E. Bruce Harrison, CEO and founder of EnviroComm International, is the recipient of the Arthur W. Page Society's 2009 Distinguished Service Award. With more than 40 years in business and government communications, Harrison is being honored as an individual who has helped strengthen the role of public relations by improving its overall value and effectiveness.

The Distinguished Service Award is presented to individuals who have devoted themselves to services that help build and nurture the profession. Harrison has been active in the Page Society since 1989 as board member, secretary and conference organizer; and he served as its first executive director.His professional history includes joining the chemical industry's trade association in 1962 where he managed a five-year program to regain reputational value following the Silent Spring crisis. Subsequently, he was named corporate vice president of Freeport Minerals (now Freeport-McMoran) in New York, responsible for corporate communications, investor relations and international government relations for the company's copper mine project in Indonesia.

Afterwards, Harrison returned to Washington to open his consulting practice which centered on corporate greening in the 1970s. For more than 20 years, the firm broke new ground working with Fortune 100 companies and green advocacy groups on collaborative programs balancing economic, social and political accountabilities on environmental and energy issues.

As counsel to a group of chief executive officers in the ramp-up of corporate green engagement in the early 1990s, Harrison supported the business delegation at the United Nations first Earth Summit and introduced the concept of "sustainable business communications."

A frequent guest lecturer at colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad, Harrison is the author of three books on environmental public relations, and contributes regularly to magazines, newspapers, online columns and his blog for EnviroComm. His industry honors include an International Public Relations Association distinguished service award, PRWeek's "100 most influential PR people of the 20th century," Paul Holmes All-Star Awards, PR News nomination as outstanding professional of the year, and the Society of Professional Journalists' outstanding service award for leading the national public watchdog campaign and serving as counsel to the group's First Amendment Center, and its national board.

Harrison is in the Washington PRSA Hall of Fame and has served as chairman of the PRSA Counselors Academy and vice president of both New York and Washington chapters. He was profiled in the April 2009 PRSA Tactics as a "leading the profession" counselor, and is included in the Arthur Page Center at Penn State University's oral history program on public relations ethics. He is on the faculty of Georgetown University, as adjunct instructor in corporate communications.

"This award is a testament to Bruce's role as a thought leader and counselor in the field of public relations. It is an honor to recognize an individual who has been such a pioneer on sustainability issues," said Maril MacDonald, president of the Arthur W. Page Society.

The Arthur W. Page Society will present E. Bruce Harrison with the Distinguished Service Award during the 26th Annual Conference in Chicago, IL from September 13 to 15.

Previous Distinguished Service Award winners include:

2008: James E. Grunig, Ph.D
2007: Donald K. Wright, Ph.D
2006: Ron Culp
2004: John M. Reed
2003: Ann H. Barkelew
2002: John W. (Jack) Felton
2001: Patrick J. Jackson
2000: Betsy Plank

About the Distinguished Service Award

The Distinguished Service Award was created to honor an individual, who over the years has helped strengthen the role of public relations. Successful candidates have served the profession by improving its overall value and effectiveness. The recipients of this award helped strengthen the role of public relations in our society by devoting themselves to services that help build and nurture the profession. Winners may have championed the merits of public relations; written articles and/or books; conducted opinion research; developed educational programs; and worked with students, professional groups and community groups.

About the Arthur W. Page Society

The Arthur W. Page Society is a select membership organization composed primarily of the chief communication officers (CCOs) of the world's top multinational corporations, and the CEOs of the world's largest public relations agencies. The organization's members also include academics from the leading business and communications schools. The Page Society is dedicated to strengthening the management policy role of chief communications officers. For more information please visit http://www.awpagesociety.com.

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For more information contact:
Anuneha Mewawalla
Communications Manager
212.400.7959 ext. 102
amewawalla@awpagesociety.com