A New PR Professional: Michelle Hagans

(Photo found at interpublic.com)

A New PR Professional: Michelle Hagans

By: Kathryn Collins

Michelle Hagans graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2009 with determination to succeed in the PR world. She now holds the title of the new Account Executive at GolinHarris in Dallas, Texas. Her time in the public relations professional industry had its start about two years ago.

Hagans graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2009 with a degree in Public Relations. On top of her coursework at the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, Hagans stepped foot into the working world early through internship experiences. Her internship opportunities included a PR internship with the well-known Richards Group in Dallas, Texas, as well as an internship at SPM Communications in Dallas, Texas. Due to her early experience as a PR practitioner, Hagans was able to get a grasp on what life after graduation entailed. She strongly encourages future PR practitioners to find as much experience in the field before graduation.

Hagans informed me of the skills necessary in order to achieve success in the public relations field. A PR professional needs to be detail-oriented, results-driven, and solution-oriented. “You have to be passionate about what you do,” said Hagans. “You must also be flexible with deadlines because you never know what will be thrown at you.”

Hagans expands her passions by learning from others in the public relations field. “You learn something new everyday in public relations,” said Hagans. “I would encourage others to find a mentor who is not at their job to teach them work ethics and how to communicate with people who have different work techniques.” She says that it is very important to learn from others in order to be the best that you can be at your job.

Michelle Hagans is inspiring to those in the Gaylord College with graduation time just around the corner. Through her internship experiences and driven attitude, she was able to accomplish her dream of being a young PR professional.

PR Professional: Kenneth Kracmer

PR Professional: Kenneth Kracmer

By: Courtney Clark

Kenneth Kracmer is the Managing Partner and PR Director of HCK2 Partners in Dallas, Texas. As the namesake of the latter initials in HCK2, Kracmer confidently leads the PR side of the business and manages new-business efforts. He is approaching his 20th year of working in the PR industry, and credits his journalism experience for leading him to where he is today.

After graduating from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s in journalism, he attended Dallas Baptist University where he earned his M.B.A. degree in management. Kracmer spent his first five years out of school at the largest PR firm in Dallas, Temerlin-McClain, which has since changed to Weber Shandwick. He gained valuable experience working with many different markets, and then decided to go corporate, where he worked another five years at Excel Communications. Kracmer then took another corporate job, working for a security software company called Entrust. After two years there, he was given the opportunity to become an owner of HCK2 Partners.

Having been with HCK2 for seven years, Kracmer is a huge part of the firm’s success. Combining his corporate experience with his passion for account service, Kracmer is able to provide value for his clients and continues to earn their respect. He is an active member in the exclusive business knowledge network called Dallas Roundtable, which helps him to grow his networks while maintaining his business and leadership skills.

Kracmer considers strong writing as one of the top skills necessary for this industry. “You have to be a good writer at the very core, I don’t hire many people that aren’t journalists first,” Kracmer said. He believes that it is also important to have a good understanding of business and how businesses operate, as well as any marketing skills.

According to this industry veteran, future PR professionals should first gain as much experience as possible on the agency side. This will teach aspiring practitioners how to work across a number of companies and a number of roles in the PR profession.

“Once you get the agency experience, you can choose what you want to specialize in,” Kracmer said. “If you specialize too soon, you box yourself in and may get stuck for awhile.”

Learning Moore: An Interview with Pattye Moore

Learning Moore: An Interview with Pattye Moore

By: Aran Coleman

Photo Courtesy of The Persimmon Group

Pattye Moore is a brilliant example of a successful public relations businesswoman. Moore has been in the PR industry for 30 years, and she has continued to show her expertise by moving right on up the business ladder throughout her extensive career. Her achievements are admirable and should empower any woman, or any PR professional for that matter.

We began the interview with a rundown of Moore’s past. She graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 1979 with a degree in public relations. She is an accredited member of PRSA, the Public Relations Society of America. Moore’s career began in 1980 when The Williams Companies in Tulsa, Okla. hired her. She worked there for four years until she moved to Advertising Incorporated where she eventually served as the Account Supervisor on the Sonic account. Moore’s success on the account got her hired by Sonic Corp. By 2002, Moore became the President and a board member at Sonic Corp. In 2005, Moore became the co-owner of Instincts, LLC. “We specialize in leadership development, brand strategy and communications management,” said Moore about her company. Since 2010, Moore has also served on the board of directors for ONEOK, Inc. and QuikTrip Corporation, and she is the Chairman of the Board at Red Robin Gourmet Burgers.

After discussing Moore’s career accomplishments, I wanted to learn more about her strategies for becoming a success in the PR field. She said that good communication skills are a must for any PR practitioner. The ability to write well coupled with the ability to speak make a world of difference in the realm of public relations. The next piece of knowledge Moore relayed was the need to keep up with and have a sense of curiosity about current events. It is always important to know what is going on when current events can shape the industry you work in. Finally, Moore said business savvy is extremely helpful, as a public relations practitioner. It is important to understand all of the aspects of the business you work in, including knowledge about how the companies make money and an understanding of financial terms.

To end our time together, I asked Moore for a word of advice from a PR professional to an aspiring PR practitioner. The main recommendation she left me with was to take as many college classes as possible, especially business classes. She even suggested pursuing a double major. She said, “Many PR professionals graduate with no understanding of business.”

Moore is an inspiration to PR students who want to make a difference and achieve even their biggest dreams. She used her drive and determination to get where she is today, and when it comes down to it, those attributes contributed to the majority of her success.

Courtney Sanders, Manager of Communications and Events at Child Study Center

Courtney Sanders, Manager of Communications and Events at Child Study Center

By: Diana Truss

Image taken from http://www.cscfw.org/

Courtney Sanders found her passion for corporate communications at the University of Texas at Austin. After graduating from college in 2006 with a degree in Corporate Communications, Sanders has worked in public relations for four years. Immediately after college, Sanders went to work in politics. She worked as a Legislative Correspondent and was in charge of all constituent Correspondence for a United States Congressman. Following her position as a Legislative Correspondent, Sanders worked as the Grassroots Director and Communications Manager for Texas State Official, Susan Combs. Sanders worked as the liaison between the media and the Comptroller. After her career in politics, Sanders currently holds the position as the Manager of Communications and Events at the Child Study Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

The Child Study Center is a non-profit organization that offers a wide range of services to children who have developmental disabilities and related behavioral problems. As manager of communication and events, Sanders coordinates numerous events to raise awareness of the Child Study Center’s mission and vision with the public.

In order to work in public relations, Sanders says you must constantly be networking with other professionals. It is important to get to know all outlets of communication and be “in the know” of everything that is going on in the world of public relations. Sanders says it is also important to understand how to direct questions to the particular person you are interviewing or corresponding with, whether it be with your client target public.

Sanders offered some advice for future public relations professionals. “My main advice is to stay in touch with the people that you meet throughout your career. It is very important to network and get to know others in your field,” Sanders said. She also explained that it is valuable to follow current events that are happening not only in the United States, but also all over the world.