March is Women’s History Month, a month dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the achievements of women throughout history. Women have played a crucial role in public relations, shaping the field into what it is today. Historic female figures in the PR industry have paved the way for modern-day women to thrive and grow within it. In this blog post, we will highlight several influential women who have changed the field of public relations for the better. Their impacts and legacies have elevated the standards of public relations and paved the way for women’s achievements within the industry. These women have inspired and innovated, created, and fought for women’s voices to be heard.
Betsy Plank, also known as the First Lady of Public Relations, was the first to achieve many leadership positions as a woman in the public relations industry. She has served several industry accolades executive vice president of Daniel J. Edelman, Inc., director of public relations planning at AT&T, as well as director of external affairs at Illinois Bell. She was also the first person to ever receive three of PRSA’s top individual honors: The Gold Anvil Award, The Paul M. Lund Public Service Award, and the Patrick Jackson Award for distinguished Service to PRSA. On top of her many professional achievements, Plank devoted a part of her life to advancing public relations education and advocated for all students studying this profession. In order to achieve this, she co-chaired a national commission to develop guidelines for an undergraduate public relations curriculum. In her honor, the PRSA Foundation created the Betsy Plank Scholarship Endowment Fund which has helped ensure the availability of public relations education funds for students at over 40 colleges nationwide.
Amity Paye is the Chief Communications Officer for Color of Change. She leads social media, media strategy, video production, and brand partnerships. Paye is featured as a 2022 honoree in PR News’s Top Women Awards for her leadership and her initiatives in ending systematic racism and building Black representation. She has made a significant impact in her contributions to #TheBlackReview and #BeyondtheStatement campaign at Color of Change. Previous to working at Color of Change, Paye led strategic communications at the labor union 32BJ SEIU, supported media relations for the Black Youth Project 100, and spent a decade as a journalist reporting on Black youth and social justice for The Nation, NBC, The Root, Jet Magazine and the Amsterdam News. She is an admirable leader who makes a substantial impact from both a communications and societal perspective. (Eva)
Lisa Osborne Ross is a current trailblazing leader taking the public relations world by storm. In 2021, she was named Edelman’s U.S. Chief Executive Officer, where she now leads 13 offices with over 2,300 employees. Becoming the first African American to lead a major public relations firm is no small feat, and at Edelman, Ross implements a representative approach to public relations. Since her promotion to U.S. CEO, she has prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion in the Edelman workspace, ensuring that the images their brands are putting out represent their consumers well. Ross is an excellent role model for young women in the industry who hope to make their mark on the public relations world.
Paye and Osborne are two memorable women who have left their mark on the public relations industry. These stories inspire other women to discuss the patriotism that drove our influential figures to help increase Black representation and incorporate DEI programs into the work environment. The month of March is dedicated to all the women heroes who strive to bring others women up as well as those who have contributed towards empowerment, confidence, and equity.