Seven Associates Recognized with End-of-Year Public Affairs Awards

Extra, extra! Read all about it! Each year, associates worldwide serve as volunteers for the Public Affairs Representatives (PAR) program, administered by the HQ Public Affairs team. This program encourages associates to share and monitor media coverage relevant to the Exchange through social and local media outlets respective to their installations.

Although participation is voluntary, top-performing PARs are rewarded annually with Exchange gift cards ranging from $250-$1,000 and a personal note from Director/CEO Tom Shull. The awards recognize excellence in the following categories: PAR of the Year; Brand Representative of the Year; Most Improved; and Rookie of the Year.

“The Public Affairs Representative program has been an extremely successful extension of the Public Affairs team since 2005, and every year our associates go above and beyond to help get Exchange messaging out,” said Sandi Lute, senior vice president, marketing customer engagement. “Our PARs are an integral part of our team, and we are eternally grateful for the work they do.”

The PAR of the Year award recognizes the associate who submits the most content that mentions the Exchange and is sourced directly from an Exchange-issued press release, while the Brand Representative of the Year award recognizes the associate who submits the most content that mentions the Exchange from newspapers, news websites or social media and is not a direct result of an Exchange-generated press release or media pitch.

“The key to successfully getting our message out on social media lies in building a strong relationship with our base’s Public Affairs Office (PAO), base program partners as well as maintaining a solid connection with our services and vending team,” said Visual Merchandiser Natasa Stroud, who serves as the PAR at Fort Eisenhower. “By working together, we’ve been able to achieve not only a significant number of shares and mentions but also ensure that our community stays well-informed about the events and updates happening at the Exchange and base-wide. Working alongside these amazing teams made it very easy to become the 2024 Most Improved PAR, which I am incredibly grateful for.”

In 2024, PARs submitted more than 10,200 PAR and brand reports.

“It is an honor to be recognized as a new PAR,” said Fort Cavazos Exchange Visual Merchandiser Lizandra Santana Rivera. “What has helped me is the communication between the team and myself. Being well-informed allows me to keep the community updated on the continuous service we offer, while also helping me build and strengthen the Fort Cavazos Exchange’s relationships with the community.”

The 2024 Public Affairs Representative program winners are:

PAR of the Year: Sue Antonello, visual merchandiser, Fort Novosel

Second Place: Nguyen Ai Vy Tran, office technician, Travis Air Force Base

Third Place: Elizabeth Haefner, office technician, Fort Drum

Brand Representative of the Year: Sue Antonello, visual merchandiser, Fort Novosel

Second Place: Alexandra Dewberry, office technician, Fort Bragg

Third Place: Natasa Stroud, visual merchandiser, Fort Eisenhower

Honorable Mention: David Parker, office technician, Edwards Air Force Base

Most Improved: Natasa Stroud, visual merchandiser, Fort Eisenhower

Rookie of the Year: Lizandra Santana Rivera, visual merchandiser, Fort Cavazos

Sue Antonello, visual merchandiser at Fort Novosel, was named Public Affairs Representative of the Year. At left is Fort Novosel Exchange General Manager Patricia Murauskas.