Public Relations and the PR Practitioner Through the Eyes of the CEO
Nov. 11, 2004 - At the Junior League

Mark Eustis, John Oldani and Chris Strobbe work in very different arenas, but their livelihoods depend on the same goal: protecting and promoting the reputations of their organizations. The three executives readily admit they cannot do it alone.

“Our communications people are among the most valuable people we have in our organization,” said Oldani, executive director of Cooperating School Districts and a former superintendent of the Rockwood and Francis Howell school districts. Strobbe, chief operating officer of the President Casino, and Eustis, senior executive officer of BJC Healthcare agreed. “Every day, at some point or another, I work with a public relations person at one of our hospitals,” said Eustis.

Eustis, Oldani and Strobbe shared these and other insights during PRSA-St. Louis’s November panel discussion, “Public Relations and the PR Practitioner: Through the Eyes of the CEO.” Jerry Bryan, APR, PRSA Fellow and head of Bryan Consulting, moderated the question and answer session. He also reminded members that the most important question may be the one PR professionals must ask themselves: “What makes your CEO wake up in the middle of the night?”

• How do you keep up with your organization’s PR demands during a budget crunch?
“One of the worst things you can do is cut PR when things get tough and tight,” said the President Casino’s Strobbe. Oldani pointed out that in a school district, a communications specialist doesn’t just serve administrators. “You need open communication with parents and the media. This is a position for the community as much as the superintendent,” said Oldani.

• Many bosses don’t understand PR. What can we do to let them know it’s more than writing press releases and dealing with the media?
Be proactive. “Don’t sit back and wait for your boss to come to you (for help),” said Oldani. Demonstrate the value of building relationships with customers and the community. Bryan advised pointing out the problem and your solution to your boss. Bryan also recommended finding a mentor within your organization who understands your value - “someone (who is) in your corner.”

• Do you see your PR people as proactive or reactive?
Proactive. According to Oldani, “It’s about … establishing open relationships, making sure the superintendent is there (to react to what’s happened and answer questions.)” Eustis said BJC recently reaped the benefits of that when it announced a decision to close a surgical unit at one of its hospitals. Since BJC has a good relationship with the media, news coverage emphasized the positives of the decision.

• How do I deal with a CEO who has a different style than I do?
Eustis echoed Bryan’s earlier advice to find a mentor or ally within the senior executive group who shares your style. But Bryan, Oldani and Strobbe also stressed the importance of doing what you know is right in order to get the job done. Bryan said he once confronted a higher up who had failed to share crucial information by saying, “You don’t want surprises and I don’t want surprises. Sometimes you have to put your job on the line to get to where you need to be as a PR person.”

^{Brenda Madden Kimberlin}

CEO Trio1: Bryan, Eustis, Strobbe, Oldani - Nov 2004
PRSA APR, Fellow Jerry Bryan (at podium) lays the ground rules as Mark Eustis (left), Chris Strobbe and John Oldani await a question from the PRSA audience of 115 at the Junior League.