C. Pharr & Company’s owner and CEO, Cynthia Pharr Lee, today announced the sale of the agency to Leah Ekmark Williams, APR, effective Nov. 1, 2017. The full service, Dallas-based public relations agency also announced its rebranding as Dala Communications. Upon the sale, Williams will be named president and CEO while Pharr Lee will remain with the agency in the role of chairman for three years. Dala’s predecessor agency was founded in 1986 by Pharr Lee, APR, Fellow PRSA, one of the Southwest’s leading communications experts. Pharr Lee is also known for spearheading the growth of three of Dallas’s largest public relations agencies including The Richards Group/Pharr Cox Communications, C. Pharr & Company and Tracy-Locke/Pharr.

Pharr Lee and Williams began working together in 2005 and formalized their partnership agreement in 2012. Specializing in an array of industries ranging from real estate, construction and engineering to education, health care, finance and professional services firms, Williams and Pharr Lee have served some of the most respected names in business. Together they have established a reputation for helping executives and their companies build leadership in their communities, professions and industries.

“Cynthia’s influence and reputation in the public relations industry and business community is far reaching. I was astounded when she approached me early on in my career to discuss a business partnership and succession planning for the agency,” said Williams. “I never imagined my first job in PR would evolve into my own agency. I have learned from the best and continue to value Cynthia’s counsel as she continues to be involved in the agency as chairman of Dala.”

“I am very blessed to have such an accomplished entrepreneurial business partner, and it’s been great to work with Leah for more than a decade and gain full confidence that her priorities will remain focused on excellent client service while fostering a professional and collegial work environment for our employees,” said Pharr Lee. “I look forward to continuing to work with Leah and Dala to provide strategic communication services to our clients.”

Dala Communications is taken from the nickname “Dala,” which refers to the Dalecarlian horse, a cultural symbol of Sweden that also represents a legacy of Swedish entrepreneurship, which is a part of Williams’ heritage. Williams’ grandfather built a successful photography business after leaving Sweden and arriving in New York City in 1903 via Ellis Island, and her father is also a successful business owner.

Williams began at C. Pharr & Co. in 2005 and quickly evolved in her leadership role within the agency. She played an integral role in developing and growing the agency’s client base by 100 percent within five years. She was also instrumental in building and guiding clients’ social media strategy, pairing the right social media tools with strategic public relations and marketing initiatives.  

The Dala Communications team is comprised of skilled public relations experts whom have fostered a 20-plus-year legacy of trusting relationships with clients, communities, media and other influencers. Dala Communications is certified as a Woman-owned Business Enterprise with the National Women’s Enterprise Certification, and as a Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) with the state of Texas.

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About Dala Communications

Dala Communications (formerly known as C. Pharr & Co.) is a results-based, full-service public relations agency located in Dallas. Creating impactful, content marketing formulas that work, Dala Communications is built upon a foundation of strategic thinkers and communicators who take a forward-thinking, proactive approach to achieve clients’ business goals. Whether working alongside B2B or B2C in-house teams, or serving as the marketing and public relations arm, Dala Communications makes the business and community connections that create brand momentum. Dala Communications is a mid-sized agency and certified as a Woman-owned Business Enterprise with the National Women’s Enterprise Certification, and as a HUB with the state of Texas. For more information, visit www.dalacommunications.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram. 

The 28th annual A Conversation With a Living Legend^® in Dallas, Sept. 14 at the Hilton Anatole, honors architect, artist and engineer Santiago Calatrava, Ph.D. The luncheon, benefiting The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, will feature an interview led by Judy Woodruff, anchor and managing editor of “PBS NewsHour.” Proceeds will support MD Anderson’s Moon Shots Program™, a comprehensive effort to significantly reduce cancer deaths and transform cancer care.

Since A Conversation With a Living Legend^®originated in North Texas in 1990, the event has raised more than $16 million for MD Anderson. In total, more than $35 million has been raised to support life-saving work at MD Anderson from similar events in Washington, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Houston and San Antonio.

Calatrava, originally from Valencia, Spain, is internationally known for award-winning design projects including the Bac de Roda Bridge in Barcelona, Spain; the Stadelhofen Railway Station in Zurich, Switzerland; the Lyon Saint-Exupéry TGV station in Paris, France; the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia; the Sundial Bridge in Redding, California; and the World Trade Center Transportation Hub and St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York. Projects in Dallas include the bridges over the Trinity River and “Wave,” Calatrava’s first large-scale, permanently installed sculpture in the United States, at Southern Methodist University’s Meadows Museum.

Woodruff has covered politics and other news for more than four decades at CNN, NBC and PBS. For 12 years, she served as anchor and senior correspondent for CNN, anchoring the weekday program “Inside Politics.” At PBS from 1983 to 1993, she was the chief Washington correspondent for “The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.” From 1984 to 1990, she anchored PBS’ weekly documentary series “Frontline with Judy Woodruff.” After working as NBC News White House correspondent from 1977 to 1982, she served as “Today” chief Washington correspondent for one year.

