NIRI Announces 2011-2012 Annual Chapter Achievement and Individual Leadership Award Winners

SEATTLE – The National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI) today announced its annual Chapter Achievement Awards and Individual Leadership Awards winners, awarding Best Overall Medium Chapter to Philadelphia, and Best Overall Large Chapter to Chicago.

NIRI Chairman Derek Cole, Vice President Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, ARCA biopharma, Inc., said, “The networking and professional development at every NIRI chapter is such an important part of the overall NIRI member experience. So many members throughout the entire NIRI organization devote so much of their time and effort to our organization that it is difficult to recognize specific chapters and individuals. With such a high standard set, it gives me great pleasure to announce these awards, on behalf of the NIRI Board of Directors, for the truly excellent programs of these chapters, and the selfless volunteerism demonstrated by these individuals.”

The 2011-2012 NIRI Chapter Achievement Award winners are:

Best Overall Medium Chapter: Philadelphia

Best Overall Large Chapter: Chicago

Best External Affairs
Medium Chapter: Philadelphia
Large Chapter: New York

Best Member Communications
Small Chapter: St. Louis
Medium Chapter: Philadelphia
Large Chapter: Virtual

Best Member Services
Medium Chapter: Orange County
Large Chapter: Boston

Best Overall Programming
Small Chapter: St. Louis
Medium Chapter: Philadelphia
Large Chapter: New York

Best Special Event
Medium Chapter: Capital Area
Large Chapter: Silicon Valley

Chairman Award
Boston, Houston, New York, Virtual (two awards)

2011-2012 Individual Leadership Awards
Martin Jarosick, Atlanta; Michelle Vidoli, Boston; Sarah Katz, Capital Area; Lisa Meers, Chicago; Regina Smith, Cincinnati Tri State; Hala Elsherbini, Dallas/Ft. Worth; Brook Wootton, Houston; Don Allen, Kansas City; Bernie Kilkelly, New York; Ann Jones, Orange County; Shawn Southard, Philadelphia; Heathe Cooper, Rocky Mountain; Paul Ziots, Silicon Valley; Janine Orf, St. Louis; Jenny Kobin, Triangle; Bernadette McCormick, Twin Cities; Janet Barth, Virtual.

Dennie Kimbrough, IR Manager, Microsoft Corporation, received the NIRI National Volunteer of the Year Award. This award, introduced in 2009, honors a NIRI member who best exemplifies the NIRI mission of “advancing the practice of investor relations and professional competency and stature NIRI members” at the national level. Ms. Kimbrough is president of the NIRI Seattle Chapter and serves on the 2012 NIRI Annual Conference Planning Committee.

The awards were presented at the NIRI Chapter Leadership Dinner and Awards Program in Seattle, Washington, site of the 2012 NIRI Annual Conference (www.niri.org/conference), the world’s largest annual gathering of investor relations professionals.

About the National Investor Relations Institute (NIRI)
Founded in 1969, NIRI is the professional association of corporate officers and investor relations consultants responsible for communication among corporate management, shareholders, securities analysts and other financial community constituents. NIRI is the largest professional investor relations association in the world with more than 3,500 members representing 2,000 publicly held companies and $5.4 trillion in stock market capitalization.