Joseph V. Trahan III, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA
June 2019
My Transition From the Military
A New Orleans native, Joseph V. Trahan III, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, has over twenty-nine years of public relations/affairs experience in governmental, association, and educational and nonprofit public relations.
Dr. Trahan is a retired lieutenant colonel, United States Army Reserve (USAR), and a former commander of the 314th Public Affairs Operations Center located in Birmingham, Ala. While in the armed forces, Dr. Trahan successfully operated four Joint Information Bureaus and one Joint Information Center from 1991–94. Some of his assignments were: Joint Logistics over the Shore–1992; the Presidential Task Force Andrew–1992; the National Boy Scout Jamboree–1993 and the 50th Anniversary of Operation Overlord (D-Day)–1994.
Since 1998, Dr. Trahan has superbly trained more than 3,500 people yearly in media relations throughout almost all of the United States, England, Norway, France, Belgium, Paraguay, Mexico and the Netherlands.
Dr. Trahan graduated from Tulane University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in American military history. He holds a Master of Arts degree in public relations from Ball State University and a Ph.D. in mass communication with an emphasis in public relations and advertising from The University of Southern Mississippi.
An Accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), Dr. Trahan is a former member of the National PRSA Board of Directors and National PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) Faculty Adviser. Dr. Trahan is also a Fellow in the Public Relations Society of America’s College of Fellows.
He’s also a long-term fan of the 2010 Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints.
