Whitney Kelley, in her role as hospice care coordinator with Compassus Hospice in Hattiesburg, has never thought of herself as an outstanding sales or marketing professional, remaining humble despite having served in the area of hospice care since before she was even a teenager.
So it came as quite a surprise to Kelley when she recently was selected as a statewide finalist for the Sales and Marketing Professionals’ 2024 Mississippi Pinnacle Awards, which honor excellence, professionalism, and outstanding achievement in sales, marketing, and community engagement and showcase the highest level of public relations talent in the state. In particular, Kelley is a finalist for the Bud Kirkpatrick Professional Award, which is named after the founding director of the University of Southern Mississippi’s public relations office.
“I’m very shocked and surprised – the way they went about doing it, they kind of went behind me, because they knew that I normally don’t like to talk about (myself) by any means,” said Kelley, who is a resident of Petal. “But they kind of asked people around me and got the all the information they needed, so I was kind of shocked, to be honest with you.
“I’m very honored, but shocked.”
The Bud Kirkpatrick Professional Award recognizes achievements in the field of public relations and service to the chapter. Recipients must have practiced in that field for at least five years, have contributed to the success of the chapter and have realized success in the practice of teaching public relations.
Kelley will be honored at an awards gala at 6 p.m. April 9 at Lake Terrace Convention Center, 1 Convention Center Plaza in Hattiesburg, off U.S. 49. In addition to Kelley’s nomination, the event will feature finalists for the following:
- The Overall Mississippi Pinnacle Award;
- The Charlie Holt Business Award;
- The Bernice Linton Outstanding Event Award; and
- The Outstanding Small Town Event Award.
“You’re nominated (for the award), and then an outside panel comes in and looks at all those nominations, and they pick between those,” Kelley said. “So that’s how you become a finalist for the award, and I think the same panel is who picks the winners. It’s a big deal, and I’m honored.
“I’m excited and a little nervous, just because even though am in the marketing world, the spotlight is not usually where I want to be all the time. But I like to just bring services in my role. I don’t look at it as a sales role or a marketing role; I look at it as bringing value to peoples’ lives, so it’s different to me to be put in the spotlight. But I’m looking forward to a night of fun with my husband, and I’ve got some friends that are coming in.”
Kelley has worked for 12 years as a hospice care consultant at Compassus, the staff of which is focused on nursing care with an emphasis on managing symptoms, practical assistance and emotion support during end-of-life treatment. That includes measures such as home medical equipment, around-the-clock access to care, spiritual care and support, and short-term inpatient respite care, among other offerings.
“Where my passion lies are the patients and their families, so I try to find that one thing (they’re passionate about) and give that back to the families” Kelley said. “(That way, they are getting) as much quality time with their loved one as they can.
“A lot of times, I’ve been told that’s what drives people to call me, is knowing that is what’s most important to me, and not necessarily a number or a ‘sale.’ To be honest, I was raised in this realm – my mom worked in hospice when I was young, and I started volunteering when I was 12 years old, and I’ve always had a love for the elderly.”
