UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State announced today that it has retained Edelman and La Torre Communications to immediately support the University in corporate communications, media relations and stakeholder engagement.
The primary objective of this work is to ensure broader and more transparent communications with key Penn State stakeholders, including current and prospective students, alumni, faculty and staff, parents, local communities, and state and national media. The firms also will support the University throughout upcoming litigation, ensuring rapid and accurate dissemination of information to the extent possible given the ongoing investigations.
"Earlier this year, I announced five promises to guide Penn State in recovery from our recent crisis and rebuild trust with the Penn State community," said Penn State President Rodney Erickson. "Retaining these communications firms puts us more firmly on the path toward accountability, openness and preserving our reputation as one of the world’s leading research universities."
This move ensures Penn State will have a comprehensive communications infrastructure with significant expertise within Pennsylvania and across the country. It also will allow Penn State to continue to accomplish the daily business of the University, including educating more than 96,000 students, conducting breakthrough research, and fulfilling a commitment to service.
"Edelman is experienced in representing the world’s leading academic institutions. As an independent and family-owned business, Edelman is well-aligned to support Penn State -- which is itself an extended family that spans the proud Penn State students, their families, and more than 500,000 alumni throughout the world," said Richard Edelman, CEO of Edelman. "Under the leadership of Charles G. Bakaly, III, senior counselor, Washington, D.C., and Jennifer Thompson, senior vice president, Chicago, we are committed to creating a communications program that will build lasting reputational value."
"I have been privileged to work with the media here in Pennsylvania for more than a decade and I look forward to strengthening the University’s outreach," said David La Torre, principal, La Torre Communications.
The decision was made following a competitive bid presented earlier this month. The firm will report to the university administration and will work in concert with Penn State’s Office of University Relations and public information officers. The engagement runs for 12 months at $208,000/month.
Lanny Davis, a Washington-based attorney, was retained by the University in December 2011 as part of the legal team to advise the University, and he remains in that capacity and will work closely with the Edelman and La Torre firms.
About La Torre Communications
La Torre Communications is a full-service public relations and public affairs firm based in Harrisburg, Pa. It devises communications strategies that help make a difference for nonprofit organizations, associations, and companies both big and small. For more information, visit http://www.latorrecommunications.com.
About Edelman
Edelman is the world’s largest public relations firm, with 63 offices and more than 4,200 employees worldwide, as well as affiliates in more than 30 cities. Edelman was named Advertising Age’s top-ranked PR firm of the decade in 2009 and one of its "A-List Agencies" in both 2010 and 2011; Adweek’s "2011 PR Agency of the Year;" PRWeek’s "2011 Large PR Agency of the Year;" and The Holmes Report’s "2011 Global Agency of the Year." Edelman was named one of the "Best Places to Work" by Advertising Age in 2010 and 2012 and among Glassdoor’s top five "2011 Best Places to Work." Edelman owns specialty firms Blue (advertising), A&R Edelman (technology), First&42nd (management consultancy), DJE Science (medical education/publishing and science communications), and agencies Edelman Significa (Brazil), and Pegasus (China). Visit http://www.edelman.com for more information.