Gainesville, FL [Feb. 6, 2008] - The Institute for Public Relations has announced new Trustees for the 2008-2010 term and leadership that will guide the implementation of the organization's new strategic plan. The plan, adopted late last year by the Board of Trustees, represents the strongest commitment to research and international expansion in the organization's 50-year history.

Newly elected Board of Trustees members are Rob Flaherty, Senior Partner-Global Practices, Ketchum; David Monfried, Senior Vice President-Corporate Communications, Safeco; David Samson, General Manager-Public Affairs, Chevron; and Wendi Strong, Executive Vice President-Corporate Communications, USAA.

Existing Trustees re-elected to another three-year term are: Amy Binder, CEO, RF/Binder Partners; Mike Fernandez, Vice President-Public Affairs, State Farm Insurance; Rich Jernstedt, Chief Marketing Officer & Executive Vice President, Fleishman-Hillard; Ray Jordan, Corporate Vice President-Public Affairs & Corporate Communication, Johnson & Johnson; Sandra Macleod, CEO, Echo Research; Thomas Martin, Executive in Residence, The College of Charleston; and Douglas Pinkham, President, Public Affairs Council.

Peter Debreceny, retired Vice President-Corporate Relations, Allstate Insurance, and Matthew Gonring, Global Marketing & Communications Consultant, Gagen MacDonald, have been elected co-chairs of the Institute Board. The treasurer for 2008 is Mike Fernandez, Vice President-Public Affairs, State Farm Insurance. Frank Ovaitt will continue to serve as President and CEO of the Institute.

"The new long-term strategic plan clarifies our mission as an independent nonprofit that bridges the academy and the profession, supports PR research and mainstreams this knowledge into practice through education," said Debreceny and Gonring. "We remain completely dedicated to the science beneath the art of public relations."

For more information about the Institute for Public Relations, please visit www.instituteforpr.org.