Podcast With the Pros: Pat Ford
By Sydney Denninger Patrick Ford serves as Professional in Residence at the University of
University of Florida Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications for the 2017–
Where Are They Now:
Nolan Miles
2018 academic year. Patrick Ford
joins
UF CJC while serving
as senior adviser at Burson-Marsteller. His most recent role at Burson was worldwide vice
chair and chief client officer. Ford
specializes in corporate reputation management,
senior executive communications, media strategy, and issues and crisis management. His
clients have included world-class companies in the automotive, energy, express delivery
services, financial services, food and beverage, management consulting, technology
and telecommunications industries, and also government clients in the U.S. and Asia.
He serves on the Board of Trustees of the Institute for Public Relations
and the Board of Directors of The LAGRANT Foundation. He is a
member of the Board of Advisors of the Plank Center for Leadership
in Publ ic Relations, whose mission is to help develop and recognize
outstanding diverse public relations leaders, role models and
mentors to advance ethical public relations in an evolving, global
society. He also serves on the Board of Advisers of the Museum
of Public Relations and the Advisory Board of the Scripps Howard
School of Journalism and Communications at Hampton University.
In this podcast, Ford discusses agency life, mentorship and why
he is passionate about PRSSA and education.
Listen to the podcast here.
By Emily Zekonis
West Virginia University
After completing his term in 2016, former
PRSSA National Vice President of Public
Relations Nolan Miles moved on to an
exciting career in public relations with
Dollar General. But this is nowhere near
where he thought he would end up.
“I attended Western Kentucky University in
Bowling Green, Kentucky, majoring in public
relations with a minor in marketing,” said
Miles. “Believe it or not, I actually changed
my college degree five times, ranging from
architecture to communication studies.”
Miles eventually found that public relations
was an exciting and fitting career choice,
and he joined PRSSA in an effort to get
more involved. It was by chance that the
first National event he attended was the
selection meeting for National Committee.
Judy Smith at the PRSSA 2017 National Conference, photo courtesy of JaCey Yoke, Vice President of Digital Communications
Gladiating With Judy Smith at #PRSSANC
By Demi Wolfe
Vice President of Career Development
Judy Smith has served in the White House
as the press secretary to George H.W. Bush.
She has worked with clients such as Monica
Lewinsky and Michael Vick. And she is the
inspiration for “Scandal,” ABC’s hit show
about Olivia Pope and her public relations
firm’s fellow “gladiators,” who correct and
polish the images of elite public figures.
However, what impressed the members
at the PRSSA National Conference most
about Smith was her leaving the stage and
entering the audience to answer questions
from students, while stopping for selfies.
Smith did what Olivia Pope and other public
relations professionals metaphorically and
literally do, which is to get in the belly of the
beast and make the most out of every situation.
“She was so down-to-earth during her
talk with us. It truly was a conversation,
not a lecture or presentation,” said
Jordan McCrary, vice president of the
University
of
Florida
PRSSA
Chapter.
on the benefits of being cold in order to
succeed, Smith taught PRSSA members that
emotions are the foundation of an effective
storyteller and public relations practitioner.
Smith reminisced about how she was always
able to control her emotions growing
up; however, that does not imply that
professionals should turn them off completely.
“I think that the more a public relations
practitioner can relate, connect and
empathize with someone, whether it be a
client, boss, agency or congressman, the
easier it is to build trust in that person,” said
Erica Cooke, vice president of the University
of Alabama’s Chapter. “Without trust, any
kind of relationship or connection will crumble.
Trust, honesty and ethics have to be at the
heart of every public relations practitioner.”
“It was during my first PRSSA meeting
at WKU that the Chapter was deciding
who would serve as a delegate at the
2015 National Assembly in Portland,”
said Miles. “No one was able to go so I
volunteered, not knowing anything about
National Assembly. Five months later, I
was elected as a National Committee
member at my first PRSSA National event.”
Miles’ experience as vice president of
public relations (now called vice president
of digital communications) quickly threw
him into the world of public relations.
