Mark LaVigne is an instructor in our Bachelor of Public Relations Management, Honours (BPRM) program who has spent 33 years in the PR industry working for large multinational agencies. This experience eventually led to him starting his own PR practice, where he worked for 25 years.
What initially sparked his interest in this industry goes back to his initial experience in journalism, which he was trained for and worked in after graduate school. “After many, many interviews, I realized a good proportion from all walks of life were not prepared very well to meet the media. That piqued my initial interest in public relations,” he explains.
As an industry professional, Mark shares his time between his current training practice and teaching at the School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design, where he initially had the chance to develop a course by previous Chair of Communications and Media, Barry Waite. “Barry Waite recruited me to develop a course on media relations, my practice specialty, for the new BPRM program. I had previously guest lectured at Story Arts when I was president of CPRS Toronto and adored the campus,” he shares.
This four-year bachelor program takes a deep dive into public relations and business studies. It provides students with the opportunity to develop the skills they need through real-world, experiential learning as a way to enter this industry with confidence. Mark explains that combining PR and business courses allows students to be well-versed in those disciplines upon graduation. “Since 2015, I have taught courses in media relations, internal communications, communications research and measurement, public affairs and a new one on PR leadership.”
“My teaching style is experiential, where I bring as many as I can arrange in as guest lecturers,” he says. “It goes both ways actually, giving industry professionals some time in the classroom, which introduced them to the joy of working with these brilliant young people like it did for me as a guest lecturer.”
“Centennial’s commitment to PR post-secondary education is superb. PR is what is trying to keep this crazy world together, and we are graduating the very best and brightest generation to enter our invaluable profession for the future of our democracy,” he adds.
Having published several textbooks, Mark says he tends to teach a course and then develops a textbook for it since there is often not a Canadian textbook to teach from. He explains, “It started with me self-publishing a textbook on media relations, which I used with students, media training clients, and a series of industry workshops and CPRS training modules.
Mark has also begun working with our very own Centennial Press to publish textbooks, as he shares, “Centennial Press’ David Stover took my own book in and made it much better. Then we started developing other textbooks with his other press, Internal Communications in Canada, and the soon-to-be-released PR Planning, Research and Measurement. He also picked up my children’s book and two of a series of backcountry Algonquin memoirs/advice/adventure books.”
RECEIVING A LIFE MEMBERSHIP BY CPRS
Mark’s contributions to the PR industry have been incredible, which makes receiving a Life Membership from the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) extremely fitting. He is a member of the CPRS College of Fellows, with a pre-requisite being an accredited member (APR) of CPRS, in addition to several other outstanding roles he has taken on.
Mark says he was thrilled when he first learned he received the life membership. “CPRS provided a professional development pathway for me with the APR, which I earned in 1999, and admission into the College of Fellows [in] 2010. The [life membership] is the final rung in the CPRS ladder for me, which we are eligible to be nominated for at the 30-year mark in CPRS membership. But over the years of volunteering for the society, serving as CPRS Toronto president and vice present nationally, I have made very close and dear friends across the country. I would never have survived COVID without these friendships!”
Reflecting on his experience in this industry, Mark’s advice to those just starting out is, “Join an industry association, volunteer, grow, get your APR, write, teach, and connect with like-minded people.”
Congratulations, Mark, on such an outstanding achievement!
Article by: Alexandra Few
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