UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Rochelle Ford, a respected public relations leader and CEO of the Page Society, joined the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication advisory board in December, adding extensive experience from the academic and professional sectors.
In addition to her insights and experience, Ford’s role as an ex-officio Page Center board member will be an important bridge between the Page Center and the Page Society, two different organizations that share a focus on ethics. The Page Center, a research center in the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, concerns itself with research initiatives, and the Page Society is a professional association for senior communications leaders.
Ford started her career by taking advantage of internship opportunities in college, loving the non-profit space. Her industry experience includes positions at AARP, Nationwide and the public relations agency Arthur J. Schultz and Company.
Early in her career, Ford learned that she loved working in higher education and helping young professionals develop their careers. She taught at the University of Tennessee at Martin and Howard University, where she was the faculty adviser for the Public Relations Student Society of America. There she took on mentorship responsibilities to kick start young professionals’ careers.
“You must be ethical to the client,” Ford told her students. “That means knowing your capabilities and knowing when to step back and bring in some extra help.”
Ford joined Syracuse University where she served as chair of the public relations department until 2018, when she was named dean of the School of Communications at Elon University. In 2022, she became the president of Dillard University.
“The administrative skills I developed at Syracuse, and the experience I had from all of my positions, gave me a broad understanding of ways to uplift the public relations industry,” Ford said. “Page provided that position where I could follow my love for helping people achieve their career goals.”
In 2025, she assumed her current role as CEO of the Page Society, where, she said, her passion for career development and her strong ethical sense guides her to foster a community of communications leaders.
“If we are not ethical, if we are not grounded in truth and integrity, then we will have no respect inside our organizations, or outside of them,” Ford said. “Be true to your moral compass and your ethics as you continue to change, but stay true to your core principles as you age and socialize.”
Ford said that truth is at the center of her ethical compass. She continuously searches for “facts that can be proven by action,” because having integrity is a key factor in maintaining credibility, and ultimately leads successful public relations initiatives.
“Our number one principle is truth,” said Ford. “But there is a war on truth.”
At the Page Society, Ford said she prides herself on equipping communications leaders with the tools to advocate for ethical principles within their companies. She said her ability to make an impact on the communications field boils down to having the most influential people inside of these organizations and promoting ethical principles.
Denise Bortree, Page Center director and interim dean of the Bellisario College, said Ford’s background in academia and industry leadership will bring a unique and influential voice on the advisory board.
“Rochelle’s knowledge of how education and research work will be such valuable addition to the board,” said Bortree, who is a member of the Page Society. “We also look to strengthen our partnership with the Society, and find ways to work together to promote ethics and integrity.”
“I'm super-excited that the director of the Page Center is a Page Society member. It’s an important part of her being a scholar and leading an important organization,” said Ford. “It demonstrates that both organizations are working with the most influential people in communications.”
About the Arthur W. Page Center for Integrity in Public Communication
Since its 2004 founding, the Page Center has become an international leader in research on ethics and integrity in public communication. Over the past 22 years, the center has funded nearly 350 scholars and awarded more than $1 million in research funding. The center’s advisory board consists of 18 members that represent decades of leadership in education, business, journalism, nonprofit and public relations.