The Institute for Public Relations Board of Trustees has elected Stacey Jones of Accenture as Chair of the IPR Board of Trustees and Yanique Woodall of The Home Depot as Vice Chair, effective January 1, 2021.
Steve Cody, founder and CEO of Peppercomm, will serve as Immediate Past Chair after serving two years as Chair. Doug Pinkham, president of the Public Affairs Council, will continue serving as Treasurer. Jones served as Vice Chair for nearly two years.
As senior managing director and head of global corporate communications at Accenture, Jones oversees global media and analyst relations; ventures and acquisitions; corporate initiatives; issues management; executive positioning; and people (internal) communications.
“It’s hard to fully express my gratitude for the role IPR continues to play in the industry and the opportunity to serve as Chair,” said Jones. “IPR’s role has never been more critical to bringing the power of research-based knowledge to public relations and delivering the necessary evidence that helps professionals formulate both effective strategies and scientifically sound methods to measure results.”
Woodall, senior director of corporate communications and external affairs and head of brand communications, leads brand communications at The Home Depot. She plays a key role in its messaging strategy to support social impact programs, marketing, merchandising, product innovation, and technology goals. Woodall will be featured in the next “In A Car with IPR” episode that will be launched on January 12.
“I am humbled and honored to serve as the Vice Chair of the IPR Board of Trustees,” said Woodall. “I have been fascinated by the research and insights shared by IPR over the past few years. IPR’s data has allowed me to develop communication strategies that motivate different audiences considering their mindset and behavior, the values they hold, and their emotional connection to a variety of topics.”
“Both Stacey and Yanique possess all of the attributes of great leaders, and, with their unparalleled experiences in the corporate world, each brings a unique perspective to their new role,” said Steve Cody. “I’m confident both Stacey and Yanique will ensure IPR continues to be THE unparalleled source of cutting-edge research in this unprecedented time.”
Jones joined Accenture in 1994 and, before moving onto leadership roles in corporate communications, led global media and analyst relations for a number of industry groups, including Health Services, Products, Insurance and Banking. Prior to joining Accenture, Stacey worked as a journalist in Columbus, Ohio, and Chicago and managed public relations for Aetna.
Prior to joining The Home Depot in 2017, Woodall was the Chief Communications Officer and Vice President, Public Relations at 1-800-FLOWERS.COM. In this role, she led the organization’s corporate communications division and external agencies in strategic integration of consumer, business, and trade communications programs to support 1-800-FLOWERS.COM and its subsidiaries. Since 2009, Yanique has also been an Adjunct Assistant Professor in George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management.
“Our Board drives the strategic direction of our organization,” said Tina McCorkindale, Ph.D., APR, President and CEO, Institute for Public Relations. “Both Stacey and Yanique have been invaluable leaders during their tenure with IPR, and I look forward to working with both of them more to advance IPR during a time of accelerated change in our industry.”
