Emerald Coast Communicators Win 2026 SPRF Lantern Awards
ECPRO members Elevate Next and Eglin Federal Credit Union honored for Advertising & Publications work
Daniel Spanier III, Creative Services Manager, Eglin Federal Credit Union (L), and Christie Solomon, MBA, Founder and Principal, Elevate Next (R)
The Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO) congratulates two of its members, Elevate Next and Eglin Federal Credit Union, who were recognized during the Southern Public Relations Federation’s (SPRF) 2026 Lantern Awards Ceremony at the “PR Roots” Conference, held Sept. 20-22 at Hotel Capstone in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
SPRF recognizes its members’ outstanding work product through the annual Lantern Awards program. Both of the Emerald Coast businesses were honored in Tier Three, Tactical Materials/Projects, in the Advertising & Publications category:
Marketing agency Elevate Next (Destin, Fla.) won a 2026 Lantern Award, the program’s top honor, for its monthly email newsletter, “ELEVATED NEWS: Building Community Through Monthly Business and Marketing Insights.” Founder and Principal, Christie Solomon, MBA, accepted the award on behalf of her agency.
Eglin Federal Credit Union (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.) earned a 2026 Award of Merit for its “Dive into Incredible Savings” campaign (April 1 - May 31, 2025). Creative Services Manager Daniel Spanier III, whose team worked on the campaign, accepted the award on the credit union’s behalf.
SPRF entries are scored on their individual merit by public relations practitioners outside SPRF’s member states utilizing the four-step research, planning, implementation, and evaluation (RPIE) process, the standard for measuring strategic public relations work. The Lantern Award is the program’s highest honor, awarded to top-scoring entries, while the Award of Merit and the Award of Excellence recognize additional entries that demonstrate strong process and results.
“Seeing Emerald Coast communicators recognized across the Gulf South region speaks to the depth of PR talent in our area. I’m extremely proud of both our members,” ECPRO President Kathy Morrow said.
To learn more about ECPRO and its membership benefits, including professional development and networking opportunities at the monthly Lunch and Learn meetings in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., and SPRF membership, which offers further access to regional educational and networking opportunities, visit: https://www.ecpro.org/membership.
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About Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO)
Formed in 1992, the Emerald Coast Public Relations Organization (ECPRO) is a 501(c)(6) professional organization that fosters interest in the public relations field; encourages professional development for those employed in the field; maintains high standards of ethics in the performance of public relations tasks; and offers instruction. ECPRO is a member of the Southern Public Relations Federation (SPRF), a network of public relations chapters across Alabama, Northwestern Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
About Emerald Coast Public Relations Foundation (ECPRF)
Established in 2007, the Emerald Coast Public Relations Foundation (ECPRF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and the charitable arm of ECPRO. It supports education and advancement in public relations, providing scholarships to graduating high school seniors pursuing higher education in public relations, communication, marketing, or journalism.
