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Philadelphia - May 27, 2004 - The Philadelphia Public Relations Association, Inc. (PPRA) inducted Anne Sceia Klein, founder and president of Anne Klein & Associates, into the prestigious PPRA Hall of Fame in ceremonies today at the Rittenhouse Hotel (210 West Rittenhouse Square) in Philadelphia.

Founded in 1945, the Philadelphia Public Relations Association is the nation's oldest and largest metropolitan public relations association. The PPRA Hall of Fame, established in 1972, honors a public relations professional who, by his or her accomplishments, has brought honor, respect, acclaim and recognition to both the public relations industry and the broader community. With nearly 40 years of public relations and marketing communications experience, Klein is an internationally recognized public relations counselor and strategic planner. Past Hall of Fame honorees of the 300-member association selected Klein as PPRA's distinguished Hall of Fame inductee for 2004.

Special presentations made to Klein at the luncheon included a proclamation from the City of Philadelphia, presented by City Representative and Commerce Director Stephanie Naidoff; a Joint Proclamation from the New Jersey Legislature, presented by Senators Martha Bark and Diane Allen; and a proclamation from Medford Township presented by Deputy Mayor Walter Urban Jr.

A distinguished list of speakers paid tribute to Klein at the luncheon. They included Dick Jackman, retired vice president of corporate communications, Sunoco; Ken Hanover, president and CEO, Health Alliance of Greater Cincinnati; Jerry Klein, executive vice president, Anne Klein & Associates (Anne’s husband); Joe McCarthy, founding member, Pinnacle Worldwide; Sylvia Kauders, communications consultant and 1976 PPRA Hall of Fame inductee; and Daniel Cirucci, associate executive director for communications and public policy for the Philadelphia Bar Association and 2003 PPRA Hall of Fame inductee. The invocation was given by the Rt. Rev. Barbara C. Harris, bishop (retired) of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts.

Klein is a two-time graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, with a bachelor's degree in economics and major in marketing from The Wharton School and a master's degree in communications from The Annenberg School. Prior to establishing her own firm in 1982, Klein was manager of executive communications for Sun Oil Company (Sunoco). Before joining Sun, she served as a public relations account executive with the Aitkin-Kynett Company (later Golin/Harris) and as director of external communications at Girard Bank (later Mellon Bank and now Citizens Bank) in Philadelphia.

Klein lectures frequently on all facets of public relations, especially crisis and environmental communications, community outreach and media relations. Long active in student education programs, Klein has been a professional advisor to the Rowan University chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) since its founding in 1976. She is a chapter author and contributor to numerous public relations and marketing primers and college texts.

Klein has received dozens of awards for her public relations programs. She also has been honored with individual awards from the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey, Public Relations Society of America - New Jersey and Philadelphia Chapters - Public Relations Student Society of America, Women in Communications and Kappa Delta, a national collegiate sorority.

Among many civic and community endeavors, Klein has held leadership positions with Philadelphia's Forum of Executive Women, the Southern New Jersey Board of the American Heart Association and the Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey. Anne Klein, a South Jersey native, lives with her husband and business partner, Jerry Klein, in Medford, N.J.

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