University Teams with Crisis Communications Firm in New Offering

Did you attend a crisis communications seminar taught by Bruce Hennes, Thom Fladung or Stephanie York and Hennes Communications in the last few years?  If so, read below for information about how you can receive one free credit hour (valued at $525) towards a graduate certificate in crisis communication
from the prestigious Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University.

Ohio University’s Scripps College of Communication has partnered with Hennes Communications, a crisis communications firm based in Cleveland, Ohio, to offer professionals the opportunity to receive one credit hour at no cost (a $525 value) towards a 12-hour graduate certificate in crisis communication.  Through this partnership, participants who have attended selected seminars taught by Hennes Communications can apply to convert one hour of that seminar to one credit hour counted towards the online crisis communication certificate offered by Scripps College at Ohio University.

“Effective crisis communication is undoubtedly the most important element in managing a crisis. By establishing a strong academic foundation and acquiring real-life skills, professionals can better prepare and execute effective crisis communication strategies,” explained John Born, former director of Ohio’s Department of Public Safety, and current visiting assistant professor and executive-in-residence in the Scripps College of Communication and the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service.

Many of the seminars will be led by Bruce Hennes, CEO of Hennes Communications, one of the few firms in North America focused exclusively on crisis management and crisis communications. In recognition of his expertise, Bruce Hennes has been appointed as a research assistant professor within the Scripps College of Communication.

Hennes Communications has an impressive roster of past and present clients that includes Goodyear, NASA, Avery Dennison, United Way of Greater Cleveland, ThyssenKrupp, Interlake Steamship, the American Public Power Association and the Ohio School Boards Association.  With over 180 clients served annually from diverse market sectors, including numerous law firms, Hennes Communications excels at managing crises in today’s fast-paced media landscape.

“From accusations of fiscal or legal mismanagement, labor issues and board chair-executive director disputes to DEI controversies, mergers and acquisitions, cyberattacks and active shooter situations, we live in a world of immediate news, where everyone has a mobile phone and any incident can become a front-page story, a trending story on social media, or an all-hands management issue for the C-suite,” Hennes said. “Today, controversies are tried first in the ‘Court of Public Opinion’ before the ‘Court of Law’ and the skill set used by CEOs, directors and managers to earn their leadership roles isn’t the same skill set it takes to manage a crisis.”

Upon choosing to receive the credit hour, seminar participants will be contacted by a representative from Ohio University to guide them through the process and provide program information.  The crisis communication graduate certificate can be pursued as a standalone program or combined with other coursework to obtain a graduate degree in communication or organizational communication.

The online certificate program offers the flexibility of year-round enrollment, catering to the needs of working professionals.  It is particularly recommended for current and aspiring leaders in public-facing sectors such as education, healthcare, eldercare, law enforcement and government.

Hennes Communications seminars that count towards the Scripps College credit include “Crisis Communications for Senior Leaders,” “Crisis Management & Communications,” “Winning on Social Media: Crisis Management in an Echo Chamber” and “Crisis Communications in the Social Media Era.”

For more information about the partnership between the Scripps College of Communication at Ohio University and Hennes Communications: https://www.ohio.edu/scripps-college/crisis-credit

For more information about the 12-hour graduate certificate: https://www.ohio.edu/scripps-college/online/graduate-certificates/crisis-communication

For more information about Hennes Communications:  https://www.crisiscommunications.com

For more information about Bruce Hennes: https://www.ohio.edu/scripps-college/about/deans-office/bh042522ohio-edu

To get further, in-depth information and/or start the process (including applying the free credit hour), contact Bruce Hennes: hennes@crisiscommunications.com

Hennes Communications has partnered with the Indiana School Boards Association to provide crisis management and communications consulting services to public school districts in Indiana. The firm has similar relationships with the Ohio, Arizona and Florida School Boards Associations.

Hennes Communications works with school board chairs, superintendents, communications professionals and school attorneys with just one goal in mind: Protecting the district’s reputation by helping them communicate their story effectively.

Hennes Communications has an extensive track record of working closely with school districts and legal counsel, balancing best crisis management practices and the need to protect the interests of a school or district with today’s media and stakeholder demands for speed and transparency.

“I’m absolutely thrilled for our members to have the opportunity to benefit from Hennes Communications,” said Terry Spradlin, executive director of the Indiana School Boards Association. “Our schools and school boards need strategic communications counsel now more than ever, and the Hennes team is as smart and savvy as they come.”

Hennes Communications consultants are experienced professionals with long histories working in the news media, law, and strategic communications. The firm provides pre-crisis consulting, the creation of crisis communications plans, crisis/media training, communications audits, and 24/7 crisis response services to schools and school districts that are likely to suddenly find themselves “on trial in the Court of Public Opinion.”

Hennes Communications can be reached at (216) 321-7774 or fladung@crisiscommunications.com.

About Hennes Communications
Hennes Communications, founded in 1989, is one of the few firms in North America focused exclusively on crisis management and crisis communications. With deep, award-winning experience, the firm is staffed exclusively by senior-level consultants, working with clients across the continent and around the world. Learn more at www.crisiscommunications.com.

Bruce Hennes, Chief Executive Officer of Hennes Communications, has been named to the 2022 Lawdragon Global 100 Leaders in Legal Strategy and Consulting, the definitive guide to the experts in management, marketing, communication and recruiting most valued by law firm leaders. Hennes Communications, founded in 1989 and located in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of the few firms in North America focused exclusively on crisis management and crisis communications. This is the fourth year in a row that Hennes has been named to this prestigious list. The entire Lawdragon 100 list can be seen here.

