About Patti Temple Rocks

Patti Temple Rocks is vice president of global public affairs at The Dow Chemical Company. In this role, she leads Dow’s corporate branding and reputation initiatives and is responsible for overall brand architecture. She is also responsible for the integration of business, functional, geographic, philanthropic and corporate public affairs activities into one cohesive organization.

Temple Rocks began her career with Dow in 1981 when she directed communications supporting the company’s corporate citizenship efforts, including support for a landmark program on organ and tissue donation. She rejoined Dow in May 2006 as vice president of global communications and reputation after 25 years of corporate and agency experience that focused on the development and management of marketing communications programs at the local, national and global level.

In 1987, Temple Rocks joined the Chicago office of GolinHarris, where her focus was on media relations, cause marketing and issues management to support the agency’s long-standing relationship with McDonald’s Corporation.

In 1992, she established her own company, Temple Rocks Integrated Marketing Communications, and continued to focus on reputation and brand-building programs for category leaders such as Bacardi Limited, Preferred Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, ABT Building Products and The Chicago Faucet Company, among others. She also led one of the nation’s first major anti-tobacco campaigns for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office on Smoking and Health.

In 1999, Temple Rocks rejoined GolinHarris as managing director of the agency’s Cleveland office and returned to the agency’s Chicago world headquarters office in 2001 as executive vice president, leader of the agency’s consumer brands group and global account director for the agency’s McDonald’s, BP and Unilever Ice Cream accounts.

Today, Temple Rocks ranks among the communications industry’s recognized leaders in strategic communications planning, marketing and brand strategy, corporate social responsibility and creative campaign planning. In her current role, she has been a principal architect of Dow’s “Human Element” campaign, a multidisciplinary communications program designed to elevate support for and awareness of Dow’s mission to constantly improve what is essential to human progress.

Temple Rocks graduated magna cum laude from Albion College in Albion, Mich., in 1981 with a degree in public relations. She, her husband, Bob, and son Jake live in Midland, Mich.

About Al Golin

Al Golin is chairman of Chicago-based GolinHarris, a leading public relations firm with 33 offices around the world. In addition to handling the McDonald’s account for more than 45 years, GolinHarris represents such companies as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Coors Brewing Co., Florida Department of Citrus, Levi Strauss & Co., Lowe’s Companies, the National Peanut Board, Nestlé, Nintendo of America, Owens Corning, Sprint, Texas Instruments, Toyota Motor Sales of America and Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co.

As a consultant to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Golin’s work centered on a major public relations awareness program for U.S. companies on the benefits of exporting to help our economy, increase employment and reduce the balance of trade deficit.

He is a member of the board of trustees of The Goodman Theatre of Chicago and Roosevelt University, a founding board member of Ronald McDonald House Charities and he is public relations advisor to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He is also a member of the Arthur W. Page Society, the Public Relations Seminar and the Public Relations Society of America.

Golin has lectured at Princeton University, Dartmouth College, Yale University, Northwestern University, New York University and the Annenberg Communication School at the University of Southern California. He received lifetime achievement awards from the Public Relations Society of America, the Publicity Club of Chicago and Inside PR magazine.

Golin was named one of the 100 most influential public relations people of the 20th century by the industry trade magazine PR Week. His book, Trust or Consequences, published by Amacom Books, is currently in distribution.

About PRSA Chicago

PRSA Chicago is the fourth-largest chapter in the country. It was founded in 1948 to provide professionals with programs and activities designed to meet their needs for professional development and networking. Today, its almost 500 members represent a cross-section of industries, with a diverse mix of Fortune 100 corporations, public relations agencies, associations and nonprofit organizations.

The goal of PRSA Chicago is to advance the profession of public relations, promote high professional and ethical standards, and build the reputation of the profession in the Chicago area.

PRSA Chicago offers monthly luncheon programs , professional development workshops, job search services and an annual awards program. Chapter programs address trends and challenges that impact the profession, with top-notch speakers who provide relevant, how-to information to help you stay current with a rapidly changing profession.

For more information, go here.