Curated by Rita Herbstman and Liza Horn
To commemorate the last week of our month-long celebration of Betsy Plank, we contacted three female PR leaders who are leaving a legacy like Betsy through their contributions to the industry.
Betsy Plank was a PR pioneer and an exemplary leader and mentor. She paved the way for female PR professionals. Learn about Betsy’s career by watching this video:
Here’s how three female agency owners, Anne Marie Levis, Amy Rosenberg and Ann Smith, are leaving a legacy like Besty Plank:
Anne Marie Levis, President & Creative Director of Funk/Levis
“I see helping students start their career as an important part of being a PR professional. It’s not enough to just be an example. I believe in actively connecting with students, offering internships and being a resource for them as they navigate their careers.”
About Anne Marie Levis:
Anne Marie Levis is a branding and communications professional with 20+ years of experience in brand development, public relations, advertising and marketing. Levis earned a bachelor’s degree in business and marketing from California State University, Chico and an MBA in marketing from the University of Oregon. She is currently the president & creative director at Funk/Levis & Associates, a brand design agency in Eugene, Oregon. Recently, she received her Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America, the highest level of certification for public relations professionals.
Amy Rosenberg, President of Veracity Agency
“I hope that my podcast for PR professionals, called PR talk, aspires to inspire others in the industry. By interviewing members of the media—like OregonLive.com, KINK fm, and USA Today—I aim to make PR more approachable and easy. Cold-calling a reporter can sometimes seem like a very daunting task! But after listening to the PR Talk interviews hopefully, it is a little easier to reach out. Beyond getting tips for the “right way” to do PR, listeners can get to know the media by overhearing casual free-flowing conversations covering everything from personal lives and hobbies to how our media friends got their big professional breaks. I also hope that this podcast serves the media by enticing PR people to clean up their professional act.”
Ann Smith, Founder & President of A.wordsmith
“I’m extremely proud to own and run A.wordsmith, an all-women public relations firm in Portland. I founded the firm in spring of 2009 and since that time it has grown into a 10-person team with many of the region’s most respected companies as clients. As PR counselors we don’t settle for “good enough.” We’re always pushing the boundaries and looking for new and different ways to achieve the kind of results that knock our clients’ socks off. At the same time, we care about each other, our culture and ensuring that A.wordsmith is a great place to come to work every day. A.wordsmith was named one of Portland’s Top PR Firms for the past three consecutive years by the Portland Business Journal; was recognized as a Top Marketing Firm in 2011 and 2012; and named a Top Women-Owned Business from 2013-2017. In 2017 and 2018, we joined the ranks of Portland’s Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies, and we have been recognized by Expertise and Everything-PR as one of Portland’s top agencies.”