The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations

What The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations does

The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations is a non-profit academic center housed within the University of Alabama's College of Communication and Information Sciences in Tuscaloosa. Established in 2005 by the university's Trustees in honor of Betsy Plank — widely regarded as the First Lady of Public Relations — the Center develops the next generation of public relations leaders through mentorship, programming, education, and research. It is staffed by three full-time personnel (Director Dr. Karla Gower, Communications Specialist Hannah Collier, and Program Coordinator Pam Harrell) and governed by a 19-member Board of Advisors, with reach reported across 7 U.S. states and 4 countries.

The Center's core offerings are organized around four flagship programs: EMERGE: The Plank Center & The Grossman Group Leadership Academy (a year-long virtual leadership curriculum for rising juniors, seniors, and graduate students), The Plank Summit (an annual in-person leadership conference held in Chicago), the Koten Distinguished Lecture series, and the Milestones in Mentoring Gala (an annual awards gala with six recognition categories). Supporting programs include Insights — a research platform anchored by the biennial North American Communication Monitor co-produced with the Arthur W. Page Center at Penn State — the Talking Points Podcast hosted by the Emerging Leaders Committee, and sponsorship of Platform Magazine. The Center maintains strategic affiliations with PRSA, PRSSA, IPR, CPRE, AEJMC, the Diversity Action Alliance, and the University of Alabama's Capstone Agency.

The Center's funding model is non-commercial: it raises approximately $150,000 annually through donations, corporate sponsorships, and event tickets. It has no external investors, no venture funding, and no disclosed pricing tiers for its sponsorship packages. Marketing reach is delivered through a multi-channel presence including a website, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, X/Twitter, Facebook, and a monthly email newsletter (the Plank Rundown) distributed via Constant Contact. As a university-affiliated entity, it has no traditional paying customers; its "users" are students, emerging leaders, and senior professionals in the public relations field who participate in programs, events, and research.

Name

The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations

Legal name

The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations

Website

https://plankcenter.ua.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations is a University of Alabama-affiliated non-profit that develops public relations leaders through mentorship programs (EMERGE Academy), annual events (Plank Summit, Milestones Gala, Koten Lecture), and research (North American Communication Monitor) for students, emerging professionals, and senior practitioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Leadership Development

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Thought Leadership & Executive Visibility (BPAFADAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Executive Leadership & C-Suite Development (EDABAAAA), Executive Leadership Summits (C-Suite, Board, Strategy Offsites) (THAHAMAA)

Keywords

• Leadership development programs
• Professional mentorship
• Public relations education
• Communication research
• Nonprofit academic center

Headquarters

HQ city

Tuscaloosa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: The Plank Center raises approximately $150,000 annually through donations to support programs and initiatives.
2. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships that support mentorship, education, leadership programming and professional development initiatives.
3. Event Tickets: Individual tickets for Milestones in Mentoring Gala and The Plank Summit that support the Center's mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations delivers leadership development programming, mentorship, research-driven insights, and networking events for the public relations profession. Its core offerings include the EMERGE Leadership Academy (year-long virtual curriculum with mentorship), The Plank Summit (annual leadership conference), the Milestones in Mentoring Gala (annual awards program), the Koten Distinguished Lecture series, and research publications such as the North American Communication Monitor.

Product overview

The Plank Center offers a portfolio of leadership development programs rather than a unified technology product. Its core offerings include EMERGE: The Plank Center & The Grossman Group Leadership Academy (a year-long virtual leadership curriculum for rising juniors, seniors, and graduate students), The Plank Summit (an annual leadership conference), the Koten Distinguished Lecture (an annual lecture series), and the Milestones in Mentoring Gala (an annual awards program with six award categories). Supporting these programs, the Center provides Insights (research resources including the North American Communication Monitor) and sponsors Platform Magazine. The Center fosters connections through partnerships with the Capstone Agency and Diversity Action Alliance, positioning itself as a mentorship and education-focused organization advancing the public relations profession.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EMERGE: The Plank Center & The Grossman Group Leadership Academy: A year-long leadership program designed for rising juniors, seniors and graduate students that blends virtual leadership curriculum with exclusive opportunities to connect with Plank Center board members and leading professionals across the public relations profession.

