(Black PR Wire) NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Business Wire congratulates our very own Raschanda Hall for being named the “Public Relations Executive of the Year” by Target Market News for their 2016 Marketing to African Americans with Excellence (MAAX) Awards!

Raschanda Hall, director of global media relations, has spent 16 years as a leading part of Business Wire’s media relations team. She is a highly valuable member, setting the direction for the brand’s global media relations through the fast-paced, changing media landscape by utilizing her understanding of emerging technology and her pioneering social media presence. She has significantly expanded Business Wire’s reach to media and influencers worldwide. Additionally, she serves as the president of the Chicago chapter of Black Public Relations Society.

“I have never served with a goal of getting accolades or awards. My desire has always been to make the people and organizations I connect with stronger,” said Raschanda Hall upon winning the prestigious award. “I am so grateful to Target Market News and the MAAX awards for their recognition. I hope it inspires others to serve and give back as well.”

This achievement is not a surprise as Raschanda, while still in college, was named as one of the most promising Minority (Multicultural) Students by the American Advertising Federation (AAF). Each year she presents to groups around the country on best practices for using social media and building mutually beneficial relationships with reporters.

The MAAX Awards, presented annually since 2006, recognizes the contributions, innovations and exceptional performance of African-American professionals in variety of communications categories. The award is especially validating of Raschanda’s great career because eligible candidates are recommended not just by the editors, writers and contributors of Target Market News, but by the previous recipients as well.

The 17th Annual Marketing to African Americans with Excellence (MAAX) Summit will take place on Monday, Oct. 14th, 2016 at the Hyatt Magnificent Mile Hotel in downtown Chicago. The theme for this year’s gathering is “Change the Conversation,” with presentations that offer a new perspective on the Trillion-Dollar Black Consumer Market.

“There has been a dramatic shift in the dynamics of the African-American market,” said Target Market News president, Ken Smikle. “Black consumers are altering their perceptions and habits. Change is being driven by technology, access to information, the political culture, and the Black Lives Matter and Bank Black movements. African-American millennials may be driving the conversation, but the older black population is bringing new convictions and attitudes to the marketplace. These trends need be examined, understood and responded to with new strategies and new ideas.”

The 2016 MAAX Award recipients are:

Advertising Executive of the Year
Michon Ellis
Chief Executive Officer
LimeGreen Moroch, LLC

Media Executive of the Year
Detavio Samuels
President
Interactive One LLC

Marketing Executive of the Year
Michelle Matthews-Alexander
Diversity Marketing Manager
GM Diversity Marketing, Center of Excellence

Research Executive of the Year
Sharon Williams
Senior Research Director
iHeartMedia

Public Relations Executive of the Year
Raschanda Hall
Director of Global Media Relations
Business Wire LLC

Lifetime Achievement Award
Bernard Bronner
Publisher
Upscale Magazine

President’s Award for Advocacy
Jim Winston
Executive Director
National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters

About Business Wire:
Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure. Investor relations, public relations, public policy and marketing professionals rely on Business Wire to accurately distribute market-moving news and multimedia, host online newsrooms and IR websites, build content marketing platforms, generate social engagements and provide audience analysis that improves interaction with specified target markets. Founded in 1961, Business Wire is a trusted source for news organizations, journalists, investment professionals and regulatory authorities, delivering news directly into editorial systems and leading online news sources via its multi-patented simultaneous NX Network. Business Wire has 29 offices worldwide to securely meet the varying needs of communications professionals and news consumers. In 2015, Business Wire teamed up with Al Roker Entertainment to create BizWireTV, a bi-weekly digital video news program that features the top trending news releases that cross the wire.

Learn more at services.BusinessWire.com and Tempo, the Business Wire resource for industry trends; follow updates on Twitter: @businesswire or on Facebook.