See Miles Traveled, Page 10
Development Ashleigh Kathryn asked Smith
how students should stay ethical and timely in
such a fast-paced environment. Smith reminded
the audience that as long as professionals are
secure with their ethical beliefs and follow the
facts, they can act efficiently and honestly.
The importance of PRSSA extends beyond
sessions and career exhibitions, although
those are very meaningful. The organization
offers students the opportunity to learn from
accomplished professionals about how to
navigate the muddy waters when a situation
may not be black or white, or even gray.
Smith is the true definition of a gladiator.
She not only goes above and beyond for
her clients, but also did it for the students at
National Conference. From sharing heart-
felt advice to taking pictures with members,
Smith
demonstrated
that
compassion
is a necessary ingredient for success. Additionally, PRSSA allows members to
build relationships through conferences,
networking events and Twitter chats. A
well-known fact in the PRSSA community
is that relationship building is crucial in our
field and not only helps members succeed,
but also lets them have fun in the process.
There is a popular quote from the show that
states, “We do what needs to be done, and
we don’t question why. We put the personal
to the left. We don’t get to have feelings.
Gladiators don’t get to have feelings.” As seen in TV shows and movies, public relations
is not always portrayed in the correct way.
Although the media gravitates toward the idea
that the public relations industry is cutthroat,
spin and full of non-ethical behavior, PRSSA
and speakers such as Smith teach students
how to practice “glatiating” the right way. As long as your work is ethical and professional,
as Smith impressed upon the audience, you
can keep you and your clients out of a scandal.
So let’s be gladiators, but not in the way
you’ve known the term before. Instead, act
ethically, think rationally and speak honestly.
Because real gladiators wear white hats.
However, Smith’s message casts a different
light on the term. While the show focuses During the Q&A portion of the session, PRSSA
National Vice President of Professional
If you’ve binge-watched “Scandal” on
Netflix or if you have talked to any Shonda
Rhimes’ fans about the show, you would
be familiar with the term “ gladiator.”
8
www.prssa.prsa.org/forum
Winter 2018
The National Committee Experience: And Why You Should Consider Running
By Ben Butler, APR
Top Hat
The start of my work
day is ritualistic. I drive
to work with a podcast
in the background, un-
lock the office door, flick
on our neon sign and
start brewing the coffee.
Before long, the team
shows up, and although there are a lot of work
spaces to choose from, we end up working
most of the day at one wooden table. We’re
laughing, coffee-drinking pals, but we’re
also outrageously productive professionals.
If I had to sum up in one phrase what it’s like
to be on the National Committee, it’d be
just that: laughing, coffee-drinking pals, but
also outrageously productive professionals.
If that sentence didn’t cause you to go
search for a National Committee appli-
cation, then maybe these questions will:
Q
Do You Want to Make an Impact on the
Society?
When it comes to its approach to lead-
ership, PRSSA is extremely unique. It’s a
mix of elected student leaders and profession-
als supported by staff at PRSSA Headquarters.
Those student and professional leaders —
aka the National Committee — are lead-
ing PRSSA. They influence everything from
National Conference sessions to changes
to the Society’s bylaws. It’s a rich tapestry a
half-century in the making, and all National
Committee members get to contribute to it.
Q
Do You Want to Experience a Se-
nior Leadership Team?
Being on National Committee is the
equivalent of being on the senior
leadership team of a tremendously large or-
ganization. I mean, that’s exactly what it is.
You have a tremendous obligation to your
team and to members. You get to experi-
ence what it’s like to sit around the table with
your equals and strategically evaluate your
actions. You’re accountable in a big way,
and the stakes are high. That’s a priceless op-
portunity to prepare you for any leadership
experience you’ll encounter in the future.
Participating and witnessing the inner workings
of the National Committee was the single most
impactful leadership experience I had in col-
lege. It exposed me to a senior leadership en-
vironment that I would not have experienced.
It helped me gain multiple senior leadership
positions post-graduation and successful-
ly found and run an award-winning agency.
Q
Do You Want an Incredible Narra-
tive for Your Portfolio?
