Quick Facts

Our Mission

The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations seeks to advance leadership values and skills in public relations and bridge the gap between education and practice.

Established by the University of Alabama in 2005 and led by a national advisory board of distinguished educators and practitioners, the Center uses a variety of approaches and activities to support its mission. These include awards and recognition programs, scholarships, speaker programs, publications, scholarly and professional papers, workshops and symposia, research grants, and the collection of histories and papers of leaders in the field.

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2012 Educator Fellowship Program

Part of the Plank Center's mission is to help bridge the gap between the practice and education with the goal of encouraging dialogue and fostering greater understanding as we work together to develop outstanding public relations leaders. An important initiative in furthering that mission is the Plank Center's Fellowship for Educators that brings practitioners and educators together for two weeks each summer.

Honoring Milestones in Mentoring

At the Union League Club in Chicago on Thursday, Oct. 27, we once again toasted our profession's outstanding mentors. We honored six outstanding mentors in front of more than 300 public relations practitioners, educators and students. This year's banquet attendance figured exceeded last year's inaugural event.

We honored the following professionals who were selected by their peers, our Host Committee, or members of our Board:

Legacy: Ann Barkelew, senior counselor and founding general manager of Fleishman-Hillard Minneapolis/St. Paul

Agency: Howard Paster (posthumously), former chairman and chief executive officer, Hill & Knowlton

Young Professional: Joseph Tateoka, associate, Technology Practice, Burson-Marsteller

Educator: Dr. Rochelle Ford, associate dean for research and academic affairs of the John H. Johnson School of Communications, Howard University

Corporate: John Onoda, advisory board, Fleishman-Hillard

Executive: Peter Hirshberg, chief executive officer, The Re:imagine Group

Proceeds from the dinner will be used to fund a variety of programs in support of the Plank Center's mission, such as scholarships, publications, video interviews with leaders, an online magazine, Webinars, and research grants.

View our gallery of photos from the event on Facebook.

Webinar: Agency for the Future: A Look Inside

GolinHarris CEO and President Fred Cook recently discussed the firm's new model in a Webinar sponsored by the Plank Center.

“We’re breaking away from traditional agency silos,” GH CEO and President Fred Cook said in announcing the new model. “We’ve replaced the standard, seniority-based hierarchy with global teams of dedicated specialists who are embedded in every account. As our world evolves, so, too, do the needs of our clients. Now, more than ever, clients value smart people who can provide actionable insights into their business.”

The Webinar is now archived. In it, Cook explores:

How the agency moved boldly beyond a model that has served it successfully for more than a half century;
The role of key leaders in working together to build consensus for the adoption of a new model, new team and job structures, and new ways of working;
How current and new public relations professionals will need to prepare for this emerging communications environment; and
How educators can better equip students to be successful in the fast-evolving world of communications.

Communication Management and the Leadership Challenge

In May 2011, Plank Center Board member, Dr. Bruce Berger, was invited to present on communication management and the leadership challenge to the Leadership Forum at the University of Leipzig. In the presentation, Dr. Berger discusses current research findings on leadership in public relations.

Research Grants and Contracts: 2011-2012

In 2011, the Center is awarding 1) grants for original research studies and 2) contracts for commissioned research reports that will improve our understanding of leadership in public relations in four focused areas of interest.