Melissa Clark, APR, Fellow PRSA, serves as the director of Information Dissemination and is a public relations and communications professional who specializes in leading organizations through crises and periods of great change. Her professional work has focused on executive and employee communications, public relations, media relations, branding, marketing and change management, along with crises, issues and reputation management.
Clark earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism and worked with Tulsa’s KOTV and KRJH. She transitioned into public relations and held positions with the University of Missouri, Charleston Symphony Orchestra and American Red Cross’ Southwest Region, where she led the American Red Cross initial crisis communication response to the Oklahoma City Murrah Building bombing in 1995. Her work was recognized by former U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole, who served as American Red Cross president and CEO.
Clark has worked in a variety of industries including higher education, telecommunications, oil and gas, health insurance, and non-profits. She led communication efforts for two corporate spinoffs and served as lead communicator on multiple mergers, acquisitions and divestitures, as well as for an Initial Public Offering and a company’s bankruptcy. As a primary writer for executive communications, she has also written a CEO’s testimony to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs seeking repeal of the oil export ban and community leaders’ press conference comments following the riots in Ferguson, Missouri.
She is a member of the Public Relations Society of America’s College of Fellows, which comprises more than 350 leading professionals who have left a significant footprint on the public relations profession.
Clark was recognized by the Tulsa Business Journal as a “Woman of Distinction” for her contributions to business and non-profit organizations and by the Tulsa PRSA Chapter as Professional of the Year. She has served with numerous boards supporting women, children and education.