I can’t stress this enough — National
Committee isn’t just another resume item.
If you approach it purely for that reason, you’ll
be doing yourself, and the Society, a disservice.
Even if you were the only communications
professional within an organization, you’d
be required to collaborate with every oth-
er department. As communicators, we’re at
the center of all the action, and we need
to show that we’re sucessful in that position.
Q
Do You Want to Forge Meaningful Bonds
With Incredible People?
You may have noticed it in a tweet or
at an in-person National event, but Na-
tional Committee is a tightknit group. Some
of my best college memories were formed
within that group, and that doesn’t seem to
be stopping anytime soon, even years later.
Beyond that, however, as a National Commit-
tee member, you’ll get to interact with a great
deal of students and professionals. You may
collaborate with them on a Twitter chat or blog
post. You may help them better their Chapter.
You may meet them at an event. You may
introduce them as the speaker for a session.
You’ll forge some strong bonds, many of which
will last a lifetime.
If you’re in it to make a difference in the Society
and to be an impactful leader, you’ll walk away
with some great stories to tell at any job interview.
Hiring managers aren’t just looking for packed
resumes — they’re looking for people who
have successfully contributed to a team.
2017-2018 National Committee at the
PRSSA 2017 Leadership Rally
Natural Disasters
Continued from page 1
Even if there was little Arkema could
do to protect the environment,
they could have avoided surpris-
ing residents with yet another po-
tential tragedy at their doorsteps.
Public relations in the face of
natural disaster also comes into
play with public officials and pub-
lic policy. After Hurricane Maria
demolished Puerto Rican infra-
structure, critics attacked the
Trump administration for a com-
paratively slow response time.
In this case, and in the cases of
all humanitarian crises, media
coverage is a monumental in-
fluencer. Reporters go where
the news goes — and a natural
disaster is big news. As a result,
Hurricane Maria was extensively
reported upon across news out-
lets, making it impossible for the
administration to escape criticism.
To combat the immediate neg-
ative backlash, members of
the Trump administration be-
gan to push a positive public
relations campaign, in an at-
tempt to contradict media re-
ports and restore public trust.
In a memo leaked to Axios, White
House Homeland Security Adviser
Tom Bossert reportedly said, “This is
still an urgent situation. We hope
Winter 2018
to turn the corner on our public
communications.” The adminis-
tration outlined a plan to show
general support for Puerto Rico
and efforts to aid the island, and
created a list of steps to address
specific needs. This is a necessary
and positive strategy to use, but
the fact remains: The administra-
tion was reactive in their planning
for crisis situations. In hindsight,
proactive planning could have
helped President Donald Trump
and the rest of his cabinet avoid
a dramatic loss in public trust. and causing many more to flee.
According to the Washington
Post, the fires decimated near-
ly 3,000 homes and caused $1.2
billion in damage in Santa Rosa.
In sum, public image of organi-
zations can be harmed as a re-
sult of events completely out of
the organization’s control. Public
relations practitioners must take
exhaustive steps to prepare for
every scenario — including na-
tional
disaster
preparedness. Responsiveness and transparency
is always essential, but it is even
more critical when lives and prop-
erty are in danger. Public officials
and first responders are crucial
sources for journalists, both local-
ly and nationally. Smooth com-
munication between the public
practitioners and journalists during
ongoing natural disasters creates
a sense of trust and transparency.
Conversely, public officials dis-
played a proactive crisis strate-
gy in the face of another natu-
ral disaster across the country.
In early October, deadly wild-
fires destroyed miles of homes
and land in northern California.
Strong winds fed the flames as
they continued to spread through
the Sonoma Valley, eastern Santa
Rosa and Napa — killing dozens
The only positive aspect of this
string of tragedies was the re-
sponse time. With a desert cli-
mate, California is no stranger
to wildfires. Firefighters and state
government officials made im-
mediate progress, taking quick
action and giving frequent
updates to media personnel.
Photo courtesy of NASA —
aerial shot of Hurricaine Harvey
www.prssa.prsa.org/forum
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