The threat of snow did not prevent more than 200 PR communications professionals from coming out Thursday to honor this year’s inductees to the PR People Hall of Fame at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
These PR professionals have played longtime leadership roles, serving as sources of inspiration beyond the workplace. This year’s honorees are:
- Howard J. Rubenstein - President, Rubenstein Associates, Inc.
- Harold Burson - Founding Chairman, Burson-Marsteller
- Ellen East - Executive VP and Chief Communications Officer, Time Warner Cable
- Ray Kotcher - Senior Partner and Chairman , Ketchum
- Jack Martin - Global Executive Chairman and CEO, Hill+Knowlton Strategies
- Gary Sheffer - Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, General Electric
During the event each inductee was asked: Who was your most significant mentor when you began your career in communications, and as a mentor yourself, what’s the most important lesson you now impart?
Their mentors have varied, ranging from the head of a high school newspaper, to parents, to communications professors, and business leaders. But the advice from these Hall of Famers offers guidance and inspiration for a new generation of communicators.
Here’s a sample:
- Set a high ethical standard and back it up with hard work.
- Do it the right way for yourself, your organization and the common good of our profession.
- Enjoy PR, love it, work hard at it, but be ethical while you do it.
- People will trust you for your solid ethics.
- Coaching is as important as learning.
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