Products and services

• EMERGE: The Plank Center & The Grossman Group Leadership Academy

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual fundraising of $150,000 supporting emerging leader programs

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• AEJMC (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional affiliation with academic organization supporting journalism and mass communication education.
• CPRE (Commission on Public Relations Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional affiliation supporting standards and education in public relations.
• Diversity Action AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlank Center is a proud sponsor and supporter of the industry-wide non-profit coalition combatting lack of racial and ethnic diversity in public relations.
• IPR (Institute for Public Relations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional affiliation supporting research and best practices in public relations.
• Arthur W. Page Center (Penn State)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the North American Communication Monitor research publication.
• PRSA (Public Relations Society of America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional affiliation supporting the public relations profession through standards and education.
• PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional affiliation supporting student members in public relations education. PRSSA membership is preferred for EMERGE applicants.
• Platform MagazinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnline community sponsored by The Plank Center providing a forum for exchange of ideas and information encouraging ethical practice and enhancement of leadership in public relations.
• Capstone Agency (University of Alabama)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent-run communications firm at The University of Alabama. The Plank Center works with this team to empower students developing professional, client-ready work.
• The Grossman GroupflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of EMERGE: The Plank Center & The Grossman Group Leadership Academy - a year-long program blending virtual leadership curriculum with mentorship opportunities.
• University of Alabama College of Communication and Information SciencesflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Plank Center is housed within the College of Communication and Information Sciences at the University of Alabama, providing academic infrastructure and resources.

Scale indicators4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Institute for Public Relations (IPR): IPR is a nonprofit research foundation dedicated to the science of public relations, producing research and educational resources for the profession. It is one of the Center's listed affiliates and overlaps directly on the research-driven insights mission.
• Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA): The foremost student organization for PR students, with which the Plank Center has an affiliation and which it actively steers into EMERGE. Directly comparable in student-serving mission though focused more on membership than leadership programming.
• Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE): CPRE develops standards, reports, and guidance for PR education. It overlaps directly on the Plank Center's education-policy mission and is one of its listed affiliations.
• Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication: Penn State-based research center studying ethics and integrity in public communication. Co-produces the North American Communication Monitor with the Plank Center, making it the closest research and thought-leadership peer.
• Diversity Action Alliance: An industry-wide nonprofit coalition addressing racial and ethnic diversity in PR, of which the Plank Center is a sponsor and supporter. Highly comparable as a PR profession nonprofit driving systemic change in the same talent pipeline.

Broad incumbents

• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): The largest U.S. professional association for PR practitioners, offering its own leadership development, training, and recognition programs. PRSA's broader portfolio and scale make it an incumbent with overlapping capability, though its leadership programming is less specialized.
• Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC): Academic association for journalism and mass communication educators. While broader than PR, AEJMC's role in shaping communication education makes it a relevant peer in the PR education and leadership ecosystem.

Others

• The Grossman Group: Internal communications and leadership consultancy that co-developed the EMERGE Leadership Academy with the Plank Center. Comparable as a partner in delivering leadership content to PR professionals, though its core business is consulting.
• Platform Magazine: Online community and publication sponsored by the Plank Center targeting future PR professionals and educators. Comparable as a content platform serving the same emerging-leader audience within the PR profession.

Regional players

• Capstone Agency: Student-run communications firm at the University of Alabama that partners with the Plank Center to give students client-ready experience. Comparable as a UA-affiliated PR training environment, though scoped to student agency work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/plankcenterpr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ThePlankCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/PlankCenterPR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plankcenterpr
• Instagraminstagram.com/plankcenterpr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations