Museum of Public Relations Welcomes Four Industry Leaders to Board of Trustees

The Museum of Public Relations has announced the election of four distinguished communications executives to its Board of Trustees, adding decades of leadership experience from across agency management, corporate communications, reputation management, and industry education.

The newly elected trustees are Steve Cody, founder of Peppercomm and Senior Executive Advisor at Ruder Finn; Gary Grates, managing partner of GConsulting Group; Nick Kalm, founder and CEO of Reputation Partners; and Ken Makovsky, founder and president of Makovsky.

"We are honored to welcome these four outstanding leaders to the Museum of Public Relations' Board of Trustees," said Shelley Spector, PRMuseum founder and CEO. "Each brings exceptional experience, fresh perspectives, and a deep commitment to advancing our mission of preserving and sharing the history of public relations. Their leadership will help us continue to innovate, expand our educational impact, and inspire the next generation of communicators."

Spector said the appointments also reflect an exciting period of growth for the organization.

"The Museum of Public Relations is entering an exciting new chapter, and I couldn't be more pleased to welcome these four distinguished leaders to our Board of Trustees," she said. "Their collective expertise spans a wide variety of specialties, from technology, education, internal comms and financial services, making them ideal partners as we continue to mine, preserve and teach all facets of our profession's history."

Dick Martin, chairman of the Museum's Board of Trustees, emphasized the new trustees' longstanding contributions to the communications profession.

"We're thrilled to be joined by such distinguished industry leaders, who have contributed significantly to the growth of the profession over the years," Martin said. "These new trustees have been dedicated to ensuring the success of the next generation of professionals, one of the Museum's top missions."

Each of the four new trustees brings a unique perspective to the organization.

Steve Cody is widely recognized for building Peppercomm into one of the industry's most respected independent agencies, recognized for its culture of humor and innovative storytelling. Today, as Senior Executive Advisor at Ruder Finn, he advises organizations on communications strategy, leadership, culture, and growth. Cody is also co-author of The ROI of LOL.

Gary Grates has spent his career advising senior executives on organizational transformation, mergers and acquisitions, leadership transitions, employee engagement, and business strategy. In addition to leading GConsulting Group, he has held senior leadership roles at Real Chemistry, Edelman, and General Motors and serves on the faculty of Syracuse University's Newhouse School.

Nick Kalm founded Reputation Partners in 2002 and has counseled more than 600 organizations on corporate reputation, crisis communications, employee engagement, labor relations, and corporate social responsibility. He also serves as vice chair of the Lincoln Presidential Foundation.

Ken Makovsky founded Makovsky in 1979 and built it into one of the nation's leading public relations firms, serving clients including IBM, Citibank, Pfizer, EY, and many other global organizations. He also founded the IPREX global network of independent public relations firms and has held leadership roles with the Institute for Public Relations and the Page Society.

Founded in 1997, the Museum of Public Relations is the world's only museum dedicated exclusively to preserving and celebrating the history of the public relations profession. Through its archives, oral histories, educational programs, and public events, the Museum documents the evolution of communications while promoting leadership, ethics, diversity, and professional excellence.

Editor's Note: Learn more about the Museum of Public Relations, its collections, educational programming, and upcoming events at prmuseum.org.