Prominent communication executives of the College of Charleston’s Department of Communication Advisory Council will host a forum titled, “Every Minute Counts: The Many Faces of Crisis.” The event will take place Monday, April 2nd, from 3:15 – 4:30 p.m., at the Stern Center Ballroom on the College of Charleston campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Forum panelists will discuss crises that have occurred in the sports, corporate, and non-profit sectors. Council members will draw from their professional experiences, sharing how one can preserve and protect a brand through crises as well as discuss standard preventative measures in preparation for crises. Attendees will learn how to define success through crises, when every minute counts.
The panelists for this event are Chris Gidez, Brad Horn, Constance Hubbell, and Ruth Kinzey. Dr. Amanda Ruth-McSwain will moderate the event.
Chris Gidez, Senior Vice President, Hill + Knowlton Strategies, is the global leader of the firm’s Risk Management & Crisis Communications practice. Gidez has considerable experience in litigation communications, media relations, international, energy and environmental issues and controversial political issues. Gidez leads a team of senior counselors across the globe providing counsel and support to companies and organizations to prepare for, manage and recover from reputation-threatening situations. Gidez counsels a wide range of Fortune 500 companies, and has been involved in some of the most high-profile corporate crisis situations in recent years. Gidez is a frequently called-upon source for Tier-1 media including CBS, CNN, BBC, PBS, MSNBC, NPR and national newspapers and business publications for commentary on issues of the day.
Brad Horn, senior director, communications and education, The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, is responsible for overseeing the organization’s communications, education and multimedia departments, with overall responsibilities for the institution’s branding and messaging functions. In his present role, Horn serves as a primary spokesman for the Hall of Fame, managing club relations, voting and election processes, advertising and consumer marketing, in addition to his departmental oversight. For the last decade, he has navigated crises through the steroid era and advised on conflicts in the game ranging from executive relations, ticket-pricing aftershocks and many athlete stories that have stayed out of the sports pages.
Constance Hubbell is president and founder of The Hubbell Group, Inc., a full-service independent public relations firm. The Hubbell Group provides strategic communications counsel and services to Fortune 500 firms, multinationals and smaller companies that are leaders in industries including financial services, healthcare, education, aviation and real estate. An experienced corporate spokesperson and media strategist, Hubbell has advised numerous public and private sector companies as well as governmental entities during her 27-year career. She also has spoken at national conferences, seminars and other events about public relations, public affairs services and communications and marketing.
Ruth Kinzey, president and founder, The Kinzey Company, supports the company’s U.S. client base by providing strategic public relations, crisis communication and media training. Kinzey has managed crises and counseled both for-profit and not-for-profit clients, during her corporate career and through her consulting business. Kinzey has dealt with a wide range of crises such as recalls, food-born illnesses, lay-offs, retail store closings, hazardous material spills, natural gas explosions, reputational smear campaigns, negative financial news, labor issues, protests, natural disasters, law suits, special interest group campaigns, security breaches, shootings and suicides. She is a monthly contributor to The American Business Journal and holds various prestigious awards in the business communication and public relations fields.
For more information on this event and the Department of Communication Advisory Council, visit www.cofc.edu/communication.
With one of the largest undergraduate majors at the College of Charleston, the Department of Communication enrolls more than 700 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs. Students in the department study such topics as political communication, interpersonal communication, journalism, and public relations. The department is housed in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The Department of Communication Advisory Council promotes the recognition and progress of communication instruction at the College of Charleston. The Advisory Council is made up of an outstanding and nationally prominent group of communication professionals who aid the Department of Communication in mentoring high- performing students, creating and improving departmental programs, and calling attention to the many accomplishments of the department’s students and faculty.
