This commitment is significantly expanding St. Jude's clinical care and scientific programs in Memphis and around the globe. Dr. Downing is also a prominent voice in championing Memphis as a city vibrant with opportunities. He also uses his platform to bring attention to important health and safety issues, such as vaccinations, masking, equitable global health care, and pediatric diseases.

A renowned leader in pediatric cancer research, Dr. Downing focuses on understanding cancer's genetic basis and using that information to improve treatments. He was instrumental in launching the Pediatric Cancer Genome Project, an ambitious sequencing effort to discover why childhood cancer arises, spreads, and resists treatment.

Beyond research, Dr. Downing has been a driving force in taking St. Jude to the world. He has spearheaded an innovative program to raise pediatric cancer survival rates internationally. This will be accomplished partly through a global alliance of healthcare providers who work to ensure that children everywhere have access to quality care.

Dr. Downing earned his undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Michigan. He joined St. Jude in 1986 after training in anatomic pathology at Washington University in St. Louis and completing a fellowship in hematopathology at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Dr. Downing has received numerous honors for his work, including election to the National Academy of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In addition, he has received the Society of Memorial Sloan Kettering Prize, the E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize from the American Society of Hematology, and the Pediatric Oncology Award from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Dr. Downing was also elected as a Fellow of the AACR Academy Class of 2022.

PRSA Memphis will also recognize Denzel Alexander as the 2022 Student Communicator of the Year during the luncheon.

Alexander is a graduate student at the University of Memphis studying for his master's degree in journalism and strategic media. He is employed as a social media manager at KQ Communications. In addition, he has an increasing social media presence in the city as a digital creator and photographer focusing on fashion, music, and Memphis, among other topics. His work has led to multiple brand partnerships with companies such as Target, the NCAA, and Marriott Bonvoy.

He also has been featured on four billboards throughout the city in the We Are Memphis "Soul" billboard series. In September, he was a speaker at the 2022 Inspire Media Conference, which provides seminars and workshops to help educate and inspire creatives in the media industry.
 
Alexander was awarded the Creative Achievement Award Graduate School at the 2022 President's Honors Assembly and Leadership Awards at the University of Memphis.

For more than 40 years, PRSA Memphis has annually selected a Communicator of the Year. The award is given to a community member who exhibits the ability to communicate effectively to the general or specific public, has visibility, and is a respected community member who invests his or her time and talent in conveying a specific message.

The recipient is not necessarily a public relations practitioner. The committee considers the body of work, the difficulty encountered to achieve a goal and the number of people who benefited from the effort. The award was established in 1976 with Bud Dudley, founder of the Liberty Bowl, as its first recipient. The list of honorees includes Ron Terry, Cecil Humphreys, Allie Prescott, Linn Sitler, D'Army Bailey, Mayor W.W. Herenton, John Calipari, Dr. Scott Morris, Fred Jones, Beverly Robertson, Molly Meisenheimer, Otis Sanford, Penny Hardaway, Alisa Haushalter, and Joe Birch. The inaugural Student Communicator of the Year Award was given in 2021 to Jordan Dodson.

This special event is open to members, friends of the honoree, and the general public.