Meet the jury of Ragan’s 2026 Zenith Awards

As communicators juggle AI adoption, shifting media habits and growing pressure to prove business impact, Ragan Communications has brought back the Zenith Awards for a second year. The program honors top campaigns, teams and leaders across internal and external communications, public relations and marketing. Categories range from crisis communications and AI to employee engagement, visual storytelling and the top agencies.

“The Zenith Awards celebrate communicators who turn strategy into results their organizations can see and feel,” said Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan. “This year’s finalists show what happens when strong storytelling, smart use of AI and a sharp focus on impact come together.”

The jury evaluated entries on strategic thinking, creativity, execution and measurable impact. Its members bring experience across healthcare, nonprofits, retail, hospitality, technology, consumer goods and agency work.

Winners will be revealed live on stage at the Zenith Awards Luncheon on Thursday, Nov. 5, from noon to 2:30 p.m. at the Edison Ballroom in New York City. NewsNation national correspondent Jessica Kartalija and Ragan’s Jon Minnick will co-host the afternoon. Finalists from leading brands and agencies will gather for an afternoon of recognition and networking. Many will celebrate alongside the teams and clients who helped bring their work to life.

Meet the jurists

Lynn Godfrey — SVP and chief experience officer, Blood Cancer United

Godfrey leads the marketing, digital and communications team at Blood Cancer United, formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the largest nonprofit dedicated to ending blood cancers. She spearheaded the multiyear effort to modernize and unify the organization under its new identity, which launched in fall 2025. She was named a Ragan 2025 Top Women in Marketing honoree. Over more than two decades, she has led brand transformations for organizations including Girl Scouts of the USA, the American Red Cross, PBS Kids, Nickelodeon and American Express. She serves on the Forbes Nonprofit Council and holds a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University and a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Danielle Hughes — VP of communications, BODYARMOR & POWERADE

Hughes returns to the jury after serving on last year’s panel. She oversees communications for BODYARMOR and POWERADE, including public relations, paid media, social media, influencer strategy, internal and executive communications, CSR communications and reputation management, and supports the brand’s recent expansion into Canada. She has led launches such as BODYARMOR Zero Sugar and POWERADE Sours and forged partnerships with Barstool Sports, Dude Perfect and Savannah Bananas. She began her career at MSL Group and Ketchum Sports, where she supported P&G’s “Thank You, Mom” campaign.

Allison Colangelo — director, executive and internal communications, Pinterest

Colangelo leads integrated internal and external communications for Pinterest’s C-suite, aligning media relations, speaking engagements and social positioning with company culture. Before Pinterest, she spent six years at PwC managing communications around M&A, corporate reputation, DEI and recruitment. She began her career at agencies, launching campaigns for entertainment, media and tech brands, and holds a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Hofstra University. Colangelo will also serve as a guest presenter at the luncheon.

Racquel White — chief communications officer, Labcorp

White leads Labcorp’s communications strategy, overseeing corporate reputation, executive and employee communications, crisis communications, media relations and sustainability communications. She previously led corporate affairs for North America at Royal Canin, a division of Mars, and held senior roles at Newell Brands and Cox Automotive. At The Coca-Cola Company, she directed communications strategy across 90 countries in Eurasia and Africa and supported the FIFA World Cup and Olympic Games. Ragan named her one of its Top Women in Communications in 2025. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from American University.

Johnna Muscente — VP,  communications and PR, The Corcoran Group

Muscente oversees public relations and internal communications for The Corcoran Group, leading a team that promotes the brokerage’s strength and global affiliate growth. She previously led global communications at Vail Resorts and managed communications for Hearst Magazines brands. Ragan named her one of its Top Women in Communications, and she serves on the Ragan and PR Daily Advisory Board. She recently launched Under Embargo, a Substack about PR and brand building, and will also serve as a guest presenter at the luncheon.

