Kim Sample Selected as Next PR Council President
Veteran Agency Leader to Continue PR Council’s Rapid Evolution


NEW YORK – July 12, 2018 – The PR Council (PRC) has selected Kim Sample as its new president. Sample will succeed Renee Wilson, who served as the association’s president since 2016.

During her 30-year career, Sample has helped grow boutique, mid-sized and large agencies, including founding and leading the award-winning firm, Emanate. Her expertise spans consumer marketing and corporate communications, and she has worked across almost every industry sector.
“Kim brings to the PRC both deep agency experience and a clear passion for leading our profession’s ongoing evolution,” said Matthew Harrington, Global Chief Operating Officer of Edelman and PRC Chairman. “We are grateful to Renee for her leadership and are fortunate that thanks to her work, Kim joins at a time when the PRC is making a difference on critical issues, including news literacy and advancing diversity and inclusion.”

“Rapid technological advancement and the resulting changes in consumer behaviors, preferences and demands are requiring every PR professional to think differently,” said Sample.  “I can’t imagine a more thrilling role than helping the industry navigate these changes while maintaining a focus on our core capabilities: the art of communications and a commitment to truth and civil dialogue.”

The PRC’s mission is to build the public relations and ‘earned’ sector and lead the industry evolution. Key developments include:

  • Creating the first ever Diversity Agency Resource Guide, Diversity Census, Diversity Pledge and industry-offered Unconscious Bias Training; as well as Zero Tolerance Policy against harassment, and Gender Pay Equity Statement  
  • Creating and launching the SHEQUALITY initiative and weekly podcast, focused on helping women rise in the executive ranks
  • Creating and launching the PRC’s first shadow board, PRCNEXT, to bring a new generation of leaders’ voices to industry opportunities and challenges
  • Developing an industry partnership with News Literacy Project (NLP) to fight fake news
  • Convening CMO breakfast roundtables and creating a CMO Club Guide to ‘Earned”
  • Helping to counsel Cannes through changes to industry category
  • Adding new agency committees including digital and data & analytics; held first vendor/partner relations day
  • Adding 28 new Member firms to the PRC Community

A PRC Board committee, led by Harrington, conducted the search process. Members included: Julie Batliner (Carmichael Lynch Relate); Anne Green (CooperKatz); Gail Heimann (Weber Shandwick); and Jon Silvan (Global Strategy Group). They worked closely with executive recruiter Donna Renella to identify and interview a diverse and robust group of individuals.

Sample will join the PRC on August 1.

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About the PR Council
Established in 1998, the PR Council (PRC) is composed of America’s premier global, midsize, regional and specialty agencies across every discipline and practice. It is the leading trade association for agencies, designed to empower the present and next generation of communications professionals, industry innovators and business leaders through education, events and industry resources. The PRC’s active members from over 105 leading U.S. agencies represent more than 80% (est.) of all U.S. PR firm revenues and employ over 12,000 professionals.