Trusted to Serve/Called to Speak/Inspirational Speaker Award Winning Author/ Public Relations Pro
paula Pedene
TOPICS - • Communication • Culture • Ethics
• Leadership • Morale • Morals • Positive Attitude
• Public Relations • Values
paula pedene - PROGRAMS
- Whistleblower with a Mission: How ethical leadership saves institutions from within
- America 250: Ordinary People, and their Extraordinary Service (military-themed perspective)
- Taking A Stand for Ethics (Veterans Affairs Whistleblower Case Study)
- Women Warriors: A veteran’s journey from ship decks to leadership desks
- PRSA Ethical Values: Leading with Advocacy, Honesty, Expertise, Independence, Loyalty, and Fairness
- Creating Winning Outcomes Through Strategic Public Relations Planning
- Ethics in the Age of AI: What PR professionals must do to lead with integrity
paula pedene - BIOGRAPHY
From breaking barriers as a Navy broadcast journalist to becoming one of the most recognized federal whistleblowers of our time, Paula’s story isn’t just inspiring — it’s instructive. She delivers powerful, practical talks that span ethical leadership, restoring trust in institutions, empowering women veterans, and honoring America’s founding values as we approach the 250th anniversary of our nation.
Paula’s keynotes resonate because they’re real. She’s lived the tension between right and wrong in the spotlight. Her award-winning advocacy for America’s veterans, her battle with retaliation inside the VA, and her decades of award-winning experience in public relations make her a singular voice at the intersection of government accountability, military service, and strategic communication.
Woman of faith, wife, mother, public relations counselor, and veterans advocate.
Paula Pedene is the Executive Director of the nonprofit Honoring America’s Veterans and owner of Paula Pedene & Associates. She is a nationally recognized speaker on the value of Ethics in Leadership and public relations strategy. As a five-time Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvil awardee, she is a visionary leader for advocacy and empowering others. Her inspiring journey in the award-winning book, A Sacred Duty, How a Whistleblower Took on the VA and Won, highlights the importance of perseverance for battles on moral ground.
Paula has numerous prestigious awards, including Public Relations Professional of the Year for her outstanding public relations practice; the John McCain Leadership Award for her veteran advocacy, particularly in leading the Phoenix Veterans Day Parade and distinction as a recent inductee into the Defense Information School (DINFOS) Hall of Fame for her U.S. Navy broadcasting accomplishments.
Pedene is married to retired Navy Commander Bill Pedene, and they have two sons, Robert and Steven.
She has a hereditary eye disease that causes tunnel vision; thus, she uses a cane and aids for visual guidance.
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paula pedene - MEDIA
A SACRED DUTY is the true, first-person account of Paula Pedene, a legally blind, 54-year-old, decorated Navy veteran who endured a campaign to destroy her personally and professionally. But in the end, she was able to summon the strength to battle back and help expose a conspiracy and cover-up that outraged the nation.
In 2010, Paula and a colleague blew the whistle on their bosses for financial mismanagement, sexual harassment, and workplace hostility at a Veterans Affairs hospital in Phoenix. After the top two leaders were ousted and a new administration arrived, she hoped it would mark a “fresh start” for the facility. But the incoming leadership, driven by ruthless ambition and the sense they were untouchable, knew what she had done – and were determined not to let it happen to them.