Keri Gee Barnett of Huntington Beach recently...

Keri Gee Barnett of Huntington Beach recently earned the highest

honor in the public relations profession in Orange County -- the

Distinguished Service Award for individual public relations person of

the year.

The award was presented by the Orange County chapter of the Public

Relations Society of America before a group of nearly 300 public

relations professionals, who gave her a standing ovation at the

Marconi Automotive Museum in Tustin.

Barnett, a Southern California native, who has lived for the last

20 years in Huntington Beach, is the owner of Pridea, a public

relations and professional speaking agency.

The Legacy Award program she created for Ilona & Company at ReMax

Real Estate Services to recognize family-run businesses is now an

annual tradition in Huntington Beach.

* NEIGHBORS is news about Huntington Beach people doing good in

the community. To submit information to this feature, please e-mail

it to the Independent at o7hbindependent@latimes.comf7.