Executive Advisory Council Spends Day with AdPR and Networks with Students

Our Executive Advisory Council spent a day with us in October lending their expertise and collaborating with faculty and networking with AdPR students.  The day included dedicated time in our new social media monitoring lab, the SEE SUITE, as well as one-on-one time with students during a speed networking session.  The collaboration with students and real world insights from our distinguished advisory council members proved to be an invaluable experience for all involved.

In addition, we welcomed four new members to the Executive Advisory Council: Joe Erwin, President and Co-Founder, Erwin-Penland; Beth Marshall, Senior Director of Public Relations, The Atlanta Braves; Trish Mueller, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, The Home Depot; and Brian Wong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Kiip.

Working session with Executive Advisory Council and AdPR students.

Networking sessions with our Executive Advisory Council.

SEE Suite
Social Media Monitoring Lab

AdPR Connection Event "Becoming A VIP" Is A Success

Students learned what it means to become a V.I.P. at this year’s fifth annual ADPR Connection on Tuesday, Oct. 20 which was held in the University of Georgia’s Tate Grand Hall. This years event highlighted the importance of being versatile, inspired and prepared in today’s professional world. The event included six VIP inspired workshops, a coffee hour, senior luncheon and a career fair. 

Sponsors for this event include Nebo at the platinum level; BBDO, Coca Cola, Cookerly Public Relations, The Creative Circus, Dodge Communications, Moxie, MSL Group and Porter Novelli at the gold level; and Erwin Penland and Jackson Electric Membership Corporation at the silver level.  Additional photos for this event can be found here.

*The event was sponsored by UGA PRSSA and Ad Club. It is co-directed by Erin Geoffroy and Diana Soloaga.

Joe Erwin, President and Co-Founder, Erwin Penland, Joins AdPR's Executive Advisory Council

Joe Erwin, President, Erwin Penland

Entrepreneur Joe Erwin is the President and co-founder of Erwin Penland, which represents national and regional clients including Verizon Wireless, Denny’s, Michelin, Lockheed Martin and General Motors.  

A graduate of Clemson University, Joe began his career at Greenville’s Leslie Advertising and was soon recruited to join DMB&B in New York, where he worked on the Corning Glass Works and Quincy’s Family Steakhouse accounts.  In 1986, Joe and his wife Gretchen – also a marketing professional – returned to Greenville to purchase Penland Advertising.  Together they opened Erwin Penland with one account, two employees, and a big goal:  extraordinary work, coupled with extraordinary customer service.

Twenty-seven years later, that focus is still the hallmark of the agency.  Only, instead of two employees there are now 375 located in Greenville, New York & Detroit.  And they work across a wide range of integrated marketing disciplines which now includes digital, mobile, social and content marketing; experiential branding; media and analytics; digital asset management; and public relations.  As a result, the agency has seen consistent growth and received countless awards for creative and strategic excellence.

Joe personally oversees Erwin Penland’s pro bono work and diversity initiatives, and is deeply involved in nurturing the company’s entrepreneurial culture.  The agency has been recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work” by Advertising Age, PR News and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, and for having one of the best internship programs in the country.

In 2008, Joe and members of Erwin Penland’s leadership team created the annual Food for Thought conference, which has brought hundreds of influencers from around the country to Greenville for an experiential “unconventional convention.”  The highly personalized event showcases creative thinking across business, non-profit, artistic, educational and culinary endeavors, and highlights some of the best food and locations this region has to offer.

Active in the community and the advertising industry, Joe has served on numerous boards and commissions, including the South Carolina Special Olympics, the Governor’s Commission on Teacher Quality, the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, and the American Association of Advertising Agencies.

In 2012, Joe and Gretchen made an investment in the future of marketing by making a gift to Clemson University to establish the Erwin Center for the Study of Advertising and Communications.