Tina McCorkindale

2016 Schranz Lecturer

Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., APR, is the President and CEO of the Institute for Public Relations (IPR), an independent nonprofit foundation that focuses on research that matters to the public relations profession. Formerly, she was an Associate Professor of Public Relations at Appalachian State University and has taught at several universities, including Cal Poly Pomona, University of Vermont, and Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok, Thailand. She has also taught in West Virginia University’s graduate IMC program since 2009 and received numerous awards and honors for her teaching and research.

Dr. McCorkindale is the former director of IPR’s Social Science of Social Media Research Center and the past chair of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Educators Academy and former co-chair of the PRSA National Research Committee. She is a member of the Arthur W. Page Society, the PRSA MBA Program committee, the Commission for Public Relations Education, and the International Public Relations Research Conference Advisory Committee. She just recently completed a term as the National Faculty Adviser for the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and is a director on the Universal Accreditation Board.

Her research broadly focuses on social media with specializations in mobile technologies, engagement, and reputation.She has more than 30 academic publications in books and journals such as Public Relations Review, Journal of New Communications Research, Public Relations Journal, Journal of Social Media in Society, Research Journal of the Institute for Public Relations, Journal of Hospitality and Leisure Marketing, Teaching Public Relations Monograph, Global Media Journal — Canadian Edition,Journal of Promotion Management, International Journal of Nonprofit Sector and Voluntary Marketing, and Feedback. She has presented more than 60 papers and panels at conferences and has won awards and grants for her research, including top paper awards and three Arthur W. Page Center grants. She is on the editorial review board of the Public Relations Journal, Research Journal for Institute for Public Relations, and Communication Research Reports.

With nearly 10 years of experience, Dr. McCorkindale has been a senior research analyst with Cymfony, Visible Technologies, and Cision, working with enterprise-level clients in various verticals including technology, insurance, pharmaceutical, transportation, and financial services. She also served as the Director of Communication for TeamRéciprocité in the Solar Decathlon Europe 2014 competition in Versailles, France that challenged teams from universities around the world to build an independent, solar-powered home.

Dr. McCorkindale received her bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in marketing from the University of Southern Mississippi, a master’s degree in corporate and public communication from the University of South Alabama, and her Ph.D. in communication from the University of Miami. She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Kelli Parsons

2015 Schranz Lecturer 

Kelli Parsons is the chief corporate communications and marketing officer at New York Life Insurance Company.  She also oversaw the Corporate Communications Department and served as the chief communications officer and senior vice president of the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae).  At Fannie Mae, her team was selected by PR Week as 2014 Team of the Year.

Parsons was also head of Federal National Mortgage Association’s Communications and Marketing Services and the Office of Community and Charitable Giving. There she was responsible for brand management, external and internal communications, corporate events and business marketing communications.

Parsons has participated in philanthropic efforts like the annual Help the Homeless Walkathon and other community events.

Parsons was the general manager and executive vice president at Hill & Knowlton Limited before joining Warburg Pincis LLC in November 2008 to lead global communications and marketing. She also served as the technology practice director, global client leader and general manager of the New York and Washington, D.C. offices.

Parsons has had a distinguished career in marketing management, communications and journalism. As an award-winning journalist, she covered topics in politics, business and breaking news. Parsons completed degrees at Murray State University and Northwestern University’s Medill Graduate School of Journalism. Parsons currently lives in New York City and is a director and trustee of the Murray State University Foundation.

Robert Hoopes

2014 Schranz Lecturer 

Robert Hoopes grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. He earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Colby College and a master’s degree in legislative affairs from The George Washington University. He also has an honorary master’s degree from Colby College.

Robert Hoopes is the president of VOX Global, one of the world’s largest communication firms. Over the past five years, Hoopes has directed the company into consecutive years of growth. The team grew from 12 people in 2007 to more than 50 people in 2011, with offices in several cities around the nation.

Hoopes has been active in politics for more than 30 years, starting in 1987 with then-Senator Joe Biden’s first run for President. Hoopes joined his Senate office two years later. He volunteered for the Obama/Biden 2008 presidential campaign and helped with the Biden VP Transition Team.

Hoopes has worked at every Democratic Convention since 1992. He joined the Independent Insurance Agents of America as the political director, overseeing campaign and election activities around the country. He later directed grassroots, media and political outreach in support of the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

Hoopes provides regular political commentary for Fox News, NPR, MSNBC and BBC World News. He also contributes to The Huffington Post. Since 1999, he has been an adjunct professor at The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management, where he taught a course about managing government relations. Hoopes now serves on the Council of American Politics at The George Washington University and is on the Board of Trustees at Colby College.