Name: Bruce K.  Berger

Chapter: Alabama

Current position: Professor Emeritus, Advertising & Public Relations, University of Alabama & Research Director, The Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations

How long in current position: 16 years at UA

First PR job: Employee communication assistant and speechwriter with The Upjohn Company (pharmaceuticals)

Where you attended college: Central Michigan University (B.A.), Western Michigan University (M.A.), University of Kentucky (Ph.D.)

If you weren’t doing PR, you’d be.., a novelist, a winemaker or a horse trainer.

What is your passion? Teaching, mentoring, and working with PR students at all levels in the university. Their energy, enthusiasm, capabilities and dreams inspire me and give me great confidence in  our profession’s future.

Proudest professional accomplishment: Helping develop and implement Whirlpool’s first global employee communication strategic plan, 25 years ago. It was a fantastic cross-cultural experience that not only yielded great results, but produced life-long friends in eight countries. Though  many are now retired, we still hold reunions every 2-3 years somewhere in the world..

Why are you a PRSA member? To learn, network and help contribute to our profession.

Each week, the PRSA Southeast District highlights one of its 2,300 members. To join PRSA, visit prsa.org.