Gill Morris, Connect Communications’ Chief Executive, was awarded the inaugural Douglas Smith Memorial Prize for lifetime achievement in public affairs at a glittering CIPR Public Affairs Group Christmas Party on Thursday 4th December. The Award was announced last summer by the CIPR PA Group in honour of the late Douglas Smith who founded the Government Affairs Group in 1987, subsequently merging with the CIPR as the Public Affairs Group.
The Award celebrates the remarkable impact that Gill has had on the public affairs industry; spearheading the efforts to improve the transparency, the practices and perception of the public affairs industry.
From chairing the APPC, directing UKPAC, being called to represent the industry in front of a Select Committee, and being named the most influential woman in public affairs, and fifth overall by Total Politics Magazine, this is just the latest in a long list of accolades given to Gill. At Connect, Gill has guided and shaped some of the industry’s leading public affairs practitioners, all of whom we’re sure are so very proud of Gill’s achievement.
On receiving her award, Gill said: “I am tremendously proud to have received the inaugural Douglas Smith award and very proud of all the Connectors and ex-Connectors who are a credit to the industry. I will continue to work hard and fight for greater professionalism and transparency and build recognition for ethical lobbying in the UK. I am sure Doug would approve!”
Speaking at the Bond themed event, CIPR Pubulic Affairs Chair Simon McVicker said:
“When we launched the award in the summer we were not sure what sort of response we would get. Well we did get a good response and it was very quickly self-evident that there was momentum, consensus around one person in particular that made the Committee’s job easy.
Gill is a very fitting person to win this first Douglas Smith Award, she is one of the leading public affairs professional in the UK, she has done so much around training and social policy and she has shown commitment to the industry by being a member of CIPR, a founder of APPC and its Chair and also been involved in the PRCA. She serves on the Board of the UK Public Affairs Council and strongly believes in transparency and professionalism in the industry.
Plus on top of this she is a great fund raiser for charity and even climbed Kilimanjaro in aid of the British Heart Foundation.”