USC Center for Public Relations Welcomes New Members to Board Of Advisors

Ten U.S. public relations industry executives are joining the board of advisors at the USC Center for Public Relations, director Fred Cook announced today. The new members represent a variety of industries, career experiences, and backgrounds, and their perspectives on the future of the industry will help inform the research and work of the Center and the skills-based instruction that USC Annenberg students receive.

Joining the board are:

• Vanessa Anderson, owner & president, AM PR Group
• Clarissa Beyah, chief communications officer, Union Pacific
• Dominic Carr, vice president, communications, Lyft Inc.
• Doug Dawson, head of global communications, Microsoft
• Chris Kuechenmeister, senior vice president, communications, PepsiCo
• Andy Polansky, retired executive chairman, Weber Shandwick
• Melissa Robinson, vice president of marketing and communications, Boingo Wireless
• Grant Toups, global chief technology officer, Hill+Knowlton Strategies
• KeJuan Wilkins, vice president of global enterprise communications, Nike

Also, rejoining the board:

• Jessica C. Adelman, vice president, corporate affairs & head of global external communications, Mars Wrigley

“We are very fortunate to be able to add such a dynamic, diverse group of communication professionals to our already stellar Advisory Board,” said Cook. “Their engagement provides valuable access for our students and their counsel helps ensure our program is designed to meet the future needs of the PR profession.”

USC Center for Public Relations hosts the annual Kenneth Owler Smith Symposium on the University of Southern California campus each spring.

The mission of the USC Center for Public Relations is to shape the industry’s future and prepare those who will lead it. The Center has conducted proprietary research into the growth of corporate activism to guide leaders who use their voices to affect change for their companies and society. The Center’s Polarization Index, produced with Golin and powered by Zignal Labs, charts the degree of discord across 10 of the most controversial social issues in America, as measured by social media engagement, and provides insight on communicating in a highly polarized environment. The annual Relevance Report is a collection of essays by board members and academics predicting future trends that will affect the PR business.