National Leaders will Speak as Part of UA’s College of Communication ‘Experts in PR’ Lecture Series

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The University of Alabama’s department of advertising and public relations will host Reed Bolton Byrum, 2003 president and CEO of the Public Relations Society of America, as part of the “Experts in PR” lecture series. The Society is the largest association of public relations executives in the United States.

Byrum’s lecture is “Communications in a Regulatory-Hungry Society” on Oct. 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m. in room 216 Phifer Hall. The lecture is open to the public, but seating is limited.

Following the speech, Byrum and David Rickey, senior vice president of Public Relations for AmSouth Bank, will join a senior public relations management class to discuss current management issues in PR.

UA’s College of Communication and Information Sciences “Experts in PR” series is funded by a grant from Betsy Plank, one of the leading female PR executives in the last 50 years. Plank graduated from The University of Alabama and is a founding member of the College of Fellows for the Public Relations Society of America. Byrum, Rickey and Plank are Accredited Public Relations Professionals.

Byrum distinguished himself in public relations and marketing during his decade in Silicon Valley as the first PR professional to translate corporate strategies and communications to the Internet. He conducted the first Web best practices study of communications and was a frequent national lecturer on Internet communications.

In PRSA, Byrum served as national treasurer and president of the Silicon Valley Chapter. He also is a former Assembly Delegate to PRSA, a national Delegate-at-Large and board member of the North Pacific District. He received the public service award from three Bay Area PRSA Chapters for his pro bono activities with nonprofits.

Based in Austin, Texas, Byrum is active in the community, serving on the boards of the Capital Area Homeless Agencies, Ballet Austin and the University of Texas Foundation for Religious Studies. He counsels St. David’s Episcopal clergy in public affairs and development.

David C. Rickey is senior vice president of Public Relations for AmSouth Bank, a regional bank holding company with $39 billion in assets, 600 branches and 1,250 ATMS in six southeastern states.

Prior to joining AmSouth Bank, Rickey was vice president of public relations for Alabama Power Co., director of corporate communications for Blount Inc., and a news director and reporter in Montgomery, Ala.

Rickey graduated from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has served in a variety of leadership roles with the Public Relations Society of America.

The Public Relations Council of Alabama named him practitioner of the year on three occasions, and he won the Annual Professional Achievement Award in 1997 from the Southern Public Relations Federation.

Rickey also serves on numerous boards of directors, including Kid One Transport, Birmingham Southern College and A+ Education Foundation.

The College of Communication & Information Sciences is among the largest and most prestigious communication colleges in the nation. C&IS has graduated more than 12,000 students and consistently is ranked among the top 10 in number of doctoral degrees awarded and in many of its research programs. C&IS graduates have won four of the six Pulitzer Prizes awarded to University of Alabama alumni, and the forensics and debate squad, housed within the College, has garnered 14 national championships.