As we continue our DEI journey, which will be ongoing, we acknowledge we may not get everything right, but we will continue to learn, improve and grow as an organization and we hope, as an industry. To do this, we will be guided by five core principles:
In how we articulate our DEI message both internally and externally; continuing to understand where our strengths lie, where we want to grow, and that short-term wins will lead to long-term sustainable outcomes.
We will be intentional in what we choose to do and why. Every initiative and objective we commit to will meet some of our most immediate needs while also laying the foundation for the future.
Our commitment is not temporary, but long-standing and sustainable. We will be consistent and aggressive in how we approach progress, establishing clear goals to hold ourselves accountable to meeting our full potential.
We will make mistakes along the way, but will always be transparent about our intention and how we will continue to improve or correct our course. PAN is committed to clearly communicating our goals and progress, as we believe progress is not possible without transparency and honesty.
Everything we do will be guided by our morals and the ethics that PAN was founded on more than 25 years ago, and that we continue to put at the heart and forefront of everything we do. Above all, we must approach our DEI journey with integrity.
This year, we gathered together for the first time at a company retreat in Boston. Our agency has always been about our people — we put them first and they make the business what it is — and this event was a celebration of just that. Catch the fun below.
The PAN Portal network is proud to be partnering with three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) on a four-part guest lecture series aimed to inform and answer questions students have about the public relations agency experience and the industries of business-to-business technology and healthcare.
In addition to the classroom series, we are thrilled to formally be offering a paid fellowship program called the PAN ‘Public Relations Experience Program’, which gives one student from each university, each semester, the opportunity to gain real-world experience learning PR and integrated marketing.
“Teaching has been such an important piece of my life’s work and having the privilege to work with students from all backgrounds has been such a rewarding experience over the years. I hope that through the guest lecture series and the fellowship, we continue expanding our capacity to create even more opportunities for the next generation of PR professionals.”
— Phil Nardone, President & CEO, PAN Communications
Participating HBCUs include:
Dillard’s Mass Communications Program: mass communication prepares students to be proficient in communicating information and ideas through the utilization of media, to be qualified to hold positions in the mass communication industry, and to also gain admission to graduate and professional schools…
NC A&T’s Department of Journalism and Mass Communications: if you aspire to be involved in the creation and delivery of media content, the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is the place where your career can begin…
NCCU’s Mass Communication, Public Relations Concentration, B.A.: The Public Relations concentration (Mass Communication B.A.) prepares students for careers as specialists who promote people and organizations…
Our PANid team leads our agency’s grassroots efforts within our diversity, equity and inclusion journey. They build PAN brand recognition in association with championing DEI initiatives. They aid in becoming a strategic partner for clients and new prospects looking to focus on DEI efforts, and identify ways to add value and support. They strive to enhance and evolve practices at PAN to nurture an inclusive workplace and culture via these focus areas.
Increase Education, Training and Continuous Learning
Establish a consistent cadence of learning and development opportunities for employees at all levels to continue growing in their DEI journey. Create or enhance forums that allow for discussions and dialogues around issues such as mental health, gender equity, the LGBTQIA+ community and racism, which are impacting employees.
Champion Belonging, Retention and Recruitment
Provide opportunities that allow employees to showcase their interests and passions within the PAN culture. Continue to increase diverse representation within the agency at all levels.
Amplify Communications and Engagement
Prioritize messages to employees around DEI topics and continue to respond proactively and openly to news and moments in time that may be impacting employees.