Curley & Pynn’s Sarah Kelliher Named to UCF 30 Under 30
May 23, 2024
By Curley & Pynn
Curley & Pynn Public Relations Management – The Strategic Firm® – is celebrating the latest accomplishment of senior public relations strategist, Sarah Kelliher, who on Saturday, May 18, 2024, was recognized among the University of Central Florida (UCF) 30 Under 30 honorees.
Kelliher joins an impressive group of young alumni who have demonstrated outstanding achievements and impact on their profession, community and the university. Since graduating Magna Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, Kelliher has been instrumental in shaping future leaders, including current and prospective UCF students, as well as public relations professionals.
As 2021-2022 vice president of student outreach for the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Orlando Area Chapter, Kelliher created a bridge for students in the PR Club at UCF to Central Florida’s public relations industry by helping secure guest speakers for student events, educating students about their association membership benefits and raising scholarship funds to provide enhanced professional development opportunities. She has twice participated in the UCF Young Alumni Council’s ChargeOn Mentoring Program; continues mentoring UCF student interns as part of Curley & Pynn’s pro-bono nonprofit support for Limbitless Solutions; and volunteered for several years with the global Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation (HOBY), helping hundreds of high schoolers discover a newfound sense of self-awareness, confidence, connection and purpose.
Kelliher is not only a role model for students, but also for her peers in public relations. In almost five years at Curley & Pynn, Kelliher helped a senior living community manage an operational crisis, secured national syndication for a TV show about neurodiversity, drove success of a coding camp for underrepresented high school girls and raised awareness of a financial assistance program for residents struggling to pay their utility bills – among many other accomplishments.
She has been recognized as the FPRA Orlando Chapter’s “Joe Curley Rising Leader” and “Member of the Year,” and is an alumna and board member for LeadershipFPRA, an initiative to grow next-generation PR industry leaders.
“Thinking about the people who should define what it means to be UCF Alumni, Sarah is at the top of the list,” said Curley & Pynn President Dan Ward, APR, CPRC. “Whether she’s setting fundraising records, nurturing future leaders, inspiring a global audience of football enthusiasts, or sharing her musical gifts with the community, Sarah’s outstanding contributions are indeed far-reaching and impactful. She is a remarkable teammate and exemplifies everything this accolade seeks to honor.”
Even Kelliher’s extracurricular pursuits are altruistic. She has played violin for over 15 years and is a current member of the Maitland Symphony Orchestra, a volunteer-led organization that hosts community performances and plays at church services. Moreover, her work as a weekly member of the “Pack-A-Day Podcast” a podcast dedicated to the Green Bay Packers, goes beyond entertainment; it inspires and unites people globally around their shared passion for football. In the last year, the podcast has amassed over five million downloads from listeners as far away as Scotland and Australia. Several listeners have even reached out her for advice about starting their own podcasts.
For more information about Kelliher and Curley & Pynn’s outstanding team of public relations professionals, visit www.thestrategicfirm.com and connect with Curley & Pynn on LinkedIn.
