Rachel Borek Kessler is an earned media specialist focused on healthcare. While her career spans many industries from food to film, she's most deeply entrenched in healthcare PR.
Kessler has partnered with dozens of hospitals like Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Lenox Hill and Mount Sinai, one of the largest and most recognized healthcare systems in the country.
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| Rachel Borek Kessler |
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| Pardis Mahdavi |
"It's an honor to be included in O'Dwyer's, which is the most important source of information for anyone who works in the PR industry. I'm thrilled to be connected to this community of the finest public relations professionals. And if we haven't met yet, please say hello," Kessler said.
Pardis Mahdavi is Partner at Legend Labs. She is an educator, entrepreneur, scholar and former university president who has also served as provost, dean, and cabinet leader across institutions including the University of La Verne, University of Montana, Arizona State University, and the University of Denver.
An expert on education, medical anthropology, and consciousness, Mahdavi has authored seven non-fiction books, two edited volumes and numerous articles in outlets such as Time, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post.
"As someone coming from the world of higher ed leadership, I learned about O'Dwyer's from my colleagues, who are veteran communications consultants and tell me how much they've trusted and relied on its resources throughout their decades-long careers. I've quickly found it to be an invaluable resource in my role leading a team of communications professionals who are helping higher ed institutions navigate reputational challenges at a pivotal moment for the sector," Mahdavi said.
At the moment, experts are sorted by 40 specialities.
"PR pros that choose the PR Specialty Bio option can request a new specialty be added to the database to match their chosen skill set," publisher John O’Dwyer points out.
The top tier "Featured O'Dwyer's Author" option offers the opportunity to work with O'Dwyer's editorial staff on a contribution to be posted to odwyerpr.com
Individual bios show bylines hosted by O’Dwyer’s as well as links to articles online in other publications.
The top three most popular topics covered by O’Dwyer’s PR experts as of Oct. ’25 are artificial intelligence and crisis communications tied at the top with 33 articles followed by healthcare PR at 24.
“Our experts database is an easy way for both individual practitioners and executives at large agencies to showcase their expertise and thought leadership,” O’Dwyer stresses.
Recent articles highlighted in the experts database include:
- When To Speak Out: Organizations navigating today’s health ecosystem face an increasingly difficult challenge: knowing when to speak publicly and when to stay silent on contentious cultural and political issues. -- Kevin Davidson, JPA Health
- How AI is Making Traditional Media Matter Again: AI could be earned media’s unlikely savior—but only if it’s fed the right information… The kind of information that’s best provided by seasoned PR practitioners. -- Alev de Costa, FINN Partners
- The Case For Coupling Awareness and Demand: Why trust is the byproduct of integrated marketing strategy. -- Zareen Fidlon, PAN
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