Join PRSA Memphis for an enlightening panel discussion during Women's History Month, featuring four trailblazing women in the field of communications. This event offers a unique opportunity to delve into the transformative trends and challenges shaping the world of communications today. Engage with our expert panelists as they share their insights, experiences, and visions for the future of this ever-evolving industry.

**Upon registration, attendees will receive a Zoom link in advance of the event**

Moderator: Dr. Melissa Janoske McLean (Community Legal Center)

Panelists: Dr. Vickye Ford (Methodist), Cori McCleskey (Remember Media), and Andrea Wiley (Hemline) 

Melissa Janoske McLean, Ph.D (Moderator)

Melissa Janoske McLean, Ph.D., is Associate Executive Director of Community Legal Center (CLC), a nonprofit providing civil and immigration legal services for those with high need and limited means. She provides operations management, including finance, grant writing, HR, and communication/public relations work.

Prior to CLC, Melissa spent almost 20 years in higher education, including as a tenured associate professor and administrative positions. She taught public relations, social media activism, public speaking, and crisis communication, among other topics, at both the undergraduate and master’s levels. She has led research teams in these fields, resulting in significant national and international publications, conference presentations, and book chapters.

Melissa has also been a freelance writer for dental technology companies, managed restaurants/wine bars and specialty grocery stores, and ran a consulting business for women in academia looking to improve their research and leadership skills.

Melissa earned her Ph.D. in public relations and crisis communication from the University of Maryland, and undergraduate and master’s degrees in organizational communication from Radford University in Virginia. She is also a graduate of the New Memphis Fellows program.

A native Marylander, she and her husband currently live in Cooper Young with their three dogs.

Vickye T. Ford, PhD, MA, APR

Dr. Vickye Ford is an accredited public relations professional who has specialized in communications, marketing, and community engagement for nonprofit, education, and healthcare organizations.

Currently, she is the Director of Community Engagement & Strategic Partnerships for Methodist South Hospital in the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare System. Her responsibilities include mission-aligned community engagement, stakeholder and collaborative partnership development, and strategic employee volunteer program design that aligns with business priorities and growth strategies.

She has taught graduate level students from around the country and abroad as an adjunct teaching faculty member in the Department of Journalism and Strategic Media’s online program at The University of Memphis.

Dr. Ford’s industry peers have selected her to serve as a board member and the president of three professional development organizations including the Public Relations Society of America (Memphis chapter), Public Relations Council of Alabama (North Alabama chapter), and the Alabama College System Public Relations Association.

As an avid volunteer and servant leader, she has served as a board member for many nonprofit organizations and has spent most of her career inspiring and motivating others to use their time and talents by volunteering in their communities.

She has a bachelor’s degree in English from Alabama A & M University in Huntsville, Alabama, a master’s degree in journalism with a concentration in public relations from The University of Memphis, and a PhD in Community Engagement from Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Her dissertation research focused on employees’ motivations for participating in their company’s volunteer program. She also holds the designation of Senior Practitioner from the Southern Public Relations Federation.

Andrea Wiley

An explorer with an insatiable curiosity about herself and the world around her, Andrea trusts her gut and follows her instincts. She’s in her element when immersed in her clients’ brands, focused with a discerning eye to strategically guide them in the right direction to reach their business goals. She has 20+ years of marketing communications experience in logistics, financial services, hospitality, tourism, commercial real estate and non-profit fund development. Andrea is a former adjunct professor at the University of Memphis, where she also received her master’s and bachelor’s degrees. Intro to advertising, account management and digital marketing were some of her classes, but her favorite to teach today is yoga. Wiley currently serves on the University of Memphis College of Communication & Fine Arts Advocacy Leadership Council, was the chair of the Memphis Community Board for Planned Parenthood of Tennessee and North Mississippi from 2019-2023 and was in the class of 2019 for Leadership Memphis’ Executive Program. She was regional director for American Advertising Federation 's AAF District 7 in 2020-2022, and during her term received the 2022 Otis Dodge Award for significant contributions to the district as well as the 2021 Bolton-MacVicar-Malone Award for dedicating time and effort to help advertising students at the University of Memphis.

Cori McCleskey

My name is Cori McCleskey, and I'm the SHE-EO of Remember Media. I was recognized as one of the city's best and brightest leaders in the Memphis Flyer 20 < 30 issue in 2022. My business is a Memphis-based, Gen-Z-led Social Media Agency geared towards helping local organizations grow their brand, audience, and revenue on the number one marketing platforms.

 I was born and raised just across the Mississippi River, and I'm known for being a Social Media Queen. I lead my organization with nearly a decade of professional marketing and leadership experience. In the first 3 years of business, my team and I have helped over 300 organizations in nearly every industry and have begun expanding into nearby markets. 

During my free time, I work to push my mission forward of building a more connected and engaged Memphis community through my three other roles: Vice President of the South Main Association, Communications Director of the Memphis Edge District, and Shred Ambassador.