This year’s event chair Su-Su Meyer of Dallas and a steering committee of North Texas community and business leaders have raised more than $567,000 to date. Andrews Distributing and Lyda Hill are $100,000 Presenting Sponsors. Returning as Red Carpet Underwriters at the $15,000 level are the Rosewood Corporation, supplying event favors, and Sewell Automotive, providing valet services. In addition, sponsors include:

Dallas ($50,000)

Su-Su and Jerry Meyer

New York City ($25,000)

Corrigan Family Holdings

Barbara Thomas Lemmon

Gayle and Paul Stoffel

Dubai ($15,000)

Al G. Hill Jr.

Marty Leonard

Elizabeth and Don O'Neal

Mary Martha and John Pickens

Annette Simmons

Rio de Janeiro ($10,000)

Heather and Scott Alexander/Jean and Erik Hansen/Juli and Bob Harrison

Sally and Buford Berry/Jan and Bob Pickens

C. Pharr & Company Ink

Ernst & Young

Pat and Charles McEvoy

Kim Raynor in honor of Lisa Grubbs

Trinity Industries Inc.

Dublin ($5,000)

Allie Beth and Pierce Allman

Anita and Truman Arnold

Anne Marie and Doug Bratton

Mary and Bo Howard

Patty Hayes Huffines

Karen and Charles Matthews

Meek Foundation

Sammye and Mike Myers

Betsy and Wade Nowlin

Sherri and Bobby Patton

Jean and John Roach

Karee and Greg Sampson

Shari and John Stankey

Calgary ($3,000)

Cathy and Robert Allday

Carol and Dave Anderson

Mrs. Jack P. Gunter

Joy and Craig Lentzsch

Beverly and Robert Nichols

Bettye and Wade Nowlin

Ashley Scott Rankin

Kathy Kurtin and Alan Stewart

For information call 866-262-9029 and press 1 to leave a message, email events@mdanderson.org or visit mdanderson.org/livinglegend.

About MD Anderson
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world's most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The institution’s sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the world. MD Anderson is one of only 47 comprehensive cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). MD Anderson is ranked No.1 for cancer care in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” survey. It has ranked as one of the nation’s top two hospitals for cancer care since the survey began in 1990, and has ranked first 13 times in the past 16 years. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).

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For more information, Contact:

Emily Chandler 

      C. Pharr & Company– Texas

972-931-7576 Ext. 358

 Emily@PharrPR.com

C. Pharr & Company Hosts Career Camp at Girls Inc. of Dallas

September 2, 2014 – This summer, C. Pharr & Company, a Dallas-based public relations and marketing communications firm, volunteered to host a career camp at Girls Incorporated (Inc.) of Metropolitan Dallas, an organization in Dallas which works to ensure at-risk girls and young women receive the education and encouragement needed to reach their full potential.

The four-week summer career camp consisted of two C. Pharr “teachers” overseeing a class of 16-20 students, ages 12 to 15 years old, teaching career training tips to help them take the first steps toward their future career path.

Topics for each class ranged from interviews and office attire, to career assessment tests and job applications. The young women were given the opportunity to think about which careers would be the best fit for them, and then each class expanded on how they could successfully execute plans to work toward their chosen field of interest.

Each week C. Pharr focused on a specific industry sector – science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); hospitality; retail and real estate/construction – to introduce the girls to a variety of possibilities and career options they may not have heard of or considered within these industries. Every group of girls answered questions, looked at resume examples, filled out job applications and learned key networking skills to help secure a future job.

“Working with Girls Inc. was a great experience for the entire C. Pharr team, and we enjoyed the chance to give back to our community,” said Cynthia Pharr Lee, president and founder of C. Pharr & Company. “It was impressive to see firsthand what the organization is doing to help shape these girls to be strong women and future leaders.”

C. Pharr partnered with Girls Inc. of Dallas  for the first time this summer to give back to the community, taking time to teach this group of young women how to foster the skills and knowledge required for their future careers. Helping others is a privilege, and C. Pharr strives to partner with the community and various organizations to find ways to encourage future leaders and foster an environment of corporate social responsibility.

About C. Pharr & Company

C. Pharr & Company is an established and well-known PR and marketing communications firm that provides proven results and expansive services to a select clientele. A 20+-year legacy of trusting relationships with clients, influencers and media enables our agency to deliver powerful results. C. Pharr offers the latest integrated marketing capabilities, pairing the right social media tools with strategic PR and marketing. www.pharrpr.com

About Girls Inc.
Girls Inc. inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, providing more than 138,000 girls across the U.S. and Canada with life-changing experiences and real solutions to the unique issues girls face. Girls Inc. gives girls the right tools and support to succeed, including trained professionals who mentor and guide them in a safe, girls-only environment, peers who share their drive and aspirations, and research-based programming. At Girls Inc., girls learn to set and achieve goals, boldly confront challenges, resist peer pressure, see college as attainable, and explore nontraditional fields such as STEM. Informed by the experiences of girls and their families, Girls Inc. works with policymakers to advocate on key legislation and initiatives. With Girls Inc. in her corner, every girl can be healthy, educated, and independent. Learn more at girlsinc.org.