Robert S. Pritchard, APR, Fellow PRSA

Robert S. Pritchard, APR, Fellow PRSA, Captain, U.S. Navy, (Retired), has more than 25 years of professional experience as a public affairs officer in the U.S. Navy and nearly 10 years’ experience as a public relations educator. He assumed his present position teaching public relations in the Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication and advising Lindsey + Asp, the University of Oklahoma’s student-run advertising and public relations agency, in August 2009.

Before joining the Gaylord faculty, Pritchard was a tenured associate professor and the public relations sequence coordinator at Ball State University, where he was selected as the Outstanding Junior Faculty Member for 2005-2006. He served as faculty adviser for the nationally affiliated, student-run public relations and advertising agency, Cardinal Communications, selected by PRSSA as the top student-run firm in the nation in 2008. He was also the faculty adviser for the Ball State chapter of PRSSA. In 2004, he was named as the outstanding PRSSA adviser in the nation. Professor Pritchard is also listed in “Who’s Who Among America’s Teacher” for 2005 and 2006.

In recognition of his contributions as a role model and advancement of the public relations profession, he was inducted into the PRSA College of Fellows in 2004, a distinction shared by fewer than two percent of the 20,000 members. Pritchard has been very active at the national level, having served on numerous PRSA task forces and committees and as Chair of the Educators Academy. He currently serves on the PRSA Educational Affairs Committee, which is a standing committee to the PRSA Board, and the MBA Initiative Task Force.

An expert in crisis communication, he has published articles and presented papers in a number of national publications and been the subject of dozens of interviews following the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. In 2002, as the crisis communications expert on The Rendon Group training team under DOD contract, Pritchard assisted the Columbian Armed Forces General Staff in developing a crisis communications structure and process to help them improve their crisis management capabilities. He also trained key members of the Columbian Armed Forces General Staff, Columbian Chief of the Air Force staff and Columbian Chief of Naval Operations staff on how that structure and process worked and on the principles of effective crisis communications.

His research interests include includes strategic communication, strategic public relations planning, crisis communications and media relations. In October 2001, after receiving a $22,000 grant from the $20 million iCommunication media design initiative funded by the Lilly Endowment, he planned and executed a unique conference on the role of technology in teaching public relations. In 2008 and the first half of 2009, he led a $2.5M Department of Homeland Security cooperative agreement to provide advanced crisis communication training to 9-1-1 managers, public information officers, agency heads and crisis management decision makers.

Pritchard received a BS degree in business administration from Phillips University inEnid, Oklahoma, in 1974. He received a MA in public relations from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, in May 1988.
He completed Aviation Officer Candidate School in October 1974 and was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy that same year.
Pritchard received his aviation training at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas, and was awarded his Wings of Gold in August 1976. Following initial training in the A-7E Corsair II at NAS Lemoore, California, he was assigned to Attack Squadron TWENTY-FIVE, where he served until March 1978.

After being medically grounded, he reported to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) where he served as the Public Affairs Officer until June 1980. He was accepted for change of designator to 1650 (Special Duty, Public Affairs) in March 1980. His first public affairs assignment was as an instructor and Public Affairs Officers Course coordinator at the Defense Information School, Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana.

In June 1983, he reported as the Assistant Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Sixth Fleet, Gaeta, Italy, where he served for two years. Among the public affairs challenges he faced in this assignment were the terrorist bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, and the subsequent air strikes in that country. He was then assigned to the Navy News Desk in the Office of the Chief of Information, Department of the Navy from June 1985 to June 1988, where he served as principle spokesperson for a number of sensitive Navy issues including the attack on the USS STARK and the capture of the Achilli Lauro pirates.

That assignment was followed by two years as the Public Affairs Officer, Commander, Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet and two years as Public Affairs Officer, Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, the first Public Affairs Specialist assigned to the SEALs. In June 1992, then Commander Pritchard reported for duty as the Deputy Chief of Public Affairs, United States Pacific Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, where he served until September 1995. From October 1995 to July 1999, he served as Chief, Public Affairs, United States Strategic Command.

He culminated his naval service as the Director of Public Affairs for the United States European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany, from August 1999 to August 2001. In that position, he oversaw and coordinated all U.S. military public affairs activity throughout the European Command's 91 countries and 13 million square miles in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

He and his wife Brenda have two sons, Brandon and Nicholas, both graduates of Ball State University and a daughter Chavonne (deceased).

Contact Information
rspritchard@gmail.com
@rspritchard