The “Nobel Prizes of Mentorship” were awarded last week in Chicago by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. Based on feedback from dozens of attendees, this has become the most elegant, inspiring PR event of the year.
The vision for a major event celebrating great mentors came from Betsy A. Plank in 2005 during a brainstoring mession with a handful of founding members of the Plank Center. It only took a few years before the annual event — Milestones in Mentoring — became a hit in the public relations industry. Upon her passing 16 years ago, Betsy left her estate to her alma mater, the University of Alabama, to support the Plank Center that builds bridges between academia and business, creates leadership training opportunities for students and young professionals and recognizes communication leaders who are phenomenal mentors.
This year’s recipients of Milestones in Mentoring Awards are:
- Don Stacks, PhD., University of Florida Emeritus (Legacy)
- Matt Ragas, PhD., DePaul University, (Bruce K. Berger Educator Award)
- Joe Cohen, CMO & CCO, AXIS (John Koten Corporate Award)
- Sonny Franks Miller, Senior Manager, Global Corporate Communications, Clarios (Emerging Leader)
- Chris Fowler, CEO, Omnicom Public Relations Group (Agency Award)
All five award recipients recorded brief tips for students and young pros seeking successful careers. Follow those links by clicking their names in their career summaries below:
After more than 40 years as an accomplished communication researcher and professor, Dr. Don Stacks is now professor emeritus of strategic communications in the Public Relations Program at the University of Miami’s School of Communication. In addition to more than 300 scholary articles, Don has authored or co-authored more than 20 books on communication. He served 27 years as CEO and executive director of the International Public Relations Research Conference, and sat on the boards of the Institute for Public Relations, the Page Society and the International Public Relations Association.
Dr. Stacks was introduced by his long-time mentee, Dr. Rita Men, Professor and Director, University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications, Internal Communication Research. Follow this livestreaming link to their remarks.
Colleague and friend, Dr. Matt Ragas, is director of graduate studies in the College of Communication at DePaul University. A loyal New Orleanian, Matt moved to Florida where he received his undergrad and master degrees from Central Florida and his doctoral degree from the University of Florida. An accomplished researcher and author, Matt’s work spans corporate communications, investor relations, financial communications, news and public opinion. Matt has authored many significant books on these topics. I am fortunate to have co-authored four books on business acumen with Matt. These books are currently being used at nearly 40 colleges and universities as well as in professional training and development programs.
In her introduction of her mentor, former student Dionne Gomez, global communications, McDonald’s, discussed the positive influence Matt had on her, a first-generation college student who needed and absorbed all of his advice and guidance. She credits Matt with helping open doors and launching her highly successful career. Watch her intro and Matt’s remarks for a powerful testimonial to the importance of mentorship.
A leader since his early days at Syracuse University, Joe Cohen spent 15 years in increasingly important brand and corporate roles at MikeWorldWide, a public relations agency. After two years as senior vice president of communications for KIND Healthy Snacks, Joe was recruited to become Chief Communications Officer for AXIS, a global provider of specialty insurance and reinsurance operating across North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific and Bermuda. He is responsible for the company’s global in-house marketing and communications team, overseeing corporate and brand reputation, marketing and advertising, digital marketing, financial communictions, corporate philanthropy, event marketing, PR and internal and change management communications. Despite all these responsibilities, Joe always found time to play leadership roles in the Page Society where he is a trustee and treasurer. He also is a trustee of the Institute for Public Relations.
Joe is well known with PR professionals globally through his leadership of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA). After serving as national chair of PRSA, he then helped with board development and fund-raising as President of the PRSA Foundation.
Joe was introduced by mentee Brian Price and senior PR leader Jon Harris, who credited Joe with being effective at reverse mentoring. Watch via this livestream link.
I first met Sonny Franks at the University of Alabama where she was active in many student activities, mostly in the public relations space — Platform Magazine, Miracle Network Dance Marathon (her UA team raised $340,000 — a 61% increase over the prior year — for the local Miracle Network Hospital), and she then became a leader of Capstone Agency, a highly successful student-run agency.
Upon graduation, Sonny landed a job at giant midwest retailer, Meijer, where over nearly six years she moved into increasingly more important roles. Nearly four years later, Sonny was recruited to handle communications and pblic affairs strategy for key projects as senior manager, corporate communicaitons for Clarios, the world leader in automotive energy. Sonny was introduced by her mentee, Tamarra Thal, Marketing Lead, Ecosystem Service Partners, IBM. Click this link to their heartfelt remarks.
One of the most influential communication leaders in the world, Chris Foster is CEO of Omnicom Public Relations Group, where he oversees 20 PR, consulting and pubolic affairs firms including FleishmanHillard, Weber Shandwick, Golin Ketuchum, and Marina Maher. Prior to his Omnicom role, Chris was president of North Ameria at BCW Group and global executive vice president and chief business development officer at Burson-Marsteller. He also spent five years at global management consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton where he was senior vice president and partner.
Chris was introduced to the Milestones audience by Page Society CEO Rochelle Ford, who cited the importance of having more role models like Chris. Link to their remarks.
The Union League Club’s elegant Lincoln Ballroom where Betsy Plank met 23 years ago with a handful friends to lay the groundwork remains the home of the annual Milestones in Mentoring celebration. As has been the case for the past 18 years, the ballroom was packed with PR leaders, students and educators, while hundreds more watched the live-streaming telecast of the program. When you have 40 minutes, consider watching the livestream.
Inspired? See you at next year’s Milestones in Mentoring Gala.