Insights From the Plank Center Emerging Leaders Summit
In the following blog, Grand Valley State University student Riley Hohlbein shares her experience at the Emerging Leaders Summit, made possible by the WMPRSA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund Grant.
The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations is famous among public relations professionals. The Plank Center hosts many events to further its mission of “empowering and advancing the next generation of emerging leaders in the profession through mentorship, programming, education and fostering meaningful connections.” One of these events is the Emerging Leaders Summit, a forum for practitioners, educators, and students to come together to discuss crucial leadership issues in public relations today. In November 2023, I had the opportunity to head to the windy city to attend my first Plank Center Summit.
Exploring Chicago
After an early morning train ride and a day exploring the city, my group and I headed to dinner with Bill Imada, members of the National Millennial and Gen Z Community, and additional guests for a night of socializing. This was a great way to begin the trip as I had the opportunity to meet a few of the other students who were attending the summit the following day. Admittedly, I was nervous to attend this dinner because it was my first time attending a professional event with people I did not know at all. However, I was instantly welcomed and had great conversations with the other students.
DEI Summit & Activities
The following day was packed full of activities and networking. We started our day with a tour of Public Communications Inc. This was an amazing experience as I had never been to a large agency, let alone one in Chicago. I quickly learned about the many opportunities at the agency. PCI is an impressive group and was able to share many insights into what type of clients they work with, from nonprofits to wildlife care and conservation organizations. What I most enjoyed about the agency was talking with the employees about their jobs. Each person was more than willing to share their experiences and insights with us.
After the agency tour, the summit began at the Union League Club of Chicago. The kick-off of the event included networking with all of the students attending the summit. I participated in DEI-focused activities and discussions such as sketching what ‘community’ meant to me. This was a great opportunity to connect with the people who I would be spending the rest of the day with.
After the initial activities, the summit began with a keynote address by Sandra Yamate, the chief executive officer of the Institute in the Legal Profession. Following this, there were three panels with a variety of topics and professionals. The first panel was titled Expanding the Meaning of Inclusion, Belonging, and Community - What Comms Next? The second panel featured a fellow Grand Valley State Alum, Aaron Radelet, for a discussion titled Addressing Unconscious Bias and Inclusion Oversights - Challenges and Success Stories. The final panel was a student panel, which included Olivia Dolley, a fellow GVSU student. This panel was called Engaging and Empowering Public Relations Students. The DEI-focused event included breakout sessions to further discuss these topics after each panel.
Key Takeaways
This event allowed emerging and experienced professionals to come together to exchange ideas. The insights shared by the panelists were truly valuable and sparked deep discussions about the importance of listening and promoting belonging in the public relations profession. The breakout sessions offered a space for people from all over the country to offer their perspectives and experiences regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. I will undoubtedly be taking what I learned from this event into my future career.
Thank You, WMPRSA!
My participation in this amazing event would not have been possible without the generous support of the West Michigan Public Relations Society of America. Thank you to the WMPRSA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fund Grant board members for their support! I am grateful I was able to participate in the Emerging Leaders Summit.
About The Author:
Riley Hohlbein is a soon-to-be graduate from Grand Valley State University with a major in advertising & public relations and a minor in writing. She is a member of Grand Valley’s Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Riley also serves as the Chief Operations Officer of GrandPR, Grand Valley’s only student-led integrated communications firm. She is excited to enter her career in the coming months in the West Michigan area!
