Eric Rabe, the former senior vice president for media relations for Verizon Communications, has been named chairman of the Board of Visitors for the College of Communications at Penn State.
Rabe, a 1968 Penn State journalism graduate, has been a member of the board since 2007.
Members of the Board of Visitors serve as ambassadors who advance and support the mission of the College of Communications. The 33-member board consists of a diverse group of business people, educators and professionals.
Rabe succeeds Jayne Jamison, a 1978 advertising graduate, who is the publisher of Seventeen magazine.
“Jayne set the bar high in making the Board of Visitors a vibrant, proactive advisory group,” said Dean Doug Anderson. “We’re confident that Eric, with his array of experience and expertise in several areas that fit broadly across the College, will continue that momentum."
“Eric touches on almost every area of the College,” Anderson said. “As a former TV newsman, he knows broadcast journalism. He’s been one of the country’s top public relations practitioners. And he has an intimate knowledge of the telecommunications industry. We are grateful that he has agreed to assume this key leadership role.”
Rabe was recognized in 2005 as an Alumni Fellow, the highest honor accorded by the Penn State Alumni Association. He delivered the College’s commencement address in May 2009. In addition, he has funded the Eric W. Rabe Trustee Scholarship and is a member of the College’s “For The Future” campaign committee. He served on the College of Communications Alumni Society Board from 2005 to 2007.
At Verizon, Rabe was the company’s principal spokesperson for telecommunications. He was responsible for the strategy, planning and execution of communications dealing with Verizon’s advanced fiber optic network deployment, network operations, long distance business, local competition and regulatory issues.
In the early 1970s, Rabe was a news anchor for WTAJ-TV (Channel 10), the CBS affiliate in Altoona, Pa.
He resides in Philadelphia with his wife, Luisa.
The College of Communications is the largest accredited communications program in the country. During the 2010-2011 academic year, enrollment in the College was 3,350 system wide, with nearly 2,800 students at the University Park campus.
The College is home to four departments -- advertising/public relations; film-video and media studies; journalism; and telecommunications -- and offers five undergraduate majors. The College also offers master’s degree programs in media studies and a doctoral program in mass communications.