This program identifies and honors the best employers in Virginia. The 2013 list consists of 80 companies split into three groups: 39 small employers (fewer than 100 U.S. employees), 15 mid-sized employers (100-249 U.S. employees) and 26 large employers (more than 250 U.S. employees).

Knight Point Systems LLC was named the best small employer, NES Associates was named the best mid-sized employer and Accounting Principals-Richmond was named the best large employer.

“We are honored and humbled,” said Mark Raper, CRT/tanaka chairman and CEO. “To receive this distinction for the third consecutive year is a privilege. Our passion for creativity, originality and greatness will continue, in hopes that we can provide inspiration for our clients, our communities and our talented staff.”

The survey process began with an evaluation of each nominated company’s policies, benefits, practices and demographics. Next, an employee survey measured engagement and satisfaction in eight core focus areas, including work environment, corporate culture and communications. The companies were then ranked based on the combined data from the two measures. Best Companies Group managed the registration, survey and analysis process and determined the final rankings.

The final rankings were revealed and published in the February 2013 issue of Virginia Business. For more information on the Best Places to Work in Virginia program, visit www.BestPlacesToWorkVA.com.

About CRT/tanaka

CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe^SM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features four integrated specialties – Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyles, Consumer and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 375 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, Avocados from Mexico, Barnes & Noble College, BISSELL Homecare Inc., Charles Schwab & Co., Hass Avocado Board, Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Sprint Nextel, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Web.com, Wilsonart International and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.

“We’re inspired every day – by our work, by our clients and by our friends and work associates,” said Mark Raper, CRT/tanaka chairman and CEO. “As we reflected upon 2012, we wanted to celebrate the great minds, creative solutions and other achievements at CRT/tanaka and throughout our industry. Social media provides the platform for such a celebration by creating a dialogue with our industry and our clients.”

A few #bestPRday tweets from @crttanaka  will include:

• Branding guru and inspiring mind, Kelly O’Keefe (@kellyokeefe) joining @crttanaka
• Working to prevent half a million teens from abusing medicine with The Partnership at Drugfree.org and securing 85M+ impressions
• Participating in a month-long celebration of Rioja and Tempranillo Day with a tweetchat, Facebook sweepstakes and tastings
• Helping @charlesschwab and @AARPCares reach people 50+ struggling to make ends meet
• Taking home two digital PR awards for some sweet SEO results with @PureCanadaMaple
• Successfully & tastefully launching @AIRNZUSA’s 2012 safety video amidst Sandy news cycle – and garnering 4M+ views in 72 hours

On Wednesday, Dec. 5, tweets from the CRT/tanaka Twitter handle will be posted at 15-minute intervals starting at 8 a.m. Posts will capture memorable media placements, photos from various events and capabilities the agency added or strengthened in 2012. Through the hashtag #bestPRday, PR practitioners can read up on CRT/tanaka’s 2012 achievements and share their own.

About CRT/tanaka
CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe^SM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features four integrated specialties – Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyles, Consumer and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, Barnes & Noble College, BISSELL Homecare Inc., Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International), Charles Schwab & Co., Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Sprint Nextel, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Web.com and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.

“We are delighted to be given this opportunity to work for the Hass avocado industry to help it meet the challenges of today’s marketplace,” said Ellen LaNicca Albanese, CRT/tanaka executive vice president. “While the Hass Avocado Board is a new client for us, supporting the produce industry, commodity boards and USDA check-off programs are not. We have one of the strongest, most experienced teams of food professionals, including food experts, writers and publicists and registered dietitians who will enable us to address the needs of the avocado industry.”

In close coordination with HAB’s team of agency partners, CRT/tanaka will provide strategic support including media relations to raise awareness about the nutritional attributes and health benefits of Hass avocados, based primarily on the results of the Board’s ambitious nutrition research initiatives.

Currently, there are several studies in progress and more on the way with a focus on four pillars: Heart Health, Weight Management, Type 2 Diabetes and Healthy Living.  

“Nutrition and health continue to be an important food purchase driver,” Escobedo said. “The research results will provide our media relations program with a continuous flow of good news about the benefits of avocados and give consumers more reasons to buy them. We look forward to working with CRT/tanaka to help us elevate our public relations programs as we provide industry leadership in this area and further leverage the marketing strength of the collective member associations.”

