Public relations specialist urges students to make industry-wide changes in regards to diversity, equity and inclusion
BY LUCELIS MARTINEZ
March 8, 2022 8:38 PM PT
Charlene Wheeless has spent more than 30 years working within the corporate communications sector.
Wheeless is also a best-selling author, a mother to two daughters, and a motivational speaker.
Recently, Wheeless stood in front of San Diego State Students at the fifth annual Allen H. Center Distinguished Lecture in Public Relations.
Wheeless told the room stories about her life and how they have blended into her career. She told attendees about her experience as a Black woman in the public relations industry, where she now sits on the executive boards of several companies and is the most recent chair of the Arthur W. Page Society.
One of the messages she shared revolved around the idea of seven seconds of courage. She said she believes those seven seconds are all one needs to take a deep breath, make a decision, and take action.
She said she used the seven seconds motto herself when she left the corporate world to focus on her health after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017.
She also said she wants younger generations to use the seven seconds to make changes within the public relations industry.
She said it also took seven seconds for her to send Alan Murray, CEO of Fortune , an email request to read her book and give his feedback.
“I got to my computer, and I read it. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes and just hit send. Alan responded within 15 minutes and said ‘I’d be happy to.’”
According to Wheeless, Murray gave a “glowing” review telling White men that they need to read her book so that they understand the experience of people of color in their companies.
At the end of the presentation, members of the audience were allowed to ask Wheeless questions.
She said choice not chance changes a life, and that it is ok to be different. She also told attendees not to climb the same ladder she did, but instead to create a new system.
She was asked how to ask for promotions in the work force and recommended having data that shows the positive impact one has had on a company.
She recalled the times she has heard people say that if you work hard and stay quiet, eventually someone will notice and your career will take off.
“It doesn’t work that way,” Wheeless said. “I’m just telling you right now. If you put your head down, they’re gonna look past you. If you do something good, tell someone about it. Don’t leave your value to someone else.”
The lecture took place in the Tula Center and was hosted by a team of SDSU students aiming to complete their course capstone.
A capstone is a project which aims to show the skills that a college student has learned during their college career.
Professor Kaye Sweetser divided her students into two teams that would then be responsible for hosting a public relations event.
Avery Judon is a senior majoring in public relations and also one of the public relations professionals who helped put on the event. Judon said the team had been working since the beginning of the Spring 2022 semester.
“We’ve all been grinding, putting in probably 15 plus hours a week, staying up nights hopping on random zoom calls, texting each other constantly, spur of the moment meet ups to put together merch and everything,” Judon said.
Judon said she felt inspired by Wheeless’ advice to not put her head down and to speak up.
“As a Black woman also, hearing that was really nice,” Judon said.
Judon said other than a family friend who is a public relations professional, she has not met many public relations professionals who are of color, but Wheeless’ speech inspires her to reach out more.
At the event, there was a table full of gum packets with truths and dares, as well as a wall of pledges attendees made about changing the public relations industry for the sake of diversity, equity and inclusion.
After the lecture, audience members stuck around for a raffle and to mingle.
In an interview conducted after the event, Wheeless said she knew she was a trailblazer from a young age.
Sarah Joyce, Trinity Tran, and Aleesia Benkey also helped put the event on.
Joyce said the team booked Wheeless’ flights, put together the graphics for the event, sent out invitations, and picked out designer cookies and t-shirts.
“Without the work of my teammates we would not have been able to put this on,” Tran said.
One of the things they did not have to coordinate, was a payment to Wheeless. she opted for her compensation to be used so a student from the Journalism department could go on an academic trip to New York.
Benkey recalled all the hours they spent coordinating the event, which lasted two hours. Still, people stayed until the Tula Center closed.
After the lecture (Lucelis Martinez)