Michael Kaye — director of corporate communications, Upstart

Kaye leads corporate communications at Upstart. He previously served as global director of communications and narrative for Match Group’s E&E portfolio, which includes Match, OkCupid, Plenty of Fish and The League. He has written for outlets including CNN, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal have interviewed him. He teaches as an adjunct instructor at Columbia University and New York University and publishes Blurring The Lines, a newsletter on LinkedIn and Substack.

Amanda Ponzar — chief enterprise communications officer, Community Catalyst

Ponzar brings more than 25 years of communications and marketing experience across global nonprofits, companies and agencies. She founded and leads The Social Impact Group, a network of corporate citizenship leaders from major global brands. She has secured media coverage for CEOs, presidential candidates and organizations, led major events and awards programs, and driven fundraising campaigns for children’s cancer causes. She also speaks frequently at industry events and writes as a contributor.

Lauren Stephens — executive director, internal communications, MGM Resorts International

Stephens oversees internal communications strategy for more than 60,000 employees at MGM Resorts International. A certified change practitioner, she helps leaders communicate through change and brings expertise in strategic planning, crisis communications, and analytics and measurement. She holds a master’s degree in hospitality administration and a bachelor’s degree in tourism and events management.

Meghan Roman — AVP, internal communications, Victoria’s Secret & Co.

Roman translates Victoria’s Secret & Co.’s brand transformation into clear messaging for associates across corporate offices, distribution centers and stores. She oversees internal channels, executive communications and associate engagement for the company’s global workforce. She previously led PR and influencer campaigns at Target, where she also helped communicate the retailer’s brand transformation, and managed media relations for Fortune 500 clients at Edelman in Chicago and London.

David Johnston — senior director, social media, Save the Children

Johnston leads Save the Children’s organic social media strategy and manages the team that connects global audiences with the organization’s mission. He brings more than three decades of experience in strategic communications and audience engagement across nonprofit, corporate and public-facing organizations. A frequent industry speaker, he shares practical advice on social strategy, visual storytelling, digital engagement and customer care.

Lauren Butler — EVP, employee engagement, Golin Ketchum

Butler leads Golin Ketchum’s employee engagement specialty, advising Fortune 500 companies on culture, organizational change and employee advocacy. She specializes in engaging large frontline and distributed workforces and turning business strategy into communications that drive alignment. Before focusing on employee engagement, she led major client relationships and integrated programs at Ketchum and FleishmanHillard spanning consumer communications, corporate reputation, brand launches and sponsorships. Her work has received more than 35 industry awards, including Cannes Lions. Butler will serve as a guest presenter at the luncheon.

Stacey Zolt Hara — U.S. head, workplace + purpose, Burson

Zolt Hara leads Burson’s Workplace + Purpose practice, which helps organizations build reputation from the inside out. A former congressional reporter, she most recently headed global corporate affairs at fintech company Airwallex and previously led global corporate communications at Udemy. At Visa, she served as global head of employee and executive communications and, earlier, global head of corporate reputation and public affairs. She has also held leadership roles at Edelman, Ogilvy Public Relations and Quintiles and advised politicians including Sen. Dick Durbin and then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Rachel Salis-Silverman — chief communications officer, Ragan Communications

Salis-Silverman joined Ragan after serving as vice president of reputation and communications at Nemours Children’s Health, where she led public relations, thought leadership, social media, internal communications, and issues and crisis management. Over more than 25 years, she has built enterprise crisis protocols, launched the Well Beyond Medicine podcast and held healthcare communications roles at the American Association for Cancer Research and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She holds a master’s degree in marketing communications from Temple University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Ohio State University.

Diane Schwartz — chief executive officer, Ragan Communications

Schwartz is the CEO of Ragan Communications and the first woman to hold the role in the company’s history. A writer, speaker and advocate for communicators as business leaders, she brings more than 25 years of experience to Ragan’s media, events and training. Under her leadership, Ragan has launched Women’s Retreats, the Future of Communications Conference, AI Horizons, certificate programs and the Ragan Training learning platform.