About CRT/tanaka

CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe^SM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features four integrated specialties – Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyle, Consumer and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Food/Beverage/Nutrition clients include the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission, the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Florida Supersweet Corn, Duda Farm Fresh Foods, Hass Avocado Board and the Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.

About the Hass Avocado Board

The Hass Avocado Board (HAB) was established in 2002 to promote the consumption of Hass Avocados in the United States. A 12-member board representing domestic producers and importers of Hass Avocados directs the HAB’s promotion, research and information programs under supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. Hass Avocados are grown in California and imported into the U.S. from Mexico, Chile, Peru, Dominican Republic and New Zealand.

Richmond

• Julie McCracken has been promoted from account supervisor to associate vice president. As a member of the agency’s Corporate Practice, Julie’s recent work includes managing initiatives for TIAA-CREF and Bow Tie Cinemas. Previous work includes assignments for Shell Oil Company and managing public relations efforts for Sprint Nextel’s title sponsorship of racing’s premier series, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
• Rosalie Morton has been promoted from account executive to senior account executive, where she supports both the agency’s Corporate and Consumer Practices, working with such clients as Air New Zealand, Viviscal and Web.com.
• Kathryn Glushefski has been promoted from assistant account executive to account executive in the agency’s Corporate Practice. She has supported various clients including Girl Scouts of the USA, U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Sprint Nextel, Virginia Commonwealth University and Big Brothers Big Sisters Virginia Alliance.

 New York

• Jason Stemm has been promoted from associate vice president to vice president. He is a leader of the agency’s Food/Beverage/Nutrition Practice, working with various clients, including the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission, Avocados from Mexico, the Florida Sweet Corn Exchange, the Florida Tomato Committee, Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma and Skuna Bay Craft Raised Salmon. He is past president of the International Foodservice Editorial Council.
• Laura Petrosky has been promoted from senior account executive to account supervisor, supporting both the Consumer and Food/Beverage/Nutrition Practices, where she works with various clients including Wines from Rioja (Spain), the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers and Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International).
• Lauren Ray has been promoted from senior account executive to account supervisor, supporting both the Consumer and Food/Beverage/Nutrition Practices, working with various clients including Wines from Rioja (Spain) and Prosciutto di Parma.
• Julie Stas has been promoted from account executive to senior account executive in the agency’s Food/Beverage/Nutrition and Consumer Practices. She works with several clients including Wines from Rioja (Spain), North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission and the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

Washington, D.C.

• Priya Ramesh has been promoted from director of social media to managing director of social media strategies. She also serves as general manager of the agency’s Washington, D.C. office. Priya oversees social media strategy and implementation for a wide array of clients including Web.com, BISSELL Homecare, Charles Schwab & Company and Partnership at Drugfree.org. She also is one of the primary writers for CRT/tanaka’s nationally recognized blog, the Buzz Bin.
• Nikki Parrotte has been promoted from assistant account executive to account executive in the Consumer Practice, where she works with such clients as Wilsonart, BISSELL Homecare, Web.com and Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International).

 Los Angeles

• Ligaya Malones has been promoted from assistant account executive to account executive in the Consumer Practice, where she supports Air New Zealand, Shell Vacations Hospitality and Skuna Bay Craft Raised Salmon.

 Norfolk

• April Sciacchitano has been promoted from account executive to senior account executive in the agency’s Health/Healthy Lifestyles Practice, where she has worked with various clients including the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, the American Physical Therapy Association and Council for Responsible Nutrition.

About CRT/tanaka
CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe^SM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features three integrated specialties – Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyles, Consumer and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, Avocados from Mexico, Barnes & Noble College, BISSELL Homecare Inc., Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels), Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Sprint Nextel, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Web.com and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.

Richmond, Va. (Sept. 5, 2012)

“We are very excited to add Missy to our team. She has a wonderful reputation and an impressive track record of working with decision makers to achieve results for her clients. Her policy expertise and in-depth knowledge of government relations will be of great benefit to our existing and future clients,” said Mark Raper, CRT/tanaka chairman and CEO.  

