Francavilla Wins Highest AMP Communications Award
Donna Francavilla, founder of boutique PR firm, Frankly Speaking Communications LLC, won 5 first place awards in the state-wide yearly competition within Alabama Media Professionals and the most prestigious award given by the organization. Francavilla was announced as the 2016 Alabama Media Professionals Communicator of Achievement at the Awards Banquet held at The Club in Birmingham. The Communicator of Achievement Award is presented to media professionals based on professional achievement, community service, and service to the organization. The winner of this award represents the AMP affiliate at the National Federation of Press Women competition. Francavilla has worn many hats as an entrepreneur: a public relations professional, talk show host, blogger, writer, podcaster, and audio/video specialist. She has filed stories from around the world (Cuba, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, to name a few) for such organizations as Agence France Presse, Voice of America, "The Oprah Winfrey Show," and CBS News. She showed her dedication to reporting while on vacation when she broke the news of a mudslide after being airlifted by helicopter with her daughter in Peru. Francavilla is the first to win the Communicator of Achievement Award since 2009. Verna Gates was the previous nominee and was runner-up to American icon syndicated lifestyle columnist Heloise and won a lifetime achievement award from NFPW. Francavilla will be featured in an upcoming article in B-Metro magazine.