Ruth Steele Walker Receives PRSA Lifetime Achievement Award

A lifetime achievement award was presented to Ruth Steele Walker by the West Michigan chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The honor came at the group’s annual PRoof Awards ceremony in Grand Rapids.

“I’m elated to receive this award,” Walker said. “It’s gratifying to have this kind of affirmation from your professional peers. It was entirely unexpected and I am very touched and appreciative.”

A PRSA member for more than 20 years, Walker is a past president of the West Michigan chapter. Her career includes more than 25 years as corporate communications manager with Foremost Corporation of America, the nation's leading insurer of manufactured housing and recreational vehicles.

Walker was recently elected president of Due North Marketing Communications, Inc. Earlier in her career, Walker was a newspaper reporter, a TV and radio producer, and worked in national sales and traffic at network TV affiliates. She also instructed at the university level as an adjunct professor in journalism. Walker earned a BA in journalism from Michigan State University and an MS in communications from Grand Valley State University.

The lifetime achievement award recognizes a career of exemplary service to the public relations profession and superior performance in meeting day-to-day professional public relations responsibilities.

Due North is a full-service agency that specializes in the direct-to-consumer and business-to-business sectors in the insurance, healthcare and agriculture market segments. Under Walker’s direction, the company is expanding its recent work in hospitality and emerging businesses such as nutraceuticals.