“For two years, we have considered introducing lobbying capabilities and expanding our government relations expertise. Missy is the ideal person to lead this effort for CRT/tanaka. She is respected by leaders on both sides of the political aisle,” Raper said.

“In today’s environment, businesses and organizations are increasingly looking for one-stop shopping for a variety of services – including public relations and government affairs,” Gould said. “I look forward to working with CRT/tanaka to offer these complementary services to our clients.”

In addition, Gould served as assistant secretary of natural resources for former Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine. Throughout her career, she has worked with public, private and nonprofit sectors and has expertise in a variety of policy areas, including energy, the environment, agriculture, healthcare and Virginia’s biennial budget. Gould is a graduate of Meredith College and the Sorensen Institute’s Political Leaders Program at University of Virginia.

About CRT/tanaka

CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe^SM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features four integrated specialties – Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyles, Consumer and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, Avocados from Mexico, Barnes & Noble College, BISSELL Homecare Inc., the U.S. Blueberry Council, Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International), Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Network Solutions, Sprint Nextel and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.

Richmond, Va. (Aug. 17, 2012) – CRT/tanaka, an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe^SM workplace culture and approach to business, today announced the recipients of the 2012 whatcanbe Awards, which celebrate employees who have helped create a bigger, brighter, better future for the agency, its clients and the community. The 2012 award winners are Scott Davila, vice president, Corporate/B2B Practice (client category); Jason Stemm, associate vice president, Food/Beverage/Nutrition Practice (agency category); and Lisa Ramos, receptionist/administrative assistant (community category).

Each recipient receives a $2,500 stipend and a one-week sabbatical to create a personal, whatcanbe experience.

“CRT/tanaka launched the whatcanbe Awards in 2008 as an employee recognition program to celebrate our associates who use whatcanbe thinking to create a more exciting and expansive future for the agency, our clients and the community-at-large,” said Patrice Tanaka, CRT/tanaka co-chair, chief creative officer and whatcanbe ambassador. “Scott, Jason and Lisa each demonstrate the aspirational spirit of whatcanbe in their individual endeavors.”

Client Award Winner – Scott Davila

As leader of CRT/tanaka’s B2B team within the agency’s Corporate Practice, Davila is being recognized for his work with such clients as the Council of Better Business Bureaus; Satmetrix, the leading provider of cloud-based customer experience software for companies worldwide; Owens & Minor, supplier of a wide array of medical products backed up with supply-chain consulting and e-business solutions for healthcare customers; and Barnes & Noble College. Under Scott’s strategic direction, Barnes & Noble College has grown to be one of the agency’s largest accounts. Scott’s work also has earned numerous industry awards, including a prestigious Silver Anvil from the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the Technology Campaign of the Year award from PRWeek and a national Gold Quill (Media Relations) from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC).

Agency Award Winner – Jason Stemm

Along with serving as a senior member of CRT/tanaka’s Food/Beverage/Nutrition Practice, Stemm also served as president of the International Foodservice Editorial Council this past year. He played a critical role in planning the group’s annual conference in Washington, D.C. He also serves as co-chair of CRT/tanaka’s whatcanbe committee, which develops trainings and other activities to foster a culture of whatcanbe within the agency. Jason also is a regular contributor to the agency’s Buzz Bin blog, which is regularly cited as one of the most influential in public relations, marketing and social media.

Community Award Winner – Lisa Ramos

Along with her duties as receptionist/administrative assistant in CRT/tanaka’s New York office, Ramos has organized many community service events for the agency, including an office coat drive for New York Cares, a holiday food drive that resulted in more than 350 pounds of food donations to food banks, a back-to-school supply drive for elementary school children in Brooklyn and a career clothing donation to Dress for Success. Outside the office, Ramos also leads efforts to benefit people with special needs, which include volunteering four hours a month to hold workshops for Latino parents of children with autism.

About CRT/tanaka

CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe^SM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka specializes in four practice areas – Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyles, Corporate/B2B and Consumer. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, BISSELL Homecare, Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International), Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Sprint, Web.com and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.

