{"id":1984,"date":"2025-06-30T19:46:31","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T19:46:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/?p=1984"},"modified":"2026-02-06T14:00:38","modified_gmt":"2026-02-06T14:00:38","slug":"the-plank-center-for-leadership-in-public-relations-announces-new-board-leadership-and-members-for-its-20th-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/?p=1984","title":{"rendered":"THE PLANK CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP IN PUBLIC RELATIONS ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD LEADERSHIP AND MEMBERS FOR ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.<\/strong> \u2014 The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations Board of Advisors has announced that Grant Deady will serve as Chair and Eric Winkfield as Vice Chair, and four new board members have been added: Mark Bain, Dr. Kenon Brown, Katie Hartman and Brian Price. Together, these individuals strengthen the Center\u2019s ongoing commitment to empowering the next generation of professionals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Board of Advisors encompasses seasoned public relations practitioners and educators, who utilize their passion, wisdom and expertise to support the Center\u2019s leadership programming, drive its mentorship strategy and inform its research agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe leadership change and the addition of the new members bring a renewed momentum to the Center as it celebrates 20 years of leadership and looks forward to a future of even greater impact on emerging leaders in the profession,\u201d Dr. Karla Gower, director of The Plank Center, said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deady succeeds Joanne Bischmann, the founder of MOB Communications and former CCO at Harley-Davidson, who will remain on the board after serving as Chair. Deady, president and chief culture officer at Zeno U.S., has been with Zeno Group since its founding in 1998. He brings more than two decades of experience building purpose-driven cultures and working with brands like Lowe\u2019s, Carhartt, Ally Bank, Chick Fil A and Casey\u2019s. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJoining the board at Plank Center has been one of the great privileges of my career, working with many of the most talented people in PR and academia to advance the industry\u2019s commitment to mentoring,\u201d Deady said. \u201cWe are laser-focused on The Plank Center playing a lead role in creating the next generation of communications leaders in honor of Betsy and her vision.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winkfield, who succeeds Deady as Vice Chair, serves as Vice President Group Manager at M Booth and M Booth Health, where he leads the agency\u2019s DEI strategy and client advisory efforts. He also serves as a senior counselor within the corporate practice. With cross-sector experience, Winkfield brings a people-centered approach to executive visibility, employee engagement, and culture-driven communications. A 2018 recipient of the Center\u2019s Emerging Leader Award, he has remained deeply connected to the mission of Plank, and Betsy Plank\u2019s legacy of mentorship by bridging values-driven leadership with real-world impact\u2014an ethos that continues to guide his work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Plank Center has been instrumental in shaping my growth as a leader, so stepping into this role is both an honor and a full-circle moment,\u201d said Winkfield. \u201cIt\u2019s a chance to lead and continue learning while helping create greater access, mentorship, and opportunity for the next generation of communicators.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The four new board members also bring a wealth of experience in corporate consulting, energy, not-for-profit and education sectors to the Center and are committed to building bridges that make our industry more inclusive, connected and purpose-driven. Bain founded Upper90 Consulting, a strategic communications firm in early 2007. He served as president, with the purpose of helping leaders and their teams to adapt, grow and excel in an era of rapid market and technology disruption and workplace transformation. Previously, Bain had senior leadership roles in two global companies: he served as Global Director of Communications at Baker McKenzie and as Vice President of Corporate Communications at Alticor Inc. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBecause rising communicators will manifest our profession\u2019s future, I\u2019m truly grateful for this opportunity to support The Plank Center\u2019s essential work in preparing our field\u2019s next generation of leaders.\u201d Bain said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brown serves as a professor in the department of advertising and public relations at the University of Alabama and is the director of the Institute for Communication and Information Research. With a background in restaurant management and marketing, he has worked closely with numerous sport and entertainment organizations, including the International Olympic Committee, FOX Sports, Twitch, NASCAR and the Country Music Association. “I’ve had the privilege of working with some amazing academics and practitioners during my time at Alabama because of the Plank Center, and to be able to join its prestigious board and learn from some of the top names in public relations is a humbling, surreal honor that I’m looking forward to embracing,\u201d Brown said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hartman serves as the Chief External Affairs Officer at the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee since May 2022. Previously, she had an extensive career at The CocaCola Company, where she held multiple senior roles including Vice President of Strategic Communications, and Group Director of External Communications, leading transformative media strategies and re-shaping the company\u2019s narratives. Hartman also held positions in renowned firms like Weber Shandwick, Edelman, Sears and Roebuck and Co. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a tremendous honor to join the Board of Advisors at The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations. The Center\u2019s commitment to fostering ethical leadership and meaningful mentorship reflects values that have shaped my own career.\u201d Hartman said. \u201cI\u2019m excited to help support the next generation of communicators alongside such an esteemed group of peers.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Price currently serves as Senior Advisor for DrivePath Advisors, working with energy companies to navigate pivotal reputational, financial and strategic moments. Previously, Price was the Communications Director for Link Logistics Real Estate, a Blackstone portfolio company and had positions with AXIS Capital, Starwood Retail Partners and Edelman. He is an active member of the communications community, serving the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) national board of directors from 2019-2020 as senior counsel. He is one of the founding members of The Plank Center\u2019s Emerging Leaders Committee, an ambassador group for the Center. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCommunication leaders carry significant responsibility in guiding organizations, and that demands strong leadership development.\u201d Price said. \u201cI\u2019m committed to supporting the Plank Center\u2019s mission and expanding the reach of its mentorship-driven work.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the 20th anniversary of The Plank Center on the horizon, the revitalized board brings a new moment to empower the next generation of communication leaders. By strengthening mentorship and driving leadership with initiatives like the EMERGE Leadership Academy and the annual Milestones in Mentoring Gala, the Center remains at the forefront of thought leadership in the profession and continues its legacy of ethics and excellence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

### <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Plank Center The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations works to empower and advance the next generation of emerging leaders in the profession through mentorship, programming, education and fostering meaningful connections. Founded at The University of Alabama in 2005, the Center is named in honor of Betsy Plank, the \u201cFirst Lady of Public Relations.\u201d Betsy\u2019s legacy and vision continue in the Center\u2019s programs and initiatives to advance the profession and public relations education. For more information, please visit plankcenter.ua.edu and follow our social media channels (@PlankCenterPR). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact Information <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hannah Collier Communications Specialist I, The Plank Center<\/p>\n\n\n\n

hecollier@ua.edu<\/a> | 251-391-3442<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. \u2014 The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations Board of Advisors has announced that Grant Deady will serve as Chair and Eric Winkfield as Vice Chair, and four new board members have been added: Mark Bain, Dr. Kenon Brown, Katie Hartman and Brian Price. Together, these individuals strengthen the Center\u2019s ongoing commitment […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1984","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1984","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1984"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1984\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1985,"href":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1984\/revisions\/1985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1984"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1984"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/plankcenter.ua.edu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1984"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}