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ABOUT US Joann Killeen | Michael J. Furtney Joann Killeen, APR, Fellow PRSA President, Killeen Furtney Group
Joann holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Journalism from California State University at Northridge (CSUN) and a Master of Science (MS) Degree in Communications Management from Simmons College in Boston. A member of the Public Relations Society of America for 25 years, Joann is a member of PRSA Counselors Academy. One of 5,000 public relations practitioners world-wide to hold the APR designation (Accredited in Public Relations) by the PRSA, the largest public relations organization in the world. Elected to the PRSA College of Fellows in 1994, Joann is one of the youngest professionals to ever achieve the honor and designation of Fellow. She joined the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) at CSUN in the early 70’s. She became the first PRSSA member to rise to the rank of PRSA President and CEO in 2002, leading the international organization to its greatest financial success in the Society’s 60-year history. Joann has won numerous awards for her work as a professional counselor and for her service to the public relations industry. She won the PRSA President’s Exceptional Leadership Award in 1993 and 1994. In 2002 the Los Angeles Chapter of PRSA named Joann as the Public Relations Professional of the Year for her outstanding contributions to the industry and to the local community, Joann is a noted speaker, writer, author, expert and educator in the field of public relations. She has taught at Whitworth College, and was a frequent guest lecturer at Simmons College and Boston University. She was a keynote speaker on public relations ethics at the Global Alliance meeting in South Africa in 2002 and continues to speak on this and other related topics locally and regionally. In 2004, Joann was qualified as a legal expert witness in public relations and now offers those services to the legal industry. Presently, Joann is an instructor for the UCLA Extension Program. She teaches the Writing for PR course in the Public Relations Certificate program.. Joann holds memberships in several professional organizations. In addition to the Public Relations Society of America she is a member of the National Investor Relations Institute, the National Speakers Association and the Sacramento Seminar. Michael J. Furtney, APR, Fellow PRSA Principal, Killeen Furtney Group
In 2006, the Killeen Furtney Group was selected by the California Department of Parks and Recreation and the Will Rogers Cooperative to manage media and public relations for the rededication of the historic family home in Will Rogers State Park in Pacific Palisades. That successful public relations program "Welcome Back to the Ranch” was named the best in its category by the Los Angeles Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America in October 2006. The Killeen Furtney Group received a Prism Award for the category One-Time Media/Event, Nonprofit, and Budget Less than $25,000. Check out the California State Parks website at http://www.parks.ca.gov for photos of this successful event. Furtney has provided a high level of critical media relations and public affairs experience during the following crises:
.Furtney has led seminars on media relations for industry groups and college classes for more than 20 years. He presently serves on the faculty of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and teaches in their Extension Public Relations Certificate program. He also is an adjunct professor in public relations at Pepperdine University in Malibu and the University of Southern California. A graduate of the University of Southern California, he received the third degree in public relations granted by the school. Following graduation, he was a general assignment reporter for the Santa Ana (now Orange County) Register and covered the 1964 Republican Convention in San Francisco. He began his public relations career with Getty Oil in Los Angeles in 1965. A long-time member of the Public Relations Society of America, he has been an accredited member since 1976 and was elected to PRSA’s College of Fellows in 2003. He was president of the San Francisco chapter in 2003 after serving as co-chair of the 2002 PRSA International Conference, held in San Francisco. He is a Life Member of the San Francisco Public Relations Round Table and is a member of the Sacramento Seminar, a prestigious group of 100 which meets regularly to hear distinguished speakers from government and the media. He is a member of the board of the California State Rail Museum Foundation.
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Joann is an award-winning public relations executive with over 30 years of industry experience. Whether it is a strategic plan or a financial communications program, Joann is as comfortable with the language of numbers as she is with words. Her strategic mind is well-known throughout the industry. She has created award-winning strategic marketing communications and public relations programs for Union Pacific Railroad, California State Parks, Lifetime Corporation, DAKA International, Wal-Mart, Microsoft Corporation, Litton Industries, Blockbuster and OATH. Her industry experience includes assignments in technology, healthcare, recreation, food industry, education, investor relations, government, transportation and non-profit.
Michael J. Furtney joined the Killeen Furtney Group as a principal in 2003. His corporate public relations experience spans nearly four decades in a variety of industries including: senior public relations positions at Union Pacific Railroad – a major supporter of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Southern Pacific Rail Corp., Sprint Corp., Bechtel Power Co., Chevron Corp., Getty Oil Co., Kaiser Cement & Gypsum and Natomas Co.