Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., an associate professor at Appalachian State University who was 2013 chair of the PRSA Educators Academy, will join the Institute for PR May 11 as CEO.

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McCorkindale and Marcia DiStaso, assistant PR professor at Penn State who chaired the Academy in 2014, authored a 23-page article for the PR Society's online PR Journal in 2013 that said a "dialogic loop" is the ideal form of communication for PR people.

They defined a dialogic loop as "any negotiated exchange of ideas and opinions."

They wrote: "Both parties must be willing to be open and listen to the other parties even if there is disagreement."

This was music to our ears because no Society leader had talked to us since we had conversations with chair Judith Phair in 2005. Leaders turn down invites to come to our office and view the box of copied articles that the Society was selling to members and non-members without the permission of the authors from 1978-94.

We thought that, at last, the professors will engage in "dialogic looping" with us since they advocate that even when there is "disagreement."

McCorkindale, DiStaso Don't Respond

However, we got nowhere with either McCorkindale or DiStaso. We invited McCorkindale to visit our office but she declined.

The 14 other directors of the Educators Academy were sent emails asking for "dialogic looping." None accepted. Most of them did not respond at all. Two educators told us not to contact them again.

IPR's announcement of McCorkindale as CEO does not mention that she was chair of the Educators Academy in 2013. It says she has served in "leadership positions" with the Society and its student wing.

McCorkindale succeeds Frank Ovaitt.

Oscar Suris, IPR co-chair and XVP of corporate communications, Wells Fargo & Co., said that under Frank's leadership "IPR's influence grew among professionals and academics and it resulted in a strong and engaged board, and great respect throughout our profession. Tina is now poised to build on that legacy as she works to attract a new generation of professionals and academics to IPR's research, insights and thought leadership."

"Tina is a well-respected researcher who has been active in academic and professional organizations that are squarely aligned with IPR's focus on PR and communication," said Ken Makovsky, co-chair of the IPR board.

McCorkindale said: "As someone who has been involved with IPR for 15 years, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this organization forward. Research on measurement standards, behavioral and employee communications, and the deeper meaning of social media will remain among IPR's top priorities."

IPR Broke From PRSA in 1989

IPR, which had been associated with the PR Society since its founding, broke away in 1989 when the Society refused to allow IPR to have directors who had not passed its accreditation process.

The Society continued to have a 501/c/3 non-profit which it called the Foundation. Revenues in 2013 were $250,526 and expenses $287,288, for a loss of $36,762. Net assets were $568,756.

IPR had revenues of $725,474 in 2013 and expenses of $540,675 for a profit of $184,799. Net assets were $559,358. Ovaitt was paid a salary of $150,000 and received $4,000 as "other" income.