OC alumna Erin Engelke, just named OKC Woman of the Year, will speak at the PRSA-OKC meeting Nov. 2

Erin Engelke, an Oklahoma Christian University Public Relations alumna, will be the speaker for the November meeting of the Oklahoma City chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. She will discuss how public relations skills translate to the executive office. Her presentation is titled “The Journey from PR to CEO.”

The meeting will be Nov. 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Calm Waters Center for Children and Families, the nonprofit grief center Engelke leads as executive director. The office is located at 501 N. Walker Ave., Suite 140 in Oklahoma City. 

PRSA-OKC President Samaiyah Islam is confident those who attend will leave inspired by Engelke’s presentation and tips. 

“Erin is truly a consummate professional who has mentored so many PR and nonprofit executives in her career,” Islam said. “She has led the way for a younger generation to see how to lead and move forward in their careers. Those who attend will learn valuable strategies for career planning and leadership development.” 

Prior to Calm Waters, Engelke served in management roles for Sunbeam Family Services, Feed the Children, World Neighbors and MidFirst Bank. She has traveled extensively around the world, including Guatemala, Albania and Peru and has a heart for seeing children and families thrive no matter where they live.

Engelke is frequently asked to speak on issues relating to branding, work/life balance and nonprofit leadership. Her deepest passion is empowering other working moms to resist the pull to achieve work-life balance, instead seeking a fulfilled life.

Calm Waters serves children and families who have experienced loss due to death, divorce or other significant loss, providing free support groups, grief counseling and other services. 

OC’s Associate PRofessor of Communication Josh Watson, who advises PR majors, serves as treasurer for PRSA-OKC and has worked with Engelke when she was president of the chapter. 

“Erin is so impressive in all that she does,” Watson said. “She and her husband are leaders in their community and church, and she truly seeks to encourage and lift up others. Her talk will be a great benefit to those in attendance, and I’m so appreciative of the example she sets for OC’s current PR students.” 

Engelke is a frequent speaker on issues related to branding and having a work-life balance. She stands for promoting and empowering women and moms to pursue the work and life they would like to achieve. She has spoken at an Oklahoma Tedx and is a coach and trainer for Strata Leadership.

In October, the Journal Record business newspaper in Oklahoma City named Engelke the Woman of the Year, and her cookies were awarded fourth place at the Oklahoma State Fair!

The Woman of the Year program, now in its 42nd year, recognizes Oklahoma’s prominent women who epitomize leadership in both their professional endeavors and in the communities where they live. 

“Now, more than ever, it is vital we recognize the invaluable contributions women make in our community,” said Journal Record Editor Joe Dowd. “They are leaders, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, mentors, and forces of change in Oklahoma, the nation, and the world.”

The program also featured the 24th annual Woman of the Year Forum, an idea exchange and networking opportunity for honorees and those they mentor.

Engelke also serves as a past president of the Public Relations Society of America, vice chair on the Board of Trustees for The Christian Chronicle, past president of the Association of Women in Communications and as a sustaining member of the Junior League of Oklahoma City. Her greatest pride is her family – her husband (whom she met in a Communication class at OC), son and two daughters.

In addition to serving as Mrs. Oklahoma 2020 and Mrs. Finland World 2022, Engelke was named Public Relations Professional of the Year from the Public Relations Society of America.