The Jed Foundation, a nonprofit focused on emotional health and suicide prevention among college students, has selected Ricochet Public Relations for a national program to raise awareness of the organization’s programs and new initiatives. Ricochet’s healthcare team will work on the account.

The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners has chosen GCI Health as its AOR. The firm’s New York office will work on the account, focusing on raising awareness of the organization and the group it represents as the U.S. healthcare system changes.

Amyris, an alternative energy company, has chosen Schwartz Communications and its cleantech practice as AOR. Amyris uses an “industrial synthetic biology platform” to create alternatives to petroleum fuels.

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King’s Hawaiian, a 60-plus-year-old baked goods company, has selected GolinHarris as its AOR. The firm will be working with the company’s advertising agency, fellow IPG firm Dailey, on the account. GH will work on media relations, events, and strategic partnerships. The account will be handled out of the L.A. office, led by Jennifer Baker-Asiddao, SVP of the consumer marketing practice.

Nancy J. Friedman Public Relations will be helping with the relaunch of Chicago’s Ambassador East Hotel and the Pump Room restaurant, which have been purchased by hotelier Ian Schrager. Both the Ambassador and Pump Room opened in the 1930s and are closed for renovations. They will reopen in the fall. NJFPR has worked with Schrager previously on the Morgans and the Royalton.

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Kimberly-Clark North American Family Care Brands has selected Ketchum as AOR after a competitive pitch. Ketchum has worked with their new client since 2001.

The firm will handle a variety of brands including Kleenex, Scott, and Cottonelle. Ketchum will manage social media strategies, research, female-targeted marketing, branding, and integrated marketing management.

According to PRWeek, Marina Maher Communications works with Kimberly-Clark’s adult and feminine brands such as Poise; Edelman works with baby and child care brands; and Kimberly-Clark Health Care works with Schwartz Communications. Schwartz was selected for that work last August.

Pitney Bowes has selected Shift Communications to provide PR services for its Business Insight unit starting October 1. The search was a competitive one that involved CJP (which had been working with Pitney Bowes and will continue to do so), Edelman, and Affect Strategies, Pitney Bowes VP of external communications Matt Broder told PRWeek (sub req’d).  He also said Schwartz Communications, which had been working with the company, participated in the pitch, but the agency did not confirm. With Logitech and Taser, this is the third recent addition to the firm’s roster of clients.

Earlier this week, there was also talk about the increase in hiring both in-house and at PR firms. PRNewser asked Shift principal Jim Joyal whether there’s reason for optimism in the industry. Read more