N. Richard Lewis Honored as Professional of Year

N. Richard Lewis, president of the Los Angeles advertising/public relations agency bearing his name, was named Professional of the Year for 1984 by the Los Angeles chapter, Society for Marketing Professional Services.

The first non-design firm representative to win the award, Lewis received the designation at the Biltmore during the organization’s annual Leonardo Awards Banquet, which he conceived four years ago. The award recognized Lewis’ public relations programs for the architectural firm of William L. Pereira Associates during the past two years and his local image-building campaign for the Society of Marketing Professional Services.

During the award ceremony, C. A. Carlson, vice president of Welton Becket Associates, said that the Lewis firm’s performance in the marketing of about 35,000 residential units and more than 6 million feet of commercial space was also a contributing factor in Lewis’ selection as Professional of the Year.

The ceremony also marked the inauguration of the Leonardo Communications Awards, established to recognize excellence in overall marketing communications programs. Winners included Ralph M. Parsons Co., Pasadena, and Michael Brandman Associates, Costa Mesa. Special Awards went to Earth Technology Corp., Long Beach, for direct mail, and N. David Paul Associates, Los Angeles, for posters.

Officers for 1985, announced at the banquet, are architect Raymond Gaio of Daniel Mann Johnson & Mendenhall, president, succeeding Ronnie Paul of Dworsky Associates; architect James F. Cooke of BTA Architects, vice president; Lauren Melendrez of POD Inc., secretary, and J. Patrick Drohan of Jones, Cooper & Associates, treasurer.

As guest speaker at the awards ceremony, Robert Maguire, co-managing partner and founder of Maguire/Thomas Partners, told the 300 attendees that Los Angeles has an opportunity to become one of the world’s great cities if proper planning measures are taken to assure orderly growth in the downtown area.