CRT/tanaka’s efforts will focus primarily on “The Medicine Abuse Project,” a first-of-its-kind initiative that will be launched with a week of activities in late September. This effort will raise awareness of the medicine abuse problem among the general public, especially parents, and healthcare professionals through national media and social engagement.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), prescription medicines are now the most commonly abused drugs among 12-13-year-olds. Approximately 70 percent of teens who abuse prescription drugs get them from family and friends.

The campaign will encourage parents – and the public-at-large – to help manage this problem, working together toward the common goal of preventing 500,000 teens from abusing medicine within the next five years. The Medicine Abuse Project will give parents and other adults the resources they need to play an active role in helping curb medicine abuse, by communicating with their kids about the dangers of abusing medicine and encouraging parents to participate in a “take-back day” for the unused medicine in their homes. The Project also will provide guidelines to help keep medicine out of the reach of children and teens and stored safely in a secure place.  

The Medicine Abuse Project will launch during the week of Sept. 23-29 with Phase I of the multi-year effort. Key audiences will be asked to take a Pledge to help stop teen medicine abuse. Audiences also will be educated about the various ways to prevent this growing and devastating problem that cuts across geographic, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic boundaries.

“This intensive week is an important step to convey the message that the behavior of abusing medicine can be just as addictive and just as deadly as abusing illicit street drugs. Without a major public mobilization and action-focused effort that can eventually be sustained year-round, we are not going to be able to move the needle on this deadly epidemic,” said Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Partnership at Drugfree.org. “We selected CRT/tanaka to help us with this critical initiative because of the agency’s creativity and significant experience working with other organizations on health and social issues, such as breast cancer awareness, domestic violence and heath disease.”

“The Partnership at Drugfree.org has been focused on the problem of medicine abuse since 2004, when it first released groundbreaking research to quantify the extent of this dangerous consumer behavior. CRT/tanaka is honored to collaborate with this organization on such an important endeavor,” said Mark Raper, chairman and CEO of CRT/tanaka. 

About The Partnership at Drugfree.org

Ninety percent of addictions start in the teenage years. The Partnership at Drugfree.org is dedicated to solving the problem of teen substance abuse. Together with experts in science, parenting and communications, the nonprofit translates research on teen behavior, addiction and treatment into useful and effective resources for both individuals and communities. Working toward a vision where all young people will be able to live their lives free of drug and alcohol abuse, The Partnership at Drugfree.org works with parents and other influencers to help them prevent and get help for drug and alcohol abuse by teens and young adults. The organization depends on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and the public sector and is thankful to SAG-AFTRA and the advertising and media industries for their ongoing generosity.

 About CRT/tanaka

CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe^SM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features four integrated specialties – Consumer, Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyles and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, BISSELL Homecare Inc., Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International), Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, the Federation of Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Network Solutions, Sprint Nextel and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.

“CRT/tanaka is proud to have provided counsel and support to such a great local organization,” said Craig Rexroad, vice president and general manager of CRT/tanaka’s Los Angeles office. “There are more than 200 children in Los Angeles that could benefit from Walk With Sally’s mentorship program, and it is very rewarding for our agency to help.”

This year’s annual gala raised approximately $250,000 for Walk with Sally’s mentorship program for children whose parents or siblings are fighting or have died from cancer. The event was held at King Harbor in Redondo Beach and featured bites from some of the South Bay’s best restaurants, cocktails from Patron’s famous Ice Bar, and a live and silent auction. All proceeds go directly to Walk With Sally’s programs.

About Walk With Sally

Walk With Sally is dedicated to providing mentoring support programs and services to children of parents or siblings with cancer – one child at a time, one heart at a time. Walk With Sally is committed to providing healing and comfort to children debilitated by the emotional experience of living with or losing a parent or sibling to cancer. This healing is facilitated through free-of-charge mentoring support programs and services that provide an emotionally safe environment for children to share their difficult experience with someone who has suffered the same.  A Los Angeles-based, registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Walk With Sally can be found on the web at http://www.WalkWithSally.org. 

About CRT/tanaka
CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe^SM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features four integrated specialties – Food/Beverage/Nutrition, Health/Healthy Lifestyles,  Consumer and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, Avocados from Mexico, Barnes & Noble College, BISSELL Homecare Inc., Bridgestone Americas, Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International), Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Sprint Nextel, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council, Wines from Rioja (Spain) and Web.com. More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com. 

From left to right: Brian Ellis, Ryan Lamont, Veronica Hunt, Ligaya Malones and Craig Rexroad

RICHMOND, Va. (June 19, 2012) – CRT/tanaka, an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe^SM workplace culture and approach to business, was recently awarded a prestigious Silver Anvil for integrated marketing communications and a Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for events and observances seven or fewer day by the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA).  

The Silver Anvil, considered the highest honor in the PR profession, and the Silver Anvil Award of Excellence both recognize outstanding strategic public relations planning and implementation. They were presented during a ceremony on June 7, 2012 in New York City. 

CRT/tanaka received the Silver Anvil Award for its work with Wines from Rioja (Spain) for the Consejo Regulador D.O.C.a. Rioja. The Vibrant Rioja campaign was aimed at generating awareness and interest in Rioja wines among a younger Gen-Y and X audience, who are driving wine sales growth in the U.S. Over the past six years, the multi-million dollar, integrated marketing campaign has evolved from “awareness” to “awareness and sales-generation.”

The 2011 Vibrant Rioja campaign helped to increase awareness and perception of Rioja Wines among target consumer and trade audiences as a “top red wine varietal that goes well with any food” and an “excellent wine regardless of price” (vs. the previous year’s tracking studies); the trade program component executed 1,318 sales promotions in 40 states and more than 135 cities (a 32 percent increase in promotions vs. the previous year); and shipments of wine from Rioja were up 12 percent for 2011. This was over and above the previous year’s shipment increase of 33 percent.

CRT/tanaka also received the Silver Anvil Award of Excellence for its Vibrant Rioja Grand Tasting Series. The campaign was aimed at increasing awareness of the Vibrant Rioja Trade Program through wine shows and tastings.

“I am continually impressed with the quality of work coming out of our profession, whether it is multiple winners from one of the large international PR firms or a single winner from a small non-profit with a limited budget and no outside assistance,” said James J. Roop, APR, PRSA Fellow, 2012 Awards and Honors Committee chair and president of Roop & Co. “Silver Anvil winners are making a difference in our world, in terms of creating awareness, generating sales, reinforcing a brand or furthering an organization’s objectives. The Silver Anvils continue to recognize the best practices in our field.”

The Silver Anvil Awards program has grown in scope and stature since its inception in 1946, and awards are now given in 59 categories and subcategories. In the 60-plus-year history of the Silver Anvils, many organizations have been recognized, including solo practitioners, agencies of all sizes, large and small businesses, top corporations, nonprofits, associations and government agencies.

 About CRT/tanaka
CRT/tanaka is an award-winning public relations and marketing firm known for its whatcanbe^SM workplace culture and approach to business. Headquartered in Richmond, Va. and New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C. and Norfolk, Va., CRT/tanaka features four integrated specialties – Food, Beverage and Nutrition; Health and Healthy Lifestyles; Consumer; and Corporate/B2B. The agency has been recognized with more than 350 national and regional awards for its strategic counsel, creativity, workplace culture and community service. Clients include Air New Zealand, Avocados from Mexico, Barnes & Noble College, BISSELL Homecare Inc., Cambria Suites (Choice Hotels International), Charles Schwab & Co., Council of Better Business Bureaus, Quebec Maple Syrup Producers, Girl Scouts of the USA, Network Solutions, Sprint Nextel, the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council and Wines from Rioja (Spain). More information about CRT/tanaka is available at www.crt-tanaka.com.

About the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)                   
With more than 31,000 members, PRSA is the largest organization of public relations professionals and students. PRSA is comprised of 111 local Chapters organized into 10 geographic Districts; 14 Professional Interest Sections that focus on issues, trends and research relevant to specialized practice areas, such as technology, health care, financial communications, entertainment and sports, and travel tourism, and the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA), which has more than 300 Chapters at colleges and universities in the United States and abroad. PRSA is headquartered in New York.