Joan Hisaoka, founder and president of Hisaoka Public Relations, died Wednesday at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., after a long battle with colon cancer. She was 48.
Hisaoka founded her full-service firm in 1988 and represented metro-area hospitality, tourism, and retail clients. Named one of the 50 most powerful and influential women in D.C., she was a recipient of the Washington Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business Award” in 2004. She was also a Mensa member, had served as president of the nonprofit Les Dames d’Escoffier, and served on the board of directors for the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, in addition to being a guest lecturer at American and Georgetown Universities.Hisaoka led her team at Hisaoka Public Relations to multiple awards, including the Silver Anvil award for “The Icon of Best Public Relations Practices” from the Public Relations Society of America.
Hisaoka founded her full-service firm in 1988 and represented metro-area hospitality, tourism, and retail clients. Named one of the 50 most powerful and influential women in D.C., she was a recipient of the Washington Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business Award” in 2004. She was also a Mensa member, had served as president of the nonprofit Les Dames d’Escoffier, and served on the board of directors for the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, in addition to being a guest lecturer at American and Georgetown Universities.Hisaoka led her team at Hisaoka Public Relations to multiple awards, including the Silver Anvil award for “The Icon of Best Public Relations Practices” from the Public Relations Society of America.
