Kinsey writes:

On February 16, Debbie Anglin will be recognized among the Journal Record’s Most Admired CEO honorees. Those who have worked for and with Debbie will agree this is a well deserved honor.

From the beginning of her career, Debbie has excelled in her industry. She was forced to learn on her feet in one of the most unimaginable circumstances during the Oklahoma City bombing. As an employee of the American Red Cross, she was responsible for reporting their response efforts through the global media – no doubt this experience laid the foundation for the compassion she shows others in the work place and her ability to think on her toes even when faced with difficult situations.

After working a short time in the public relations department at an advertising agency, Debbie saw a need for pure public relations in Oklahoma City. She launched Anglin Public Relations with the vision of offering Oklahoma-based businesses the caliber of services usually only found in much larger cities. Twelve years later, she has grown her business and continues to offer the highest quality of services. Her goal is not necessarily to be the biggest, but to be the best, and she chooses to work with organizations and businesses with “big ideas.” She goes above and beyond for clients, investing her own time, money and resources in industries where she has a passion and sees potential for growth and betterment of the community. From the science and technology industry where she sees the potential for life saving research to social service agencies that seek to end homelessness in our community, her work and volunteer life support organizations that may not be the most profitable, but have the potential to change the world.

Debbie is quick to pass the credit to others and embodies the meaning of humble. She always puts her employees before herself. She empowers those around her to never stop learning, inspires them to work hard and helps them to reach their potential. She is a mentor and a teacher.

Debbie’s commitment to the public relations industry has enabled many to blossom into the community leaders they are today. She established an internship program within her company that provides college students hands on experience that has propelled them into journalism and PR careers in Oklahoma, Texas, Tennessee and New York. If you tracked down any one of them, they’d all say the same thing. She has been an incredible inspiration and mentor to many. And her mentoring extends around the globe. This summer, through the Institute for the Economic Empowerment of Women, Debbie hosted a woman from Afghanistan and continues that relationship today.

Debbie exhibits personal characteristics that better others around her; she has strong ethics and strategic vision; she’s brilliant and leads her company in a direction that not only benefits the business but the community as a whole. We may be a little biased, but there’s not a person more deserving of this recognition than our very own CEO.

Congratulations, Debbie!

The Public Relations Society of America’s new MBA Initiative was created to provide business students with a better foundation in public relations strategy and corporate reputation management. The initiative was developed in response to a 2011 survey of more than 200 business leaders that asked how well they felt business students were prepared to deal with these issues. Among the data gathered, 59 percent of respondents said they had hired recent MBA graduates and only 4 in 10 found the skill sets of these graduates to be extremely strong in building and protecting their company’s reputation. Nine in 10 of the business leaders surveyed said executives at their companies need greater training in communication disciplines, and 98 percent believe C-suite executives must know basic PR.

“Nearly every business leader we surveyed agrees that reputation management and communication strategy are important skills for businesses success,” says PRSA Chair and CEO, Rosanna M. Fiske, APR. “The next generation of executives must understand not only public relations’ business value and ROI, but recognize their own roles as stewards of corporate reputation.”

PRSA, along with the Institute for Public Relations and the Arthur W. Page Society, have worked together to compile curriculum guidelines and will engage four business schools to pilot the course, with plans for the program to officially launch in the 2012-2013 school year.

Anglin team members had these thoughts about the new initiative and how it will impact both professions long term:

As an undergraduate student, one of the first things I learned was the importance of making the value of public relations known to my future employer. Public relations belongs in the management function of a company, but is often not recognized as part of the round table. What better way to help future senior executives understand the value and importance of our practice than learning about our industry while pursuing their master’s degree? Atticus Finch from “To Kill a Mocking Bird” said, “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view – until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” I think this theory applies to the relationship between public relations professionals and the senior executives who hire them, which is exactly why PRSA’s MBA initiative is right on point.

-Lauren

It’s about time business leaders recognize the importance of public relations in their business practices! I’ve always believed public relations is paramount to a successful business. Merging PR courses into MBA programs will only benefit the future business leaders ofAmerica. They will have a better understanding of how to strategically communicate internally to their employees, externally to their target publics, handle potential crises, work with the media and manage their companies’ reputations. I plan to get my MBA within the next few years and hope by that time public relations courses are a cornerstone in MBA programs.

-Kelsie

Business and communications professionals must have a mutually beneficial understanding of the importance of having knowledge in both fields. I’m currently pursuing my MBA, because I didn’t have a background in business and see the benefit in having more business knowledge to back up communications efforts. I think the initiative encourages a better understanding of how and why to incorporate communications personnel in executive business decisions. Surely business leaders want to also feel confident and comfortable being the voice and face of a company, something they might learn in an MBA PR class.

-Mindy

I have relied on my business training time and again, in both agency and non-profit settings, to explain to clients, bosses and board members how public relations impacts an organization from a business standpoint. I realized early in my career that I had to speak these business leaders’ language, focusing on ROI and how my actions would impact the organization financially. I think it’s not only important that business students understand the value of public relations but equally important that public relations students understand how to communicate their worth to leadership. I think the MBA Initiative is a great step in the right direction toward helping professionals in each arena work together more efficiently and effectively.

-Erin