On the Case With…
Each month, as part of “The Business Case for Public Relations,” PRSA asks an industry leader to reflect on his or her career and make a “business case” for public relations.
On the Case with Robert Hastings
August 3, 2010
|
Master Army Aviator turned 30-year PR veteran, Robert T. Hastings Jr., APR, served as principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs — the Department of Defense’s principal spokesperson. The licensed commercial helicopter pilot is currently senior vice president of communications at Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth, Texas.
Name: Bob Hastings
Childhood ambition:
I wanted to be a pilot as early as I can remember
Current livelihood:
Communications leader in an aviation corporation
What changed (i.e., how you became interested in
public relations):
I was plucked unwillingly from the flight line, but quickly realized public relations was a good fit
First public relations job:
Internal information officer for the U.S. Army in Europe, with an instant audience of 300,000
What you know now that you wish you’d known then:
Everyone makes mistakes
Best piece of advice ever received:
Public relations practitioners are business people
Greatest professional accomplishment:
Building understanding between Americans and our service members in harm’s way
If you weren’t in public relations, then you would be:
Flying tourists around Hawaii
Desired legacy:
To answer “yes” to “Did you make an impact today?” in every task, every day
Make a “business case” for public relations:
Public relations is a strategic force that gives business leaders a lever to shape the information environment in which they do business
Comments
Carolyn Bain says:
Hi Bob, Enjoyed your brief interview. Hope all goes well for you in Ft. Worth. I'm getting involved with PRSA. Great organization. Thought you might like to see a recent NGIS AFA release I wrote and produced. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldhJPCH9io8 Best regards, Carolyn Bain
Post a Comment
Editor’s Note: Please limit your comments to the specific post. We reserve the right to omit any response that is not related to the article or that may be considered objectionable.