Dr. Cathy Rogers was awarded the preeminent Plate Spinner Award by the Public Relations Society of America's New Orleans chapter on Tuesday. "Our awards ceremony is an annual celebration of talent, research, strategic thinking and creativity," John Deveney, president of PRSA New Orleans, said. "We give awards for to the very best public relations practitioners in our market for their exemplay work."

But the Plate Spinner Award is reserved for "an exemplary leader -- a practitioner and leader who goes beyond their work and makes a difference," he said.

Deveney, who graduated from Loyola in 1988, lauded Rogers for her continued success with Loyola's Bateman Team. Bateman is the annual student pubic relations competition. Dr. Rogers is their advisor. Under her leadership, the team has a history of high honors in this competition, having placed first nationally in the past two years as well as in 2005, 2003, 2000 and 1997 and second in 2001, 2004 and 2006.

Deveney is president of Deveney Communications in New Orleans.