UA’s Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations Set to Host ‘Betsy Day’

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations at The University of Alabama will honor the late public relations legend, Betsy Plank, by hosting a national celebration, Betsy Day, in honor of her 90^th birthday, April 3.

A UA alumna, Plank, commonly referred to as the first lady of public relations, was a pioneer for public relations education. She served as the first female president of the Public Relations Society of America in 1973, and her legacy lives on through the Plank Center’s research and work in advancing the profession and public relations education.

Betsy Day ­will involve a national social media campaign using #BetsyDay, video competition and a Betsy Day Panel hosted by the Center. Students, professionals and educators are invited to interact online from now to April 3. Use #AskBetsyPlank to ask any industry-related questions via Twitter for the Plank Center board members to answer.

The video contest is open to all public relations and communications student organizations to showcase their leadership skills with the prompt “How Do You Lead like Betsy Plank?” All video entries must be less than one minute in length and submitted to plankcenter@gmail.com by 12 p.m. on Betsy Day, April 3.

Entries will be posted on the Plank Center’s Facebook page as they are submitted and approved. The ten videos with the most “likes” will be judged later that day. The winning organization will be awarded a Skype session with one of the Plank Center’s board members.

On April 3, an exhibit in Plank’s honor will be displayed featuring a timeline of her life in the Rotunda of Reese Phifer Hall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additionally, there will be a Betsy Day panel discussion from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in room 216 at Reese Phifer Hall with special guests Dr. Karla Gower, director of the Plank Center, and Gary McCormick, Plank Center board member and director of partnership development at HGTV. All are invited to attend via live stream to hear Betsy stories, watch the winning video submission and get answers to the top #AskBetsyPlank questions.

For more information regarding Betsy Plank, #BetsyDay, #AskBetsyPlank or the Plank Center, please visit http://www.plankcenter.ua.edu.

About the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations

 In 2005, the University of Alabama Board of Trustees established The Plank Center to develop and recognize outstanding performance in the profession and classroom. Through a variety of programs, and in concert with groups and associations, the Center works to nurture and help develop outstanding leaders.

In addition to national leaders in the practice and education, the Center board includes an ex officio position for the president of the Public Relations Student Society of America that represents more than 11,000 members in 300-plus colleges and universities.

The Center is housed in UA’s College of Communication and Information Sciences. UA’s public relations program, with nearly 600 students, is the largest undergraduate degree program within the College. The program is certified by the Public Relations Society of America and for five consecutive years has been ranked among the top five public relations programs in the country by PRWeek magazine.

More information about the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations can be found at www.plankcenter.ua.edu.