Denver

Havas Formula sets up shop in Denver, its sixth U.S. location. The Denver office will be headed up by senior vice president Alexis Anderson, who manages many of the agency’s high-profile public relations clients, and Amy MacFarlane, account director in its experiential and activation division, Havas Street. While the agency is currently operating virtually, Havas Formula CEO Michael Olguin says that it will be looking to settle on a physical location later this year. “The Rocky Mountain states provide a tremendous opportunity in the food, technology, health and wellness industries,” said Olguin. “In addition, there is a tremendous amount of talent currently residing in the area.” Headquartered in New York, Havas Formula also operates offices in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami and San Diego.

Florida

The Center for Public Interest Communications at the University of Florida receives funding for two projects aimed at offering science-informed tools to combat COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. In November, the Center released the Guide to COVID-19 vaccine communications: a practitioner's guide to the principles of COVID-19 vaccine communications for the United Nations Verified initiative, and the principles outlined in that plan will serve as the foundation for the two new projects. The Center will work with the Manufacturing Institute on its “This Is Our Shot” project to create a strategy for U.S. manufacturers to help answer the questions and concerns that their workers have about the vaccines. It will partner with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on an evidence-based guide will help people talk to skeptical family members, friends, church members or colleagues.

Jon Goldberg
Jon Goldberg

PRSA names Jon Goldberg, founder and chief reputation architect of New Jersey-based Reputation Architects, to serve as 2021 chair of its Counselors Academy. Goldberg has served on the executive committee of Counselors Academy since 2014 and he is also a director-at-large of PRSA’s New Jersey chapter and co-chair of the society’s National Civility Task Force. “The opportunity to collaborate with and learn from other highly successful professionals with a shared commitment to the PR profession and our collective business success has been nothing short of transformational,” said Goldberg. PRSA has also named four new members the executive committee: Curley Company president and CEO Jennifer Curley, RENEWPR president Ben Finzel, Inspire PR Group founder and president Hinda Mitchell, and Precise Communications president and CEO Alexis Davis Smith.