The Institute for Public Relations, celebrating its 50th year, today announced new trustees for the 2006-2008 term. The new group includes senior communications officers for two of the FORTUNE Global 10 companies, the heads of some of the world’s largest public relations firms, and other distinguished practitioners and academics.
“Every knowledgable PR person will recognize that this is truly an extraordinary new class of trustees,” said Frank Ovaitt, President and CEO of the Institute. “Their all-star caliber is a tribute to the vitality of the Institute and its mission, to build, document and mainstream the science beneath the art of public relations.”
Newly elected to the Board are Lou Capozzi, Chairman, Publicis Public Relations & Corporate Communications Group; Fred Cook, President and CEO, GolinHarris; Björn Edlund, Vice President-Communications, Royal Dutch Shell; Patrick Ford, U.S. CEO, Burson-Marsteller; Jeff Hunt, President and CEO, GCI Group; Lars Göran Johansson, Senior Vice President-Communications & Branding, AB Electrolux; Anne McCarthy, Senior Vice President-Global Communications, SAP AG; Judith Mühlberg, Consultant, Gagen MacDonald; James O’Rourke, Professor and Director of The Eugene D. Fanning Center, University of Notre Dame; Gary Sheffer, Executive Director-Communications and Public Affairs, General Electric; and Jim Simon, Vice President-Corporate Communications, Nationwide Insurance.
The Institute Board has re-elected Peter Debreceny, Vice President-Corporate Relations, Allstate, as Chairman of the Board; Margery Kraus, President and CEO, APCO Worldwide, as Treasurer; and Ovaitt as President and CEO.
Other Trustees re-elected to an additional three-year term include: Alan Kelly, CEO and Managing Partner, Applied Communications; Dr. Kathleen Kelly, Professor and Chair of Public Relations, University of Florida; Ken Makovsky, President, Makovsky & Company; Andy Polansky, President, Weber Shandwick; Dr. Don Stacks, Professor and Director of Advertising and Public Relations, University of Miami; Ward White, Managing Director, Marcus Foundation; and Dr. Donald Wright, Professor of Communication, University of South Alabama.