Hennes was also named to the 2022 Lawdragon Hall of Fame.  According to Lawdragon, these are “the nation’s greatest corporate litigators, plaintiff powerhouses, innovators who established new areas of law practice and individuals whose dedication to a sometimes precarious legal system are unsurpassed.”

It is with great pride we announce that our colleague, Nora Jacobs, senior vice president of Hennes Communications, was recently awarded the prestigious Tom Duke Public Relations Achievement Award from the Akron Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Nora has a distinguished career providing strategic counsel to companies, associations, nonprofits and professional service firms to help them seize market opportunities and resolve obstacles to organizational growth. She is also a champion for PRSA’s Accreditation in Public Relations and has helped numerous local professionals earn this important designation.

The TOM DUKE PUBLIC RELATIONS ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, established in 2019, celebrates the life and work of the late W. Thomas “Tom” Duke, who passed away in 2017. The Award recognizes and commemorates the achievements of an Akron, Canton, Kent, or Youngstown public relations professional or educator who has demonstrated outstanding service to the public relations industry through professional excellence, accomplished community involvement, and skillful leadership.

AWARD RECIPIENT CRITERIA:

• EXPERIENCE & CHARACTER: A minimum of 10 years of professional excellence in the public relations profession (as a practitioner or educator) in the local community.
• COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT: Has utilized their public relations knowledge, skills, and leadership to positively affect the local community through charitable projects and/or works.
• LEADERSHIP & SERVICE: Has served as a leader and/or mentor advancing the public relations profession in the local community.

Nora is a five-time Silver Anvil winner, the highest award given by the public relations profession. She has also received numerous other communications awards, including a Gold World Award from the International Public Relations Association. She has received the Distinguished Honors Alumni Award from Kent State’s Honors College, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Kent’s College of Arts and Sciences and the Davis Young Award for Exceptional Mentors from the Cleveland Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America in recognition of her work to help young professionals and others advance in the field,

FSBA Partners with Hennes Communications to Provide Issues Management, Crisis Management and Strategic
Communications Services to Membership

There are scores of reasons why your district
can be thrust into the news.

Lawsuit…sports controversy…social media threats…active shooter…board-superintendent clash…criminal accusation…discrimination complaints…
diversity issues…FERPA or HIPAA violation…protest…
fiscal mismanagement…sexual misconduct…student newspaper story…
challenging conversations…testing controversy…union grievance/strike…

Suddenly, there’s a TV crew in the parking lot, your local newspaper
is on Line One and the situation is already on Facebook.

FSBA is excited to introduce a new business partnership with Hennes Communications to provide issues management and strategic communications consulting services to public school districts throughout Florida facing sudden challenges to their reputations and operations.

Whether you are a small, rural district or a large district with a full communications department, Hennes Communications has an extensive track record of working closely with school boards, superintendents, communications professionals, and legal counsel in a cooperative framework with one goal in mind: Helping you communicate your story effectively to protect your district’s reputation in the face of today’s media and stakeholder demands for speed and transparency. We look forward to having Hennes participate in this year’s Annual Conference.

Andrea Messina, Executive Director of the Florida School Boards Association, said, “Hennes Communications offers smart strategic communication counsel to help our districts deal with a breaking crisis situation quickly and effectively. They put the truth, and the reputations of our districts, first.  Equally as important, they can be brought in to develop a communication strategy for any district need. Hennes Communications understands how to balance district credibility with fidelity to community.”

“The past two years have been the most challenging many educators have ever experienced,” said Hennes Communications Managing Partner Thom Fladung. “From COVID-19 mask mandates and critical race theory to tense and contentious politics spilling into the classroom, board of education meetings that drew little attention now require a police presence. And always looming is social media, where outrage comes naturally. We’ve worked with many schools, school districts and attorneys, so it’s rare that we encounter a situation we’ve not faced before. We know the value of telling the truth, telling it first and telling it fast.”

Amie Williamson, FSBA’s Communications Manager, said, “As I embark on assisting members with their communications needs, I am confident that Hennes Communications will be among the most valuable tools in our toolbox. Bruce Hennes and his team have exceeded our expectations at every step. I am confident Florida’s school districts will greatly benefit from their expertise.”

Hennes Communications consultants are experienced professionals with long histories working in the news media, in industry and in law. In addition to issues management and strategic communications, the firm provides pre-crisis consulting, the creation of crisis communications plans, crisis/media training, tabletop drills, 24/7 crisis response services, litigation communications support and communications audits to schools and school districts that are likely to suddenly find themselves “on trial in the Court of Public Opinion.”

Hennes Communications can be reached at (216) 321-7774 or
hennes@crisiscommunications.com

About Hennes Communications

Hennes Communications, founded in 1989, is one of the few firms in North America focused exclusively on crisis management and crisis communications. With deep, award-winning experience, the firm is staffed exclusively by senior-level consultants, working with clients across the continent and around the world.

About the Florida School Boards Association

The Florida School Boards Association, Inc. (FSBA) is a nonprofit corporation representing the elected school boards in Florida. FSBA has been the collective voice for Florida school districts since 1930 and is closely allied with other educational and community agencies to work toward improvement of education in Florida.

The mission of the Florida School Boards Association is to increase student achievement through the development of effective school board leadership and advocacy for public education.

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