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Public Relations & Publications Awards Judging Committee

Chair:

C. Paschal Eze, Chief Diversity Officer/Head of DEI 
City of Westland, Westland, Michigan, United States

For three decades, C. Paschal Eze has made his mark amplifying suppressed and faint voices, building bridges of hope and help, and getting community-serving projects better known, appreciated and supported.  A widely traveled former columnist, correspondent and business magazine and daily newspaper editor-in-chief, Dr. Eze in 2001 risked his life in defense of press freedom and democracy (see Committee To Protect Journalists' March 26, 2002 report). He currently serves as Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) of Michigan's 9th largest city of Westland where he fosters respect, opportunity, and wellbeing for diverse individuals and groups, especially minorities, and people with disabilities. 

Before becoming Westland's first CDO, Eze served for nearly 8 years on the senior leadership team of the 1909-founded nonprofit Detroit Rescue Mission as Vice President and Director of Communications, with portfolios that included media, community, and donor relations. A certified trainer, and well-received conference speaker, Dr. Eze serves on boards of well-regarded nonprofits like Eye Care for Detroit that align with his values. He is the founding board chair of anti-poverty think tank, The PuLSE Institute, and chairs the global board of the international management association, IMA-GLOBAL, whose leaders and members are drawn from different universities and industries around the globe.

Previously, Dr. Eze served on the board of Thomas Taylor Towers, a 266-unit senior living facility, and as VP of Westland Housing Commission. He also served on the Recipients Rights Board of Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network, Michigan’s largest health network serving over 75,000 persons with a budget in excess of $1 billion. In 2018, he received the US Congressional Record that described him as a man with "lifetime of leadership" who has been "in the forefront of addressing economic disparity in the United States.” An author and recipient of the National MLK Leadership Award, Crain’s Detroit Business 2023 Notable Leader in DEI, and Spirit of Detroit Award, Eze enjoys using his people, and media skills to tackle bias, and help disadvantaged persons become unfettered, hopeful, and gainful participants in society. He gained valuable insights working in different countries as a schoolteacher, journalist, editor-in-chief, entrepreneur, mentor, and nonprofit leader. Neither afraid to explore nor ashamed of failure, Dr. Eze began generating income at age 8 and was organizer of one of the largest Christian book fairs in America, with the maiden event in 2004 attracting authors and booksellers from 17 US states and 5 countries


Committee:  

Zainab Ansari, Founder/Chairperson 
Xenith PR (Pvt.) Ltd, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan

A corporate image professional and Public Relations specialist with over forty-five years of high profile and successful career in large multinationals and reputable organizations; extensively exposed to television, radio, and literary circles; established writer, poet, and a free-lance journalist.  Zainab has been awarded Asia’s Woman Leader award 2019 in Singapore.