New advisers join Plank Center

Three new members have joined the Board of Advisors of the University's Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations.

The new advisers are Keith Burton, Richard Looser Jr. and Gary McCormick. According to its Web site, the center's goal is "to advance ethical and effective leadership in the field and bridge the gap between education and practice."

Plank Center Fellow Karla Gower said the new advisers, who bring the board membership from 12 to 15, will add a broader range of expertise to the Plank Center.

"One of the things we always wanted for the Plank Center was a broad cross-section," Gower said. "It's just to broaden the public relations experience, the geographical experience."

Gower said McCormick brought to the Plank Center an expertise in television that none of the 12 existing members had because of his experience with Scripps' DIY Network. McCormick is president of the Public Relations Society of America Foundation and director of public relations for Scripps Emerging Networks.

Plank Center Director Bruce Berger said in an e-mail that the new members, as part of the Board of Advisors, will oversee the Plank Center's activities and budget while representing it in dealings with other organizations.

"Given their experience and achievements in the field, _they bring a great variety of creative and strategic proposals to the table," said Berger, chairman of the department of advertising and public relations. "They are very interested in helping the center _to achieve its mission."

Berger said he and the fellows and advisers will discuss new possibilities for the Plank Center at their biannual meeting in February, where the new advisers' addition to the board will officially take effect.

Gower said some of the Plank Center's past activities include the Koten Lecture Series in Public Relations and various grants, scholarships and awards.

She also said some public relations students attended the Public Relations Student Society of America's national conference with Berger Oct. 19 to 23.

At the conference they distributed an anthology of biographies and advice created by the Plank Center in honor of the Public Relations Student Society of America's 40th anniversary called Legacies from Legends in Public Relations.

They also exhibited Platform, the first online magazine for public relations students. Nine public relations students at the University created Platform.

"All that raises awareness nationwide about the University of Alabama and the public relations department here and the College of Communications here," Gower said.

The Plank Center is named for Betsy Plank, a 1944 graduate of the University who became the first woman to preside over the Public Relations Society of America and a member of the University's Communication Hall of Fame, among other firsts and awards in the field.

"She has always been concerned about students and has always been interested in developing a better dialogue between students and educators," Gower said.

Created in 2005, the Plank Center has only been active for one full year. While some resources for public relations students are ready, such as the online leadership resource directory, Gower said others are not, such as times for students to visit one-on-one with Plank Center Fellows.

"Eventually we'll develop resources for students," Gower said. "A number of older public relations books could be made available for student projects."